How to get to Prague by car. Traveling to Prague by car
Traveling by car to the EU countries is a special type of vacation. If you are adventurous and have a thirst for adventure, then this trip is exactly what you need. It will bring you complete satisfaction and joy from your journey. Of course, for a trip to be successful, you need to carefully prepare for it, like for any important event. If you plan to travel the Moscow-Prague route by car, it is worth collecting as much material as possible about the cities and countries you will be traveling through. Find out what rules, procedures, customs and traditions are established there so that no unforeseen situations arise. Before the trip, you need to carefully prepare your car, documents, and think through your route inside and out.
Preparation of documents
If you are planning a trip by car to Prague from Moscow, then, first of all, you need to contact the Czech embassy to obtain a Schengen visa. Another option is to visit a visa center. In order for the Czechs to be calm that you will not be left in the country without a roof over your head, they will definitely require fax confirmation from you that a room in any of the hotels has been booked. By the way, confirmation by email will not suit them, so book a room in advance and wait for confirmation of the operation from there. This is quite easy to do on any of the sites, then contact the hotel and discuss the timing of receiving the fax. Your account statements will also be required. You must prove your solvency; at least 50 euros per person per day.
To travel the Moscow - Prague route by car, you also need the following documents:
- International passports.
- Technical passport for the vehicle.
- Driver's license - better, of course, international.
- Issued green card.
- Car insurance.
- Insurance for all passengers, covering at least 30 thousand euros for each.
Preparing the car
Before starting a trip Moscow - Prague by car, you must take care of the technical condition of your vehicle. Go through parts, electricians, and refit your car according to the season. Check the expiration dates of all medications in the first aid kit and whether the fire extinguisher is in order. It is mandatory to have emergency stop signs and a tow rope; repair kits and additional splitter cords may be needed. The spare wheel must be in good working order. Reflective vests and a RUS sticker will come in handy.
Route selection
Be aware that if you choose the Moscow - Prague route, the distance by car will in any case have to be covered through Belarus and Poland. Many people use the Google maps service when preparing their route. Once the starting and ending points are included in the route selection, and this is Moscow - Prague, the service will offer you several routes to choose from. How long does it take to travel from Moscow to Prague by car? If you don’t stop to rest in Poland, you can cover the route in about a day.
So, you can choose two ways:
- Moscow - Brest - Warsaw - Wroclaw - Prague. This route is about 1950 kilometers, but in fact it takes longer to get there, since the road is laid through many settlements, where the speed limit is 50 km/h, and even less in the mountainous section.
- Moscow - Brest - Warsaw - Katowice - Brno - Prague. If you decide to take this route, there is only one minus - you will not admire the beauty of the mountain landscapes. In general, this road is longer, the distance will be two thousand kilometers. But throughout the entire journey you can drive at an average speed of 100 km/h, and at an ideal speed. Many sections of the road here are toll.
So, before deciding on the route, study which cities you will be moving through, what interesting things you can see there, where to relax and eat.
Passing the border and customs
So, having set off along the Moscow - Prague route by car, you need to get out and boldly drive straight ahead. The track is quite good, and in some places it is simply excellent. After leaving Moscow, about five hours later you will arrive at the border with the Republic of Belarus. You must pay the transport fee and keep the receipt until the end of the journey. Travel around the territory of the republic for about 600 km; by evening you will find yourself in Brest. It’s better to stay overnight here and cross the border with Poland in the morning. From here it's a five-minute walk.
Before crossing the Polish border, you must pay. The move is carried out either at the Brest - Terespol point, or further south, to Domachevo. The car must be changed to any studless shoes, even in winter. Under no circumstances take radar detectors with you, they are prohibited in the European Union! If they are discovered, serious problems can arise. Goods are allowed to be transported in an amount not exceeding one and a half thousand euros. If there is no problem with this, then you will be directed to the CD corridor, the line there moves quickly.
