Czechia Travel Guide
Curated by Our Guild Explorers · Updated August 2026
The Czech Republic — Czechia, as it now prefers to be called — is one of the great bargains of European travel and one of the most concentrated. It is roughly the size of South Carolina, and inside that compass sit a capital that came through the twentieth century almost unbombed, a belt of nineteenth-century spa towns built for emperors and composers, a castle town on a river bend that looks invented, and a whole second half of the country, Moravia, that most visitors never reach at all. The trains are excellent and cheap. The beer is better than you have been led to believe and costs less than the bottled water. And the crowds, which are real, are almost entirely a problem of two cities in two months — easily sidestepped by anyone willing to go in May or October.
Where to stay — the Guild’s Czechia guides
Full “where to stay” guides, each with honest hotel picks by style and a plain word about steps, cobbles and crowds — plus our month-by-month guide to timing the trip.
Where to Stay in Prague ›
Old Town, Malá Strana, the New Town, Josefov and Vinohrady — which district suits which traveller, and where the stairs and cobbles are.
Where to Stay in Český Krumlov ›
Why staying the night beats the day trip — and an honest warning about the steepest, most cobbled town in the country.
Where to Stay in Karlovy Vary ›
The flat colonnade valley against the grand hotels on the slopes — and what a Czech medical spa hotel actually involves.
Where to Stay in Brno ›
Moravia’s capital: a flat old centre, wine rooms instead of beer halls, and almost no other visitors.
Where to Stay in Olomouc ›
The flattest and quietest of the great Czech historic centres — and our first suggestion for anyone who found Prague hard going.
Best Time to Visit Czechia ›
Month by month on weather, crowds, prices and the Christmas markets — and the two months to avoid if you dislike a queue.
Why visit Czechia
A capital that survived the century intact, a countryside of castles, and the best-value good living in Europe.
A city that was never flattened
Prague came through the Second World War with its historic fabric essentially whole, which is why it can show you Romanesque cellars, Gothic spires, Renaissance palaces, high Baroque churches and some of the finest Art Nouveau anywhere — all within a twenty-minute walk. Very few European capitals can still do that.
Castles, and then more castles
The Czech lands hold well over a thousand castles and châteaux, more per square mile than almost anywhere on earth. Karlštejn, Hluboká, Lednice and the great bend of Český Krumlov are the famous ones; the pleasure is that you can turn off almost any road and find another.
The spa towns
Karlovy Vary, Mariánské Lázně and Františkovy Lázně — the “spa triangle” of west Bohemia — were where nineteenth-century Europe went to take the waters, and they still look it: colonnades, pastel facades, wooded hills and a pace built for walking slowly. They are on the UNESCO list as part of the Great Spa Towns of Europe, and they are a gift to unhurried travellers.
It is genuinely inexpensive
A serious dinner, a proper hotel room and a day’s museum-going cost a fraction of what they do in Vienna two hours away. Beer is the emblem of it — Czechia drinks more per head than any country in the world and a half-litre of very good lager in an ordinary pub is one of travel’s great remaining bargains — but the value runs through everything.
Czechia at a glance
The regions of Czechia
Where the Guild has written a full guide, the link goes to it. Everywhere else, the link goes straight to hotels through our Trip.com partner.
Prague & central Bohemia
The capital and the day trips that ring it — a silver-mining town with an astonishing ossuary, and the emperor’s castle in the woods.
- Prague Guild guide
- Kutná Hora
West Bohemia — the spa triangle
Colonnades, mineral springs and wooded hills, an easy two to three hours west of Prague.
- Karlovy Vary Guild guide
- Mariánské Lázně
- Plzeň (Pilsen)
South Bohemia
Fishpond country, Renaissance squares and the most photographed river bend in the republic.
- Český Krumlov Guild guide
Top things to do in Czechia
The experiences worth building a trip around.
Prague Castle — and the tram that saves your knees
The largest ancient castle complex in the world, with St Vitus Cathedral at its heart. The mistake almost everyone makes is walking up. Take tram 22 to Pražský hrad, see the castle on level ground, then walk down through Malá Strana to the river. Go before nine or after four; the middle of the day belongs to the coach parties.
