Travel plan for the Czech Republic. Trip to Prague

27.08.2022

Trip to Prague

In this article we will tell you how to prepare for a trip to Prague on your own: how and where to buy air tickets, choose and book a hotel, what you must see, we will offer ready-made walking routes and walks around Prague, we’ll tell you what to try, where to go shopping and many other tips.

An ancient legend says that the Czech princess Libuše, standing one day on the banks of the Vltava River, said: “I see a high city, its glory will rise to the stars!” It was on this site that Prague soon grew - a city deservedly considered one of the most beautiful in Europe. There really is something to see here: ancient castles, colorful streets, majestic churches, houses of famous citizens...

But not only amazing architecture and rich story become a reason to travel to Prague: local beer is considered almost the standard of taste, and the portion sizes served National dishes, allow you to divide them into two or even three people. It seems that the capital of the Czech Republic is always waiting for guests - and that’s why you want to come back here again and again.

How to get to Prague

How to get to Prague and where to buy air tickets, read ours. In addition to the plane, you can go to Prague by train or bus, as well as by your own car. If you have not yet prepared documents for a trip to the Czech Republic, see.

Select and book a hotel

Choosing a hotel in Prague is not so easy, because there are hundreds of them. We have prepared an article for you “”. We recommend that you first decide in which area of the city you want to live, and then book a hotel.

In addition to traditional hotels, Prague has many hostels and apartments, where prices are more affordable. On Booking you will find about 2 thousand offers for every taste and budget!

Every time you book hotels on Booking.com through our website, you help us describe another place, create another route or develop another city. Thank you for that!

How to get from the airport to the city

Are you flying to Prague for the first time? Read the article "". Public transport, taxi or rented car - choose what suits you best.

What to see in Prague

The streets of Prague are so beautiful, but so confusing! So they strive to confuse the tourist, tire him, and, in the end, take him to one of the Prague taverns for a couple of glasses of beer. Czech beer is undoubtedly excellent, but memories of only it and boar's knee are not exactly what people come to Prague for.

There is an even more convenient option for preparing for a trip to Prague - use one of the ready-made walking routes:

mobile connection and Internet in the Czech Republic

Find a point free access It is not difficult to access wireless Internet in Prague: they are available in cafes, restaurants, shopping centers and libraries. Those who want to always be in touch should use the services of one of the local telecom operators. For example, for 90 CZK you can buy an O2 SIM card with free SMS and 250 MB of traffic, for 200 CZK - T-mobile or Vodafone cards with included call minutes at competitive rates.

Shopping in Prague

In Prague, as in any city in Europe, there are shops of popular brands (Na Prikope Street) and designer boutiques (Parizska Street), supermarkets and large shopping centers. However, of greater interest are local brand stores selling high-quality shoes, jewelry, crystal, glass and porcelain products and, of course, national foods and drinks. As souvenirs you can buy beer mugs, puppets and reproductions of Alphonse Mucha's works.

Normal store opening hours are from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays, and closed on Sundays. Large supermarkets are open 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sales take place every season: January, April, July and October.

Czech cuisine

Czech cuisine, simple and hearty, is based on the masterful preparation of different types of meat - from beef, pork and chicken to hare, venison, goose or duck. The most famous dish is Vepřové knee– pork knuckle with a side dish of potatoes, stewed cabbage or porridge. Roasted goose with red cabbage is considered a delicacy. It is worth trying the “Utopenki” sausages, dumplings made from flour or potato dough with thick sauces, original soups and stews, and, of course, wash down the treats with excellent Czech beer.

Tips in Czech are called spropitné and usually amount to 5-10% of the bill. Look carefully at the receipt: if it contains the lines služby, přirážka, přirážka k ceně, then the tip is already included in the bill.

It is important to know:

Official language - Czech.
City area- 496 sq. km. The districts that make up Prague today (Stare Mesto, New Mesto, Hradcany, Lesser Town, Vysehrad) used to be separate, independent, competing cities.
Population- 1.3 million people.
Visa- Shegen, cost - 35 euros.
Currency- Czech crown
Time difference with Moscow:-2 hours in summer, -3 hours in winter.
Climate mild, winters are moderately cold, summers are warm. The best time The best time to visit is the end of spring and the beginning of autumn.

