Guide: What to do in Karlovy Vary
Bus Prague — Karlovy Vary
In Prague, most buses to Karlovy Vary leave from the Florenc bus station. The easiest way to get here is by metro — you need the Florenc station.
How to use public transportation in Prague
Buses to Karlovy Vary depart several times an hour. The rules of the carriers can vary greatly: some tickets can only be bought at the ticket office of the bus station, others online on ticketing websites, others only on the website of a particular carrier, and for some companies you can also buy a ticket from the driver.
I prefer Flixbus, a popular company in Europe. Tickets are easy to buy on the website in Russian, you don’t need to print them out — you just need to show the electronic tickets that come by email.
Flixbus buses leave from 8:30 to 18:15 every hour from Florenc bus station and Hradčanská bus stop (to get there by metro, you need the metro station of the same name — Hradčanská).
- Travel time: approximately 2 hours.
- Cost: 79 — 119 CZK.
Other bus options of the RegioJet carrier are available on the Busfor ticketing website.
Train Prague — Karlovy Vary
A slightly more expensive and longer way to get to Karlovy Vary is by Czech Railways. Trains depart from Prague 's main station (Praha hl.n.) — it is located directly above the Hlavní nádraží metro station.
The resort can be reached by connecting or direct flights. Direct trains run every two hours. For schedule changes and prices, please check the website of the carrier České dráhy.
- Travel time: 3 hours and 13 minutes.
- Cost: 165 — 175 CZK.
You can buy a ticket online on the railway company’s website, on Omio, at the station ticket office or at ticket machines. You can also buy a ticket from the conductor on the train, but you will have to pay an additional 40 CZK.
By car from Prague to Karlovy Vary
There are 3 ways to get between Prague and Karlovy Vary by car: rent a car, book a transfer or hitchhike. The journey will take approximately 2 hours.
- Traveling with a traveling companion can be the cheapest option. But such trips are difficult to plan in advance: options appear on Blablacar one or two days in advance and may only be in one direction (you’ll have to get back another way). But it’s a great chance to chat with locals and save money on transportation.
- Individual transfers are the most expensive option: a round trip will cost 150—200 €. Sometimes you can save a little money if you book in advance. To book a car: intui.travel, Kiwitaxi.
- Renting a car in Prague, even for one trip, can be convenient if you go with a company: you can save money and see much more. The lowest prices are at Rentalcars, Economybookings and Auto Europe: from 22 € per day for a budget car.
Where to go from Prague?
When the sights of Prague have been seen, the beer and roulka tasted, and time is running out, rent a car and head out into the neighborhoods:
- Check out the ancient and eerie ossuary in Kutná Hora.
- Drive 2.5 hours to Dresden and compare German beer to Czech beer.
