Where can you park without paying? Free parking tips in Prague and Brno

Like many European countries, the Czech Republic has a problem with parking. Many of them are paid. If you break the rules, you will be fined 20 to 60 EUR for illegal parking. There are also free parking zones, although they can be difficult to find. We have selected places where you can legally park your car for free in Prague and Brno.

Where can you park your car in Prague?

Prague has regional restrictions on parking places. Understanding them is important if you rent a car in Prague, but if you have any difficulties, we are ready to answer any question and help you figure out how it works. In total, there are 3 parking zones in the capital of the Czech Republic.

• Blue and purple. These zones are intended for people who live in the area of the parking zone or run their own businesses. They can issue a paid parking permit, allowing people to park in these zones. If a person does not live or work in a blue or purple parking zone, they are only allowed to park their car there during certain times of the day. This may be either paid or free parking. More detailed information can be obtained through the Parking.praha.eu services or the Parkování zdarma Praha mobile application, as well as from our support service. They contain information about the times when parking is allowed in the purple or blue zone and whether there are spaces there at the moment.

• Orange zone. Intended for people who are in the area irregularly - for example, for business or tourism purposes. At certain times of the day, people can park here for free or for a fee, but they can only park for a limited time.

If the zoning system in Prague is too complicated for you, you can also park your car outside these zones. They are concentrated primarily in the city centre and transport hubs, where there is a lot of traffic. There are places where you can park your car for free. For example:

• Outskirts. You can park your car for free in areas where there is no division into zones. For example, these are Podolí, Spořilov, Zahradní město, Trója, Střížkov, Vysočany, Hodkovičky či Krč.

• Shopping malls. You can park your car there for free, but usually only for a certain amount of time.

Below we have listed shopping malls where you can park your car for free without restrictions or for a certain amount of time.

It is also possible to extend your parking in some shopping centers. For example, in TC Chodov you can extend your free parking time by 4 hours.

Brno Parking Zones

Brno has a different parking system than Prague.

• Resident parking. Residents are citizens of the Czech Republic or foreigners who live in a particular district. For them, parking is paid and costs 200 CZK per year. If a resident driver cannot find a parking space near their home, they have the right to use the adjacent territory. There are three zones. In zones A and B, residents have 200 free parking hours per year, in zone C – 100 free parking hours.

• Subscriber parking. A subscriber is an individual or legal entity that works or runs a business in the district. An annual parking permit for 1 car costs 4,000 CZK. If you use more than 1 car, you will have to pay 18,000 CZK for each additional car.

• Visitor parking. In most zones, it is paid on weekdays. However, on weekends and holidays, parking may be free.

In Brno, there are paid parking zones where you can park your car for free once a day. They are as follows.

You may find it difficult to understand this system. If you have any difficulties, use the Parkovanivbrne.cz service. It provides a map, availability of parking spaces and other necessary information.

Where to find free parking in Brno?

There is free parking in Brno. It is not easy to find, but it is quite possible. We have listed the locations where you can leave your car for free.

There are also several free zones in other locations. For example, on the streets Kapitána Jaroše, Mášova, Gorkého, Arne Nováka, Francouzská, Bratislavská, Stará, Lidická, Veveří.