Leipzig, Germany might not be the most obvious destination to visit but the city surely is interesting and deserves your time. If you are planning a trip from Prague to Leipzig and are wondering how to get from Prague to Leipzig – look no further, we’ve got you covered!
1. Prague to Leipzig by bus
Time – a bit over 3 hours
Cost – Tickets start at €15
Ease – 5
Fun – 3
Sightseeing – 4
If you prefer traveling by bus there are a few direct connections from Prague to Leipzig, in the early morning, late morning and mid-afternoon. Different companies serve this route: Leo Express, Deutsche Bahn and the Bulgarian company Union Ivkoni, you can check the schedule and book the tickets at their websites. That’s also where you can find the departure location in Prague – it’s either the main bus or train station, both easily reachable by red metro line C. Tickets start at €15, depending on the company, the journey time is between 3h 15 minutes and 3h 30 minutes.
Alternatively, you might first go to Dresden and catch the bus or train from there to Leipzig. We covered all about getting from Prague to Dresden in this article. From Dresden, you have frequent connections to Leipzig, at least once an hour by both train and bus. Tickets for Dresden – Leipzig bus starts at €6, for the train at €17.
2. Prague to Leipzig one-way sightseeing tour
Time – 10 hours
Cost – from €75 per person, private groups only
Ease – 4
Fun – 5
Sightseeing – 5
Another easy way to travel from Prague to Leipzig (or from Leipzig to Prague) is on the small group sightseeing tour. Not only you will be able to see some interesting places along the way, but you will also learn about history, culture, and people of both the Czech Republic and Germany.
The first stop of the tour is in Litomerice – a picturesque town known for the delicious wine. Here you will be able to peek into the underground wine cellars. Afterward, you will head to Germany where you will be able to marvel at stunning Saxon Switzerland and its breathtaking views. From there it is a short ride to Dresden, one of the most beautiful cities in Germany, rich in culture and history. After having lunch, you will be able to stroll around and see yourself the fantastic gems that Dresden is full of. Before arriving in Leipzig, you will see Moritzburg Palace – one of the best examples of baroque architecture in Germany. Ten hours after leaving Prague you are at your destination in Leipzig, with a head full of unforgettable views and stories you’ve seen and heard through the day.
You can find more information as well as book the sightseeing bus from here:
Prague to Leipzig sightseeing tour
Leipzig to Prague sightseeing tour
3. Prague to Leipzig by train
Time – under 4 hours
Cost – Tickets start at €20
Ease – 4
Fun – 3
Sightseeing – 4
Currently, there are no direct trains between Prague and Leipzig, you need to change in Dresden. From Prague to Dresden you can catch the train every two hours, between 6 in the morning and 6 in the evening. You reach Dresden in just over 2 hours and after 15-20 minutes (depending on the connection) you can catch the train further to Leipzig. You can buy the tickets either on Czech Railways (Ceske Drahy) or German Railways (Deutsche Bahn) websites. The prices start at €20 for Prague to Leipzig journey, the sooner you buy, the better price you get. It’s worth checking both websites as sometimes you can find a better deal on one of them.
To reach the main train station in Prague take the red metro line C to the stop “Hlavni nadrazi”. Walk up and you will be already in the main station hall. The train to Dresden also stops at Praha Holesovice station, also reachable by the red metro line C (“Nadrazi Holesovice” stop). The monumental main train station in Leipzig (Hauptbahnhof) is on the outskirts of the Center, within a walking distance to the Main Square and other attractions.
4. Prague to Leipzig by car sharing
Time – 3 hours
Cost – starting at €15
Ease – 3
Fun – 4
Sightseeing – 4
If you don’t mind sharing a ride with strangers you might also use a car-sharing service for a quick and smooth trip from Prague to Leipzig. The most popular website to look for the rides is BlaBlaCar. Use the search option to find a driver that travels between the cities on the date that works for you and contact the driver to arrange all the details, such as the meeting point and time or how much luggage you can take. Sometimes the pickup or final place might be outside of the center as the drivers only bypass the city of your interest so make sure you can get to the agreed point easily. The car-sharing ride from Prague to Leipzig should take around 3 hours and you can expect to pay around €15 for it.
