The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Austria, Germany, Poland, and Slovakia. History is always close at hand in the Czech Republic, ancient times are combined with the present in several locations, where stunning castles and manor houses dot the landscape together some of Europe´s most iconic medieval towns. The Czech mountains offer a great number of experiences in summer and in winter. Do not forget the Czech spas some of the most popular in the world.
Wolfgang Sauber, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Pudelek (Marcin Szala), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The best moment to visit Czech Republic is from end of April until mid- October. In these months the weather allows to have pleasant walks and good hiking conditions thorough the mountains, rivers, and lakes. Some castles, museums, and other historical sites, especially in small cities are opened during this season. During the summer holidays, the city of Prague is specially crowded. In September is an interesting month to visit Moravia zone, due to the harvest celebration. In winter, some regions offer good snow conditions to practice outdoor activities.
Historical Places: the best time is during spring (early April to mid-June) and fall (September – early November). This is when the crowds are just right, and the weather is consistently pleasant. There is little to no rainfall, and the days are usually long and sunny, providing enough sunlight for you to go sightseeing for a long time.
Hiking and other outdoor activities: months from May to October is the best time to go hiking. The spring season would have covered the pre-seasonal showers allowing visitors to enjoy the pleasant weather until autumn strikes. The average daily temperature from May to August ranges between 20-25℃. Summers here can get rather humid, as there will be some rains and thunderstorms, so make sure you carry an umbrella or a rain jacket wherever you are going. September and October see the onset of autumn and transforms the countryside into an array of fall colours.
Winter activities: winters can get rather cold and chilly. There will be some rain and snowfall as well, so be prepared with thick boots and some rain gear as well. The coldest months are between January and February. This is when to visit Czech Republic if you want to be in the country during the low tourist season, with few people, and good discounts. The best moment is when it comes to ski conditions, generally, early January through early March, is the best time for skiing.
Christmas markets: during the winter season you will be able to enjoy great discounts, except for the Christmas holidays. They start from end of November until end of December.
The Czech koruna or Czech crown is te official currency. Despite being a member of the European Union, the Czech Republic has not adopted the euro yet. Typically, 23 to 26 korunas per Euro and 21 korunas per US Dollar.
Czech. Most often, Czechs have a good command of English, with the second most popular foreign language being German and the third one Russian. French and Italian.
Czech Republic is a member of the European Union and most of its visa policy is tailored accordingly to these regulations. European Union, European Economic Area (Norway, Iceland, Lichtenstein), and Switzerland citizens are eligible for a visa-free entry. They only need a valid travel document or an ID card. If anyone stays in the Czech Republic longer than three months, he or she must notify the relevant authorities of their stay.
The Czech Republic is a party to the Schengen Agreement. This means that U.S. citizens may enter the Czech Republic for up to 90 days for tourist or business purposes without a visa. Your passport should be valid for at least three months beyond the period of stay. You need sufficient funds and a return airline ticket. Passports should be valid for at least six months beyond the arrival date into Schengen, to avoid difficulties entering and traveling within the Schengen zone. You can check if your country needs a Visa or if it is not required with this link.
In the Czech Republic is as easy as finding an ATM. If your card is backed by a major network, it will probably work in the Czech Republic. Visa, Mastercard and Maestro are widely accepted. American Express is less common but still usable. Keep in mind that some stores may have a minimum purchase amount for using a card, so it is always good to have a little bit of cash on hand. Generally, ATMs will allow you to withdraw up to 10,000 koruna per transaction, if your bank does not have a lower limit.
Cafes, restaurants from 10 am to 22pm (close one day a week, normally on Monday, but in some small towns from Monday until on Wednesday), small shops from 9am until 5pm, from Monday to Friday. Shopping malls have an extended timetable, even though Sundays are opened.
Time: GMT +1/ +2 hours.
Prague Ruzyne International Airport (is the busiest airport in the Czech Republic. The airport is located west of the Czech capital, the distance from the airport to the centre of Prague is 16 kilometres. By car, it takes 30 minutes).
Brno-Turany Airport (is a small airport close to the city. The distance from the airport to the centre of Brno is 13 kilometres. By car, it takes 20 minutes).
Tourists will find it easy to get around Czech Republic, the country has an extensive and robust public transport system, with a wide variety of options, including trains, subways, trams buses and taxis. It is not necessary to own car. In fact, owning a car sometime could be an inconvenience in big cities such as Prague, where parking is extremely limited.
