Brno is often regarded as a crossroads between a number of Central European cities (Prague, Bratislava, Vienna, etc) and is thus relatively easy to get to. The main north-south railway line in Central Europe passes through Brno, which means that it is easily accessible by train (or bus) from any regional city.
Since Brno has a small airport, we imagine that the majority of RC28 participants will first fly to the Prague, Bratislava or Vienna and then proceed to Brno by train or bus. To help you plan you trip, we would like to provide you with travel information about the ways to get to Brno, and then what to do once you are here.
Brno has a small airport (Brno-BRQ) with daily flights by Czech Airlines from (and to) Prague. Ryanair flies to Brno from London Stansted, and Cirrus Airlines flies to Brno from Munich as well as from London City. Thus if you want to fly directly to Brno without the need to take a bus or train from nearby cities (such as Vienna or Prague), you could consider one of those routes.
The Brno Airport is located about 7.5 Km outside of Brno. There is no rail service but there is a bus service (bus no. 76) that departs from outside the main terminal building. This is operated by Dopravni podnik města Brna and the journey takes around 20 minutes to the city costing 13 CZK (i.e. about 50 cents). There is also a taxi service located outside of the main terminal; the journey takes approximately 15 minutes costing 300 CZK (i.e. 11 euros). Nearest international airports are in Bratislava (approx 100 km), Vienna (130km) and Prague (200km). There are good train/bus connections to Brno from all these cities.
Many of you may find it convenient to fly to Prague and then take a bus or train to Brno. Buses from Prague to Brno depart from the Florenc bus station, and most trains depart from the Main Train Station (Hlavni nadrazi). To get to these locations from the airport, you can go by public transport or take a taxi. Please keep in mind that we have arranged a free bus from Prague to Brno on May 24, leaving at noon. If you are interested reserving a seat, please let us know as soon as possible at rc28@soc.cas.cz.
Prague's public transport system offers the cheapest way to get from the airport to the Prague centre and vice versa. Bus line 119 runs every 20 minutes between 4:00 and 24:00, leaving from a stop in front of the aiport terminal. Before you get on the bus, you have to buy a 20 CZK ticket, available from vending machines or newsagents at the airport. You should take the bus to the last stop at the Dejvicka Metro station (A-line). At the Dejvicka station, you can take the metro to either the Main Train Station ("Hlavni nadrazi" metro stop on the C-line) or to the Florenc bus station ("Florenc" metro stop, also on the C-line), depending on which means of transport you will be using to travel on to Brno (see below).
An alternative way of getting to the city centre is by taxi. There are flat rates - subject to change - of approximately 560 Kc to the Florenc bus station, and approximately 650 Kc to destinations in the centre of the city (where the Main Train Station is situated).
Getting from Prague to Brno by train: The journey from Prague by the so-called "fast trains" takes three and half hours; EC trains (recommended) shorten the journey to 2 hours 45 minutes. There are about a dozen trains between Prague and Brno every day. Most of the trains leave from the Main Railway Station, but a few also leave from the Prague Holesovice station.
Getting from Prague to Brno by bus: There are bus departures from Prague's Florenc bus station virtually every hour during weekdays, and slightly less frequently on weekends and holidays. The journey takes about 2 hours 45 minutes, and costs about 150 CZK (6 EUR).
There is also the possibility of travelling directly to Brno from the Prague airport on mini-buses operated by Czech Airlines. This service runs four times daily on weekdays and twice a day on weekends; the journey takes about 2 hours 45 minutes. It is best to make a reservation on this mini-bus when you buy your air ticket, but you can also enquire at the Czech Airlines desk at Prague airport as to whether there is a free seat on the next bus. If you have pre-booked a ticket on the mini-bus, you must "check in" at the Czech Airlines counter in the airport departure hall.
Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, is only two hours from Brno by train. You can fly to Bratislava on several small airlines from a number of European cities. For example, Ryanair offers flights from Milan, Frankfurt, London, and Dublin; and Sky Europe offers flights from Paris, Dublin, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Sofia, Bucharest, Milan and London.
