Low-cost car hire Prague Railway Station - from 10€/day

Prague Railway Station, Prague's principal train station, was built by Josef Fanta and opened in 1909 as one of the last architectural triumphs of the fading Habsburg Empire. It was eventually renamed Wilson Station and is now commonly known as the Main Station. Between 1972 and 1979, a new terminal structure was added to the station, which included an underground station and the main road on the terminal roof.

The station is conveniently placed about five minutes' walk from Wenceslas Square and is connected to the rest of the city by metro line C. The main station is also linked to Prague Airport by an express bus that departs every 30 minutes during the day (travel time 25 to 40 minutes). Taxi stalls may be found outside the terminal. Unfortunately, it is not advisable to take any of the taxi cabs around the railway station, since you will almost certainly be charged an exorbitant fee. Call one of the trustworthy businesses instead, or reserve a cab through Prague Airport Transfers.

The Italian firm Grandi Stazioni has restored and modernized Prague's Main Station (Hlavni nadrazi) to western standards from its old "dirty" image of a dark area of Prague in 2010-2011. The station is divided into many floors. There are all the amenities you'd expect at a train station, such as a 24-hour left luggage desk and automated big luggage lockers. Exchange offices, ATMs, tourist and railroad information desks, quick food stalls and restaurants (such as Burger King), café shops, and retail shops are also available.

Although the Prague Railway Station is practically downtown, getting to the hotel you've reserved might be difficult. The most difficult challenge is that the taxi drivers at the "official" railway station stand are a gang of neckless mafia heavies seeking for an opportunity to charge arriving visitors five times the regular rate. To find a respectable cab driver, exit the station's main hall through the huge glass doors and go fifty yards across the park into Opletalova street (many cabs are usually stationed in front of the Chopin Hotel, on Jeruzalémská street corner). Always confirm the total price for your trip before boarding a cab, and make sure the driver switches on the meter—it should not cost you more than 300CZK to reach your hotel in the city center, or more than 500CZK to travel to the city's outskirts. Alternatively, you may order a cab in advance from the Prague Airport Transfer business, and a driver will be waiting for you when you arrive.

The bulk of the Old Town hotels are a 20-30 minute walk from the railway station. Leave the station and go across the street to a small park, then across the road on the opposite side. Walk along Jeruzalémská street until you reach Jindiská Tower & tram station, then walk beneath a tiny archway and partially to the right onto Senováná street. When you approach the end of the street, you will discover the Powder Gate—the official Old Town entrance—on the left. As an alternative, the New Town Wenceslas Square is only a ten-minute walk away—leave the station, cross the park, and continue going on the left along Opletalova street.