5. Prague to Leipzig by private transfer
Time – 3 hours
Cost – starting at €190 for a car
Ease – 5
Fun – 4
Sightseeing – 5
You might also want to use the private transfer service from Prague to Leipzig. You pay for the car (usually up to 4 people) so it’s a better deal for families or friends traveling together. The direct trip should cost you around €200 but you might customize the itinerary and for a little extra you can add additional stops along the way. And there are many to choose between Prague and Leipzig!
You might stop at Terezin Concentration Camp – a sad witness of the tragic European history, Pillnitz – home to the castle with three palaces at the shore of Elbe river, Dresden – one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, rebuilt after the massive destruction during the World War Two or Meissen – known for its world-famous porcelain. You can turn your trip from Prague to Leipzig into a day full of sightseeing!
6. Prague to Leipzig by car
Time – under 3 hours
Cost – €90/day for a car rental
Ease – 4
Fun – 4
Sightseeing – 5
You can rent a car in Prague and drive to Leipzig yourself, it’s only 260 kilometers away. If you go directly the journey shouldn’t take more than 3 hours, however, you might want to stop along the way to see some interesting places. And there are plenty of them.
You can spend the whole day in Czech / Saxon Switzerland National Park – a perfect nature getaway with some beautiful rock formations, lots of hiking opportunities and impressive Königstein fortress. You might also want to visit Dresden, the city full of incredible monuments. Sightseeing there will keep you occupied for most of the day. You can also stop in Meissen – a very picturesque and charming town between Dresden and Leipzig, known for the famous porcelain but actually offering many more attractions. No matter what you choose we are sure you will have a wonderful road trip from Prague to Leipzig!
7. Prague to Leipzig hitchhiking
Time – 3 hours
Cost – 0
Ease – 3
Fun – 4
Sightseeing – 4
For free-spirited travelers we have some good information – hitchhiking from Prague to Leipzig shouldn’t be too difficult! Leipzig is en route from Prague to destinations in north-west Europe so you might expect some long-distance travelers to pass this German city. The biggest challenge might be getting to a good starting point since it’s located a bit outside of the city. You need to take the red metro line C to the station Letnany and change for the local bus no 195, 140, 158, 110 or 269 in the direction of Obchodni centrum Cakovice. Once you get there, walk on Kostelecka street to the petrol station – this should be a good place to find a ride towards Leipzig. If you are lucky you will find a car that will take you all the way to your destination but you should aim also for other bigger cities along the way, such as Usti nad Laben or Dresden.
8. Prague to Leipzig by bike
Time – 4 days
Cost – 0
Ease – 3
Fun – 4
Sightseeing – 5
If you are traveling on your own two wheels you might easily get from Prague to Leipzig. The bike journey between the two cities should take a minimum of four days (but we recommend more to see all the great places along the way). The total distance is just a bit under 300 kilometers and you might expect some uphills along the way but you should stick to two main rivers in the region – Vltava and Elbe – for the enjoyable ride. There are two nice biking routes that you would follow, Eurovelo 7 and Elberadweg and you can expect to pass some lovely villages and beautiful nature along the way. We recommend stopping for some sightseeing in Meissen, Saxon Switzerland National Park, Litomerice and Melnik along the way – you won’t be disappointed!
9. Walking from Prague to Leipzig
Time – 2 weeks
Cost – 0
Ease – 3
Fun – 4
Sightseeing – 5
If you are a slow traveler and feel like walking from Prague to Leipzig you can as well do that! Just follow the route similar to the biking one we described above, along Vltava and Elbe rivers and make sure to include all the amazing places to visit along the way!
Have a great trip!
Images used under license from Shutterstock.com