Once you arrive at the Bratislava airport, you can take bus number 61 to the last stop, the Central Railway Station, and proceed to Brno by train. The bus from the airport to the train station takes approximately 25 minutes, and the bus runs 5am to 11pm every 20 minutes, and every 10 minutes during peak hours.
Getting from Bratislava to Brno by train: There are approximately 10 trains between Bratislava and Brno every day, most of which do not require a transfer. The EC trains (currently leaving Bratislava at 8:25am, 12:25pm and 4:22pm) take less than an hour and a half to make the journey. There are also a several direct trains in the evening hours. Once you arrive in Brno, follow the directions below.
The Vienna Airport is well connected by bus and train, and is on the S-bahn. Trains to Brno depart from the Wien Sudbahnhof station. To get to Wien Sudbahnhof from the airport, you can either take the S-bahn, or you can take a bus from the Vienna Airport Lines (every 30 minutes, takes 25 minutes).
Getting from Vienna to Brno by train: Brno is only 1 hour 40 minutes away from Vienna. There are four EC trains daily from Wien Sudbahnhof that link the two cities.
Getting from Vienna to Brno by bus: You can take a direct bus from the airport to Brno on Eurolines Austria (you can book your ticket online). Buses leave everyday at 7:10, 16:45 and 21:30. The ride takes approximately 3 hours and costs 6.90 EUR, and takes you to the main bus station in Brno. Other bus companies also offer direct buses from Vienna to Brno. In all, there are about eight buses from the Vienna airport to Brno every day.
Brno is situated at the meeting point of motorways D1 (Prague-Brno) and D2 (Brno-Bratislava). Both are part of the trans-European road system, which links France with the Ukraine (E50) and Scandinavia with the Balkans (E65). Other major roads lead northeast to Poland and the Baltic states and south to Austria and Italy. Brno is about 120 minutes drive from Vienna or 150 minutes drive from Prague. Use exit 190 when leaving motorway from Prague.
You will probably arrive in Brno either at the Main Train Station (Hlavni nadrazi), at the Zvonarka main bus station (autobusove nadrazi Zvonarka) or at the smaller but better situated bus station near Hotel Grand. You can get from the Zvonarka bus station to the Faculty of Social Sciences on tram 12 (takes about 15 minutes), and from either the main train station or from the bus station near Hotel Grand on trams 12 and 13 (takes about 10 minutes). All of these stations are walking distance from the city centre.
Brno has a dense network of integrated tram and bus lines, which are operated by the Dopravní podnik města Brna, a.s. (Brno City Public Transport Company). Click here for a printable interactive map of the Brno transport system. The trams and buses run all day long, but after midnight you will have to use the night buses, all of which conveniently intersect in front of the main train station.
There are a number of tickets available, all of which can be used on both buses and trams:
The 40 minute ticket will likely be sufficient for most trips, but for your own convenience it might be a good idea to just by the three day or seven day ticket (depending on the length of your stay).
Before each journey, you have to purchase and validate your ticket. In order to validate your ticket, you need to "stamp“ the ticket in the ticket machine in the tram or bus. You should then keep the ticket with you for the length of your journey. If you buy a three day or similar ticket, you need to stamp it only once (when you begin your first journey), and then keep it in your wallet for the entire period of its validity. The Brno transport system uses plainclothes inspectors to check for tickets, and so if you encouter an inspector, you will have to show the ticket to him/her. You will be fined if you do not have a ticket or if it is not validated.
You can buy transport tickets at a number of locations, such as transport hubs and important stops, tobacco and newspaper stands, train stations, and from the drivers (though they carry only several types of tickets).
Brno also has convenient and cheap taxi services, which might be useful for getting to your hotel once you arrive. You should be able to easily find taxis at the bus or train station or at the Brno airport, as well as at major sites and intersections in the city. Two of the main taxi companies are City Taxi Brno (tel. 608 037 047) and Lido Taxi (tel. 542 214 221). It usually costs about 30 CZK to enter a taxi, with the ride costing about 25 CZK per kilometre. Thus if you arrive by train or bus, you should be able to get to the Faculty of Social Studies or to your hotel for less than 100 CZK (3.50 EUR).
