Three of us (husband, wife and 16-year-old daughter) are visiting Prague for the first time for 7 nights early April. We have booked our flights in and out of Prague from the U.S., but have not yet booked hotels, tours, etc. My question is: if we spend 4-5 nights in Prague (we have been told this is enough), where could we go for the other 2-3 nights to visit another area? We have thought about Cesky Krumlov, Krakow/Auschwitz (we%26#39;re Jewish), the Czech countryside. Would it be safe and easy enough for English speaking tourists to rent our own car and travel beyond Prague for 2-3 days? Would appreciate any suggestions.
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A drive through the Czech countryside to Southern Bohemia (Cesky Krumlov and Ceske Budejovice) is a great way to spend 2 days or so and see a little outside of Prague. The best way to do this for three people is by renting a car. This is both safe and easy.
A visit to Krakow and Auschwitz is an even better idea. There is certainly more to see than in Southern Bohemia, and arguably this is an more important place for your daugter to experience.
However the train connections between Prague and Krakow are not so good. Daytime trains take about 8 hours (which is a lot of time each way for a 3 day visit). The night train to Krakow is an old fashioned %26quot;D train%26quot; with many stops in the middle of the night. I guarantee you will get very little sleep.
Czech Airlines has direct flights from Prague to Krakow (1.5 hours). Of course they are more expensive than the train ($400). I am not sure how you would book this flight from the U.S.
You could also rent a car and drive to Krakow, but some rental agencies have limitations on taking cars outside of the Czech Republic.
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Hacek - Thanks for your response. I checked the Czech Airlines website and the cost of a roundtrip flight from Prague to Krakow is very expensive.
Instead, I am glad to hear that renting our own car to explore the Czech countyside is feasible. We have done this many times in the UK, France, Germany, but was not sure about the Czech Republic particularly not speaking the language.
So, with 2-3 days touring the countryside, can anyone suggest more specifically where to go and where to stay?
Thanks.
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From Prague, go to Tabor, Telc and then Ceske Budejovice before arriving in Cesky Krumlov.
Spend a whole day in Cesky Krumlov and then leave for Prague the next day visting the village of Holasovice and the castle at Hlouboka on the way back
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Cesky Krumlov is great. You should go. But it is not all highways to get there, and the signs aren%26#39;t great. So, be prepared with your road maps.
On the way there, you could stop at Konopiste Castle (check opening times - closed Mondays).
It was the hunting lodge of Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand:
www.zamek-konopiste.cz/index.php?jaz=ENG%26ID=0
Another interesting trip, an hour from Prague, but a different direction, is Kutna Hora:
whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31%26id_site=732
http://www.kutnahora.cz/index.php?lns=2
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Peb7 - Thanks. Following your suggested path, let me ask two other specific questions of you or anyone:
1) Any suggestions on renting a car from the center of Prague and returning to the airport upon our departure? Suggested rental company or type of car for 3 people? Anything to watch out for?
2) With 2 nights/3 days touring the country, can you make specific recommendations as to hotels/apartments to spend the night? We are 3-4 star people -- don%26#39;t need elegance but willing to pay for ambiance, a special setting and comfort.
Thanks!
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all the big international rental companies (Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, Sixt, etc. have offices in Prague. you may have to pay extra to hire or leave the car at the airport (although it might be easier driving then, as you can avoid driving through the city. There are local companies also such as Dvorak (although a number of posts on this site have not been complementary of them).
Suggest you look around on websites and see what the best deal you can find is for the car you want. only thing I can suggest is you take out maximum insurance coverage possible. Czech drivers are a nightmare and if you stay right in the centre of Cesky Krumlov, you need to leave your car outside the city centre, as the city centre is pedestrianised.
Look at the hotels in Cesky krumlov and the reviews on this site - Leonardo www.hotel-leonardo.cz, scores highest. Ruze is the top hotel in the city, but the reviews on Tripadvisor are not too complementary
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