Traveling around Poland
The route from the Polish border to Prague will be no more than three hundred kilometers. You definitely need to purchase a vignette; it gives you the right to move freely on local highways. You will no longer see any border post; only signs will tell you that you are already in the Czech Republic. When driving through Poland, do not miss the opportunity to visit local attractions, because this country is considered one of the most beautiful in Europe. When planning a trip Moscow - Prague by car, include Warsaw in the route. The hotel room can be booked in advance via the Internet. Take a day and visit the most interesting places here.
Sights of Warsaw
Warsaw has been the capital of Poland since 1596. Many compare the city to the Phoenix bird, because after the defeat by the Nazis there was practically nothing valuable left here. But through the efforts of the people, the main historical architectural monuments were restored using the surviving drawings, fragments, drawings. Now Warsaw is one of the ten most beautiful European cities.
The Old Town is considered a historical place here - locals call it Stare Miasto. Each house here has its own pedigree. On Castle Square you can take a unique photo near the column. This king ruled the country for 44 years. All coronations took place in St. John's Cathedral. The Royal Castle was restored until 1970; even today, art historians are buying up valuables that were taken from it during the war. Nowe Miasto, located to the north, presents a whole string of palaces that compete with each other in beauty. The Presidential Palace is located in Krakow Przedmieście, which connects the Center and the Old Town. It has been in operation since the seventeenth century. Nearby you can admire the Church of St. Anne and the Basilica of the Holy Cross.
Czech
We return to the route Moscow - Prague. The distance by car from Warsaw can be covered in just a few hours. You will only know that you are already in the Czech Republic, in Prague, by reading the signs. Czech is spoken in the country, and young people speak English quite well. The quality of the roads here varies, there are places with ideal coverage, and there are also emergency ones. Don’t forget to buy a vignette; there is a toll on highways here. The vignette must be properly attached to the windshield, otherwise you may receive a fine. At gas stations you can quickly pay with a card, only after you have filled up with gasoline.
Parking
So, we covered all the kilometers from Moscow to Prague by car, and we ended up in the city. How is parking here? Parking spaces are quite expensive, but violating them will be even more expensive. The cost per seat varies depending on the zone. There are several of them, they differ in color. The blue zone is especially for city residents, the green zone is 6-hour, the orange zone is 2-hour. We saw a parking sign and a white line - there was a parking meter nearby. Read the parking conditions carefully; very often it is free. It is much more difficult to park in the center, so many people choose places near hotels or shopping centers. If you come to Prague for a long time, it is better to leave your car in the P+R parking lot and travel by public transport.
Main telephone numbers in Prague
In case of emergency, you should call the telephone numbers below, be sure to save them before your trip.
- Police - 158.
- Ambulance - 155.
- Firefighters - 150.
- Emergency technical assistance - 1230 or 124.
- Russian Embassy - (2) 333-741-00 or 333-715-48 or 333-715-49.
Traffic rules in the Czech Republic
- At all pedestrian crossings, the pedestrian has the right of way, so be extremely careful.
- Speed. In a populated area, the speed limit is 50 km/h, outside - 90 km/h; if you are on the highway, the speed limit is 130 km/h. There are radars installed everywhere, invisible to the eye, so if after speeding you suddenly find a car overtaking you with the sign “follow me”, expect a fine.
- Alcohol is strictly prohibited.
- Low beam is required both at night and during the day. Fog lights are allowed only in poor visibility and fog.
- Seat belts must be fastened, including in the rear seats. Children under 12 years of age and persons shorter than 150 centimeters in height are prohibited from sitting in the front.
- It is prohibited to use mobile phones without a Handsfree device.
- Payment of the fine can be made directly from the police; almost any card is accepted.
The main attractions of Prague
What did those who traveled by car to Prague from Moscow remember? 2016 is coming to an end, everyone who visited there this year received a lot of indelible impressions and dreams of returning here again next year. What places do tourists most like to visit in Prague?
An amazing city where modernity combines with history. In the distant 8th century, the construction of the Vysehrad and Prague Castle fortresses began here. The latter is still the main relic of Prague. Everyone who arrives in the city must visit this place.