The Charles Bridge before breakfast
At seven in the morning it is a different structure entirely — mist off the Vltava, the statues to yourself, swans below. By eleven it is a slow-moving crowd. This is the single best hour of any Prague trip and it costs nothing but an early alarm.
Kutná Hora and the bone church
An hour east of Prague by direct train. The silver that funded medieval Bohemia came out of the ground here, paying for the extraordinary St Barbara’s Cathedral; nearby, the Sedlec ossuary is decorated with the bones of some forty thousand people. It is strange, sombre and unforgettable, and it makes an easy day out.
Taking the waters in Karlovy Vary
Buy the little porcelain drinking cup with the spout, walk the colonnades, and taste the springs one after another — they range from pleasant to frankly medicinal. Then have the wafers. The point of a spa town is not the water; it is being somewhere designed entirely around walking slowly and sitting down often.
A Moravian evening
Brno and Olomouc are where the country stops performing. Sit in a courtyard restaurant, drink wine rather than beer — Moravia is wine country and the whites are very good — and notice that almost every voice around you is Czech. For many travellers this is the part of the trip they end up describing when they get home.
The Christmas markets, if you can bear the cold
Late November to early January, Prague’s Old Town Square, Brno and Olomouc all fill with wooden stalls, hot spiced wine and roasting almonds. Olomouc’s is the loveliest of the three and the least besieged. Dress properly and it is one of the best reasons to visit Europe in winter.
Best time to visit & getting there
When to go
May, early June, September and early October are the months to aim for — warm, long-lit, everything open, and the crowds thinned to a manageable level. July and August are hot and very busy in Prague and Český Krumlov, though Moravia stays civilised. December is a genuine third season for the Christmas markets. January and February are cold, dark, cheap and quiet, which suits some travellers very well. Full month-by-month detail is in our best time to visit Czechia guide.
Getting there
Prague (PRG) is the gateway, with seasonal direct flights from a handful of North American cities and easy connections year-round through the big European hubs. From the airport, the Airport Express bus to the main railway station is straightforward and inexpensive; taxis and ride-hailing are also readily available. Prague is also a comfortable four hours by train from Berlin and Vienna, and rather less from Dresden.
The trains are genuinely better than flying
There is no domestic air network worth using and you will not miss it. Fast trains link Prague to Brno in about two and a half hours and Olomouc in about two, with comfortable seats, at-seat service on the private operators, and fares that will make an American blink. Book a few days ahead for the cheapest fares and a reserved seat. The two places rail does not serve well are Karlovy Vary and Český Krumlov: for both, the express coach is faster, more comfortable and more frequent than the train. Take the bus without embarrassment; Czech intercity coaches are excellent.
Money and paperwork
The currency is the Czech koruna, not the euro. Cards work almost everywhere. Avoid street exchange kiosks in central Prague and always choose to be charged in koruna rather than dollars. Czechia is in the EU and the Schengen area, so no visa is currently needed for short US or Canadian tourist visits — but the EU is phasing in a new entry-exit system and travel authorisation, so check the position close to your departure. Most hotels add a small nightly city accommodation fee per guest, collected at the property.
Czechia in your later years — what we would tell our own parents
Short distances, superb trains and low prices make this one of the easiest countries in Europe for unhurried travel. Two honest cautions make it easier still.
The cobbles are the real obstacle
Not the hills, not the language, not the distances — the cobbles. Every historic centre in the country is paved with rounded granite setts that are uneven underfoot and slick in the rain. Bring shoes with genuine grip and a proper sole, take a walking stick if you use one at home, and plan shorter days on your feet than you would in a city with pavements. This one adjustment prevents most of the trouble visitors have here.
Which places are genuinely level
Olomouc is flat, compact and a delight to walk. Central Brno is largely level once you are off Petrov hill. Karlovy Vary’s spa promenade along the river is flat and made for strolling, though the grand hotels above it are not. Prague’s Old Town and Josefov are flat; the Castle side and Vyšehrad are not. Český Krumlov is the hard one — beautiful, tiny, and built up a steep bank on stone. It is still worth going; just go knowing that.
