Czech countryside trip early November
Aug 20th, 2003, 04:04 AM
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Czech countryside trip early November
We are thinking about going to Czech Republic in late October or early November. Our plans are to spend 2 or 3 days in Prague then rent a car and explore the countryside and smaller towns. I need suggestions for favorite areas and small towns, and places to stay. We prefer B&B's or interesting, quaint guesthouses. Restaurant, food suggestions needed too. Thanks.
Aug 20th, 2003, 10:52 AM
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Arlene: We arranged to pick up our car through AutoEurope (autoeurope.com)in downtown Prague after our stay in that great city. Easier than having to go back to the airport and you avoid the airport tax. AutoEurope is very competative and great on service.
Do a "find" in the search window above on "autoeurope", "Czech Republic", "Prague", etc., for more information. There have been some good posts (my own included) on the Czech Countryside and the above. Good luck.
Do a "find" in the search window above on "autoeurope", "Czech Republic", "Prague", etc., for more information. There have been some good posts (my own included) on the Czech Countryside and the above. Good luck.
Aug 20th, 2003, 10:55 AM
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Arlene: I'm doing a similar trip in early October. TA booked us a car through AutoEurope which gets good marks on this board.
Also, we are picking the car up at the airport after our five days in Prague and dropping it off at the airport in Budapest before our stay there. This seemed easier than trying to negotiate through two unfamiliar cities and we probably won't need a car in either place.
Have a great trip!
Also, we are picking the car up at the airport after our five days in Prague and dropping it off at the airport in Budapest before our stay there. This seemed easier than trying to negotiate through two unfamiliar cities and we probably won't need a car in either place.
Have a great trip!
Aug 20th, 2003, 12:11 PM
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Arlene, negotiating Prague is easy. I showed my voucher to the hotel staff and they told me the single bus I had to take to get to the rental agency. I believe it was Avis in Prague (AutoEurope contracts with major rental agencies for the lowest price). Left my wife to finish packing, got the car, drove back to the hotel, loaded our luggage and we were off. By the way, I do this in every arrival city and never have had a problem (been doing it for many years). No lugging the luggage back to the airport and no airport tax. Will do it in Warsaw in September. Again, good luck.
Aug 20th, 2003, 02:10 PM
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Thanks for the info. We've used AutoEurope in other countries, but this is our first time in this area, so I didn't know if it was still the best. Sounds like its worth checking for sure.
qualalalisa- where all are you going?
Still looking for suggestions from all. What was the best guidebook for countryside locations?
qualalalisa- where all are you going?
Still looking for suggestions from all. What was the best guidebook for countryside locations?
Aug 20th, 2003, 05:52 PM
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A couple of thoughts re countryside in early November:
It will be chilly and gets dark early so plan accordingly.
Get a phrase book. English is certainly less common outside Prague. I did a rural train/bus trip a couple of years ago and without the phrase book it would have been much more difficult. Since I couldn't pronounce "squat", I found that writing my questions down [from the phrase book] proved pretty efficient.
As to where to go: A favorite was Ceske Budolivice. Nothing special, just a bunch of friendly people. An example of how the lack of Czech can be interesting. Going CB by train. About halfway the train stopped and there was an announcement in Cz. The other 4 in my compartment got off, but realizing I wasn't in CB, I stayed put. Finally one of my Cz Compartment mates came back, motioned and I got off. Seems that they were working on the track, the train could not go forward. We had to get off the train, board a bus for ten miles and then reboard a second train train for final leg to CB. Absent that stranger"s kindness, I would have sat in my compartment and promptly returned directly back to Prague!
Took the bus over to Ceske Krumlov which is special. Also went over to the Brno area which I think was a better feel for local life.
It will be chilly and gets dark early so plan accordingly.
Get a phrase book. English is certainly less common outside Prague. I did a rural train/bus trip a couple of years ago and without the phrase book it would have been much more difficult. Since I couldn't pronounce "squat", I found that writing my questions down [from the phrase book] proved pretty efficient.
As to where to go: A favorite was Ceske Budolivice. Nothing special, just a bunch of friendly people. An example of how the lack of Czech can be interesting. Going CB by train. About halfway the train stopped and there was an announcement in Cz. The other 4 in my compartment got off, but realizing I wasn't in CB, I stayed put. Finally one of my Cz Compartment mates came back, motioned and I got off. Seems that they were working on the track, the train could not go forward. We had to get off the train, board a bus for ten miles and then reboard a second train train for final leg to CB. Absent that stranger"s kindness, I would have sat in my compartment and promptly returned directly back to Prague!