This main fortress ensemble houses the residences of kings, former emperors and modern presidents. The guard of honor is posted at the main gate, which is located on the side of Hradcan Square. The shift changes hourly, and hundreds of tourists gather at this time to look at this magnificent spectacle.
Inside the fortress ensemble there are Prague Castle, a gorgeous fountain, the “Court of Honor”, the Church of All Saints, the Church of St. George, and St. Peter’s Chapel. Where once there were stables, an art gallery has now been built, where the rarest exhibits of fine art are located. The singing fountain adorns the entrance to the Royal Palace.
A special attraction here is the Cathedral of St. Vitus. Its construction began back in 1344, continued intermittently for several centuries, and was completed only in 1929. Now the Archbishop of Prague resides here. The palace gardens, located on the slopes, are also an attractive attraction.
Features of the trip
Considering the route Moscow - Prague, how long it takes to travel by car, we found out. About a day, if without overnight rest, the distance is approximately 2000 km. What features of this trip would you like to note?
- Complete independence and freedom of movement.
- Excellent quality of European roads.
- Be careful, follow traffic rules, otherwise you will not avoid fines!
- Don’t forget to purchase a vignette in the Czech Republic.
- Along the route you can see many beautiful places and stop at any point.
- You can spend a day in Poland and enjoy its architecture.
Moscow - Prague by car (2016): traveler reviews
Prague fascinates all lovers of antiquity with its unique architecture, which is why hundreds of people flock here. Some fly by plane, others travel by train. Those who have traveled the route Moscow - Prague by car leave the most enthusiastic reviews.
Newlyweds who go on their honeymoon in their car spend their time like in a fairy tale. They settle in hotels whose windows overlook the ancient castle; they will tell their children and grandchildren about their impressions.
Young families with children who visited Prague dream of returning here again, because not only adults, but also children of any age can find a lot of entertainment here. Many cafes are equipped with children's playrooms, there are animators, this gives parents the opportunity to relax and the kids to have fun at the same time.
Active pensioners also find a lot of surprising and fascinating things to see in Prague and, when returning home, they advise all their friends to visit this historical center.
Everything you need to know for traveling by car to the Czech Republic. In the article I will talk about paying for roads in the Czech Republic, where to buy a vignette, how to stick it correctly, about the equipment of the car, Czech traffic rules, the cost of gasoline, places to rest on the road. I will share my experience of buying a vignette. This knowledge and our practical advice will help you successfully travel by car in the Czech Republic.
Payment for roads in the Czech Republic
In the Czech Republic, only highways are toll roads. To pay for roads in the Czech Republic, you need to buy a vignette and stick it on the glass.
Map of toll roads in the Czech Republic
Cost of a Czech Republic vignette
For vehicles weighing up to 3.5 t
10 days – 310 CZK (about 12 euros),
Monthly – 440 CZK (17 euros)
Annual – 1500 CZK (59 EUR)
Motorcycles are exempt. Cars weighing over 3.5 pay the road using special electronic devices.
Vignette validity period
10 day - valid for 10 days after the marked date.
Monthly - valid until the end of the day with the same number of the next month. If such a number is not possible, then until the last day of the next month.
Annual – valid for almost 14 months. from December of the previous year to January 31 of the next year.
Fine for driving on motorways with an invalid or incorrectly attached vignette from CZK 5,000 (EUR 185) if paid on the spot. If through the court, the fine may increase to 100,000 crowns (3,700 euros).
Where to buy a vignette of the Czech Republic. How to pay for roads.
***An important nuance which we encountered on the trip:
When entering the Czech Republic, you can immediately get on a toll road. This is a section of the autobahn from Bratislava (D2) and Germany (D5 and D8 from Dresden). You start to worry that the road was not paid and there was nowhere to buy a vignette to the border, because the fines are high. But! According to the rules, the highway becomes toll only after the first resting place, where it is possible to pay for the road.
