Czech Republic

Czech Republic Driving Advice and Car Hire Info

Driving In Czech Republic

Czech Republic drives on the right and you can use the photo licence of any EU country or country with English language licence to drive here.Drivers from other countries  need their own licence plus an international driving permit. Speed limits range from 130kmh on motorways to 90kmh on other roads and 50kmh in urban areas. All vehicles must carry – high visibility safety jacket ,first aid kit, warning triangle, complete set of spare bulbs, complete set of electric fuses and You need winter tyres between 1 November and 31 March. Blood alcohol level must be zero.

Czech Republic has a well maintained motorway network with 18 separate routes given motorway status (Denoted with a D prefix eg D1 from Prague to the Polish border). Most motorways are toll raods, with tolls paid via purchase of a vignette. Any motorways exempt from tolls will have a sign to denote this (a square containg a circle, crossed out). Vignettes can be purchased for 10 day, one month or one year periods. More information can be obtained from this website –https://www.sfdi.cz/en/vignettes/

Main roads in the Czech Republic and roads in urban areas are usually in satisafctory condition. Smaller rural roads may have deteriorated in places. Though technically in Eastern Europe, the standard of driving are generally more akin to Western Europe. Drivers generally abide by road rules and don’t drive erratically. There is a zero-tolerance policy in the Czech Republic for drivers under the influence of alcohol or other drugs and vehicles must be driven with dipped headlights at all times.If you’re used to driving in a big city at home, even Prague shouldn’t prove overly challenging though you may want to get the rental company to drive you out of the centre if you find navigating a challenge.

Many travellers drive abroad in the Czech Republic as part of a bigger driving holiday across Europe. Driving distances and approximate times to surrounding countries are as follows-

Prague -Vienna – 295 km, estimated travel time, 3.5 hours

Prague -Berlin – 362 km, estimated travel time, 3 hours 45

Prague -Munich – 382 km, estimated travel time, 4 hours

Prague -Budapest – 529 km, estimated travel time, 5 hours

Prague -Krakow – 550 km, estimated travel time, 5.5 hours

Prague -Bratislava – 337 km, estimated travel time, 3.5 hours

Although I try and keep the information in the site updated as much as possible, in a rapidly moving world, situations can change daily. Therefore please use the site as an approximate guide, and in conjunction with other resources in order to form your view on driving conditions, roads, safety etc.

Czech Republic Car Rental –
Sixt, Hertz, Europcar, Alamo, National,Avis, Budget, Thrifty, Dollar,Easycar.com have branches here. Also usually features on Car rental broker sites and Web discount sites such as Expedia.

We currently have no local car rental partners in Czech Republic. If you are a local car rental company who would like to feature on DriverAbroad.com please check details on our Partnering page or contact us on ADriverAbroad@Outlook.com

Czech Republic Self Driving Rules-
Most companies will allow you to take the car out of the country though there may be restrictions on taking high spec vehicles into some Eastern European countries, at least without a large cash deposit. One way international rental may be possible with the bigger companies for a fee.