Took the bus over to Ceske Krumlov which is special. Also went over to the Brno area which I think was a better feel for local life.
Aug 21st, 2003, 08:39 PM
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Arlene: On a tip from the incomparable Ben Haines, who has helped a lot of Fodorites, was are going to the town of Levoca in eastern Slovakia and have booked the Hotel Arkada.
Ben suggested this after I gave him specifics on what DH and I enjoy - such as scenery, history, architecture and sports-related activities - and don't enjoy - shopping or spending a lot of time in galleries and art museums.
We will be in Prague for five days at the Four Seasons (also recommended by Fodorites) and will probably take at least one day trip from there before we leave for Slovakia. How about you? Why the Czech Republic?
Ben suggested this after I gave him specifics on what DH and I enjoy - such as scenery, history, architecture and sports-related activities - and don't enjoy - shopping or spending a lot of time in galleries and art museums.
We will be in Prague for five days at the Four Seasons (also recommended by Fodorites) and will probably take at least one day trip from there before we leave for Slovakia. How about you? Why the Czech Republic?
Aug 21st, 2003, 10:22 PM
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Arlene: If your options are "2 or 3 days" in Prague, take the three days. There is plenty to see and do for three days.
You don't indicate how much total time you have, so it is difficult to offer an itinerary. But, a good loop would take you to the towns/villages of Kutna Hora for St., Barbaras Cathedral (exquisite) and the Bone Church (bazar, but interesting), Telc for the square lined with pastel, false-front buildings, the Chateau and some beautiful 15th century paintings in the small church, I believe St. James; Trebon, which is a walled village with a beautiful square, a palace, not touristy, so you see how Czechs live, shop, worship, etc., and the 1379 Regent Brewery; Cesky Krumlov which may be the most beautiful medival village in the world. Go to the top of this page and insert "cesky krumlov" in the search window and hit find to see all the praises written about this wonderful place.
The places we stayed were ordinary; nice, but ordinary. The exception was the Hotel Ruze, a Renaissance Seminary. The rooms are large and nicely decorated, but ordinary. But, at the top there is a huge room of stone lots of dark wood and medieval furniture which is spectacular. It is very angular and has the feel of being in a castle. Even the toilet is encased in heavily carved wood, yes, like a throne. Sounds Disneyish, but the effect is pretty spectacular. The view across the river , over looking the village and up at the castle which is lit at night is, again, spectacular. Don't miss this village.
If you have time you could add Ceske Budejovice which is a fortress village and the home of Budweiser Brewery, a fine Czech Beer. This is between Trebon and Cesky Krumlov.
W are wine drinkers, but I have to say that the Czech Republic has some of the finest beer in the World.
Re the false front buildings at Telc, seems a local noble refurbished the palace in the 1500s and when it was done, he didn't think the town measured up to his beautiful palace. So he brought in craftsman and had the whole town refaced. Have a great trip.
You don't indicate how much total time you have, so it is difficult to offer an itinerary. But, a good loop would take you to the towns/villages of Kutna Hora for St., Barbaras Cathedral (exquisite) and the Bone Church (bazar, but interesting), Telc for the square lined with pastel, false-front buildings, the Chateau and some beautiful 15th century paintings in the small church, I believe St. James; Trebon, which is a walled village with a beautiful square, a palace, not touristy, so you see how Czechs live, shop, worship, etc., and the 1379 Regent Brewery; Cesky Krumlov which may be the most beautiful medival village in the world. Go to the top of this page and insert "cesky krumlov" in the search window and hit find to see all the praises written about this wonderful place.
The places we stayed were ordinary; nice, but ordinary. The exception was the Hotel Ruze, a Renaissance Seminary. The rooms are large and nicely decorated, but ordinary. But, at the top there is a huge room of stone lots of dark wood and medieval furniture which is spectacular. It is very angular and has the feel of being in a castle. Even the toilet is encased in heavily carved wood, yes, like a throne. Sounds Disneyish, but the effect is pretty spectacular. The view across the river , over looking the village and up at the castle which is lit at night is, again, spectacular. Don't miss this village.
If you have time you could add Ceske Budejovice which is a fortress village and the home of Budweiser Brewery, a fine Czech Beer. This is between Trebon and Cesky Krumlov.
W are wine drinkers, but I have to say that the Czech Republic has some of the finest beer in the World.
Re the false front buildings at Telc, seems a local noble refurbished the palace in the 1500s and when it was done, he didn't think the town measured up to his beautiful palace. So he brought in craftsman and had the whole town refaced. Have a great trip.
