The bulk of tourists who came to the Czech Republic, first of all gets acquainted with its capital city of Prague, and then goes to other, equally interesting Czech cities. Far from the last place in the list of must-see attractions is the world-famous health resort of Karlovy Vary – it enjoys well-deserved popularity among travelers. The question immediately arises: in the direction “Prague – Karlovy Vary” how to get the most convenient and profitable?
In Prague, one-day tours to the famous spa town are offered everywhere for 1200-1700 kroons per person. But what can you see in a day? Yes, and have to go “attached” to the group! To make the tour rich and interesting, it is advisable to visit this resort on your own, and for several days. In addition, there are usually no problems with how to get from Prague to Karlovy Vary on your own: transport links in this direction are excellent.
Important! If you often have to use transport in the Czech Republic, you need to have crowns. Although it is possible to buy tickets on public transport for euros, taxi drivers accept Czech currency only for fare.
So, read on how you can get from Prague to Karlovy Vary on your own, how long it will take, and how much it will cost.
How long does the road take
How long it takes for the road from Prague to the famous resort will depend on the chosen mode of transport.
A highway of 130 km was laid between the Czech capital and Karlovy Vary – this makes it possible to travel this distance between cities by bus in 2 hours 30 minutes, and it takes only 1 hour 45 minutes to go to the resort from the airport. Even faster, in 1 hour 30 minutes, you can ride a taxi, or you can rent a car and get there on your own.
The Prague-Karlovy Vary trains run on a 230 km long circular path. Along with the increase in distance, the time that needs to be spent to overcome it also increases: the journey by train takes almost 3.5 hours.
Important! The direction in question is quite popular, especially in the warm season. It is better to book seats in buses and trains well in advance, since it is far from always possible to purchase tickets at the box office “day to day”. The same applies to the return trip.
In addition to the official sites of the metropolitan bus station Florenc and Czech Railways, you can use the service https://www.omio.com/. There you can not only order tickets on trains and buses on your own, but also choose the best option for travel (there is a Russian-language version).
How to get there by bus
Buses depart for Karlovy Vary from the airport and from bus stations in Prague.
Buses of all transport companies are equipped with electrical outlets and air conditioning, there are toilets, Wi-Fi is provided to passengers, and soft and hot drinks are offered.
Prague Airport is located at a distance of 17 km from the center of the capital. Buses to Karlovy Vary from Prague Airport depart from the stop located near Terminal 1.
This direction is located in the office of the student agency Student Agency (RagioJet), whose buses are easy to recognize: they are bright yellow.
Departure takes place with an interval of 1 hour, from 07:00 to 22:00.
The price of tickets ranges from 160 to 310 kroons (they charge a fee for booking). They are sold at the box office at Terminal 1 and directly at the driver. You can book your seats in advance on the Student Agency website www.studentagency.cz.
The same site contains detailed information on the flight schedule and any changes in it, as well as on current promotions.
Most of the buses Prague-Karlovy Vary depart from the platforms of the main bus station of the capital Florenc.
Departure takes place every 30 minutes from 10:00 to 21:30. Not all buses go only to the resort, there are also those that transit and then continue to other Czech settlements. Some buses, such as Student Agency, drop in at the airport and pick up passengers there.
Ticket prices start from 160 CZK. You can buy them at the ticket office of the bus station or book them in advance.
On the website of the central bus station in Prague www.florenc.cz you can find comprehensive information about carriers, any amendments to the schedule of buses “Prague – Karlovy Vary”, as well as about different ways of booking a trip.
Bus stops in Karlovy Vary
At the resort, buses stop at two stops: Trznice and Dolni Nadrazi.
Trznice is located next to Albert Supermarket, at Market Square. This place is the intersection of many city bus routes. From this stop it is convenient to get to anywhere in the resort, and the center can be reached on foot in just 15 minutes.
Dolni Nadrazi is the bus station at the resort’s main train station. From here you can walk to the city center in 15 minutes, or you can get there even faster by bus number 4.
Important! In the opposite direction, to Prague, buses leave only with Dolni Nadrazi.
How to get there by train
Prague Central Station Praga Hlavni Nadrazi is located in the city center. The Prague-Karlovy Vary trains depart from its aprons every day and regularly, from 05:21 to 17:33 with an interval of approximately 2 hours.
In terms of money, an independent train journey will cost from 160 kroons in a class II carriage, and from 325 in a class I carriage. By the way, class I and II cars in Czech trains do not differ too much – it is very comfortable to be in both places. Tickets are sold at ticket offices or vending machines at the station, but it is best to order them in advance (you need to pay an additional fee for this).
You can book your tickets, check prices and timetables of the Prague-Karlovy Vary trains on the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz/en/. But be careful, because the system offers different train routes: direct and with transfers.
How to get by taxi / transfer
Taxi or transfer “Prague – Karlovy Vary” – it is reliable, comfortable, fast, but not cheap. Most often, families with small children or companies of several people prefer to get there.
Taxis in Prague can be independently found at one of the many specialized parking lots, but it is better to book through the dispatcher by phone. It is advisable to contact officially registered companies, for example, the Russian-speaking “Funny Taxi”, MODRY ANDEL, Profi Taxi, City Taxi, Taxi Praha.
You need to choose a company that takes payment by mileage or immediately says a fixed price – from the center of Prague to the Czech resort, the amount is about 2,300 kroons, and from the airport – 2,100. The most disadvantageous option is with a per-minute counter. If during the trip such a car gets into a traffic jam, which is a frequent occurrence here, then you will have to pay much more.
The cost of transfer from Prague to Karlovy Vary is fixed, it is negotiated during the reservation process and is somewhere around 2700 kroons with the number of passengers 1-3 people. You can pay by card during the booking process or in cash to the driver. Among the other benefits of this auto service:
- a company employee is waiting for a passenger at a hotel or airport holding a nameplate;
- it is stipulated that the driver will wait for the passenger at the airport up to 1 hour, and at the hotel up to 15 minutes;
- the service is available at any time of the day or night.
Booking a transfer is best done on the KiwiTaxi website – there is nothing complicated in this, it will be possible to do it yourself.
About driving on your own
Another convenient option, how to get to Karlovy Vary – by personal or rented car. For such an independent trip, you can plan the desired route and see not only the picturesque area of the Czech Republic, but also other interesting cities located on the way to the resort – Kladno and Rakovnik.
You can rent economy class cars relatively cheaply – from 900 EEK per day, a luxury car will cost more – from 4000 EEK, and a minivan – from 18 000.
In addition, in order to get from the capital to a popular health resort, you will need to refuel a car by at least 20 liters. The average price of Czech 95th gasoline is 29.5 crowns per liter, diesel – 27.9 crowns per liter. In addition, all parking lots available at the resort are paid.
In Prague there are a lot of companies (international and Czech) that provide rental cars of different classes. You can view the availability of cars in different companies, compare prices and book a car through the world’s largest online service www.rentalcars.com.
You can drive to the resort on your own by car in 1 hour 30 minutes, but provided that there are no traffic jams. It is best to go along the road number 6 and then along the highway E48.
“Prague – Karlovy Vary” – how to get faster, more convenient and more profitable, traveling on your own? You already know that. Now you just need to choose what is best for you.
Video: from Prague to Karlovy Vary by car.
