Parking in the capital of the Czech Republic can be a bit of a nightmare. With about four parking zone types, fines, private parking garages and more, there is a lot to get acquainted with. Luckily, we have put together this brief summary to show you the ropes of Prague parking.
Do you want to park in Prague? Pay attention to the parking zones
There are four types of PPZ (Paid Parking Zones) which have been implemented by the city of Prague. Their aim was to make the city better for permanent residents by making certain areas expensive to park in.
First is the Blue zone, which is by far the most restrictive of the four. It’s marked with blue lines and is intended mostly for residents. They have to have a valid parking permit together with a subscription to park here. Everyone else can stay on the blue lines for no longer than 3 hours. This is not free, though there are no parking ticket machines in blue zones, so one can only purchase a ticket via the virtual parking clock app.
The second zone is purple, and it’s intended both for residents and visitors to Prague. It’s marked with a discontinuous white line and a purple stripe on a traffic sign. Here, owners of a parking permit may park freely. Others can stay for up to 24 hours after paying via the virtual parking clock or a parking ticket machine in the area.
The third is the Orange zone, and it’s marked the same way as the purple zone, only with an orange stripe on the traffic sign. It’s only meant for short parking of up to 3 hours, which means that everyone (even owners of the parking permit) can stay here only by purchasing a ticket through the virtual parking clock or the ticket machine.
Find the perfect accommodation in Prague
Lastly, there is the P+R (Park and Ride) parking zones. They are placed near metro stations, bus stops, and other public transport to try and get people out of their cars and into public transport. This is how the center becomes less cluttered with traffic and Prague as a city a bit more ecological. If you want to learn more about prices, know that there are different prices sectors in Prague, which you will find on this map. The pricelist itself is here. And for more information, go to this link.
Parking garages in Prague
The city of Prague provides this handy map where one can find a parking garage nearby.
Parking in the city centre
Parking in the centre is, frankly, a terrible experience but if you must do so here you’ll find a list of private parking lots and garages in the city centre.
Prague airport parking
The Václav Havel Airport has three The Václav Havel Airport has three tiers of parking.
- Minutes - For picking up or dropping off passengers or luggage. The first 15 min is free; every following 30 min interval is 100 CZK.
- Hours - For those who want to accompany passengers to the airport and spend some time with them at the terminal, or those who come to the airport for a business meeting. 60 CZK per hour, next to the terminal.
- Days – Either reserved online or negotiated on the spot. Online booking starts at around 990 CZK for 7 days.
Free parking in Prague
With the system of coloured zones, finding free parking in Prague is very difficult. Here are some general tips which might help. Look for areas without zone designation. These are found usually far away from the city centre, but they do exist. Try asking someone who lives in the area. Also, there are some shopping centres which let you park for free, but that’s about it. It’s mostly about luck and a keen eye.
Parking fines in Prague
There are two types of fines for wrong parking. One is a boot/clamp which will cost you between 1000 and 1500 CZK to remove. The other is towing your car way which will cost considerably more (700 CZK for towing plus a higher fine).
