Day Trips from Prague

Discussion in 'Travel Tips & Advice' started by n4nature, Apr 1, 2009.

  1. n4nature

    n4nature Member

    HI,

    I'm reaching Prague on May 29th at 1PM from New York and my return flight is at 6AM on June 3rd ( Wednesday).

    I've an idea of what to explore in Prague. Also I'd like to visit couple of small towns either via bus or train to get to know local culture.

    Couple of things that come to mind are Plzen, Cesky Krumlov and Olomouc.

    Given my itenerary (above), what is the best option?

    Hoping to get some helpful feedback.

    Thanks,
    n4nature
     
  2. woyzeck

    woyzeck Active Member

    Hi

    I can suggest also Telc and Trebc .

    woyzeck
     
  3. Petronela

    Petronela Well-Known Member

    I guess it depends on what you are “in to”, but in my book Konopiste is definitely a must see place. Back in the day it was today’s version of “man-cave” of archduke Franz Ferdinand and he was in to historic weapons, his collection is really impressive.
    And for an insane “wow” factor I would say Kostnice. I am yet to see someone’s jaw not drop when they see the place. :eek:
    Have a wonderful trip :)
     
  4. Torgut

    Torgut Active Member

    "To get to know local culture" will hardly be satisfied with any of the ideas exposed here, in my humble opinion. Refering to some of the bigger towns in the country, like Plzen and Olomouc" as small towns... hummm.
    Telc is good, but a long ride from Prague. Easier to get to a nearby village.
     
  5. GlennInFlorida

    GlennInFlorida Well-Known Member

    well, it's all relative:

    Plzen population 2006 = 163,362
    Baltimore Metropolitan Area = 2.6 Million
    Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area = 8.1 Million

    BTW - have been to Plzen and it was a great trip, really enjoyed the City :)
     
  6. Torgut

    Torgut Active Member

    Precisely because it's relative, it's wrongly put. Or shall we say Baltimore is a small town? Shall I bring the numbers from Mexico City? No, it's not, right?
     
  7. GlennInFlorida

    GlennInFlorida Well-Known Member

    well, we could get in to "order of magnitude" discussions - e.g. Baltimore-Washington is about 45 times the size of Plzen and Mexico City (2008 population of about 22 million) is less than three times the size of Baltimore-Washington but, who cares? :wink:

    Plzen and Olomouc are wonderful places to visit and , I imagine, great places to live,too. :)
     
  8. jrjaks

    jrjaks Member

    Your are going to be busy! You could spend that much time easily just in Prague and see only a thumbnail version. We took the train to Krivoklat and enjoyed it immensely. The tracks follow the Berounka River for much of the trip, with lots of pretty scenery and families enjoying the day along the river.
     
  9. Torgut

    Torgut Active Member

    Oh yes, I know that trail quite well... if they need help to find it, I can provide detailed instructions. It's about 6 km. Marvellous.
     
  10. Dana

    Dana Well-Known Member

    You only have four full days and that's not much for seeing enough of Prague and visiting two other towns. You'll need at least one day for each of those towns, which leaves you only two days for Prague. If I were you, I'd spend three days in Prague and take one trip out of Prague.

    Český Krumlov is beautiful but in my opinion, it is not a place to pop down to for a day trip. Many people do it but I don't think these quick "run-throughs" do the town justice. I've been there several times, usually spent two nights, and still felt like I could stay longer. The quiet evenings and the walks along the deserted streets at night after the day tours are gone are unforgettable. :) Also keep in mind that the trip itself will take some five hours.

    Olomouc is an option but the round trip will again take a good five hours. It is a busier city and doesn't have the magical atmosphere of Krumlov, but the historical center (focused mainly around two town squares and the St. Wenceslas Cathedral) is beautiful and can be covered in a day.

    I haven't been to Plzeň but I hear from others that it is worth visiting. It is pretty quick to get to from Prague (max. 1 hour 40 min. direct trip).

    My recommendation would be to stay close to Prague and choose a place that you can reach in around an hour. A popular day trip destination is the medieval silvermining town of Kutná Hora. It will give you a good idea of what small, charming Czech towns are like. There's enough to do for a day (Cathedral of Saint Barbora, the former royal mint, and even the Kostnice - Ossuary that was mentioned above), and the town itself is very pretty.

    Just so you know, both Český Krumlov and Kutná Hora are very much focused on tourism and are not the best places for getting to know the local culture. You'll probably hear lots of English, German, Italian, Russian, Japanese... A better bet for a "local atmosphere" would be Olomouc, which is much less touristy and where the majority of people you run into are local residents and students.
     
  11. rsalc1

    rsalc1 Well-Known Member

    I agree with a day trip to Krivoklat and Karlstejn (I just did that last month, a friend of mine drove me there). It's quite a nice drive along the Berounka and you get to see two wonderful castles and beautiful scenery.

    If you are into bicycling, you can join lots of cyclists there, but I must warn you: lots of steep hills, so you must be in great shape!

    Rene z Floridy
     
  12. Zik

    Zik Well-Known Member

    Follow Dana. There are many, many beutiful places in the Czech Republic, but three days are just not enough to explore them. Have enough time to explore Prague and take one trip to some near town, for example Kutná Hora, it's a great choice.
     

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