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Czech Rail TicketsCzech Republic Rail Pass - Czech Republic Rail TicketsExperience the ease and comfort of train travel in Czech Republic, where Prague is famous for its astounding architecture and bohemian spas.The Czech Republic also known as Czechia is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The Czech Republic has a hilly landscape that covers an area of 78,871 square kilometers (30,452 sq mi) with a mostly temperate continental and oceanic climate. The capital and largest city is Prague, and other major cities include Brno and Ostrava.The Czech Republic is not a large country but has a rich and eventful history. Czechs, Germans, Slovaks, Italian stonemasons and stucco workers, French tradesmen and deserters from Napoleon's army have lived and worked here, all influencing one another. For centuries they jointly cultivated their land, creating works that grace this small country with hundreds of ancient castles, monasteries and stately mansions, and entire towns that give the impression of being comprehensive artefacts. The Czech Republic contains a vast number of architectural treasures and has beautiful forests and mountains to match.The Czech Republic is a unitary parliamentary republic and developed country with an advanced, high-income social market economy. It is a welfare state with a European social model, universal health care and tuition-free university education. It ranks 12th in the UN inequality-adjusted human development and 24th in the World Bank Human Capital Index. It ranks as the 9th safest and most peaceful country and 31st in democratic governance. The Czech Republic is a member of NATO, the European Union, OECD, OSCE, and the Council of Europe.Ceské Dráhy is often abbreviated CD, Ceské Dráhy is the Czech Republic's main train company. Ceské Dráhy operates both regional and long-distance train routes throughout the Czech Republic.Czech Republic RegionsThe Czech Republic has 14 political regions which can be grouped in eight regions: - Central Bohemia (Central Bohemia Region and capital city of Prague)
- The central part of the Czech Republic with the capital Prague.
- West Bohemia (Karlovy Vary Region and Pilsen Region)
- Famous for Pilsen beer and spa towns.
- North Bohemia (Usti nad Labem Region and Liberec Region)
- Fascinating landscapes as well as picturesque castles and chateaux.
- East Bohemia (Hradec Králové Region and Pardubice Region)
- Region with the Czech highest mountain range Krkonoše and couple of historic sights.
- South Bohemia (South Bohemia Region)
- Picturesque historic towns (including two UNESCO sights) in peaceful landscape with many ponds. On the border with Germany is located the largest national park in the Czech Republic.
- Highlands (Vysocina Region)
- Between Bohemia and Moravia, this small region is surprisingly rich in culture and history, with three UNESCO world heritage sights.
- North Moravia and Silesia (Olomouc Region and Moravia-Silesia Region)
- Big industrial city Ostrava and historic city in UNESCO Olomouc are there, as are some pretty mountain areas.
- South Moravia (South Moravia Region and Zlín Region)
- Agricultural region with wineyards and "capital" of Moravia Brno.
Czech Republic CitiesThese are just nine of the most interesting cities selected to represent the variety of Czech urban areas. For other exciting destinations, see the individual regions. - Prague (Praha) - the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic with a large and beautiful historic centre
- Brno - the largest city in Moravia and its former capital, it offers several excellent museums, annual Moto GP Grand Prix, annual international fireworks festival Ignis Brunensis, a large historical centre, the second-largest ossuary in Europe (after the Catacombs of Paris), one of the biggest exhibition centres in the Europe, the oldest theatre building in Central Europe, and many other things.
- Ceské Budejovice - attractive large city in South Bohemia
- Ceský Krumlov - beautiful old town in South Bohemia with the country's second biggest chateau
- Karlovy Vary (Carlsbad) - historic (and biggest Czech) spa resort, especially popular with German and Russian tourist groups
- Kutná Hora - historical town with famous Saint Barbara cathedral, old silver mines and the Chapel of All Saints, which is decorated with thousands of human bones
- Olomouc (Holomóc or Olomóc) - riverside university town with a thousand-year history and the second-largest historical centre in the Czech Republic
- Ostrava - a vibrant local subculture and long history of coal mining and heavy industry
- Pilsen (Plzen) - home of the original Pilsner Urquell beer, and the largest city in West Bohemia
Czech Republic Other Destinations - Bohemian Paradise (Ceský ráj) - A region of towering rock formations and isolated castles located north-east of Prague. The gateway city of Jicín is an interesting destination in its own right, but Turnov is closer to most of the castles and rock formations. The twin towers of the ruined castle Trosky are a symbol of the area and can be climbed for the views
- Karlštejn Castle - and the holy cave monastery: Hiking trip to the famous castle and an off-the-beaten-track monastery
- Krkonoše Krkonoše National Park on Wikipedia (Giant Mountains) - The highest mountains in the Czech Republic along the Polish border. Most popular Czech skiing resorts are here, such as Špindleruv Mlýn, however considered overpriced by locals.