Trip to Prague

In this article we will tell you how to prepare for a trip to Prague on your own: how and where to buy air tickets, choose and book a hotel, what to see, we will offer ready-made walking routes and walks around Prague, we will tell you what to try, where to go shopping and many others advice.

But not only the amazing architecture and rich history become the reason for a trip to Prague: local beer is considered almost the standard of taste, and the serving sizes of national dishes allow them to be divided between two or even three people. It seems that the capital of the Czech Republic is always waiting for guests - and that’s why you want to come back here again and again.

How to get to Prague

Read our review on how to get to Prague and where to buy air tickets. In addition to the plane, you can go to Prague by train or bus, as well as by your own car. If you have not yet prepared documents for a trip to the Czech Republic, see.

Select and book a hotel

Choosing a hotel in Prague is not so easy, because there are hundreds of them. We have prepared for you an article “Which area of Prague is best to stay in”. We recommend that you first decide in which area of the city you want to live, and then book a hotel.

In addition to traditional hotels, Prague has many hostels and apartments, where prices are more affordable. On Booking you will find about 2 thousand offers for every taste and budget!

Every time you book hotels on Booking.com through our website, you help us describe another place, create another route or develop another city. Thank you for that!

Are you flying to Prague for the first time? Read the article “How to get from the airport to the city.” Public transport, taxi or rented car - choose what suits you best.

What to see in Prague

There is an even more convenient option for preparing for a trip to Prague - use one of the ready-made walking routes:

Mobile communications and Internet in the Czech Republic

Finding a free wireless Internet access point in Prague is not difficult: they are available in cafes, restaurants, shopping centers and libraries. Those who want to always be in touch should use the services of one of the local telecom operators. For example, for 90 CZK you can buy an O2 SIM card with free SMS and 250 MB of traffic, for 200 CZK - T-mobile or Vodafone cards with included call minutes at competitive rates.

Shopping in Prague

Czech cuisine

It is important to know:

Official language- Czech.
City area- 496 sq. km. The districts that make up Prague today (Stare Mesto, New Mesto, Hradcany, Lesser Town, Vysehrad) used to be separate, independent, competing cities.
Population- 1.3 million people.
Visa- Shegen, cost - 35 euros.
Currency- Czech crown
Time difference with Moscow:-2 hours in summer, -3 hours in winter.
Climate mild, winters are moderately cold, summers are warm. The best time to visit is considered to be the end of spring and the beginning of autumn.

Many people in our country dream of going to the Czech Republic to see all its attractions or simply spend a weekend with interest in another country. You can organize the trip yourself - this is convenient, since you can create your own individual route, and profitable, because you do not need to overpay for the services of a travel agency. Reviews on the Internet will help you decide on the choice of route, hotel or car rental company.

Safe and profitable travel - 7 main aspects

1. How to get to Prague on your own. Any trip to another country begins with a visa. It will take from two to three months. When all the documents are ready, you can go buy your plane tickets. From the regions of our country, a flight to the Czech Republic will be much more expensive than traveling, for example, from Moscow or St. Petersburg. Most the best option- is to fly with low-cost airlines. In this case, the flight will be fast and inexpensive, which is always pleasant for any tourist.

2. Public transport - how to get around the country and in the capital. In Prague, all bus and train stations are metro stations. This makes travel easier for tourists, since the names of bus stations and metro stations are the same. International flights Usually arrive at Florenc train station, from here you can easily reach the city center by any public transport. You can travel around the Czech Republic in comfortable buses from the Student Agency company. For example, if you want to see Karlovy Vary, you need to pay 6 euros, and you can buy a ticket online in advance. A modern bus will take tourists to their destination in comfort and in a short time.

It is very important that public transport in Prague it runs even at night. At the stop you can find blue signs with the night schedule. It must be remembered that this country has a complex system travel tickets. Their validity period begins immediately after purchase or activation. These can be short-term tickets (for half an hour) or long-term (up to three days). The cost depends on the age of the passenger; you can see the price in a special price list at the ticket office.

3. Accommodation for tourists. The trip will be successful if a hotel or inn room is booked in advance. If this is not done, then in the Czech Republic you can stay on the street at night. Many tourists come here and therefore hotel bookings are popular in this country. Moreover, the sooner a person books accommodation, the more money he will save. Many travelers prefer to stay in rented apartments, but in this case it is necessary to read reviews on the Internet and look for exactly the kind of housing for which not only good description, but there are also comments or gratitude from tourists for using this service. It is the reviews that will help you see the real picture about the landlord and his houses and apartments provided for temporary use.