A sign on this section of the Czech motorway informs that it will soon be possible to buy a vignette.
Czech vignette for sale in almost all gas stations, post offices or special points (open 24 hours a day) with the inscription “Vignette”. There is currently no provision for paying for roads in the Czech Republic via the Internet.
A Czech vignette can also be purchased when leaving neighboring countries. Here, for example, is such a point at a gas station in Hungary, not far from the border with Slovakia. Although Hungary does not have a common border with the Czech Republic, you can buy a vignette. In Slovakia, we did not see points of sale of Czech vignettes.
A point of sale of a Czech vignette at a gas station in Hungary.
Here is one of the points for selling a vignette. Located at the entrance to the Czech Republic from Slovakia. This is a large parking lot for trucks and cars. The first one after crossing the border. Right at the entrance there is a special kiosk that sells Czech vignettes. 
*** Practical advice: at such parking lots on the border of the Czech Republic and Slovakia very unfavorable exchange rate. Much lower than banking. Therefore, it is better to pay for the vignette with a bank card.
Our experience of buying a Czech vignette– we hope you won’t repeat it))) Although we are experienced travelers, we sometimes make mistakes. Somehow we were confused, tired from the long journey (or maybe overjoyed that we were already in the Czech Republic))) - we bought a vignette, exchanging cash euros for crowns at this point. Therefore, the vignette cost us not 11 euros, but as much as 17 euros. Unpleasant. When we left the parking lot, we saw a little further on the same kiosks selling vignettes. Near them are signs with large inscriptions “Vignette - only 13 euros.” Officially, it costs 310 CZK for 10 days, but the price here increases due to the unfavorable exchange rate when exchanging cash in euros. This is the situation when buying a Czech vignette for cash at the first parking lot of the autobahn.
How to properly glue a vignette of the Czech Republic
I believe that in the Czech Republic the most inconvenient use of the vignette is. And there is something to compare with - in Hungary, Romania, Slovakia they are electronic, in Bulgaria, Austria - you need to buy them and stick them on the car glass.
And in the Czech Republic you need to buy a vignette. It consists of two parts: a tear-off coupon and a part that is glued to the glass. Fill out the tear-off coupon yourself (enter the car number), tear it off from the vignette and keep it for the entire period of validity of the vignette. And stick the vignette itself to the lower right corner windshield. But this is not enough - Without a tear-off coupon, the vignette is considered invalid!
In the photo there is my vignette on the glass and below I am holding a tear-off coupon for it in my hands.
Czech Republic Traffic Rules
The Czech traffic police were encountered only once along the way. At the first parking lot upon entering the Czech Republic, our visas were checked.
At the border of the Czech Republic there is an information sign with basic traffic rules.
- Speed limit on the roads.
It is fundamentally no different, for example, from or.
The permitted maximum speed within the city is 50 km/h. On highways – 110 km/h. On highways (autobahns – toll roads) – 130 km/h.
For speeding up to 19 km/h, the fine is 1000 CZK (approximately 38 euros)
for speeding from 20 to 29 km/h the fine is 2500 CZK (approximately 92 euros)
- Alcohol
The maximum permissible alcohol level is 0 ‰. If it is exceeded, the fine ranges from 2,500 CZK (approximately 92 EUR) to 20,000 CZK (740 EUR)
- dipped headlights
Mandatory around the clock and all year round. Fine – 2000 CZK (74 EUR)
- Transportation of children
Children under 12 years of age and less than 150 cm tall are prohibited from being transported in the front seat. Only in the rear using special child restraint systems. Fine for violation - 2000 CZK (74 euros)
- Seat belts
The use of seat belts is mandatory for passengers in the front and rear seats. Fine - 2000 CZK (74 euros)
- Talking on the phone
While driving, it is prohibited to use a telephone that is not equipped with a device that allows hands-free use of the telephone. Fine - 1000 CZK (37 euros)
- Winter tires
From November 1 to March 31, the use of winter tires is mandatory. The use of studded tires is prohibited.
