Prague to Krakow by train

Direct trains run from Praha hlavní nádraží to Kraków Główny several times a day, and the daytime journey takes about 6 hours.

Direct trains by day

In the timetable running to 12 December 2026, three ČD EuroCity trains and one Leo Express train run straight through each day, between early morning and mid-afternoon. ČD runs the EuroCity in Czechia and PKP Intercity takes over in Poland. Every one takes between about 6 hours and 6 hours 30 minutes. The route runs via Pardubice, Olomouc, Ostrava and Bohumín.

For most trips, take the early EuroCity or the morning Leo Express train. Both get you to Kraków by mid-afternoon, with time to find your hotel in daylight.

Two of the EuroCity trains continue to Warsaw. At Bohumín, the Kraków carriages carry on as a separate train, so you stay in your seat but must sit in the carriage your reservation names.

Night train or late arrival

The ČD night train leaves Praha hlavní nádraží late in the evening with sleeper and couchette cars. It runs via Ostrava and Katowice and reaches Kraków Główny a little after 07:00, roughly 9 hours later. A reservation is compulsory.

RegioJet, and Leo Express on most nights, also run late evening trains through to Kraków. Both arrive before 04:00. The RegioJet train has a sleeping car, but the arrival time is the catch. Unless you have a room you can check into at that hour, the ČD night train is the better overnight option.

Tickets, reservations and passes

You book with the company that runs your train. Book the EuroCity and the night train with ČD, which prices fares to Poland in CZK or EUR, and buy Leo Express and RegioJet tickets from those companies.

A seat reservation is compulsory on every direct train. ČD's discounted fares to Poland already include it, and Leo Express adds it free of charge.

An Interrail Global Pass is valid on the ČD and PKP Intercity trains, Leo Express and RegioJet, but it does not replace the reservation. Book it before you board, and book a berth or seat on the night train in advance.

Track works and the December timetable

From 17 November to 1 December 2026, works between Břeclav and Bohumín move some long-distance trains to different times and cut the number of seats, couchettes and sleeper berths. If you are travelling overnight in that window, book your berth early.

A new timetable starts on 13 December 2026. PKP Intercity plans four daily pairs of direct trains between the Kraków region and Prague, but departure times for 2027 are still being finalised. Look at your exact date before you fix plans around a particular train.