4. Attractions. A trip to the Czech Republic on your own means, first of all, getting to know Prague. The capital of this country has many different interesting monuments architecture and other attractions. However, besides Prague, other cities also have interesting places, castles, complexes architectural structures, cathedrals and sculptures. Each tourist can go on excursions on their own, or you can hire a guide and move around the country with him. The guide will help you organize unforgettable journey in the Czech Republic, because he knows where the most beautiful palaces and temples are located, the historical values of the country and much more.

5. Food in the Czech Republic is a paradise for gourmets. People often travel to this country by gastronomic tours, because Czech cuisine offers very tasty national dishes. However, if you go to Prague on your own, you can also try unique dishes of poultry and game, baked fish, pork and lamb, and much more. Many tourists wonder where to go in Prague so that they can have a tasty meal without consequences for the stomach? It is better to give preference to restaurants and cafes, as eating on the street may not be safe. Soup in bread, baked partridges, baked pork ribs and pork knuckle - all this has a unique taste if prepared by a real Czech chef.

6. What to bring as a gift from the Czech Republic. When traveling on your own, you always want to not only see the sights, but also bring a surprise from a foreign country for your family and friends. It is believed that the trip will be successful if you manage to collect a lot various gifts- original and extraordinary. Here you can buy a unique smoking pipe, a stylish and fashionable hat, paper self made, jewelry and various antiques. It is worth remembering that Bohemian crystal and porcelain products, which travelers love to buy, are very fragile and can break on the road. Therefore, it is better not to buy such items.

7. Resorts - relaxation with benefit. In the Czech Republic you can relax on a worldwide famous resorts. These are ski resorts, thermal resorts and various sanatoriums. In general, in Prague and other cities of the country you can not only see the sights on your own and go on excursions, but also improve your health. You should look up where exactly to go in advance on the Internet, since there are 33 sanatoriums in the Czech Republic that receive up to a million people annually.

Average prices for hotels, museum visits and car rentals

When planning a trip on your own, you should think in advance about how much money to take with you. To do this, you need to know how much housing costs in Prague. Online reviews will help you book a hotel so that your trip is successful. Standart room You can book a hotel for two for a week for 60,000 rubles. This price will include breakfast. Some hotels also include airport transfer and insurance in the price. If a tourist is only interested in accommodation, then you can save money and buy a room at half the price. In general, every traveler chooses what suits him.

Where does a tourist go upon arrival in Prague? Of course, to museums, because any trip always begins with a visit to these attractions. There is always something to see in the museum; here you can get a lot of positive emotions and learn something new. All excursions involve viewing museum exhibits, but tourists also want to save money. In Prague you can go to museums completely free of charge, you just need to know how and when it will be available. At any European country There are special days, knowing about which you can see paintings and sculptures completely free of charge. You can learn about these days on many information resources on the Internet.

Car rental in this country is from 14 euros per day. Thanks to this service, it becomes possible not to travel organized excursions, or you can drive across the expanses of the country along your own route.

Where can you go by car to see all the interesting things? This is a question every tourist asks. It’s worth going straight to Karlovy Vary. This resort is located 133 kilometers from the capital of the country. There is a unique atmosphere of comfort and tranquility here - your vacation will be unforgettable.

It is worth postponing all excursions and going by rented car to Krumlov. This will be a fascinating journey into the Middle Ages, which is considered a UNESCO historical heritage. Where to go next is up to everyone to decide personally, because this country has a lot of interesting and unique things.

We continue to introduce you, dear traveler friends, to interesting routes in Prague, and also to delight you beautiful photos. Finally, the heat and real summer have come to Prague, which, I must admit, we were really looking forward to with the whole CHIZ.MI team. Today we took a walk through the morning Prague in the company of our new friends Yulia and Alexey - the route is suitable for tourists who want to get to know the city on their own

Old Town Square

Of course, it is unusual for a mass tourist to see the oldest and most beautiful Prague square practically deserted. Yes, here indeed, just like on the Charles Bridge, there are periods of absolute calm and harmony. Thousands of travelers and architecture lovers crowd around the Orloy Astronomical Clock every day from 9 am to 9 pm, admiring the medieval miracle of clockwork. Indeed, in addition to the hourly performance with figures of the apostles and a golden cockerel, the clock shows the time (no matter how trite), the phase of the moon, name days, and the current constellation.

