Jorge Royan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Europe
Czechia Travel Guide
Czechia (the Czech Republic) is a landlocked country in Central Europe built around Bohemia and Moravia, two historic regions with their own distinct character. Prague, the capital, is the country's main draw — a medieval old town of Gothic spires, Baroque facades, and the Charles Bridge crossing the Vltava River, largely untouched by the wars that reshaped much of the rest of Europe. Beyond the capital, the country holds a dense cluster of well-preserved historic towns: the UNESCO-listed old town of Český Krumlov wrapped in a bend of the Vltava, the spa colonnades of Karlovy Vary, and Moravia's second city, Brno, with its own castle and a livelier, less touristed feel.
Quick facts
- Flag
- Czechia
- Capital
- Prague
- Language
- Czech
- Currency
- CZK (Kč)
- Timezone
- Central European Time (UTC+1, UTC+2 in summer)
- Calling code
- +420
- Driving side
- Right-hand side
Czechia is compact and well connected by train and bus, so pairing Prague with a smaller town is easy even on a short trip. It's also the birthplace of pilsner-style lager — beer culture runs deep here, from historic breweries to some of the cheapest, best beer in Europe.
Planning your trip
- Best time to visit
- Aim for May, June, or September, when the weather is mild and crowds are lighter than peak summer. July and August are warmest but busiest and priciest, especially in Prague; December brings Christmas markets and mulled wine to town squares across the country, though days are short and cold. Winter outside the holiday season is quiet and often gray.
- Good to know
- Czechia uses the Czech koruna (Kč), not the euro — cards are widely accepted in cities, but carrying some cash helps in smaller towns and markets. English is common in Prague's tourist areas but less so elsewhere, especially with older generations; a few Czech phrases go a long way. Trains and long-distance buses connect every major town cheaply and reliably, making a rental car unnecessary for a trip focused on Prague and nearby towns. Tipping around 10% is customary at restaurants, usually rounded up rather than calculated precisely.
Cities
Where to stay in each of Czechia's cities — pick one below to see its best neighborhoods and hotels.
Diliff / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Prague
Best for: First-time visitors, Architecture lovers, Couples, Budget travelers, Nightlife
rboed / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Karlovy Vary
Best for: Couples, Architecture lovers, Luxury travelers
Guido Radig / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Český Krumlov
Best for: First-time visitors, Couples, Architecture lovers
Millenium187 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Brno
Best for: First-time visitors, Couples, Architecture lovers, Nightlife, Budget travelers
Miaow Miaow / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Kutná Hora
Best for: First-time visitors, Couples, Architecture lovers
Tips
- Buy a combined ticket for Prague Castle if you plan to see more than the courtyards — St. Vitus Cathedral, the Old Royal Palace, and the Golden Lane are covered by different ticket tiers, and lines for individual tickets can be long in summer.
- Validate paper tickets before boarding trams, buses, and the metro in Prague — inspectors do check, and fines for an unvalidated ticket are steep.
- Try a Czech-style pilsner at a traditional pub (hospoda) rather than a tourist-oriented bar near Old Town Square — it's usually cheaper and closer to how locals actually drink.
Good to know
- Prague's Charles Bridge, completed in 1402, was the only bridge across the Vltava River in the city for over four centuries.
- The pilsner-style lager that inspired most of the world's pale lagers was first brewed in 1842 in Plzeň, about 90 minutes from Prague.
- Prague's historic centre — Hradčany, the Lesser Town, the Old Town, and the New Town — was one of the first sites added to the UNESCO World Heritage list, in 1992.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need euros to visit Czechia?
- No — Czechia uses its own currency, the Czech koruna (Kč), even though it's an EU member. Euros are sometimes accepted in very touristy spots in Prague, but at a poor exchange rate, so it's better to pay in koruna.
- Is Prague the only city worth visiting in Czechia?
- No. Prague is by far the most visited, but Český Krumlov, Karlovy Vary, and Brno are each an easy train or bus trip away and worth a day or more on their own.
- How many days do I need for a first trip to Czechia?
- Three to four days covers Prague comfortably. Add a day or two to combine it with a nearby town like Český Krumlov or Karlovy Vary.