České dráhy

The national railway company České dráhy (Czech Railways) was founded in 2003. Czech Railways followed up the activities of Czechoslovak State Railways, which were established in 1918. Today, it is one of the most important carriers in the Czech Republic and annually transfers around 180 million passengers.

Czech Railways operate several types of trains, including SC Pendolino, Railjet, InterCity and EuroCity. The company manages regional trains, express trains, fast trains, car trains and night trains.

Tickets can be bought directly on the ČD website or in the mobile application My Train (iOS, Android). Alternatively, you can use our cheapest ticket finder.

Czech Railways offers domestic connections within the Czech Republic, but also connections that take you abroad. You can take a train to France, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy, Denmark and many other countries.

Czech Railways offer several types of tickets: single, time and group tickets. Nostalgic trains are an interesting option. Within this special ticket you can ride a steam train on several routes.

Cheapest Tickets

You can get the cheapest tickets across Europe well in advance. Early tickets can be purchased in the eshop, in the mobile app or at the ticket counter. The earlier you buy your ticket, the cheaper the price will be. If you travel frequently with České dráhy, you can sign up for their loyalty program and collect points or create an In Karta (In Card).

Czech Railways offer its passengers the opportunity to travel mostly in two classes, namely premium First Class or standard Second Class. The classes differ in the services and comfort offered. First Class guarantees greater comfort when travelling. The seats are more spacious, have additional equipment and more legroom. In Second Class, the seats are usually arranged in smaller compartments (for 6 to 8 people) or in open space. Some trains also offer Business Class.

You can download the timetables from the company's website in PDF format. Just enter a specific station or line number. You can build a drop-down timetable, download an offline timetable or search for online timetables.

You can also follow the details of individual connections in the My Train mobile app, which is free to download (iOS, Android).

You can easily book a specific seat on the train using a seat ticket. You can purchase the seat ticket up to 60 days before departure during the ticket purchase process. For domestic connections, you can usually select a seat ticket free of charge in the eshop. On most services, you do not need to select a specific seat, but some trains have compulsory seat tickets (e.g. SuperCity). For more information on seat booking, please visit this link.

You can transport a piece of hand luggage with maximum dimensions 90 x 60 x 40 cm (35,4 x 23,6 x 15,7 inches) free of charge. This suitcase must fit into the designated space under your seat or on the shelf above your seat. If you need to carry larger luggage, you must purchase a special ticket for it.

A stroller can be transported free of charge. A bicycle can be transported for a fee.

The comfort and services offered vary depending on which travel class you have purchased a ticket for and what type of train it is. Passengers in First Class can enjoy comfortable and spacious seats, a welcome drink and simple refreshments. Standard Second Class passengers can purchase refreshments for a fee. WiFi connection is available free of charge on selected connections, however, the signal is not always good. On selected trains (Pendolino, railjet, InterPanter) an Entertainment Onboard Portal is available.

Some connections include a dining car, where passengers can purchase a full menu, meals or drinks. These trains are identified in the timetables. On selected routes (e.g. Prague - Ostrava), you can use the ČD Minibar service and buy small snacks. On the R13 and R19 lines it is possible to buy snacks from snack vending machines of the company Delikomat.

České dráhy can be contacted by phone on +420 221 111 122 or by email at info@cd.cz. You can also contact the above phone line if you have forgotten anything on the train.

There is also a contact form on the ČD website for questions, compliments or complaints.

You can find any restrictions or closures directly on the ČD website. There you will find a list of planned closures as well as unplanned emergencies. Thanks to the search function, you can filter the restrictions for a given region. You can also search for restrictions by your train number. Search for restrictions and closures at this link.

If you are unsure about restrictions, you can contact the carrier by calling +420 221 111 122.

Czech Railways' eshop can be found at this link. In the menu you can easily choose whether you want to buy a single ticket, a time ticket (e.g. for summer or all-day) or a group ticket. In its eshop, ČD also offer nostalgic trips by steam train, e.g. to Berounka, Šumava or Posázaví.

The eshop can also be used to purchase In Karta (In Card) with various discounts.

Download the My Train app (iOS,Android) to your smartphone or tablet for free. The app is a handy tool for trips within the Czech Republic, to Slovakia or to Germany, Hungary or Austria.

In the app you can easily search for any connection and buy a ticket, which you just save to your phone and show to the conductor. In the app you can find information about your train and the selected station - what time and from which platform the train departs and if it is delayed or not.