Video capsule endoscopy fails to visualize the caecum in about 20% of patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different bowel preparations on video capsule endoscopy gastric- (GTT) and small-bowel transit time (SBTT) and the rate of caecal visualization. Material and methods. We retrospectively examined 186 consecutive capsule endoscopy videos undertaken over a 3-year period, excluding cases with diabetes mellitus or gastric surgery (n=28), cases with unknown bowel preparation and those with unreadable data CDs (n=27). Sixty-seven (36%) patients were prepared with a liquid diet (CL), 54 (29%) with sodium phosphate (PS) and 65 (35%) with polyethylene glycol (PEG). Two independent, experienced investigators examined the videos. No difference was found in GTT among CL, PS and PEG preparations (25, 6.7–116.2 min, 34.75, 4.1–125 min, 35, 6.1–128.6 min, respectively, p=0.29). The caecum was visualized in 56/67 (83.6%), 44/54 (81.5%) and 53/65 (81.5%) patients who received CL, PS and PEG, respectively (p=0.9). In the cases where capsule endoscopy reached the caecum, no difference was observed in SBTT among patients that received CL, PS and PEG (264.4±85.9 min, 296.7±79.5 min, 291.3±84 min, respectively, p=0.11). Bowel preparations for capsule endoscopy do not have a significant effect on gastric and small-bowel video capsule transit time and the rate of caecum visualization.