From Václav Havel Airport Prague

At the airport, take the AE bus (Airport Express) or bus number 59 to Hlavní nádraží (main train station). You will find the AE stops in front of Terminals 1 & 2, marked AE. The AE bus goes every 30 minutes and the travel time is 40 minutes. The AE ticket costs 200 CZK and can be purchased from the driver. Check the timetable or more info.

From the train station, take a train to Ostrava Hlavní nádraží (Ostrava main train station) if your accommodation is in the center, or to Ostrava-Svinov if you are staying in Poruba. Trains run quite regularly. There are three railway companies operating in the Czech Republic:

  • České Dráhy
  • RegioJet
  • Leo Express

With České Dráhy it is not necessary to buy your train ticket in advance. You can simply buy it at the train station before your trip. Just say where you want to go — no need to specify the time. The price is 295 CZK (11.50 €). You may want (but it is not compulsory) to get a seat reservation to make sure you will have a place to sit. Usually there are enough seats, but sometimes trains are really crowded (especially during peak commute times such as Friday afternoons, Sunday afternoons and Monday mornings), so you may end up standing the whole time (almost 4 hours). The seat reservation costs just 35 CZK (1.35 €), but in that case you will have to specify the departure time. You can also buy your ticket online — that way you get a 3% discount and the seat reservation is free. There is one exception: České Dráhy operate one type of train called Pendolino. It's more modern and a little bit faster (it takes just 3 hours to get to Ostrava), but for this one you must buy a seat reservation (200 CZK / 7.70 €), making the total 495 CZK (19.20 €). When buying, you have to specify that you want to travel with Pendolino and at what time. Without a Pendolino ticket you cannot board it.

If you plan to travel with RegioJet or LEO Express, you will be buying a ticket for a particular seat, so you are guaranteed a place to sit. They offer a high level of service and comfort at lower prices (free wi-fi, tea/coffee, newspaper, etc.). To buy a ticket, visit regiojet.cz or leoexpress.com. You can also buy tickets at the train station in Prague (at different windows from České Dráhy), but these trains fill up quickly so it's hard to buy a ticket just a few hours or minutes before your trip. With RegioJet the ticket costs from 216 to 295 CZK; with LEO Express it's between 100 and 300 CZK (depending on the day and time).

For the timetable check out this page. Just type in from Prague to Ostrava and you will get listings for all trains from all companies.

If you have a Buddy, he or she should pick you up from the train station. Outside of the train station halls you will immediately see tram and trolleybus stops.

To go to:

  • Poruba Dorms — take tram number 8 (tram stop 'VŠB-TUO').
  • J. Opletal Dorms — take trolleybus number 106 or 108 (trolleybus stop 'Revírní br. pokladna').
💡 Don't forget to buy a ticket in the yellow ticket machine inside the buses/trams. You can pay with your VISA/Mastercard — no cash or reservation needed!

From Leoš Janáček Ostrava Airport

Take a bus which stops in front of the airport hall. Don't look for a number but for a sign that says OSTRAVA ÚAN. Tickets cost around 30 CZK and are sold by the driver (just say ÚAN or write it on your phone and show it to the driver). Get off at the last stop. Timetable — just type in from Mošnov Airport to Ostrava ÚAN.

When you get off the bus, take the underpass to get to a tram/trolleybus stop.

To go to:

  • Poruba Dorms — take tram number 8 (tram stop 'VŠB-TUO').
  • J. Opletal Dorms — take trolleybus number 104 (trolleybus stop 'Revírní br. pokladna').
💡 Pay attention to the directions! Don't forget to buy a ticket in the yellow ticket machine inside the buses/trams. You can pay with your VISA/Mastercard — no cash or reservation needed!

From Katowice or Kraków Airport

You have two options:

Take an airport bus to the train station in Katowice/Kraków, then take a train to Ostrava Hlavní nádraží — from there it's the same as coming from Prague.

Take a TigerExpress bus. It goes straight from Katowice/Kraków airport to Ostrava. It's comfortable and quicker than the train at almost the same price. Check out the timetable and book your ticket here.