Bratislava to Prague by car: vignettes and the Brno works

From Bratislava main station, the usual drive takes the D2 north past Malacky and Kúty to the Czech border at Brodské, continues on the Czech D2 to Brno and joins the D1 on the southern edge of the city for the long run west to Prague. On OpenStreetMap data it is about 330 km, with one border crossing and no Austrian roads.

The route, section by section

Vignettes

In Slovakia the D2 is free as far as the Stupava junction. The 44 km from Stupava to Kúty need an e-vignette: €8.10 for one day or €10.80 for ten (checked 26 September 2026). The last 5 km to the border are listed as temporarily exempt. Buy it at eznamka.sk, the official online shop.

In Czechia the vignette applies on the D2 from the border to exit 3 (northbound it starts at the Lanžhot rest area) and on the D1 from exit 182 to exit 6 at the edge of Prague; the motorway around Brno in between is free. It costs CZK 230 for one day or CZK 300 for ten (2026 price list, checked 26 September 2026) at edalnice.gov.cz. Driving a charged section without one risks a fine of up to CZK 20,000. Electric cars registered abroad pay nothing but must file an exemption notification before the trip. More in the vignette guide.

Avoiding the Slovak vignette

Road I/2 runs next to the D2. Leave the motorway at Stupava, follow the I/2 through Malacky to Kúty and rejoin the D2 for the exempt last 5 km. This adds about 9 km, much of it through towns and villages at 50 km/h, so it saves €8.10 at a clear cost in time. The exemption is temporary, so check the list of charged sections first. An avoid-tolls setting in your app would also avoid Czech motorways, so check that the route leaves the D2 only between Stupava and Kúty (app settings guide).

The border

Slovakia and Czechia have notified no border controls (European Commission list, checked 26 September 2026), and the route never enters Austria, so Austria's checks do not apply. Carrying an ID card or passport is still wise; see Border checks in 2026.

Roadworks in 2026

The D1/D2 junction at Brno

The junction where this route switches from the D2 to the D1 is being rebuilt as part of widening the D1 around Brno to six lanes. Work began on 9 October 2025 and is planned to finish in 2027. Since 5 January 2026 D1 traffic has run in two narrowed lanes each way on one carriageway, and the D2 has used the same layout, with temporary ramps, since April 2026. Short closures are announced in advance on d1brno.cz.

Šmejkalka bridge

At kilometre 24 of the D1, near Senohraby, the Šmejkalka bridge is being rebuilt one half at a time. Traffic moved onto the finished first half on 6 September 2026, in two lanes each way, and the bridge is due to be finished in summer 2027.

On the Czech D2, bridge work about 50 km after the border is due to finish in October 2026. For closures on the day, see dopravniinfo.gov.cz and NDS traffic information.

Arriving in Prague

The Czech vignette ends at exit 6; since 1 January 2023 the last 5.2 km, inside Prague, have been a city road. The P+R car parks at Opatov and Chodov are next to metro line C, which runs straight to the main station.

A new six-level car park at Opatov, with 498 spaces and EV charging, is due to open on 30 September 2026. It will cost CZK 50 for the first 24 hours and CZK 10 for each hour begun after that (checked 26 September 2026), and spaces cannot be booked. Driving on to the station means paid street zones with different visitor limits by colour; the details are in our Vienna to Prague guide.

Checklist

• A Slovak e-vignette for Stupava to Kúty, unless you take the I/2.
• A Czech e-vignette from edalnice.gov.cz; foreign electric cars need the exemption notification.
• Closures: d1brno.cz for the Brno junction, then dopravniinfo.gov.cz and NDS.
• An ID card or passport for everyone on board.
• Winter tyres on wintry roads: Czechia's rule runs 1 November to 31 March, Slovakia's has no fixed dates (winter rules).
• P+R Opatov or Chodov, then metro line C.
• Live times from Mapssy just before you leave.