And of course, the most famous and recognizable architectural structure of Prague is the Tyn Temple, located in the eastern part and depicted on many postcards. This Gothic symbol of Prague is easy to spot from any of Prague's hills.

The Charles Bridge

After a short walk along the embankment, we found ourselves on an observation deck from which one of the best views to the Small Side and main value Total Czech people — .

The bridge, founded at 5:31 a.m. on July 9, 1357 by Charles IV, played a key role in economic development Czech capital, uniting the areas of the future Prague into one whole. For more than 500 years it remained the longest stone bridge in the world.

Kampa area - Prague Venice

If on the way to Mala Strana you go down from the Charles Bridge, not reaching the end, along the stairs located on the left, you will find yourself in a magical place, popularly called “Prague Venice”.

Of course to Italian Venice it has no special significance, but, you see, canals and buildings located right next to the water literally attract lovers here like a magnet different countries peace. And every couple who decides to play their game considers it their duty to hang a padlock on one of the fences or lanterns in this area.

Narrow streets of Prague

Turning a little away from the tourist paths, we found ourselves on a completely deserted old and narrow Prague street. It is in such places that the spirit of the city lives.

When I first came to Prague about 7 years ago, I was shocked, thinking that with such crowds of tourists in this city it was even impossible to calmly go to the store. But how wrong I was, friends!

Perhaps this is where the main secret of this city lies - as you get to know it every year, you will move along parallel, much calmer, more beautiful and interesting routes.

Naturally, ordinary guests of the city participating in the group excursions, practically tends to zero.

John Lennon Wall

There, in the Kampa area, there is another one, which we have written about more than once on our website - a wall in memory of a member of the legendary Fab Four.

Observation deck

Without a doubt, the miracle of medieval engineering can be admired endlessly. As one of my friends says, the main disadvantage of the Charles Bridge in Prague is that you cannot see the Charles Bridge from it. My fellow photographers and guides of our team are constantly looking for new observation platforms And best places shooting. One of these locations is the embankment, located right behind the museum of the writer Franz Kafka.

Swans on the embankment

Oh, these snow-white beauties and beauties! With the arrival of summer, they completely stopped being afraid of people. Swans have never let us get so close before; even in this far from comfortable winter, they swam at most a few meters to the shore, and now they are ready to eat out of hand and brazenly come ashore, surround curious people, and beg for food.

In any case, white swans are a wonderful addition to the Prague scenery, and naturally we couldn’t help but take a few photos with them as a souvenir.

Prague Castle and red roofs

Three hours flew by unnoticed, we were already beginning to meet the first tourist groups, and ours individual tour in Prague with a guide, friend and photographer in one person came to its logical conclusion.

Some of the best views of the symbol of Prague - the red roofs - will open up to you if you climb from the Malostranska metro station. But again, it’s worth climbing not with schools of tourists, but along a parallel path going through the vineyards. Having taken a photo against the backdrop of the city panorama, we parted with the guys as good friends. Especially for readers and guests of Prague interested in independent routes And unusual places, we have prepared a map of our walking tour.

View on a larger map

Organizing your trip to Prague on your own is very easy. In this article I will present all the necessary information for organizing your trip to Prague on one page, nothing superfluous. I’ll tell you what to see in Prague itself and where you can go from Prague for one day and how much it will cost you at a minimum, the maximum is limited only by your imagination. I will provide links to all the necessary resources.

Prague is the most wonderful city of Eastern Europe, has been the capital of the Czech Republic since 1993. Prague has been the capital of Czechoslovakia since 1918; in an earlier period, the Czech Republic was part of the Habsburg Empire. In those distant times, she received the nickname Golden Prague. So the Czech Republic is a very young state.

Currency of the Czech Republic

Czech crown (CZK)

10 CZK = 0.41$
10 CZK = 0.37€
10 CZK = 25.7 Russian rubles
10 CZK = 10.42 hryvnia
10 CZK = 0.77 Belarusian new rubles

It is best to change in the city in official exchange offices. The exchange rate at the airport is very unfavorable, and there is a high probability of deception and fraud.