Aug 22nd, 2003, 05:37 AM
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Arlene,
We were there in late November and the weather was quite similar to the Pennsylvania weather we're used to. Not downright cold, but chilly enough to need our winter coats. As I remember, in the 40s during the day and the 30s at night.
We were there in late November and the weather was quite similar to the Pennsylvania weather we're used to. Not downright cold, but chilly enough to need our winter coats. As I remember, in the 40s during the day and the 30s at night.
Aug 22nd, 2003, 06:11 PM
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Hi, Arlene!
Great place to go - the Czech Republic!
My wife and I drove there from Paris earlier this summer.
Since we came in from the west, we stopped at Karlstejn Castle, one of the largest fortress castles in Europe.
In Prague, would suggest that you leave the car parked and use public transportation. The metro in Prague is very clean and very efficient. Much better than trying to negotiate unfamiliar streets in a car. On the way in, we got lost and drove in the wrong direction for a bit. Any European city is difficult to negotiate without a good, detailed map.
Kutna Hora is less than two hours to the east of Prague. The St. Barbara Church is quite spectacular. You can either stay in Kutna Hora overnight or do it as a day trip from Prague. There are a number of other churches, monuments etc. in Kutna Hora, but it's certainly doable in one day.
We then drove south and visited Zhikov Castle, a Gothic castle built in the 13th century and where the royal "treasures" were stored until their removal to the above-mentioned Karlstejn Castle.
We also stopped briefly at Hluboka Castle, built in imitation of Windsor Castle. We did not take the tour there.
We also stopped very briefly in Cesky "Bud", but the large square did not do much for me. Nor did the BOTTLE of local Budweiser beer. So, we hurried on to Cesky Krumlov - which is the gem that people have described.
From the Czech Republic, we drove on to Hungary - but that's another story.
I loved the Pilzener Urquell beer from tap! And I am not usually a beer drinker.
Have fun! What a marvellous trip you will have!
Great place to go - the Czech Republic!
My wife and I drove there from Paris earlier this summer.
Since we came in from the west, we stopped at Karlstejn Castle, one of the largest fortress castles in Europe.
In Prague, would suggest that you leave the car parked and use public transportation. The metro in Prague is very clean and very efficient. Much better than trying to negotiate unfamiliar streets in a car. On the way in, we got lost and drove in the wrong direction for a bit. Any European city is difficult to negotiate without a good, detailed map.
Kutna Hora is less than two hours to the east of Prague. The St. Barbara Church is quite spectacular. You can either stay in Kutna Hora overnight or do it as a day trip from Prague. There are a number of other churches, monuments etc. in Kutna Hora, but it's certainly doable in one day.
We then drove south and visited Zhikov Castle, a Gothic castle built in the 13th century and where the royal "treasures" were stored until their removal to the above-mentioned Karlstejn Castle.
We also stopped briefly at Hluboka Castle, built in imitation of Windsor Castle. We did not take the tour there.
We also stopped very briefly in Cesky "Bud", but the large square did not do much for me. Nor did the BOTTLE of local Budweiser beer. So, we hurried on to Cesky Krumlov - which is the gem that people have described.
From the Czech Republic, we drove on to Hungary - but that's another story.
I loved the Pilzener Urquell beer from tap! And I am not usually a beer drinker.
Have fun! What a marvellous trip you will have!
Aug 27th, 2003, 04:33 AM
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Any other suggestions? We will have about a week (after Prague)to explore the Czech countryside and Slovakia. Perhaps a side trip to Poland just to say we've been there. Looking for quaint, interesting towns, pensions and restaurant recommendations. We were planning 3 days in Prague. Should we do this at the beginning or end of our trip?
Sep 5th, 2003, 04:31 AM
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I posted a report here after our trip to the Czech Republic, probably under my previous screen name of JmVikmanis. It details our time in Prague and the countryside including Czesky Krumlov and day trips from there to surrounding, delightful small towns. Also went to spa country of Marienbad and Karlovy Vary. We loved it though I'd expect it could be a bit drearier in November than we found it in March. Hope you enjoy it.
Sep 5th, 2003, 04:35 AM
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We lived in Bratislava, Slovakia for a year and traveled quite a bit in the area. Bratislava, itself, is probably worth 1-2 days. Levoca is very nice, but it is quite a distance from Bratislava (and anywhere in the Czech Republic) -- probably about 4-5 hours by train. I don't know how far by car since we didn't drive. The High Tatras (not far from Levoca and a little closer than Levoca) are lovely if you like mountainous areas.
