Travel: Flights to Prague from Budapest (bud)

• Ruzyně International Airport, (IATA: PRG), +420 220 111 111, +420 296 661 111, . Located 20km northwest of the city centre, it generally takes about 30 minutes to reach the city centre by car. ČSA (Czech Airlines) is the national carrier operating to many European destinations. There are also many cheap direct flights operated by easyJet, Ryanair and BMIbaby from UK, by SmartWings from Continental Europe & Turkey, Aer Lingus from Dublin, by SkyEurope from assorted destinations and by Sterling from Scandinavia. Starting on May 2nd, 2007, Delta Air Lines will start flights to Prague from Atlanta in the United States. Further information on Ruzyně International Airport

Getting into the city from the airport

• By bus: The cheapest way to get to the city is by bus, but be sure to have some Czech Crowns ready. Buy a ticket from the vending machine, next to the bus stop, for 20CZK. You can also buy the ticket from the driver, but it is more expensive. No machines or drivers accept foreign currencies. Take bus 119 to its terminus (Dejvická) and go downstairs to the metro. Your ticket will continue to be valid in the metro. Alternately, Bus no. 100 brings you to subway station Zli?ín (metro B). Remember to validate your ticket as soon as you get on the bus. If you fail to do so, you can expect to be fined the equivalent of travelling without ticket. Neither is advisable.

• Airport Express (bus operated by Czech Railroads): These buses leave the airport every 30 minutes; the first one at 4:40 a.m. while the last one at 9:10 p.m. at a price of 45CZK per person. Tickets are available from the driver. They will take you to the railway and subway station Nádra?í Hole?ovice (metro C), which is also the railway station to take a train to Berlin and Vienna.

• Cedaz bus: These buses operate from 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. every half hour. They will take you past the subway station Dejvická (metro A) and into the city centre to the Náměstí Republiky (metro B). Fares are about 90 CZK per person. The easiest way to get to your hotel, however, is to use the company's shared-ride transfer service. They will take you direct to the door of your hotel, delivering groups of 1-4 passengers for 480 CZK. The drivers can be clearly seen straight outside the doors of the terminal building, just be sure to check that they have the correct identification.

• By shuttle: Various companies run shuttle services to the hotel and back. These can be found at the airport arrival halls. One company is called Smart Shuttle, who run for Smart Wings airline, however some customers have found their services to be unsatisfactory. There are also private companies that provide transfers and will meet you in the arrivals hall, one of which is the American operated Prague Airport Shuttle and another UK operated Prague Airport Transfers. They usually charge around 600 CZK for trip and in general are a bit cheaper than the taxis.

• By taxi: The most comfortable method to reach the city will cost 350 - 700 CZK with AAA. AAA has an exclusive contract with Prague airport to have a fleet of taxis waiting. For a bargain, call one of their competitors such as Profi Taxi or Halo Taxi . Avoid cab drivers who solicit inside the terminal building - they will charge 50% to 100% more for the same journey.