Go-Karting in Prague

Whether you are looking for a great idea for a stag party, a corporate event, an unusual Saturday afternoon, or to rekindle childhood dreams of becoming an F1 driver, go-karting at one of Prague’s fantastic racing facilities should definitely be something you consider. There are a few tracks in and around Prague, but MotoKary Praha, Karta Real, and the longest go-karting track in Europe at Kart Centrum are simply your best options.

I wondered if there was going to be any kind of briefing on safety, driving tips, track information, perhaps the opportunity to use or rent some overalls (akin to the rental of bowling shoes at a bowling alley), or a hair net even. “No,” was the brick wall of an answer to that inquiry. However, the attendant very kindly presented me a laminated sheet of safety instructions in English he dug out of a drawer that I suspect had been languishing there next to some old leftover fighter plane schematics for a number of years. This place was, and is, about driving, and only driving. With my heart in my throat, I ventured up the staircase by the pit lane to seek courage at the bar. The bar is a pleasant space, with a giant projector tracking lap times and enough tables and chairs for a pub-style banquet and small disco. Indeed, as the nice old lady behind the bar confirmed, corporate events and group packages are large sources of income here. Rental for the entire track and prices for these events start at around 14,000 CZK.

Returning to the track heralded my inaugural battle with karting mania. While I chose my helmet from the wooden rack, desperately trying to find one without the padding ripped out of it and with a chinstrap, I remembered the words of the old lady behind the bar. ‘There are no licenses required here,’ she had said. ‘You only have to be 142 centimetres tall and that’s it,’ she had said. Nobody cares if your helmet flies off, (she didn’t say that).

After the race, the winner of which determined by fastest lap times and distributed on printouts directly after the race, I was totally satisfied. There are competitions from September onwards open to anybody, any age, who wishes to compete. The Prague Karting Arena experience is a raw, no frills affair. If that’s your thing, then maybe I’ll see you in the pit.

Take the Metro line C to Letňany. Then, take bus 151, 158, or the Tesco bus to Staré Letňany. Once at the bus stop, look for signs posted on the lamp posts. The track is a 3 minute walk away.

The bar and restaurant easily cater for 200 people, and with the possibility to drive 14 cars on the track at once (compared with only 5 at Prague Karting Arena), it’s no surprise that basically any group event, package, or private competition can be arranged. An example of the price of such an event is 16,000 – 24,000 CZK, for 80 people for 4 hours of racing, eating and drinking. The surroundings of the bar are wonderful, as well as the bar itself. One long wall of the bar is Perspex, so a complete view of the track is there for spectators who are not driving. As standard, there are scoreboards showing lap times, winners and losers, and a large screen for sports entertainment events.

A 10-minute drive in a Subaru-powered 200cc 6hp kart capable of speeds up to 50km/h costs just 150 CZK during the week and 180 CZK at the weekend, and 1500 CZK for 10 drives anytime of the week. With average lap times working out at about 1:30 secs, you can probably get in up to 8 laps. There is also an option to drive a more powerful kart, a 270cc 9hp Subaru monster capable of 80km/h. However, this can only be done if you manage a lap time of 1:24secs in the standard kart, then pay a nominal 50 CZK for a bespoke Kart Centrum Licence.  

In karting heaven, it is hard to feel apprehension. Then, I was informed an English speaking racing guide would be along shortly to answer anything I could ask. Just perfect. My first inquiry concerned equipment. The helmets are new and all have pads and chinstraps, the engines have covers on them so burning yourself is pretty difficult, and it is possible to buy a balaclava for 100 CZK to wear under your helmet if you don’t fancy sharing other people’s molecules. The track is modified on weekends for children and there will be a new Kart Centrum built sometime in October or November in Horni Počernice which will be bigger than this one. Oh, and this one is the largest karting halls in Europe at approximately 10000 m2. Well, thank you very much for the information Mr. English-speaking-karting-guide, you are as professional as everything about this entire place. Kart Centrum is a truly professional outfit.

Take the Metro line B to Smíchovské nádraží. Then take bus 244 or 172 to Přeštínská bus stop. Look for signs to the track. It’s a 3 minute walk from the bus stop.

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