EandM

My husband and I are traveling to the Czech Republic and Austria for two weeks. We are either leaving August 23rd returning September 7th, or we could push the whole trip back a week if you thought traveling would be better then. We were thinking of flying into Prague and out of Vienna, or vise-a-verse. Does anyone have recommendations were to begin or end the trip to make the most efficient use of time?

In the Czech Republic, town we are considering in addition to Prague are Kutna Hora, Konopiste, Cesky Krumlov, Terezin, Melnik, Telc, Olomouc, and Brno.

We don't have as good of an idea of what is a must see in Austria. We like history and natural beauty, but due to physical limitations can't do hard core hikes.

I'm somewhat at a loss how to best plan out this trip, so any help would be appreciated. The minimum we would want to spend at any one hotel is 2 nights, but at least three would be ideal. Also, we were wondering if we can get away with just taking trains and the occasional bus in these areas or do we need to consider renting a car.

Thanks in advance!

Andrew

I took buses from Olomouc to Brno Airport, rented a car there, and spent one night in Trebon and three nights in Cesky Krumlov (to use that as a base to drive around and see Southern Bohemia, then dropped the car in Prague. I made stops in Telc and Kutna Hora. You can read my trip report by clicking on my name.

You could do most of this by bus or train instead of driving. I'd plot it out and see how practical you think it is, using this website:

http://jizdnirady.idnes.cz/vlakyautobusy/spojeni/?lng=E

If you rent a car, you would probably want to pick up and return in the same country to avoid a big drop-off charge. But a one-way rental would work (as it did for me) if you rent for a minimum number of days. You'd probably want to train from Brno to Vienna - check the schedule. Olomouc might be a backtrack.

EandM

Thanks that website is awesome!

Could still use more thoughts on the overall itinerary, but here are two more narrow questions I could also use help with.

What are good direct train options to move between Czech Republic and Austria, besides the Prague to Vienna route? Using the website above I'm finding routes that have 4 connections, but if anyone knows of direct routes from Czech Republic to Austria that would be great.

Also any more thoughts on what order to visit places?

Thanks!

Andrew

The other website I use for train schedules in general in Europe is this one:

http://www.bahn.com/i/view/USA/en/index.shtml

Even though it's a German site, it has schedules for other countries. I think for example it will show several daily direct trains between Prague and Vienna. However, Brno is closer to Vienna (look on a Google map), and I think it makes more sense to train from there if you're headed to Vienna next.

I did drive to Kutna Hora by car, but it wasn't quite as easy of a drive as I'd imagined. I hear it's easy to do Kutna Hora as a day trip from Prague by train instead. So - you could do this:

Prague
Cesky Krumlov (2 nights)
Telc (stop-over)
Brno (2 nights)
day trip to Olomouc
Train to Vienna

(I didn't actually spend time in Brno so I can't recommend it - but you expressed interest in it.)

You could do the above by bus but I'm not sure about the bus connections between Cesky Krumlov and Telc and Telc to Brno. I'd probably spend a night in Telc if doing it by bus, but you said you didn't want short stays.

Another possibility is to train from Prague to Brno and head back toward Cesky Krumlov, then shuttle from there to, say, Salzburg (there are private companies that run shuttles) and work your way back to Vienna. You could stop in Linz, Austria too (close to Cesky Krumlov) though I didn't visit. There are also the small towns like Hallstatt that people rave about, but I'm not sure how you would navigate that. I'm not sure what you're interested in in Austria.

Pavla

Hello from CR.
Several recommendation: if it is not necessary, do not go by the car from Prague to Brno - the motorway is in reconstruction this year, it is very frustrating.

The best way from Prague to Wiena is through Brno. Prague - Brno by train: look at: www.idos.cz

The best way from Brno to Wiena is by bus Student agency (200 CZK, 2 hours): look at www.studentagency.cz.

I would go to Prague, if you would like to visit other places - Kutna Hora is interesting place. Cesky Krumlovby train is veeery long way (I would not go by train), but again you can try Student agency bus.

I would recomend also city Pisek - 1/3 way from Prague to Cesky Krumlov. (First stop Student agency bus from Prague). Beautiful city on the river with the oldest stony bridge in the central Europe. Quiet, calmig, interesting, nice regional muzeum and cheap hotels.

The travel form Cesky Krumlov to Brno is very hard: it is across "hills" and the connections by train and bus are not friendly. (The beautiful city Telc is in the middle of these "hills"... you really need a car to this visit.) If you really would like to go to cesky krumlov, you can get to Ausria form there easy way through the city Ceske Budejovice by Student agency bus again (btw. nice regional city where is the beer Budweiser Budvar Beer brewery) and than by train from the city Ceske Budejovice to Linz in Austira or to Wiena.

Michael_Prague

"In the Czech Republic, town we are considering in addition to Prague are Kutna Hora, Konopiste, Cesky Krumlov, Terezin, Melnik, Telc, Olomouc, and Brno.."

Hi. I am not a tourist here, merely an American who has lived here for over ten years.

Perhaps you have family connections/history to places like Brno and Olomouc and Melnik? Otherwise, I would not spend rare time and travel to get to these places. In the Czech Republic the Communists really made their mark and it still is highly visible in many ways in many places. I actually buy my French wine from a small business that happens to be located in Oloumoc but otherwise I would never go there.

Cesky Krumlov is yes historically beautiful but absolutely overwhelmed with tourists. But most tourists like be surrounded by other tourists.. I don't, myself.

Konopiste is just south of Prague off the D1 highway, close and I am sure easy to get to even without a car.

I am sure I could give you much more specific advice if I knew more about you adn what you really would enjoy doing, also in Austria. I am there several times a year.

happy travelling