There are other interesting Slovakian towns, but not quite on the scale of Kutna Hora and Cesky Krumlov in Czech. These would include Trnava, Trencin, Zilina, Banska Bystrice(sp?), Banska Stavnice, Cicmanny, etc. There is a Lonely Planet guide to the Czech and Slovak Republics which would give you details on all these places.
Personally I wouldn't add Poland to a ten day trip. However, if you're driving and you go to Levoca, you could probably cross into Poland in the High Tatras and visit Zakopane, which is in the same mountains on the Polish side of the border and, I think, is a little more developed as a mountain resort area, than are the Slovak mountain towns. I haven't been to Zakopane myself, but I get this impression from other people.
You could also start in Prague and end in Prague. Maybe 3 days at the beginning and one day (or overnight) at the end. It is fun to come back to a place that you have already learned a little bit! Also, if you find 3 days is not enough, you could adjust the rest of your trip to add another day in Prague at the end.
I love these two small countries and I hope you will too.
There are other interesting Slovakian towns, but not quite on the scale of Kutna Hora and Cesky Krumlov in Czech. These would include Trnava, Trencin, Zilina, Banska Bystrice(sp?), Banska Stavnice, Cicmanny, etc. There is a Lonely Planet guide to the Czech and Slovak Republics which would give you details on all these places.
Personally I wouldn't add Poland to a ten day trip. However, if you're driving and you go to Levoca, you could probably cross into Poland in the High Tatras and visit Zakopane, which is in the same mountains on the Polish side of the border and, I think, is a little more developed as a mountain resort area, than are the Slovak mountain towns. I haven't been to Zakopane myself, but I get this impression from other people.
You could also start in Prague and end in Prague. Maybe 3 days at the beginning and one day (or overnight) at the end. It is fun to come back to a place that you have already learned a little bit! Also, if you find 3 days is not enough, you could adjust the rest of your trip to add another day in Prague at the end.
I love these two small countries and I hope you will too.
Sep 6th, 2003, 12:00 PM
#18
I highly recommend Buchlov Park, just west of Buchlovice, which is in southern Moravia (CZ). Upscale accomodations (B & B) at an affordable price. Even has a pool, horseback available. Great food. One could easily take day trips to Valtice, Straznice, Roznov pod Rohostom (sp?). Plus you'd be going at or just after grape harvest/wine fests.
Also, in Tabor, another similar find, Pension Cerny Leknin. 5 min walk from city center. Wonderful accomodations.
If you go to Telc, enjoy the town square, but don't miss the chateau. It's apparently never been "restored", so it looks like a extremely well preserved 500 year old facility, which it is.
Beautiful cathedral at Kladruby, just off the motorway from Prague to Regensburg direction, about 50 miles out. It's in the middle of nowhere, but well worth the visit.
Don't miss Cesky Krumlov. Plenty of pensions. We enjoyed Pension Suzanne.
It's worth the effort to learn a few basics of food: CZ words for chicken, beef, pork, cheese, etc.
CZ drivers are better than Slovak drivers, who seem not to know what double yellow lines indicate.
Sounds like you're planning the same style trip we took. We enjoyed researching our trips last year and this on the web--lots of sites.Would be happy to pass on those I bookmarked/favorited if I knew how, and if you were interested in doing that
Also, in Tabor, another similar find, Pension Cerny Leknin. 5 min walk from city center. Wonderful accomodations.
If you go to Telc, enjoy the town square, but don't miss the chateau. It's apparently never been "restored", so it looks like a extremely well preserved 500 year old facility, which it is.
Beautiful cathedral at Kladruby, just off the motorway from Prague to Regensburg direction, about 50 miles out. It's in the middle of nowhere, but well worth the visit.
Don't miss Cesky Krumlov. Plenty of pensions. We enjoyed Pension Suzanne.
It's worth the effort to learn a few basics of food: CZ words for chicken, beef, pork, cheese, etc.
CZ drivers are better than Slovak drivers, who seem not to know what double yellow lines indicate.
Sounds like you're planning the same style trip we took. We enjoyed researching our trips last year and this on the web--lots of sites.Would be happy to pass on those I bookmarked/favorited if I knew how, and if you were interested in doing that
Sep 8th, 2003, 05:41 PM
#20
Sure. We didn't go there, but the CZ northwest looked interesting. An area referred to as the "Czech Switzerland", just east of the "Saxon Switzerland" SE of Dresden. Moravia was quite nice. Slovakia has some catching up to do, in the area of tourism awareness.
When in CZ, have a Krusovice beer, even if you otherwise don't like beer. Unexcelled!
Want more?
When in CZ, have a Krusovice beer, even if you otherwise don't like beer. Unexcelled!
Want more?
