We are currently planning a 5-6 day trip to the Czech Republic (adding it on to 5-6 days in Munich/Salzburg.) Thinking of 2-3 days in Prague and then a day trip to Cesky Krumlov, Karlovy Vary and maybe Olomouc each. Does this seem reasonable to the forum, or should we swap out Olomouc for some other day trip? Or please advise if there are other locales we should definitely include? Any and all help/comments are greatly appreciated!! Thank you.

Olomouc is charming; we spent the better part of a day on our return from Ostrava to Vienna, so a day trip could be worth it. Ditto for Cesky Krumlov; our first visit was on a dreary day and the town was still beautiful. I personally would skip Karlovy Vary (not all that into spas) and take the train to Dresden (more into culture) for the day.

Prague is at least 3 nights for a first time. You will be blown away by it.

Look into Dresden. It has a beautifully restored old town and amazing palace and musuem.

Will you be driving or taking trains? If taking the train, you're looking at around 2-3 hours traveling one-way. 4-6 hours round trip cuts into your day a bunch. I'd probably choose Cesky Krumlov or maybe Plzn for a day trip and spend more time in Prague. You can do a whole day at just Petrin Hill, the castle complex and St. Vitus's Cathedral.

Thanks Folks for the responses. We are planning to use trains and/or buses and will take the travel times into account. One other question - I had heard that the use of cash is more prevalent in Czech vs credit cards, unlike the rest of Europe. Has anyone experienced this? Thank you!

It's good to have some cash on hand for small purchases such as a coffee or a beer. However, MC and Visa are widely accepted for other purchases. We always use bank ATMs to get cash. Less chance of skimmers and the exchange rate is better than the currency exchange shops you'll see everywhere. Our debit card reimburses any bank fees. You may already know this, but if given a choice when using a card, pay in the local currency and never use "dynamic conversion."

There's not much that can prepare you for the beauty of Prague. I spent three nights there, and was desperate for a fourth, but needed to be somewhere else.

My next favorite place in Czechia was visiting the Macocha Abyss.

Thanks! We always travel with some local currency cash (exchanged here in the states before hand). Just wanted to get a feel for how much more might be needed.

We lived in Vienna, Austria for many years and traveled around for weekend outings, etc. I would recommend having cash on hand for restaurants and so forth.

Don't bother exchanging cash before you go; there are Bankomats (ATM) everywhere.

You could really use more time in Prague. Although I enjoyed Karlovy Vary, with your limited time, I would add that time to Prague. If you do a day trip from Prague to Cesky Krumlov, bus is better than train.
I definitely ran into a few times when cash was necessary, including taxis (this was late September of 2023).

Thanks all for your feedback. Much appreciated!!!

I've been there several times but not in at least 5 years probably. I don't remember any particular issues with credit cards vs. cash, I know I used credit cards some, of course. As usual, you have to use a real bank ATM for money, although I think in Prague they now allow even bank ATMs to charge you some percentage fee, I don't remember. They have to warn you/ask you but if you need cash, not much choice. It wasn't a huge percentage. I presume you know about DCC, and I'm not talking about that. There are some exchange bureaux around the Old Town square that aren't really too terribly bad, if you know what to look for and what to avoid, if necessary. But given I used CCs a lot, that wasn't a major source of funding for me, anyway. I don't ever use taxis, and booked a private car through my hotel for arrival from airport, which was a pretty good rate, actually. So that was just on my hotel bill.

I really liked Olomouc myself. I have no interest in spa towns myself.I did one day trip on a small group van that was excellent to some heritage sites south. It made it convenient for travel and we could get to some things that aren't so easy by train. They don't have the tour any more I took, though. But most people want to go to Kutna Hora. I don't get the fascination with bone churches myself, but the town itself was worth seeing. I did do that by Prague Sightseeing Tours but you can take the train. Those small group tours are very reasonable in cost. This is one I took
https://www.pstours.cz/en/trips-outs...a-hora-ossuary

I visted Tabor also, which I really enjoyed. It has a Jan Hus museum. I went by train for a day trip. https://www.visittabor.eu/the-hussite-museum

I'm not a big fan of Dresden, actually, but since you are in the CR, I think there is plenty to see there.

Thanks Christina for your comments!

If you spend 2-3 days in Prague, plan to take a walk outside the main historical centre. It is undoubtedly beautiful and is Prague's main asset. But try exploring areas such as Žižkov or Vinohrady to get a feel for local life, see different architectural styles and find excellent local eateries. Sometimes the best ‘cultural experience’ can be found simply by getting lost in the less-travelled streets.

Of course, try the local draught beer. The most famous ones are Krusovice and Staropramen. But there are others worth trying. I emphasise, try the draught beer. In the tourist part of Prague, there are many kiosks where they prepare grilled sausages. This is an excellent combination with beer.

Thank you for your input. I have read a little about the Czech Pilsner so beer is definitely on the itinerary. Will also look at Zizkov and Vinohrady as well.

It is convenient to travel around Prague by metro. This is very helpful for getting around different areas of the city.