- Litomyšl - A beautiful small town in East Bohemia. The renaissance main square and chateau are among the Czech Republic's prettiest and the town has been home to many important and influential artists, including composer Bedrich Smetana, sculptor Olbram Zoubek and painter Josef Váchal. There are two international opera festivals at the chateau each year.
- Mariánské Lázne - A spa town in Western Bohemia.
- Mutenice Wine Region - Some of the best vineyards in the Czech Republic and totally off the well-beaten tourist path
- Nové Mesto na Morave - Cross country skiing resort. The race of Tour de Ski takes place here.
- Terezín - A red-brick baroque fortress 70 km north of Prague beside the Ohre river. It was used during World War II as a Jewish ghetto and concentration camp.
- Znojmo - The Rotunda of the Virgin Mary and St Catherine with the oldest frescoes in the Czech Republic.
Czech Republic Overview
Capital: Prague
Currency: Czech Koruna (CZK)
Population: 10.5 million (2022)
Electricity: 230 volt / 50 hertz (Europlug, Type E)
Country code: +420
Time zone: UTC+01:00
Emergencies: 112, 150 (fire department), 155 (emergency medical services), 158 (police)
Driving side: On the rightCzech Republic By PlaneCzech Republic By Plane1 Václav Havel Airport Václav Havel Airport Prague on Wikipedia (PRG IATA) - about 10 km west of the centre of Prague, (Praha in Czech), is a hub of Czech national carrier - Czech Airlines (CSA), a SkyTeam member.Other international airports are in 2 Brno Turany Airport Brno-Turany Airport on Wikipedia (with flights to London and Bergamo), 3 Leoš Janácek Airport Ostrava) Leoš Janácek Airport Ostrava on Wikipedia (flights to Vienna Airport and Prague), 4 Pardubice airport Pardubice Airport on Wikipedia, 5 Karlovy Vary airport Karlovy Vary Airport on Wikipedia (flights to Moscow and non-public 6 Kunovice airport Kunovice Airport on Wikipedia (near Uherské Hradište).There are several low-cost airlines going to/from Prague (e.g. EasyJet from Lyon). Ryanair flies to Brno from London and Bergamo. Other nearby airports are Dresden (100 km), Leipzig (180 km), Nuremberg (200 km) and Munich (320 km) in Germany, Vienna having a bus shuttle to Brno city (260 km to Prague, 110 km to Brno) in Austria, Wroclaw (200 km) in Poland (might be a good idea if you want to go to the Giant Mountains) and Bratislava (280 km to Prague, only 120 km to Brno) in Slovakia.Czech Republic By BusCzech Republic By BusInternational bus service runs from many cities in Europe with direct connections from Germany, Poland, Netherlands, Slovakia, Switzerland, Austria, etc. Good service is offered by Eurolines and RegioJet. Cheap tickets from Poland are offered by FlixBus. Almost all new long distance bus operators in Germany and Deutsche Bahn offer buses from various points in Germany or Austria to Prague for an overview of rates see Busradar. As the market is very new and still very volatile companies might cease operations or newly emerge on short notice.Czech Republic By TrainCzech Republic By TrainThe Czech Republic has one of the densest rail networks in the world. As of 2020, the country has 9,542 kilometers (5,929 mi) of lines. Of that number, 3,236 kilometers (2,011 mi) is electrified, 7,503 kilometers (4,662 mi) are single-line tracks and 2,040 kilometers (1,270 mi) are double and multiple-line tracks. The length of tracks is 15,360 kilometers (9,540 mi), out of which 6,917 kilometers (4,298 mi) is electrified.Ceské dráhy (the Czech Railways) is the main railway operator in the country, with about 180 million passengers carried yearly. Maximum speed is limited to 160 km/h.Václav Havel Airport in Prague is the main international airport in the country. In 2019, it handled 17.8 million passengers. In total, the Czech Republic has 91 airports, six of which provide international air services. The public international airports are in Brno, Karlovy Vary, Mnichovo Hradište, Mošnov (near Ostrava), Pardubice and Prague. The non-public international airports capable of handling airliners are in Kunovice and Vodochody.International train service runs from most points in Europe with direct connections from Slovakia, Poland, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Serbia, Belarus and Russia; in summer also from Romania, Bulgaria and Montenegro.Czech Republic By Train From GermanyCzech Republic From GermanyEC trains operate every two hours from Berlin or Hamburg via Dresden and Bad Schandau in Saxon Switzerland to Prague and Brno. Direct overnight sleeper car serves Cologne Frankfurt, Karlsruhe, Copenhagen and Basel. Cheap tickets to Prague (and sometimes to Brno) are available at the website of German railways, if bought in advance. The price begins at €19-39 for a seat and €49 for a couchette.German Railways operate