Let the trains do the work
Czech trains are level-boarding at the major stations, have real luggage space, and go where you want to go. A first-class seat costs a little more than second and is worth it on a longer run. Prague’s main station has lifts and porter-style assistance if you request it in advance. There is no reason to hire a car for a trip built around Prague, Brno and Olomouc.
Ask this one question before booking
“Is there a lift, and how many steps are there from the street to it?” A great many buildings in Prague’s Old Town and in Český Krumlov are protected historic structures where a lift could not be fitted, or where it starts on the first floor and you climb to reach it. This is not usually mentioned in the listing. Ask, and ask specifically.
Czechia travel FAQ
When is the best time to visit Czechia?
Late April to mid-June and September to mid-October are the two sweet spots — long light, warm days, everything open, and none of the July and August crush. May is arguably the best single month in the country. December has its own case: the Christmas markets in Prague, Brno and Olomouc are among the most beautiful in Europe, and the cold is dry rather than raw. January and February are quiet, cheap and genuinely cold.
What currency does Czechia use? Is it the euro?
It is not the euro. Czechia uses the Czech koruna, written Kč and abbreviated CZK, and has kept it despite being in the European Union. This catches out a great many visitors. Cards are accepted almost everywhere, including contactless, so you need very little cash. Two warnings worth more than any exchange rate: never change money at a street kiosk in central Prague, where the rates are dreadful and the “no commission” sign is not the whole story; and when a card machine offers to charge you in dollars instead of koruna, always decline and pay in koruna.
How many days do you need in the Czech Republic?
Four days is enough for Prague alone and most visitors give it three. A week lets you add Kutná Hora or Český Krumlov and still not feel rushed. Ten days is the comfortable length for a proper loop — Prague, then Karlovy Vary or Český Krumlov, then Brno and Olomouc in Moravia, which almost no first-time visitor sees and which is where the country stops performing for tourists.
Is the train better than flying inside Czechia?
There are no useful domestic flights and you would not want them. The country is small and the trains are genuinely good — comfortable, punctual, inexpensive, and served by both the state railway and private operators with proper seats and refreshments. Prague to Brno takes roughly two and a half hours, Prague to Olomouc about two. The two exceptions are Karlovy Vary and Český Krumlov, where the rail lines wander and the express coach is faster and more comfortable than the train.
Is Prague walkable? What about the cobbles?
Prague’s centre is compact and best seen on foot, but be honest with yourself about two things. The whole historic core is laid with rounded granite setts — charming, uneven, and slippery in rain — so bring shoes with real grip and consider a stick if you use one at home. And the Castle sits high above the river; the walk up through Malá Strana is a genuine climb. Take tram 22 up and walk down. That single piece of advice improves more Prague trips than any other.
Do Americans need a visa for Czechia?
US and Canadian citizens do not currently need a visa for short tourist stays; Czechia is in the European Union and the Schengen area. The EU has been phasing in a new entry-exit system and a separate travel authorisation for visa-free visitors, so check the current requirement close to your departure date rather than relying on what was true last time you went.
Is Czechia a good country for older travellers?
Very much so, with one caveat that is about surfaces rather than the country. Distances are short, the trains are excellent and easy to board, the food is hearty and served early, the beer is famously good and famously cheap, and English is widely spoken in Prague. The caveat is the cobblestones, which are everywhere in the historic centres and are the single most common cause of a spoiled day. Český Krumlov in particular is beautiful and steep and paved in stone; Olomouc and the flat parts of Brno are much kinder underfoot.
Is Prague too crowded to be worth it?
In July and August the Charles Bridge and the Old Town Square are genuinely unpleasant between about ten in the morning and six at night. The city itself is not the problem; the hours are. Go in May, late September or early October and it is a different place. Even in high summer, Prague before nine in the morning is quiet, cool and almost yours — and the Vyšehrad fortress, the Letná gardens and most of Vinohrady are never crowded at all.
Ready to plan your Czech trip?
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