Czech language

Czech. But many residents over 30-35 years old speak Russian. During the years of Soviet power, Czechs studied Russian at school as a foreign language. Personnel employed in the tourism sector almost certainly know Russian or will be able to quickly call their Russian-speaking colleague. In addition, many of our compatriots moved to the Czech Republic and now work there in the tourism sector.

In the center of Prague, all restaurants have menus in Russian and offer a large number of excursions in Russian.

Czech is a Slavic language, just like Russian. Many words are similar, many inscriptions are understandable without translation, but there are some curious cases.

Why go to Prague

Prague is a fairy tale city, a picture city.

Ancient, very well preserved architecture. Prague suffered almost no damage during the Second World War.

Czech cuisine and Czech beer are worthy of all praise. Very tasty and compared to other countries Western Europe not expensive.

Czech beer for only 31CZK

Musical events from classical to rock and discos.

In Prague, everything is legalized as in Amsterdam, but costs several times less.

Atmosphere.

Prices in Prague

Prices in Prague are very reasonable compared to Western European countries.

The prices of almost all restaurants are posted on chalk boards in front of the restaurants. Typically, if a glass of beer costs 30CZK (1.1€), then a large plate of hot meat food will cost 7-8€. The portions are very large, so if you are small or have children, do not take one dish for each person. The farther from the center the cheaper the food and the larger the portions, the only thing that is not tourist places there may not be a menu even on English language, not to mention Russian.

All cafes and restaurants are very colorfully decorated

The Czechs do not fight smoking at all; you can often find very smoky pubs and cafes; the non-smoking area in such establishments is in no way fenced off from the smoking area and clouds of smoke penetrate everywhere. And people with children often sit in this smoke, that’s how they behave.

In food stores, prices are approximately the same as in Moscow or St. Petersburg, some are cheaper than here, some are more expensive, but on average it will work out. Below is a comparison chart of the cost of living in different capitals peace. It is clear that life in Prague is somewhere on the same level as life in Moscow. But the cost of food in restaurants is on average 38% lower in Prague, which is good news.

Hotels in Prague

A hotel room for two can be found for 30-40 €, of course it all depends on the season and your tastes. IN high season prices rise and fall.

By train

You can also get to Prague by train. From Moscow to Prague follows branded train“Vltava”, travel time is 1 day 5 hours, the cost of a one-way ticket is about 11,000 rubles. In low season, the Vltava train runs once a week, and in high season, 2 times a week.

Only a trailed carriage goes from St. Petersburg to Prague, travel time is 1 day 13 hours, the cost is 12,000 rubles one way. Based on the prices, we can conclude that the train is intended only for those who are mortally afraid of flying and are willing to pay almost twice as much.

By bus

There are also buses to Prague, the only thing that upsets us is the travel time is about 60 hours from Moscow or St. Petersburg. Prices are less than for a plane, but in 60 hours you have a chance to eat all your winnings. But sometimes bus companies have sales, and at this moment you can save a lot. Of course, sales are held only during low tourist season. From Belarus and Ukraine, it’s actually possible to get to Prague by bus; it will be cheaper than by plane, and Ukrainians can also support the domestic manufacturer by ordering tickets on the website

Ready tours

Prague is so popular that numerous ready-made tours are sold there. It is possible that purchasing a ready-made tour will be the best deal. For example, a week in Prague in a three-star hotel will cost about 20,000 rubles, this includes breakfast and transfer. View or tours to Prague from Moscow. Be sure to check booking.com for hotel tour reviews to avoid disappointment.

Tour. Companies, as a rule, use a very limited number of hotels and will have to fly by charter. If your soul wants a holiday, something out of the ordinary, then of course it is better to book a separate flight and hotel. Here the choice of hotels, guest houses and villas is almost limitless.
If you are planning out-of-town trips by public transport, it is advantageous to book a hotel between the train and bus stations. If finances allow, of course it is better to live in the center. If you come by car, pay attention to the parking conditions; there are no free parking spaces in the center of Prague.

Public transport

Prague is enough Big city and if you want to spend several days in the city, you will definitely have to use public transport.

Single trip 90 minutes – 32CZK (1.18€)

Single trip 30 minutes – 24CZK (0.9€)

Day pass – 110CZK (4€)

Three-day pass – 310CZK (11.5€)

Children from 6 to 14 years old travel on public transport for half the price.