express non-stop buses connecting Nuremberg, Munich and Mannheim with Prague, fully integrated to German railway tariff. If you have an InterRail or Eurail pass, consider that these buses require compulsory reservation.There are four daily trains from Munich to Prague, but they are slower than the abovementioned bus, because of slow and curvy (although picturesque) railway at southwestern Czech border. The cheapest way is a Bayern Ticket (€21 for one person, €29 for group up to 5 people) to the Czech border combined with Czech domestic ticket (see #Cheap ticket combinations).If you cross the border in a local train (not EC or EN), consider taking advantage of the Bayern-Böhmen-Ticket or the Sachsen-Böhmen-Ticket. In the vicinity of the Czech-German-Polish three country border, you may profit from the unified fare of the transport system ZVONCzech Republic By Train From PolandCzech Republic From PolandThere is one direct EC train from Warsaw to Prague and Ostrava and direct sleeper cars from Warsaw and Kraków. The ticket for the daytime train costs €19-29, if bought at least three days in advance. For night trains, there is no such cheap offer, but you can use a tricky combination, see #Cheap ticket combinations.Apart from the long-distance trains there are very few local trains. For long-distance travel a semi-fast train from Wroclaw to Pardubice can be useful.In local trains (not IC or EC), it is possible to buy a special cross-border ticket (Polish: bilet przechodowy) which is valid between the Czech and Polish (or vice versa) border stations and costs only 15 Kc or PLN2. You can buy it from the conductor on the train (or completely ignore it if the conductor does not emerge before you reach the other border station, which happens) and combine it with domestic tickets of the two countries. In the vicinity of the Czech-German-Polish three country border, you may profit from the unified fare of the ZVON transport system.Czech Republic By Train From SlovakiaCzech Republic From SlovakiaAs parts of former Czechoslovakia, the trains between Czechia and Slovakia are frequent. EC trains go every two hours from Bratislava to Prague and Brno, and from Žilina to Prague and Ostrava. There is one daily train from Banská Bystrica, Zvolen and Košice to Prague and Ostrava. All these cities have also a direct overnight sleeper car connection to Prague.Regular one-way ticket to Prague costs €27 from Bratislava and €42 from Košice. There is a return discount of (roughly) 30% called CityStar. Slovak railways also offer discounted online SparNight tickets in advance - e.g. the day train from Bratislava to Praha costs €15 and night train including couchette reservation from Košice to Prague €27.Czech Republic by Train From AustriaCzech Republic From AustriaRailjet trains from Graz and Vienna to Prague and Brno operate every two hours. From Linz to Prague there are two directs connections and two more connections with change in Ceské Budejovice.Cheap tickets to Prague, Brno and Ostrava are available at Austrian Railways website, if bought at least 3 days in advance. The price begins at €19 for Vienna-Brno, €29 for Vienna-Prague and Linz-Prague.If you cross the border in a local train (not IC, EC), you can take advantage of discounted return ticket EURegio. Czech Republic Cheap Ticket CombinationsCzech Republic Full-price international tickets can be quite expensive so, if no commercial discount fits your needs, you can combine domestic tickets to save money:Buy a German/Austrian/Slovak/Polish domestic ticket to the Czech border and then ask the Czech conductor for a Czech domestic ticket starting at the border point (the surcharge for buying the ticket in the train is 40 Kc). Remember there is a significant group discount starting from 2 passengers. According to the Czech Railways website, conductors on international trains should accept payments in euros.On weekends, instead of the standard Czech domestic ticket, you can also buy online a network ticket called SONE+ for 600 Kc (valid up to 2 adults and 3 children for one weekend day). You have to print this ticket online or present it on the screen of your notebook.Czech Republic Get Around By PlaneCzech Republic Get Around By PlaneThere is a domestic flight from Prague to Ostrava, operated by CSA Czech Airlines twice daily, but this is usually expensive and used mainly to connect with other flights to/from Prague.Czech Republic Get Around By BusCzech Republic Get Around By BusA cheap and excellent means of travelling between Prague and other major cities are the buses from Regiojet. These buses are usually a bit faster and cost less than the Czech trains (not considering discounts). On some routes (e.g. Prague to Brno) this is marginal, but on others such as Prague to