Freight forwarding Prešov – transport to and from the Czech Republic

A trading town on the road to Poland

Prešov sits in the Torysa valley about 35 km north of Košice and, with roughly 81,000 inhabitants, ranks third in Slovakia after Bratislava and Košice. Trade shaped it early on: its merchants dealt with Poland, and in the 16th century the town was a base for dealers in Tokaj wine bound for the north. The north-eastern corridor still matters, now for trucks instead of wine wagons.

The local economy rests on mechanical and electrical engineering and clothing manufacture. About nine industrial parks and zones on the city's edges host component makers, warehouses and distribution centres serving eastern Slovakia, and large shopping centres need regular supplies of consumer goods.

Salt and other goods from Šariš

Salt makes Prešov unusual. In the district of Solivar it was mined from 1572; after the mine flooded in 1752, producers switched to boiling brine, and the historic saltworks is now a national cultural monument. Salt is still produced in Prešov, the only place in Slovakia where it is extracted and processed. For transport this means bagged table and industrial salt on pallets: heavy and sensitive to moisture.

Typical cargo heading to the Czech Republic:

• salt in bags and retail packs,
• garments and textile products from local sewing plants,
• electrical components, cables and switchgear,
• machine parts and metal products,
• beer from the brewery in Veľký Šariš, just outside the city, and other food.

Czech suppliers send consumer goods, building materials, machinery, spare parts, packaging and food. There is no customs border between the two countries; a CMR note plus an invoice or delivery note is all that is needed.

Crossing the mountains: where the D1 still has gaps

Trucks from Czechia head for Žilina and then follow the D1 past Ružomberok, Liptovský Mikuláš and Poprad. The motorway is not yet continuous: around Ružomberok part of the journey still uses road I/18 along the Váh valley, which is slower, particularly in winter. Between Poprad and Prešov the D1 runs through the Branisko tunnel, almost 5 km long, which so far has only one tube with two-way traffic. Accidents or maintenance close it and send traffic over the mountain pass.

Approximate distances: Ostrava 330 km via Mosty u Jablunkova, Brno 430 km, Prague 630 km. A truck loaded in Prešov in the morning reaches Ostrava in the afternoon and Brno in the evening; Prague is the next working day. Pallet groupage takes two to three working days. Slovakia charges electronic tolls for vehicles over 3.5 t and bans heavy trucks on Sundays and public holidays, and on summer Saturdays as well; see transport to Slovakia.

New bypasses around the city

For years transit traffic to Poland and Košice squeezed through Prešov's streets. In October 2021 the south-western bypass opened as part of the D1, including a tunnel under the hills at the city edge, and in October 2023 the first stage of the northern bypass followed on the R4 expressway; the second stage is in preparation. Industrial parks in the south and west can now be reached without crossing the centre, though we still schedule deliveries to the old town and residential areas outside rush hours.

North to Poland via the Dukla Pass

North of Prešov a road leads via Svidník to the Vyšný Komárnik/Barwinek crossing in the Dukla Pass. The R4 expressway there is unfinished: only the Svidník bypass exists, in half profile, and the rest is planned for 2027–2031. The route links eastern Slovakia with south-eastern Poland. To the south, the D1 connects Prešov with Košice, so loads can be combined with pick-ups there.

Before booking, confirm pallet weights and packaging for salt, which must be stretch-wrapped and kept dry, and tell us whether garments travel boxed or on hangers, which requires a specially fitted vehicle.