If you come for two weeks, then it would be logical to take a monthly pass (550CZK - 20€), since Prague has large wholesale discounts on public transport. The pass will allow you to receive a discount on travel on commuter trains.

Single tickets must be composted, the time is counted from the moment of composting. There are no turnstiles in the Prague metro, but there are inspectors.

The distances between neighboring metro stations in Prague are much shorter than, for example, in St. Petersburg, so a 30-minute ticket may well be enough to move from the hotel to the city center. According to my plan for exploring Prague, on the first day you only need to come from the hotel to the center, and then go back. On the second and third days a mid-day move will be required.

In principle, excursions in and from Prague are not expensive. Read .

What to see in Prague on your own

First day

The most important attraction of Prague, of course, is Prague Castle- the largest castle complex in Europe. Entrance to the castle grounds is free. Tickets need to be purchased only to visit different museums. Read more about all available museums and ticket prices in the article. You can enter the Cathedral of St. Vitus for free, but it is not possible to go deeper; if you are happy to look at the interior of the cathedral from the entrance, then you don’t need to take tickets. After 18-00 you can also see Golden Street for free, but all the houses will be closed.

Gargoyles of St. Vitus Cathedral

The second must-see attraction, of course, is the Charles Bridge with its numerous statues, souvenir sellers, beggars, tourists and a few local residents. It’s easy to walk from Prague Castle to Charles Bridge, looking around along the way.

And then continue your walk through the incomparable Old Town Square. Each house on it has its own name and almost every house has a restaurant. Czech cuisine. You should also explore the Tyn Temple there and watch the performance put on by the Orloy astronomical clock. Usually the first day’s program ends at this place.

If you come to Prague for just one day, the first day program is what you need.

Second day

The second day can be devoted to exploring the “Nove Mesto” district of Prague, when this area was founded as an absolutely independent settlement. You can read more in a separate article with a route map.

Wenceslas Square has many shopping centers, you can visit them too. The walk around the area ends naturally. This is a very pretentious place, the oldest beer hall in Prague, founded in 1499. But the prices there are higher than the city average. To get to the Hradcany area you will need public transport.

The third day

It’s logical to start the third day in , in this place you can say Prague was born. This is a fortress on the high bank of the Vltava, from its walls you can see magical panoramic views to the Vltava and the city. The very original Church of Peter and Paul is worthy of attention.

In addition, the most famous cemetery in Prague is located in the fortress; outstanding composers, artists and writers of the Czech Republic are buried there, such as Bedrich Smetana, Antonin Dvorak, Alfons Mucha, Karel Capek and many others. For children there is an absolutely wonderful playground with heroes of Czech legends.

Leopold's Gate on Visegrad

The oldest operating synagogue in Europe

3-4 days is the absolute minimum for Prague, more is better. Depending on the season, you can diversify your life with walks in parks and gardens in the summer or a visit in December.

Music lovers should definitely attend the concert. Prague is very music city For example, you can give preference to one of the events taking place in the Prague Public House (Obecní dům), the interior of this building is very good.

Or simply relying on chance to fit into any concert from barkers on the streets. Mozart lovers should visit.

Naturally, this minimum program can be stretched over 4 or even 5 days, each with its own pace.

Prague with children on your own

Prague is a very favorable city for traveling with children; almost all the places I listed have something interesting for children.

A water park is always a holiday for children. We didn’t go to the water park ourselves, but judging by the reviews, people were delighted. There is a hotel right next to the water park, but it is far from the city center. An adult ticket costs about 20€ for 3 hours.

Day trips from Prague on your own

Prague offers a huge number of excursions around the city and its suburbs, even foreign excursions to Dresden and Vienna are offered. A very good site with many Wheatlas excursions, the prices are very reasonable, it is unlikely that you will be able to find cheaper ones in Prague. Excursions will allow you to see more, since Karlštejn on excursions is usually grouped with Konopiste, and it will not be possible to see two castles in one day using public transport. This thesis is also true for other excursions.

Or you need to rent a car and drive around small towns on your own. If you are 3-5 people, renting a car will be financially justified. View prices at, prices start from 22€ per day. A round-trip ticket for one person to any of the towns I recommend by public transport costs 15 €.

