Hello, I'm new here but have been reading the board for several days now. I'm coming to visit Prague with my partner at the end of June and we will stay 11 nights. In that time there is enough to visit a few castles outside the city - happy situation for me as I'm a huge fan of castles! :mrgreen: I have used the board's search function in order to find tips about visiting castles, but even the most basic search presented over 200 matches, and most of them didn't seem to be about this topic at all. I have also read all threads about specific castles, but there was no answer to my question, so I was hoping that someone here could give me some info or tell me where to ask. Because our time in Prague is limited, and there are so many interesting castles around it I'd like to visit, I was wondering if it was possible to combine them so that we could visit two or three castles per one day. We can't rent a car, so only options are train or bus. We are in good basic condition, so walking a few miles now and then, or climbing some steps, should not be a problem (but it would be nice if we could avoid "wasting" half a day just walking from point A to point B). And we'd like to return to our hotel in Prague to sleep each night, so we are not going to look for accommodation near the castles. The actual question would be something like this: Is there a simple and effective way to travel between Prague and the castles, other than first reading the castles' individual web pages and making notes, and then looking through dozens of train & bus timetables and trying to interpret them (supposing they are in English)? I have a map of the castles, but of course I don't know where we should get off the bus/train at any specific castle. It's also a bit tricky to try and estimate the time it takes to see any particular castle, so the time to get back to Prague is subject to change... These are the itineraries that I have been hoping to make (maybe not all of them though!), based on the location of the castles - the order of visiting the castles can be switched, of course: 1) Prague - Nelahozeves - (Veltrusy) - Kokorin - Prague 2) Prague - Krivoklat - Krakovec - Prague 3) Prague - Karlstejn (preferably with a little time for a walk in the surrounding forests) - Tocnik - (Zebrák) - Prague 4) Prague - Konopiste - Cesky Sternberk - Prague 5) Prague - Kutna Hora & Sedlec (not a castle but a must-see) - Zleby - Prague (Please excuse my non-czech lack of accents.) I'd like to know any practical tips you might have to share. For example, is train a better option than a bus, or does that depend on the castle in question? Or do my plans even make any sense, are they too ambitious - for example, is option 1) above too much for one day? Should some of these trips be reserved in advance - and if they should, can I do that somewhere in Prague when we are there, or should I make (and pay?) the reservation via internet before we come to Prague? (I know some of these castles could be seen in one day by reserving an organized tour via internet and paying for it in advance, but I'd like to keep our options open so that we could independently decide once we are in Prague which would be the best days for itineraries, instead of sticking to certain dates decided weeks beforehand. And we'd like to get by without a guide in most cases.) I already know that photographing is not allowed in Karlstejn - is this true for in castles in general, so I can only expect to take photos outside? I also read somewhere that visitors are expected to buy a guided tour in some castles, while the castles' web pages say that is "possible" (as in, not obligatory). Is this OK if, in some castles, we get the background information from books beforehand and then just wander around the area open to public, without a guide? In other words, we would pay for the entrance ticket but not for guide services. I guess my biggest fear about these plans is that one day we will find ourselves in some Czech village without any idea about where & when to find the train/bus to our next destination... Thank you very much in advance! I can't wait to see the beautiful Prague and its surroundings!
I really recommed you Krivoklat at first. It's one the the most beatiful castels in Czech republic. And it's not so commertial overturist place as Karlstejn. You can get to Krivoklat from Prague in about 1h 30 min with the change in Beroun. http://www.aboutczechia.com/krivoklat/ Castle is very close to the train station Krivoklat. There is very beautiful countryside close to Krivoklat. Then go back by train to Beroun. Here you have two possibilities : 1) Take train to Praskolesy (about 17 min from Beroun) There are 2 ruin of castles in the distance about 500 m - Tocnik and Zebrak. Zebrak http://www.aboutczechia.com/zebrak/ Tocnik http://www.pruvodce.com/tocnik/ 2) Go to Karlstejn which is close to Karlstejn train station on train route between Beroun and Prague. Be aware that the most catles and turist places are closed on Mondays.