Vehicle equipment, mandatory equipment
- First aid kit.
- Warning triangle; if you have a trailer, you must have two signs. Not required for motorcycles.
- Reflective vest. Needed by every person who steps outside of their vehicle while stopped on the freeway.
- Spare wheel
- Spare light bulbs - one of each type.
- A set of spare fuses.
The cost of gasoline in the Czech Republic
During our trips around Europe, we noticed such a pattern in the pricing policy for gasoline. It also works in the Czech Republic. The most expensive gasoline is at autobahn gas stations, the cheapest is on rural roads.
Average gasoline prices:
Natural 95 – 1.06 euro
Natural 98 – 1.12 euros
Disel – 1.00 euro
LPG (gas) – 0.43 euros
Gas stations are not located often. Every 30-50 km.
How to refuel. The system is the same as in Hungary - first you fill in gasoline, and then pay for it at the cash register.
Parking in Prague
Parking in the center of Prague is paid. Divided into three zones. They are indicated by colors: orange, green And blue zones.
Orange zone located in the historical center of Prague. The maximum parking duration is up to two hours. Sometimes there is a fee on Saturdays and Sundays. Costs up to 40 CZK per hour.
Green Zone provides a parking duration of up to 6 hours. On weekdays from 18-00 to 8-00 and on weekends (Saturday, Sunday, holidays) parking is free. Costs up to CZK 30 per hour.
Blue zone indicated by a blue line on the road. Only local residents can park here if they have a special parking card with a car number. This is a long-term parking lot. You can park for free behind the blue line from 18:00 to 8:00. At other times, the maximum parking duration is up to 3 minutes.
In Prague and most cities in the Czech Republic, parking machines (parkovacími automaty) are installed. Payment in these machines is made with coins. After payment, the received parking ticket must be placed under the windshield of the car so that it is clearly visible from the outside.
Parking costs in Prague depends on the location and its distance from the center. And it varies from 10 to 40 CZK per hour. The price, maximum duration and opening hours of parking are indicated on the board at the entrance or at the parking meter. Unless otherwise stated, parking is free from 18:00 to 8:00 on weekdays, as well as on weekends and holidays. The cities also have a well-developed network of underground parking lots.
In the center of Prague there is always a problem with the availability of parking spaces. Sometimes you need to “wind” several circles to find a free space.
On the outskirts of Prague there is parking network P + R (Park & Ride= park and go). There are always public transport stops near these parking lots. This is an opportunity to leave your car in an inexpensive guarded parking lot and continue your trip to the city center by public transport. The cost of parking P + R is from 100 CZK (3 – 4 euros) per day and from 10 CZK per hour.
How to get to the parking lot is indicated by a sign marked P + R. This is the sign at the entrance to Prague.
Rest areas on the highways.
There is no usual system of rest areas on autobahns, such as in Hungary and Austria. Rest areas are only available at gas stations. Most often, toilets at gas stations are paid. Price – 10 CZK.
We liked the place to relax at a gas station near Brno. The view of the city from here is beautiful.
Quality of roads in the Czech Republic
The road level is quite high. But in July 2016, the coverage on the Brno-Prague section was not of very good quality. The road seems to be smooth, but it shakes, as if you are driving on a washboard. But intensive highway repairs are underway.
From Germany to Prague the road is excellent. Picturesque surroundings. There are such original bridges.
Not far from the border with Germany there is a tunnel. Travel on it is free.
Country roads of the Czech Republic. We are driving from Prague towards Germany. The surrounding area is amazingly beautiful.
Traveling on these roads is a pleasure. 
Happy travels!
There are countries that seem designed for traveling by car. The Czech Republic is one of these. Good roads, short distances, a huge number of attractions, inexpensive fuel and hotels - all this makes a car trip around the Czech Republic convenient and interesting.
