Does your rental car need a vignette?
The Czech motorway charge covers vehicles with four wheels up to 3.5 tonnes on tolled motorway sections. It is electronic and linked to the number plate, so the question is whether a valid vignette is already registered for that plate.
| Your car | Vignette status to expect | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Rented in Czechia, Czech plates | Included at Hertz; ask at other companies | Check the plate on the official validity lookup |
| Rented in Germany, Austria or another country | No Czech vignette unless the company confirms one | Buy before the first tolled section |
| Electric or hydrogen car, Czech plates | Exempt automatically | Nothing to buy |
| Electric or hydrogen car, foreign plates | Exempt only after an exemption notice | File the notice before driving, or buy a vignette |
Hertz's Prague terms state that all Hertz vehicles registered in Czechia come with the e-vignette, and that cars registered elsewhere must buy one. The eDalnice validity check shows whether a plate has a valid vignette or an exemption, which settles the question in a minute at the rental desk.
A car rented in Germany and driven to Prague needs the Czech vignette on top of whatever cross-border fee the rental company charges, so budget for both.
Which Czech vignette should you buy for your trip?
These are the prices on the official price list, valid from 1 January 2026, as confirmed by the Ministry of Transport.
| Type | Petrol, diesel, LPG | Natural gas or biomethane | Plug-in hybrid (max 50 g CO2/km) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-day | CZK 230 | CZK 110 | CZK 50 |
| 10-day | CZK 300 | CZK 150 | CZK 70 |
| 30-day | CZK 480 | CZK 240 | CZK 120 |
| Annual (rolling one year) | CZK 2,570 | CZK 1,280 | CZK 640 |
The 1-day vignette runs for one calendar day and ends at 23:59:59 that day, not 24 hours after purchase. The annual vignette is rolling: bought on 2 June 2026 with immediate effect, it lasts until 1 June 2027 at 23:59:59. Any type can be bought up to 30 days in advance with a chosen start date, and then starts at midnight on that day.
Worked example: two day trips from Prague
A visitor based in Prague plans a Tuesday day trip on the D1 towards Brno and a Friday day trip on the D5 towards Plzeň. City driving on the other days needs no vignette.
- Two 1-day vignettes: CZK 460.
- One 10-day vignette from Tuesday: CZK 300.
The 10-day option saves CZK 160 and removes the risk of forgetting to buy on the second morning. The 1-day vignette only wins when the whole stay has a single motorway day.
Which roads around Prague need a vignette?
The toll road map lists every charged section; anything not listed is free. Around Prague, the listing starts the charge at these points:
| Road | Tolled section begins | Main direction |
|---|---|---|
| D0 Prague ring | Modletice to Slivenec (exits 76 to 16) | Southern and western ring |
| D1 | Průhonice (exit 6) | Brno |
| D5 | Praha-Třebonice (exit 1) | Plzeň and Nuremberg |
| D8 | Zdiby (exit 1) | Dresden |
| D11 | Jirny (exit 8) | Hradec Králové |
Short stretches inside the city before these exits, such as the first kilometres of the D1, are not on the toll list.
Buying safely
Once paid, a vignette cannot be cancelled. Mistakes made at a sales point can be corrected there within 15 minutes; the border kiosks accept only card payment.
What is the fine for driving without a Czech vignette?
The Police and Customs Administration check plates with camera cars, control gates and spot checks at rest areas and car parks. The official fines page and FAQ set the penalty for driving on a tolled section without a valid vignette at up to CZK 5,000 on the spot, or up to CZK 20,000 in administrative proceedings. Hertz's terms quote the CZK 5,000 figure for renters stopped at the roadside.
In a rental car, compare CZK 300 for a 10-day vignette with a possible CZK 5,000 fine, plus the CZK 471.90 that Hertz Czechia charges for handling each traffic or parking fine that reaches it.
Parking in Prague with a rental car
Prague's street parking is divided into three kinds of zone, run by the city's road administration (TSK). Outside the hours shown on the signs, parking in them is free for everyone.
| Zone | Visitor parking | How to pay |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | Short stays only: 1 hour in the centre, up to 3 hours elsewhere | Online only; there are no meters |
| Purple | Paid, up to the limit on the sign | Meter (CZK or EUR coins, Visa or Mastercard) or online |
| Orange | Visitor zones near hospitals and offices, time-limited | Meter or online |
The blue zone page and purple zone page note that prices vary by location. Online payment works through the city's online parking machine and the PID Lítačka app, or through partner apps such as EasyPark, which may add a service fee.
For a stay of more than a few hours, the P+R car parks at metro and tram terminals are the simpler choice. Several are free for up to 12 hours, and others charge a flat CZK 50 or CZK 100 for the first 24 hours, paid on site. Spaces cannot be reserved.