Travelers heading to the Western Balkans could eventually use their phones without worrying about extra roaming charges, as the European Union moves forward with plans to expand its roaming zone beyond its current borders. The European Commission is working on a proposal that would bring six Western Balkan countries — Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia — under the same roaming framework currently used across EU member states and participating European countries. If the plan is approved, residents and visitors would be able to make calls, send text messages and use mobile data in those countries under conditions similar to those they already enjoy throughout much of Europe. The process, however, is still at an early stage. While the Commission has expressed support for the expansion, the proposal must first receive approval from EU member states before negotiations can begin. Earlier this year, the Commission asked the Council of the European Union for authorization to open formal talks with the six Western Balkan partners. Once approved, separate agreements would need to be negotiated with each country. According to the Commission, successful negotiations would create the legal framework necessary for the Western Balkans to join the EU...
Travel between Prague and the Tatras region in Slovakia will soon be quicker, as a popular low-cost airline is launching a new route connecting the Czech capital with Poprad in northeastern Slovakia. Until now, the only way to travel between these two destinations was by train or coach. Currently, the only air link between Slovakia and Prague has been from Košice Airport, with daily Ryanair flights. Wizz Air plans to launch the new service in late October, with departures on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The flight will take about one hour, making it much faster than the seven-hour train ride or the even longer bus journey. Many people from eastern Slovakia work or study in Prague. Starting in October, they will be able to make the trip for €24.99. With eastern Slovakia now gaining another direct air connection to Prague, people are wondering when a similar route will open between Prague and the Slovak capital. Ryanair recently said they are open to this idea, but need to analyse the data first. The last direct flight between the two capitals operated in 2019. At present, travellers from both Prague and Bratislava can use the flights between the Austrian capital and Prague....
Travelers heading north from the Czech capital will once again be able to reach Hamburg without changing trains. Starting Sunday, June 14th, the regular timetable will be restored on the route connecting Prague with Berlin, Hamburg and further destinations in northern Europe. The renewed service shortens the journey between Prague and Hamburg to around six hours, roughly 40 minutes faster than before the disruption caused by infrastructure upgrades. Passengers will also benefit from a larger number of direct departures. Trains from Prague to Hamburg are scheduled to leave every two hours, beginning shortly after 6:30 a.m. and continuing until late afternoon. During the summer season, travelers will have an additional overnight option. A night train departing Prague shortly after midnight is expected to arrive in Hamburg at around 7 a.m., offering an alternative for those looking to maximize their time abroad. The reopening of the route also restores direct rail access to Kiel. The Hungaria service will once again provide passengers from Prague, as well as travelers boarding in Brno and Pardubice, with direct connections to Dresden, Berlin, Hamburg and the northern German port city. Rail links to Denmark are also returning to their planned capacity. Seasonal schedules will include...
Smartwings will introduce a new direct route between Prague and Lisbon this autumn, giving travelers a nonstop connection to the Portuguese capital for the first time through the Czech carrier’s regular network. The new service will begin operating on October 23, with flights departing three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Tickets are already available across Smartwings’ distribution channels, with one-way fares starting at CZK 2,934, including standard hand luggage. The launch reflects growing demand among Czech travelers for convenient access to popular European destinations. Lisbon has become an increasingly sought-after city break destination, attracting visitors with its historic neighborhoods, coastal setting, food scene and mild climate. “We have been observing increasing interest among Czech passengers in attractive European destinations for a long time. That is why we continue to expand our network of scheduled routes,” said Michal Váňa, Sales Director of Smartwings. He added that the new connection would allow passengers to reach one of Europe’s most visited capitals without the need for a transfer. Lisbon will become the airline’s fourth destination in Portugal. Smartwings already operates flights from Prague to Porto, Funchal on the island of Madeira, and Ponta Delgada on São Miguel in the Azores....
