Freight and imports from Paris to Prague

Sourcing from Île-de-France for Czech buyers

The Paris region is France's largest economic area and the European distribution base of many brands. Czech and Slovak importers buy here above all:

• cosmetics, fragrances and personal care products,
• fashion, clothing, leather accessories and home textiles,
• pharmaceuticals and medical supplies,
• books, printed matter and promotional material,
• fine food and cheese from the wholesale markets south of the city,
• spare parts for aerospace, electrical and automotive industries.

Collections in Champagne or Lorraine can be added on the way, since Reims and Metz lie directly on the route. Eastbound trucks are often filled in the other direction with Czech glass, beer, furniture, car parts and machinery.

Route and transit time

Paris to Prague is approximately 1,050 km by road. A single driver needs two working days: out of Paris on the A4 via Reims and Metz, into Germany near Saarbrücken, then via Mannheim, Heilbronn and Nuremberg to the Waidhaus/Rozvadov crossing. For deliveries to Moravia or Slovakia a southern variant via Strasbourg, Stuttgart and Munich can be quicker. A truck loaded on Monday typically delivers in Czechia on Wednesday; a double-manned express van does the trip in around 12 to 14 hours.

French rules worth knowing

France bans trucks over 7.5 tonnes from 10 pm Saturday to 10 pm Sunday, and from 10 pm on the eve of a public holiday until 10 pm on the holiday itself, with extra Saturday restrictions in July and August. Combined with the German Sunday ban, a load collected on Friday afternoon usually arrives on Monday or Tuesday. Motorway tolls are paid at toll plazas and included in our price. Greater Paris requires a Crit'Air emissions sticker, and trucks over 3.5 tonnes must display blind-spot warning stickers; our carriers' vehicles comply with both.

Warehouses, slots and city-centre pickups

Most warehouses are outside central Paris: around Roissy airport, at the river port of Gennevilliers, near the Rungis market and in logistics parks to the east towards Marne-la-Vallée and Sénart. They work with booked time slots, often through the supplier's own online system, and drivers without a confirmed slot are turned away. Inside the Périphérique ring road, large trucks face size and delivery-time restrictions, so we collect from shops or offices in the centre with a van or a small truck with tail lift and consolidate the goods afterwards.

Wine, cosmetics and temperature control

Wine and champagne are excise goods. When moved under duty suspension they need an electronic administrative document in EMCS and must go to an authorised warehouse or registered consignee; duty-paid goods travel with a simplified accompanying document. The shipper prepares these documents and we make sure the carrier is briefed. In winter we use temperature-controlled trucks so wine and cosmetics do not freeze; in summer we protect fragrances and food from overheating, with a temperature log for food.

Choosing a service and booking

Up to about ten pallets, pallet groupage is the most economical choice, typically three to five working days. From 13 pallets or when delivery within two days matters, book a full truck. Several pickups in France can be combined in one order through our international forwarding. Imports from France are intra-EU trade, so a CMR note and invoice or delivery note are enough. Ask your supplier for the warehouse reference, confirmed slot, pallet count, dimensions and weight. Dispatch answers Monday to Friday, 8:00–18:00, usually within 30 minutes, and the calculator gives an estimate immediately.