Vienna to Prague by car: via Brno or Znojmo

From Vienna main station to Prague there are two sensible routes: via Mikulov and Brno, or via Znojmo and Jihlava. The Znojmo route is roughly 35 km shorter, but far more of it is ordinary two-lane road through villages. On OpenStreetMap data it takes about 4 h 20 min, against about 3 h 45 min via Brno, before traffic.

The two routes at a glance

Via Mikulov and Brno

Both routes join the A23 near the station. For Brno, follow the S2 and S1 to the A5. The four-lane A5 ends at Poysbrunn, and a two-lane bypass around Drasenhofen takes you to the border. Austria's transport ministry says building the full four-lane road there cannot start before 2031.

Across the border the road becomes the two-lane I/52, which skirts Mikulov on a bypass with several roundabouts and crosses the reservoirs to Pohořelice. The D52 motorway is to replace these 23 km or so, but in May 2026 the Czech road authority said construction could begin at the end of 2027. Until then this is a country road, with a limit of 90 km/h unless signed otherwise.

North of Pohořelice, the D52 and four-lane road take you to the D1 at Brno. The D1 around Brno is free between exits 182 and 210; the Czech vignette applies from exit 182 to exit 6 on the edge of Prague, and on the D52 between exits 10 and 23.

Via Znojmo and Jihlava

For Znojmo, take the A22 to Stockerau, then the S3 to Guntersdorf. The S3 needs the vignette, even though most of it is a 2+1 road with two lanes one way and one the other.

From Guntersdorf the vignette-free B303 runs to the border, and the I/38 continues through Znojmo to Jihlava. The Czech vignette starts only when you join the D1 at exit 112.

Vignettes

You need an Austrian vignette on either route: €9.60 for the digital 1-day one or €12.80 for 10 days (2026 prices, checked 26 September 2026).

In Czechia a 1-day vignette costs CZK 230 and a 10-day CZK 300 (2026, checked 26 September 2026); the 1-day runs until 23:59:59 on the chosen day. Full tables are in our vignette guide.

Border checks on the way back

Austria is checking traffic at its border with Czechia from 16 September 2026 to 15 March 2027. The checks are on entry into Austria, so they affect the drive home, and not every car is stopped. Carry a passport or ID card for everyone in the car; the ÖAMTC says a driving licence does not count. More in Border checks in 2026.

Bridge works on the D1

Both routes pass the Šmejkalka bridge at kilometre 24 of the D1, which is being rebuilt one half at a time. Since 6 September 2026 traffic has used the new half, with two narrowed lanes each way. The bridge is due to be finished in summer 2027. Check dopravniinfo.gov.cz for current restrictions.

Which route your app chose

Brno is the usual pick, but a long queue on the D1 or the I/52 can make an app switch to Znojmo. When the apps disagree by more than a few minutes, check which route each one took:

• About 300 km means Znojmo; about 335 km means Brno.
• A22, S3, I/38 or Jihlava mean Znojmo; A5, Mikulov, D52 or Brno mean Brno.
• An avoid-tolls or avoid-motorways setting changes the route; see app settings for Central Europe.

Parking in Prague

After exit 6 the road runs into the city and past the main station. The streets around it are paid parking zones. Visitors may park in violet zones for up to 24 hours and in orange zones for the time on the sign, at up to CZK 80, 60 or 40 an hour depending on the street (checked 26 September 2026). Blue zones are for residents; visitors may stay one hour in the centre and pay online.

It is simpler to park on the edge of the city. P+R Chodov (2 m height limit) and P+R Opatov (close to the D1, with a new 498-space car park due to open on 30 September 2026) charge CZK 50 for the first 24 hours, then CZK 10 per started hour. Both are on metro line C, which runs to the main station without a change.

Checklist

• An Austrian vignette for your travel day and a Czech one for the D1.
• Passport or ID card for everyone, for the Austrian check on the way back.
• Brno or Znojmo: check that the distance and road names in your app match.
• From 1 November, winter-tyre rules apply in both countries in wintry conditions; see winter driving rules.
• A P+R on metro line C, or a paid zone near the station.
• Live times from Mapssy before you leave, and again before the Austrian border on the way home.