Karlovy Vary or Liberec, there is no direct train connection so the buses are by far the best option. Usually, you do not have to book a seat but if you travel on Fridays or during holidays from or to Prague, it is recommended. You can reserve seats online at the Regiojet website. Apart from this operator there are many other bus companies that link Prague and other cities and towns, even remote villages, regularly. Most buses leave Prague from the central bus station at Florenc, but other major bus stations can be found at Na Knížecí (metro station Andel), Cerný Most, Zlicín and Roztyly, all of which are located next to metro stations.Local bus travel between small towns and surrounding villages is usually operated by companies named CSAD (district name), a remnant of the nationwide state-run company Ceskoslovenská Autobusová Doprava from communist times. On local buses you simply tell the driver where you're going and pay him a fare as you get on.Czech Republic Get Around By TrainCzech Republic Get Around By TrainTrains in Czech Republic are operated mostly by state-owned company Ceské Dráhy (Czech Railways). RegioJet (a subsidiary of Student Agency) and LeoExpress operate modernised trains between Prague and Ostrava.The trains go to the most remote locations of the Czech Republic and unlike buses, they usually operate regularly during off-peak hours and during weekends. However, outside the modernised main corridors, the standard of travelling is often the same as it was in the 1970s, and therefore it is quite time-consuming to get to the provincial towns or villages, the trains tending to meander around the countryside.Czech Republic Train Operating CompaniesOsobní vlak (Os) - regional local train, stops everywhere.
Spešný vlak (Sp) - regional fast train, skips villages.
Rychlík (R) - long-distance interregional express train, stops in bigger towns and cities only.
Rychlík vyšší kvality (Rx) - higher quality long-distance interregional express train, stops in bigger towns and cities only.
Express (Ex) - higher quality long-distance interregional express train, stops in major cities only.
EuroCity (EC) - highest quality international long-distance express train, stops in biggest cities only.
InterCity (IC) - highest quality national long-distance express train, stops in biggest cities only.
RailJet (rj) - highest quality international long-distance express train, stops in biggest cities only.
SuperCity (SC) - highest quality national long-distance express train, stops in biggest cities only.
EuroNight (EN) - highest quality international overnight long-distance express train, stops in biggest cities only. Czech Republic Cheap Ticket CombinationsCzech Republic Full-price international tickets can be quite expensive so, if no commercial discount fits your needs, you can combine domestic tickets to save money:Buy a German/Austrian/Slovak/Polish domestic ticket to the Czech border and then ask the Czech conductor for a Czech domestic ticket starting at the border point (the surcharge for buying the ticket in the train is 40 Kc). Remember there is a significant group discount starting from 2 passengers. According to the Czech Railways website, conductors on international trains should accept payments in euros.On weekends, instead of the standard Czech domestic ticket, you can also buy online a network ticket called SONE+ for 600 Kc (valid up to 2 adults and 3 children for one weekend day). You have to print this ticket online or present it on the screen of your notebook.
Czech Republic 1 Country Pass
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Interrail Czech Republic Pass (Interrail is a European Rail Pass for Europeans)
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Eurail Select Pass Eurail 3 Country Select Pass Czech Republic 3 Countries Pass Travel in 3 bordering countries in Europe. Delve deeper into the culture, landscape, and everyday life of 1 region in Europe. With the Eurail Three Country Select Pass you can narrow your trip to 3 bordering countries Eurail Select Pass Eurail 4 Country Select Pass Czech Republic 4 Countries Pass Travel in 4 bordering countries in Europe. Travel by train in 4 European countries with the Eurail Four Country Select Pass. You can pick the 4 bordering countries you'd like to visit below Eurail Select Pass Eurail Global Rail Pass 33 Countries Pass
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Interrail Global Rail Pass 33 Countries Pass
Enjoy train travel in 33 countries with this one pass!
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Eurail Pass Benefits in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic is a member of the Schengen Agreement. (Be sure to have the correct visa's in place for travel in 'Schengen Agreement' countries) |