After a seasonal pause, travelers can once again fly directly between Prague and Toronto. Air Canada has restarted its summer service linking the Czech capital with Canada’s largest city, expanding Prague Airport’s network of long-haul destinations across the Atlantic. The first aircraft of the season touched down at Prague’s Václav Havel Airport on Tuesday morning after a journey of less than seven and a half hours. The flight was operated by an Airbus A330-300, one of the wide-body aircraft used by the Canadian carrier on the route. The connection will remain available throughout the summer travel season. Air Canada plans to operate up to four flights per week during the busiest months before reducing service to three weekly departures in September. The seasonal route is scheduled to run until October 24. Passengers looking for a direct connection between the Czech Republic and Canada can currently find return fares starting at around CZK 20,000, depending on travel dates and availability. Air Canada introduced the Prague–Toronto route last year, initially operating three weekly flights. While the Airbus A330-300 remains the primary aircraft on the service, the airline previously deployed its Boeing 787 Dreamliner on selected flights. The return of the route restores...
Direct trains from Czech Republic to Europe are expanding as demand for international rail travel continues to grow. A new direct service between Prague and Copenhagen launched in early May from Prague’s main railway station. The route is currently operating in a testing phase with one train per day in each direction. From June 14, frequency will increase to three daily services. The train stops along the way in Ústí nad Labem, Dresden, Berlin and Hamburg, offering a long but continuous connection between Central Europe and the Danish capital. According to Czech Railways, planned infrastructure improvements in Germany will also shorten travel times. A break in traffic between Berlin and Hamburg is expected to end on June 13, which should reduce the overall journey by around 40 minutes. The full trip from Prague to Copenhagen is expected to take approximately 11 hours and 45 minutes once the service is stabilised. Rail connections to the Adriatic Sea are also returning this summer. Czech Railways, in cooperation with Poland’s PKP Intercity, is relaunching the Adriatic Express. The service runs from Warsaw through Ostrava towards the Slovenian port city of Koper and Rijeka in Croatia. Capacity has been increased compared to last year...
The summer bus corridor between Prague and the Croatian coast is open again. RegioJet launched its seasonal service to the Adriatic on May 29, with the first departure rolling out of Florenc bus station at 4:30 PM. The route runs south through Brno and Bratislava before reaching the coast in the early morning hours, stopping at nine destinations along the way: Zadar, Sukošan, Biograd na Moru, Pakoštane, Vodice, Šibenik, Primošten, Trogir, and Split. Through mid-June, buses depart three times a week. From June 12, the service switches to daily operations and runs through early September. The final return leg of the season from Croatia is set for September 21, 2026. Also starting June 12, RegioJet adds a new corridor: Prague–Brno–Bratislava–Rijeka–Crikvenica, departing Florenc at 6:30 PM. Tickets on this route start at 899 CZK — in line with the pricing on the Split service, which has held steady from last year despite rising fuel costs. Demand is up noticeably from last summer. Several departures are already sold out, with Friday buses at the start of school holidays going first. What’s on board Both routes use Setra S 531 DT double-decker buses in the Fun&Relax⁺ configuration, carrying 58 passengers. The upper deck...
The award comes as Prague Airport expands international connectivity, having launched new routes last year and earmarked for new long-haul paths to the US and Taiwan in 2026. The results are in and the winners of this year’s Routes Europe awards have been announced. Spotlighting the continent’s airports, tourism authorities and airlines, the forum recognises best practices within route development, as well as achievements in airport and destination marketing. This 2026 edition of Routes Europe took place in the Italian city of Rimini, where a total of six awards were presented. The airport awards Airport awards were divided into categories by passenger volume, including under five million, five to 20 million and over 20 million. In the under five million passengers category, Florence Airport was named the winner, while Athens International Airport triumphed in the over 20 million passengers section. After also being named best airport in the five to 20 million passenger category, Prague Airport was then selected for the first time as the overall winner by a panel of judges. In 2025, Czechia’s busiest aviation hub handled 17.8 million passengers – marking an 8.5% increase compared to 2024 and even going beyond pre-Covid pandemic figures. Prague bets on...
