Driving to Špindlerův Mlýn from Germany and Poland: routes, vignette and winter rules

All the routes we had calculated end the same way: from Vrchlabí along road II/295 up the Elbe (Labe) valley to Špindlerův Mlýn. Distances and times come from the public route planner OSRM with OpenStreetMap data (September 2026) and assume no traffic or weather delays. Allow extra time in winter, and bear in mind that your satnav may choose a different way.

From Germany: via Zittau and Liberec, from Berlin via Poland

• From Dresden on the A4 motorway and road B178 past Zittau, into the Czech Republic near Hrádek nad Nisou and on through Liberec, Jablonec nad Nisou and past Jilemnice to Vrchlabí. About 220 km, roughly 3 hours without traffic.
• From Zittau the same way via Hrádek nad Nisou and Liberec. About 100 km, roughly 1 hour 40 minutes.
• From Görlitz the planner's route runs via Zgorzelec, the Zawidów–Habartice crossing, Frýdlant and the Jizera Mountains, about 110 km and just over 2 hours. In winter, however, part of this route is closed (see the tip below).
• From Berlin the fastest route goes through Poland: on the A13 and A15 to the border, then on the Polish A18 and A4 motorways and the S3 expressway to the Lubawka–Královec crossing and via Žacléř and Mladé Buky to Vrchlabí. About 400 km, just under 5 hours.
• From Bavaria, for instance from Nuremberg, via Rozvadov and Prague on the D5 and D10 motorways and on via Jičín to Vrchlabí. About 450 km, just over 5 hours.

From Poland: via Harrachov or via Královec

• From Jelenia Góra via Szklarska Poręba and Jakuszyce to Harrachov and on via Jablonec nad Jizerou and past Jilemnice to Vrchlabí. About 80 km, roughly an hour and a half.
• From Wrocław on the A4 motorway and via Bolków on the S3 expressway to Lubawka, across the Lubawka–Královec crossing and on via Žacléř and Mladé Buky to Vrchlabí. About 170 km, just under 3 hours.

Czech motorway vignette: when you need one

The Czech motorway vignette is electronic and is bought for your number plate. You only need it on the tolled motorway sections, which the State Transport Infrastructure Fund lists, with a map, on the official website edalnice.gov.cz (edalnice.cz redirects there).

• According to the planner, the routes via Zittau and Liberec and from Poland via Harrachov or Královec only use roads that are not on the list of tolled sections. You do not need a vignette on them, not even on road I/35 from Hrádek nad Nisou to Liberec.
• You do need a vignette on the route via Prague, for instance from Bavaria, because it uses the tolled D5 and D10 motorways.
• If your satnav sends you another way, check the route on the map of tolled sections.

Buy the vignette at edalnice.gov.cz, at Czech Post branches or at EuroOil and RoBiN OIL filling stations; the operator advises against buying it anywhere else. There are 1-day, 10-day, 30-day and annual vignettes, and the start of validity can be set up to 30 days ahead. If you pay by card you can set off as soon as you have paid; if you pay by bank transfer, only once the payment is confirmed.

Winter tyres, snow chains and lights: Czech rules

• From 1 November to 31 March you must have winter tyres whenever there is a continuous layer of snow, ice or frost on the road, or it can be expected during the journey. For cars up to 3.5 tonnes this applies to all wheels, with a tread depth of at least 4 mm.
• Under the Zimní výbava (winter equipment) road sign, winter tyres are compulsory regardless of the date and the weather, unless an additional plate sets a different period.
• The Sněhové řetězy (snow chains) sign means you may only drive on with chains fitted to at least two driving wheels.
• Dipped headlights or daytime running lights must be on whenever you drive, all year round.
• Only drive sober: Czech law forbids driving for as long as you could still be under the influence after drinking alcohol. That applies after a day on the slopes too.

Ski rental on the way, in Vrchlabí

Our ski rental is in Vrchlabí at Valteřická 1436. According to the planner:

• the routes via Liberec and Harrachov, that is from Dresden, Zittau, Görlitz and Jelenia Góra, follow the western bypass of Vrchlabí about 700 metres from the rental,
• the routes via Královec, that is from Wrocław and Berlin, go along Valteřická street right past us,
• the route via Prague from Bavaria passes about 600 metres from the rental.

From us to Špindlerův Mlýn it is about 16 km, roughly 18 minutes by car. Book your gear online, pick it up on the way and, if you are staying several days, return it on your way home.

Book your gear online

In Špindlerův Mlýn: parking

According to the town, central car park P1 is closed until the end of November 2026 because of chairlift construction. Car parks P2 Hromovka and P3 Medvědín were free during the day in winter 2025/26, while parking in the centre is paid. The town publishes the current rules on its website.

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