By train, Czech Railways is the main railway operator of the Czech Republic. The train is a common form of transportation. Most Czech cities, towns and many villages have train stations. They are interconnected well enough to make train travel a convenient way of getting from one place to another. International train services to the Czech Republic run from most points in Europe, with direct connections from Slovakia, Poland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Hungary. Another private option is: LEO Express, RegioJet, GW Train Regio that operates out of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. They operate on many popular domestic routes, and do not require reservations. Their most popular routes are from Prague-Prerov-Stare Mesto/Ostrava-Bohumin-Kosice and Stare Mesto/Kosice-Bohumin-Ostrava-Prerov-Prague.
There is more information about international trains to and from the Czech Republic and timetables check this website.
By bus, buses are often faster, cheaper, and more convenient than trains, and are especially handy for accessing areas where train services are poor. Regional buses, mostly run by the state bus company, (ČSAD) and go to most places. Private companies like ČEBUS providing an alternative on popular inter-city routes.
The main bus hub in the Czech Republic is Prague; the bus station is called Florenc. There, you can find bus departures to all cities and villages within the country as well as international departures. For more information check this website. After Prague, Brno, is also important as a bus hub. Ticket reservation is also possible and even recommended in busy periods like weekends. Tickets can be purchased at bus stations, on the bus from drivers or stewardesses, at ticket offices of bus companies; tickets from some bus companies can only be purchased online. For more information you can check this website.
In Prague you can use trams, buses, metro, ferries and even cable cars. Timetables, connections, and other important information on Prague transport can be found here. To use public transport in Prague, you must buy a ticket, choosing from one of the following options: The basic fare for adult’s costs CZK 40 (EUR 1.50; USD 1.8). If you are going to stay in Prague for one day, it is convenient to use a one-day ticket for CZK 120 (EUR 4,6; USD 5,5), if you are planning a weekend visit, it pays up to buy a three-day ticket for CZK 330 (EUR 12,7; USD 15). The ticket is always valid from the moment of its marking (the marking machines are in the metro, on the trams and buses). If you fail to use a ticket, you may be imposed a fine of up to CZK 1,500 (EUR 58, USD 68).
Exchanging money on the street or tourist shops.
Being careless with your wallet, especially on crowded trams in Prague.
Use “Euronet” ATM, these are some of the most common ATMs you will see around the city centre. If you are using a foreign card to withdraw cash, you will be charged a much higher rate.
The Czech cuisine is based on potatoes, rice, and cabbage, in addition, pig and beef meat and fishes such as carp or trout. The main Czech dishes are: “Kulajda” (a creamy potato soup with mushrooms, dill, vinegar, and a poached egg on top), “Svickova” (vegetable sauce with cream contains carrots, celery, and parsley root, that it involves a piece of beef pierced with speck and that it is served with bread dumplings), “Kuřecí Kapsa” (is delicious Czech dish of stuffed chicken breasts, grilled with German ham and cheese. Mushroom and parsley are added to the cheesy filling), “Ovocné Knedlíky” (these dumplings are made with either potato or leavened dough, or a mixture of fresh quark cheese and wheat flour. They are filled with fruit, usually plum or strawberry, and served hot with butter or, occasionally, with curd cheese. Sometimes you can find them with cinnamon and sugar, or a vanilla cream sauce).
Do not forget to try some beers, it is the most famous beverage in Czech Republic.
Czech’s electrical current is 220- 230V, and the frequency is the 50Hz. Plugs have two round pins, which fit most European two-pin plugs.
The Czech medical system consists of a good infrastructure of public and private hospitals. The healthcare standards in the Czech Republic are on par with most European countries. EU and European Economic Area citizens also have access to free medical care through their EHIC. The EHIC card is free for those who qualify for the conditions. EHIC cardholders can avail free or subsidized treatment, and those who must pay for it can get the amount reimbursed in their home or host country later. However, your EHIC card will not cover medical care in a private hospital or non-medical expenses. This is why it is generally recommended to purchase travel insurance prior to visiting the country, which will cover more complex medical procedures.
Tipping in Czech restaurants, cafés, bars is common practice. Here, waiters/waitresses get a fixed salary, and tips are highly appreciated. If you were satisfied, it is polite to leave 10 %.
Classical music and opera: Prague exhibit a world-class music scene, with concerts, operas, and ballets performed throughout the year. Classical music has a high reputation here and the tickets are not much expensive. You can book via phone or internet. If you visit the country during summer, it is important to book in advance. For more information visit this website.
The validity of older types of banknotes with a thin silver strip in the nominal value of CZK 100, 200, 500, 1,000 and 2,000 ends on 30 June 2022. The banknotes will no longer be accepted starting on 1 July 2022. Invalid banknotes can be exchanged at the cash desks in banks and in the Czech National Bank.