The world’s most beautiful hotels have been revealed, with a lake house in China and an Italian palazzo making the shortlist of stunning stays. The Prix Versailles, a series of architectural competitions, announced its annual list of 16 of the globe’s most extraordinarily designed hotels. In China, The ArcadiaPlace, Lugu Lake stood out for offering guests an “immersion into one of the world’s last matriarchal societies” across its 57 “striking” guest rooms. The “opulent spirit” of The Silk Lakehouse in Shangri-La Hangzhou was also lauded by the Prix Versailles for having an “intimate atmosphere” that’s “reminiscent of a visit to a friend’s home”. Sir Prague made the list following a bold interior renovation by Linda Boronkay. Set inside a restored Neo-Renaissance building dating back to 1884, Sir Prague combines the city’s historic architecture with interiors influenced by Czech Cubism. Original features, including timber parquet floors, iron railings and a sculptural staircase, remain intact throughout the property, while vintage furniture and angular silhouettes introduce a sharper contemporary contrast. References to Princess Libuše, the mythical founder of Prague, run quietly throughout the interiors, giving the property a slightly surreal atmosphere that feels distinct from the city’s more traditional luxury hotels. In...
Starting October 10, travellers between Prague and Vietnam will no longer need to piece together a multi-stop journey. Vietnamese low-cost carrier Vietjet Air is launching a twice-weekly service connecting Prague Václav Havel Airport with Hanoi’s Nội Bài International Airport — the first regular direct route between the two capitals. The numbers behind this launch tell the story. Last year, more than 75,000 passengers flew between Prague and Hanoi — without a single direct option available. Every one of them had to connect through a third city. “Vietnam is the strongest market with which we have not had a direct flight connection until now,” said the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Prague Airport. “We have been working toward this for a long time. It was one of our strategic priorities, and we have now managed to fulfil it.” Beyond the bilateral traffic, the new service will give passengers access to more than 40 onward connections across Asia through Vietjet Air’s network. Flights will operate on Tuesdays and Saturdays. In the initial phase, the route will include a technical stopover in Almaty, Kazakhstan — and tickets for the Prague–Almaty segment will be sold separately. Departing Hanoi at 8:45 a.m., the...
Passengers from the United Kingdom, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea can now use the automated eGATE border control system at Václav Havel Airport in Prague. The gates opened to these new groups on Friday, May 15th, marking a significant broadening of a system that had previously been restricted to citizens of EU and European Economic Area countries, as well as Switzerland. To use the gates, travellers must be 15 years of age or older and carry a biometric passport. The service is available only on departures outside the Schengen area. The move follows the launch of the Entry/Exit System — known as EES — across the European Union in April. Czech authorities say an earlier rollout was technically impossible. The EES, which tracks the movement of non-EU nationals crossing external Schengen borders, required technical adjustments to the airport’s existing automated gate infrastructure before third-country nationals could be admitted to the system. Ahead of a Record-Breaking Summer Prague Airport is approaching 20 million passengers annually, a figure that grows each year. The eGATE expansion is being rolled out deliberately ahead of peak season, when passenger numbers surge and pressure on passport control intensifies. Martin Kučera, board member responsible for operations and...
Four towns in the Czech Republic have been included in a new ranking of the most beautiful small towns in Central Europe. The list, compiled by the travel platform My Wanderlust, places Kutná Hora in third position, making it the highest-ranked Czech entry. The town, once a major center of silver mining in medieval Europe, still carries traces of its past in its preserved streets and historic buildings. The ranking also points to the Sedlec Ossuary beneath the Cemetery Church of All Saints, known for its interior decorated with human bones, which continues to draw international attention. Another Czech town, Český Krumlov, appears in sixth place. Set along a bend of the Vltava River, it is often visited for its compact historic center and castle complex. The ranking presents it as a suitable destination for short stays, particularly for visitors looking for a quieter setting with notable architecture. Further down the list, Třeboň takes the 20th spot. The South Bohemian town is known for its network of ponds and its orderly square, offering a slower pace that contrasts with larger urban centers. Mikulov, located in South Moravia near the Austrian border, ranks 29th, noted for its position among vineyards and...
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