Freight forwarding Prague – road transport, import and export

Where the motorways meet

The Czech road network radiates out of Prague. The D1 runs south-east to Brno and Ostrava, the D5 west to Plzeň and the German border at Rozvadov/Waidhaus, the D8 north to Ústí nad Labem and Dresden, and the D11 east to Hradec Králové. Smaller spokes lead to Mladá Boleslav and Liberec (D10), Karlovy Vary (D6), Chomutov (D7), Příbram (D4) and Tábor (D3). Most freight is therefore handled not in the city itself but in the large warehouse and distribution areas that have grown up just outside it along these motorways.

The Prague ring road is still incomplete in the north and north-east. A truck switching from the D5 to the D8 often has to cross the city or detour via the southern section, so we build some buffer into delivery slots, especially around rush hour.

Typical routes and transit times

One driver can cover roughly 600–700 km per day under EU driving-time rules. Approximate road distances and full-truck transit times from Prague:

• Berlin – about 350 km via the D8, delivery usually the next working day; Hamburg (about 640 km) within one to two working days.
• Munich – about 380 km via the D5 and Rozvadov, typically one working day.
• Vienna – about 330 km via the D1 and Brno, typically one working day.
• Warsaw – about 680 km, one to two working days.
• Rotterdam – about 900 km, usually two working days.

Route-specific details are available for Prague – Hamburg and Prague – Munich.

What the region ships and what it receives

Prague itself is mostly a centre of trade, services and distribution, while manufacturing sits in the surrounding Central Bohemian Region. Outbound loads include cars and automotive components, electrical equipment and cables, pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, beer and other beverages, printed matter, packaging and plastic products.

Inbound volumes are just as important. Distribution centres around the city supply retail across the whole country, so Prague receives consumer goods, fresh produce from southern Europe, furniture, electronics, textiles and goods from containers landed in Hamburg, Rotterdam or Koper. If you buy from a European supplier, we arrange collection at their premises and delivery straight to your Prague warehouse.

Deliveries into the city centre

Heavier goods vehicles need a permit to enter the wider centre of Prague, and the historic core is full of narrow streets, pedestrian zones and paid parking areas. For offices, shops or restaurants in the centre we use a smaller truck or a van, sometimes with transhipment on the edge of the city. Ask the consignee whether there is somewhere to stop at the address and agree an unloading time outside peak traffic. Warehouses and factories along the motorways are not affected and take standard semi-trailers.

Air, river and rail connections

Václav Havel Airport has a cargo terminal used mainly for urgent and high-value shipments. North of the city, the Elbe port of Mělník links the region to Hamburg by barge and rail, and several combined-transport terminals in and around Prague handle sea containers. Road transport covers the first and last mile between these terminals and the customer.

Choosing the right service

Regular shipments of larger volumes to Germany or Austria travel best as a full truckload with no transhipment. A few pallets of samples or follow-up orders go more economically by groupage. Urgent spare parts for a production line can leave the same day in an express van, and we arrange temperature-controlled and ADR carriers through specialised partners. Within the EU a CMR consignment note and an invoice or delivery note are sufficient. Note the Czech weekend ban for trucks over 7.5 t on Sunday and public-holiday afternoons, extended to Friday and Saturday time windows in summer. Get a price for your shipment in the calculator; our dispatch desk is available Monday to Friday, 8:00–18:00.