I’m transporting a bicycle

Transporting a bicycle as oversized luggage

Transporting bicycles as oversized luggage is permitted on trains marked in the timetable with the “bicycle” symbol (see the overview of symbols at the end of this page), which have carriages with special spaces for transporting bicycles. These carriages are marked with the same symbol. Such transport is also allowed on regional (Os), regional fast (Sp), fast (R), higher-quality fast (Rx) and express (Ex) trains (unless these trains have declared the oversized luggage transport service or the luggage storage during transport service – see below) in the entry areas of the first and last doors of the train, where a maximum of two bicycles may be transported at the same time, unless this is excluded for technological or safety reasons. In all cases, however, the transport of bicycles as oversized luggage is possible only until the capacity of spaces on the train has been exhausted, and the final decision on whether it is or is not possible to accept another bicycle for transport (and where) is at the sole discretion of the conductor of the train in question. Under no circumstances can bicycles be transported on trains which are marked in the timetable with the symbol of a crossed-out bicycle.

Children’s trailers pulled behind a bicycle can be transported as oversized luggage as well, although they must be detached from the bicycle during transport. They must be attended to during transport like children’s strollers or prams, and are transported free of charge.

Tandem and multiple-seat bicycles may not be transported as oversized luggage.

Transporting bicycles using the luggage storage during transport service

The luggage storage during transport service is provided on ČD trains marked in the timetable with the symbol of a suitcase (or the symbol of a suitcase in a circle or frame). The suitcase symbol can also be found on the service carriage or compartment where bicycles or other items can be stored in this manner.

When using the luggage storage during transport service, the depositor hands over his/her bicycle directly to a ČD employee in the marked carriage of the train. After disembarking, you will retrieve your bicycle from a ČD employee right at the train. When transferring to a different train, the passenger must ensure the transfer of the luggage to the next train himself/herself. The main advantage of the Luggage Storage During Transport service is that you need not attend to your bicycle during the journey (it is under the conductor’s supervision), nor need you find a seat near your bicycle. The service thus functions similarly to luggage storage at the station.

Before depositing a bicycle in the luggage storage during transport service, it is always necessary to remove all easily detachable parts.

With a bicycle on the Pendolino

On SC Pendolino trains, it is possible to transport a limited number of bicycles as oversized luggage with a required reservation of a space for a bicycle.

Reservations for a bicycle

To ensure a carefree train journey with your bike, you can in most cases reserve a space for your bike in advance, generally together with a reservation for you in 2nd class (a passenger seat reservation and a reservation of a space for a bike can be combined on a single document). If it’s possible to reserve a space for a bicycle on the train, the symbol for oversized luggage (a bicycle) or luggage storage during transport (a suitcase) appears in a circle; if such a reservation is required, this symbol appears in a box. Purchase your reservation of a space for a bicycle (either together with a passenger seat reservation or as a separate reservation of a space for a bicycle) in advance at a ticket counter, in the e-shop or no later than from the conductor of the previous train. Only on SC trains is it possible to purchase an SC reservation with a reservation of a space for a bicycle on the same train, if such a space is still available (always confer with a conductor from the train in question before boarding).

A reservation of a space for a bicycle can be purchased in advance sales up to 60 days prior to travel. The sale of reservations for trains on which it is possible to reserve spaces for bicycles always ends two hours prior to the train’s departure from its originating station. The sale of reservations for international trains with required reservations for bicycles usually ends at the time of the train’s departure from the originating station. The sale of reservations for inland trains with required reservations of spaces for bicycles always ends at the time of the train’s departure from the passenger’s boarding station.

In addition to the reservation document mentioned above, you must also have a ticket for the bicycle (carriage fee for transporting a bicycle), and possibly also a payment receipt for a one-off storage fee in the luggage storage during transport service, as the case may be.

Around Prague with a bicycle

In the City of Prague, it is possible to transport one bicycle as oversized luggage free of charge on ČD trains integrated into the Prague Integrated Transport (PID) system when using a PID travel document. With a PID travel document, it is also possible to transport a bicycle in Prague by metro, tram, funicular railway or ferry, while the use of cyclobuses is always subject to a fee.

Examples of travel with a bicycle

• Kralupy nad Vltavou – Praha Masarykovo nádraží, bicycle as oversized luggage ... CZK 30 for the bicycle
• Praha hl.n. – Plzeň, bicycle stored with the conductor... CZK 50 for the bicycle + CZK 20 for the storage fee = CZK 70
• Ostrava hl.n. – Praha hl.n. with a reservation for a bicycle stored with the conductor... (a reservation for a bicycle cannot be purchased from the conductor) CZK 75 for the bicycle + CZK 20 storage fee + the reservation (CZK 35 or free of charge) = CZK 95 / CZK 130
• Ostrava hl.n. – Praha hl.n. with a reservation for a bicycle as oversized luggage (under the passenger’s own supervision)... CZK 75 for the bicycle + the reservation (CZK 35 or free of charge) = CZK 75 / CZK 110

Price schedule for transporting oversized luggage

Price for depositing a bicycle in the luggage storage during transport service

For every transported bicycle, it is necessary to pay the price of a carriage fee for transporting luggage (the same price as for the transport of oversized luggage) and a one-off storage fee of CZK 20 in the luggage storage during transport service. The one-off storage fee in the luggage storage during transport service is paid for each train separately, and can be purchased in advance at a ČD ticket counter, in the ČD e-shop or directly from the conductor on the train.