Thank you so much Yvan! Many practical points, exactly the kind I was hoping for. And a great itinerary option as well, one I didn't think of. (I may have to drop Krakovec then, but it is a ruin after all - although I like them as well. I read somewhere that the Krakovec castle is the largest in the Czech Republic. Well, I suppose one just can't have everything... :wink
It's now only a little more than one week until we arrive at Prague, and I have collected tips and train/bus route instructions from the internet. I have a few little details still open that I have been wondering about, and if all else fails I will just have to find out when we are actually there: - Is it easier to visit the Koněprusy caves by bus or by train from Beroun? - Is there a bus connection from Sedlec/Kutná Hora to the Źleby castle? - Is it easier to visit Veltrusy by bus or by train from Nelahozeves? On the map it looks as if they are almost close enough to walk. - Is there a way - maybe a bus - to get from Veltrusy to the Kokorín castle and then back to Prague? If anyone might give me a hint to any one of these questions, it would be greatly appreciated! I can come here after the trip and tell others how easy/difficult it was...
This is useful web for finding Bus/Train timetables : http://www.vlak-bus.cz/JRCis.asp?tt=c&cl=E5 This is internet map : http://www.mapy.cz/
I will simply answer your simple question: How to see many castles around Prague in one day? Rent a car. If I want to see many castles in one day, I usualy am in first location at 9 o'clock (typical opening hour), so you can, if they are close to each other, see at least 3, maybe 4 in one day. Honestly, I cannot imagine doing this by bus or even train , despite it railroad network is wide-spread and buses goes to almost every village - but not very often.
Thank you Yvan! The map link I had already found on the internet, but the timetables were/are especially useful - I already found a few important connections there. If only we had that option... My partner is having his driving license renewed (due to a name change), but will not get it in time. And I don't even have a driver's license because I've lived all my life along very good public transport routes and have not had the need to drive before now, so... Trains and buses are our only option now. Driving from castle to castle like that sounds wonderful... But for now, we have to rely on public transport and hope we see at least a few of those castles. I believe we will. Thank you Yvan and DjAvatar! After the castle adventure I can report back here and hopefully can offer a hint or two to anyone else travelling around Prague without a car.
Sry, I did not know about that. That is a pity Definately do so. A lot of people in similar situation or just regular backpakers and students will appreciate it.
I want to thank you Yvan and DjAvatar for their instructions, hints and help. Unfortunately I didn't get a real chance to try them out in reality. My traveling companion was suspicious about our ability to survive by public transport in a country where people speak a language neither of us understands, and was too worried about us ending up in the middle of nowhere without a way back to our hotel, or even Prague. I didn't want him to stress about it because, after all, vacation should be all about relaxing. As a result we took the easy way out. In addition to the Prague castle, we visited Karlstejn and Krivoklat castles - but we took a cab there and back. So unfortunately I can't offer any new tips about seeing many castles in one day - for an independent traveler, that is. But the castles were great! I wish I can come back someday and see a few more.
Whoops taking a cab from Prague to Křivoklát or Karlštejn really wasn't an option I considered. Btw., as I see you are from Finnland, I met two young girls from Helsinki traveling Amsterodam-Switzerland-Venice-Zagreb-Split-Sarajevo- -Beograd-Skopje-Thessaloniki-Istanbul-(plane)-Riga-Helsinki. I met them in Skopje, they was of course able to speak english, but most of they journey was through countries people can speak less then in Czech Republic. So, you need to trust yourself
Thanks again DjAvatar... It's not that I didn't trust myself (or us); I tried to convince my partner that we would be perfectly OK even if we took a train or a bus. But he was too nervous, and as visiting the castles was originally my idea, I didn't want to add any stress or make him decide not to go at all. I would be happy to travel through Europe the way you described... Maybe someday we will. But I know that it will be by car...