Next, I will tell you how to get to the very interesting places in the Czech Republic. The country is small and it takes about 3 hours to drive from Prague to the most remote border towns. I really don't recommend going to Vienna or Dresden in one day. It takes 5 hours to get to Vienna or Dresden by bus, it’s very tiring, you spend 4 hours walking around Vienna, and then drive 5 hours back.

Half a day is nothing for Vienna, Vienna is big and interesting city, where you can easily spend a week. If you really want to go to Vienna or Dresden, then you need to plan an overnight stay there, maybe even more than one.

Next, I will list possible options for independent travel around Prague. Train tickets can be found on the Czech Railways website (English). And tickets for regional buses on the Student Agency website (English).

Prague, main railway station - Praha hl.n.
Karlštejn
Karlovy Vary
Kutná Hora
Cesky Krumlov

In small Czech towns you can eat very well and cheaply, with the exception of Karlovy Vary. Souvenirs there will also cost less than in Prague.

To Karlštejn on your own

The simplest and relatively cheap self-guided tour could be a trip to Karlštejn Castle. The castle is located just 33 km from the main railway station Prague, the trip will take about 40 minutes, one adult round-trip train ticket costs 104CZK (4€). The second ticket is purchased with a 25% discount, the third with a 50% discount, so even for a group, traveling by train promises to be budget-friendly. If you have a pass for public transport in Prague, present it when purchasing train tickets and the ticket will cost you even less.

An adult ticket to the castle itself costs 300CZK (11€), there are three types of tickets to visit different rooms in the castle. You are allowed inside the castle only with a guided tour, excursions are conducted in Czech, English and Russian, but in the low tourist season you can’t wait for excursions in Russian, they are rarely held, and there is no schedule of excursions in different languages on the official website of Karlštejn. Check the opening hours on the official website of Karštejn Castle.

To Karlovy Vary on your own

Karlovy Vary main thermal resort Czech Republic. There you can drink mineral water from the springs. In addition, the city is home to the Becherevka Museum, the national Czech drink. The cost of visiting is 120CZK (4.4€). The city is also famous for its Karlovy Vary waffles, baked at the local mineral water. Many Russians have settled in Karlovy Vary and Russian speech can be heard everywhere.

In Karlovy Vary, you must definitely take the funicular up the mountain, you can plan to swim in the pool, for this you need to take the necessary equipment. Just 12 km from Karlovy Vary is the picturesque Loket Castle. The cost of a tour of the castle with a guide is 7.5 €, without a guide 5 €. Although it will be difficult to fit a swimming pool, walks in the mountains and Loket Castle into one day and have time to go back to Prague.

The bus from the Florenc bus station (metro station of the same name) to Karlovy Vary takes 2 hours 15 minutes, the one-way fare is 6.10 €.

In Kutna Hora on your own

Kutná Hora became famous for its Church of All Saints with its ossuary, mines where silver was mined in the Middle Ages and beautiful ancient buildings included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Getting to Kutná Hora from Prague is quite easy, just 70 km and 55 minutes by train. A round trip by train will cost about 400CZK (15€) and takes 55 minutes.

There is a fee to visit all interesting sites:

Ossuary 90CZK (3.3€)
Cathedral of St. Barbara 60CZK (2.2€)
Vlassky Dvor or former coin forge 250CZK (9.2€)
Medieval silver mine in the Hrádek Silver Museum 140CZK (5.1€)

To Cesky Krumlov on your own

Cesky Krumlov is very beautiful town listed world heritage UNESCO, but the journey to it is much further than 170 km, taking about 3 hours by car or bus. You can take a direct bus from bus station Florenc, next to the metro station of the same name. It is better to buy tickets in advance, since the trip will take the whole day, the cost of a one-way ticket is about 7.60 €. When purchasing on the website, you can choose your seat in advance; on the last day, only the most inconvenient seats may remain.

IN Cesky Krumlov It would be logical to visit the castle. It is better to find out the opening hours and ticket prices on the official website of Cesky Krumlov Castle. There are several types of tickets to different rooms of the castle.

Cesky Krumlov brews its own Eggenberg beer and has a signature restaurant. Eggenberg restaurant menu with prices.

By train you will have to travel from the main railway station of Prague with a transfer in Ceske Budejovice; the cost of round-trip train tickets is about 400CZK (15€). There is a discount for the group that I wrote about earlier. But transplantation takes time.