Prices for bicycle reservations

By train abroad with a bicycle

Are you travelling abroad? Even when travelling abroad, you can take your bike with you as oversized luggage. You will load your bike onto the train yourself in a specified place where it can be deposited easily. Trains with space for transporting oversized luggage are marked with a bicycle symbol. You will attend to a bicycle transported as oversized luggage for the duration of your journey on the train. In this case, it is suitable to sit in the carriage near your bicycle so that you can keep an eye on it. When transferring between trains, you will transfer the bicycle yourself from one train to another.

When travelling to Slovakia, you can also use the luggage storage during transport service on selected trains. You will load your bicycle into a specially modified carriage where it will be deposited by the conductor, and then you can even take a seat in a different carriage. Carriages offering the luggage storage during transport service are marked with a suitcase symbol. During the journey, the bicycles will be attended to by the conductor, from whom you will also retrieve the bicycle when disembarking. When transferring between trains, you will transfer the bicycle yourself from one train to another.

You can always travel with a bicycle only on trains which allow this service.

A bicycle as oversized luggage

Bicycles can be transported as oversized luggage to the following countries: Germany, Austria, Hungary, the Netherlands, Denmark, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Poland (only direct trains in long-distance transport between the Czech Republic and Poland), Slovakia, Croatia, Slovenia and Belgium. To transport a bicycle from the boarding station in the Czech Republic to the destination station abroad, you will pay CZK 276 (EUR 10)*, or CZK 83 (EUR 3)* in the event of a journey to Slovakia. A document for transporting the bicycle back from the foreign destination can also be purchased in advance in the Czech Republic. When purchasing this document abroad, the price is always determined by the price schedules of the relevant foreign railway.

You can only travel with a bicycle on trains which offer the bicycle transport service. In the timetable, such trains are specified with the oversized luggage transport service (bicycle symbol) or the luggage storage during transport service (suitcase symbol). When travelling with a bicycle in long-distance international transport, it is generally necessary to reserve a space for the bicycle. Thus, when procuring travel documents from ČD, don’t forget also to purchase a reservation for the bicycle for CZK 83 (EUR 3)*. Trains requiring reservations for bicycles can be identified in the timetable (bicycle symbol in a box or suitcase symbol in a box). You can purchase international documents for transporting a bicycle and reservations for bicycles at ticket counters that sell international tickets.

Transporting bicycles to Slovakia

When travelling with a bicycle to Slovakia, you can take advantage of the luggage storage during transport service (suitcase symbol) or the oversized luggage transport service (bicycle symbol). The price for transporting one bicycle to Slovakia is CZK 83 (EUR 3)*, whether the bicycle is transported as oversized luggage or using the luggage storage during transport service (here, it is not necessary to pay an additional one-off storage fee as is the case for journeys in the Czech Republic). When travelling with a bicycle to Slovakia on certain long-distance trains, it is always necessary to purchase a reservation for the bicycle. It is not possible to load the bicycle onto the train without a pre-purchased reservation of a space for the bicycle; the reservation cannot be purchased from the conductor. The fee for the reservation is EUR 3 (c. CZK 83)*.

Within the scope of Local Border Traffic (MPS) between the Czech Republic and Slovakia (within a distance of up to 52 kilometres from the border), you can also transport your bicycle as oversized luggage on all trains going to Slovakia in carriages marked with the bicycle symbol. You can even take your bicycle into unmarked carriages on Os, Sp, REX and R category trains, where you can transport them in the entry areas of the first and last doors of the train, where a maximum of two bicycles may be transported at the same time, unless this is excluded for technological or safety reasons. The price of a one-way travel document for a bicycle on the selected route is CZK 50. Also for the return journey from Slovakia, you can purchase a travel document for a bicycle in advance at a ČD ticket counter.

Journeys to border regions with a bicycle

Within the scope of discounted regional one-day cross-border network offers (e.g. Labe-Elbe, EURO-NISA-TICKET) and Local Border Traffic (MPS) offers (e.g. MPS Länderbahn, MPS EURegio) to Germany, Poland, Slovakia and Austria, it is also possible to transport bicycles, generally as oversized luggage. You can find more information on prices and terms by consulting the relevant offer.

* The prices of international tickets, supplements and other fees are fixed in euros, and are converted to Czech crowns according to the valid uniform railway exchange rate.