Many Russians. If you are traveling to Europe in winter, remember: you will not be allowed into Europe with studded tires! It's easy to rent a car upon arrival in the country. It’s a good idea to carry with you what is called “international rights” - an unattractive little gray book that is a translation of your basic rights into the languages of the world. But Ordinary Russian driving license will also work.
Renting an economy class small car in the Czech Republic will cost from 110 euros for a week. We flew to Prague and rented a car there. Moreover, the rental price at the airport was more favorable than at any other rental point, and this rule applied to all rental organizations.
Parking in Prague
For us, as for most Russians, It's morally difficult to pay for parking. A resourceful, inquisitive mind, in addition to fabrications about the beauties of the country being visited, constantly seeks ways to avoid unnecessary expenses. There are loopholes here and there.
Parking density in Prague.
In Prague, parking is mostly paid; in the Prague 1, 2, 3 districts it is almost always paid. But we, living in a boat in the center of Prague, found a free one: we just had to look at the map carefully.
A boat is a hotel on a ship. Sy lived in the Matilda boat.
Of course, it was always quite packed, but we found a place every time.
We walked around Prague on foot, only occasionally using public transport.
Walking around Prague is a feast for the eyes!
Walking around Prague is a delight for the ears!
Walking around Prague is a delight to the senses!
By car within Prague, we only went to shopping centers and supermarkets: parking there is mostly free.
Parking, outlined with a blue line, from 6 pm to 9 am is allowed only for residents of the building in the neighborhood, at other times - for everyone who has paid.
During the day there is paid parking for everyone, at night it is free, but only for local residents.
White markings - parking can be free or paid from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (then there is a parking machine), but it is free at night. Yellow line - parking is prohibited.
If parking is paid, you need to pay money in advance. Have some change ready - the machine won't give you change. Place your parking ticket under the windshield. Read the signs carefully. Even if parking is paid, parking time may be limited, for example, to two hours on weekends, the rest of the time - without restrictions. Usually such difficulties are located in places near attractions.
We went to the Křivoklát castles and found out the following: at the most popular castles (there are about two and a half thousand in total in the Czech Republic), parking is paid, and quite expensive.
The main tower of Karlštejn Castle.
It would seem that you can find a parking place - after all, there is either a forest or a village around. But no, everything is arranged so that the tourist goes to a paid parking lot. So get over it.
They made the strongest impression on us of everything we saw in the Czech Republic except Prague.
Karlovy Vary was impressive.
A stunningly beautiful resort for rich Russian pensioners. Most of the signs are duplicated in Russian.
They say that almost all the real estate here was bought by the Russians.
It is better not to go down to the promenade and embankment by car: there is little parking there and it is expensive. We parked upstairs and found free parking.
In small towns such as Velkopopovice, Krušovice you can find free parking.
Entrance to the territory of the Velkopopovitsky Brewery plant. In front of the gate is me, above the gate are two goats.
Some traffic features
There is one interesting difference regarding the traffic light. If the green light is on, but the right arrow is not on, then you can turn (letting pedestrians pass, of course). We did not know. That’s why we were once viciously honked at by some hot Czech.
Despite the fact that the Czech Republic is a beer country, the blood alcohol level is zero. They don’t stop on the roads specifically to let you breathe into a tube, but if you become involved in an accident or are stopped for an offense, it will be expensive. They don't take bribes.
You need to park in the Czech Republic very carefully, following the rules: do not drive onto the sidewalk, do not block exits, stay within the markings. The police generously issue fines and put chocks on the wheels, which are unlocked only after paying the fine (up to 5,000 CZK). Residents of the city actively help the police identify such offenses: even if you park crookedly in some distant nook where the police never go, good Czechs will report your offense - they consider it their duty, tomboys.
Largely, Czechs are calm and polite drivers. Some of the inadequacy on the roads is added by visiting Germans, who seem to love fast driving no less than the Russians.
If someone ahead of you flashes their emergency lights, they warn you that they see a traffic jam and will slow down. If high beams are flashing at you on the highway, you forgot to turn on your headlights.
Roads
Roads in the Czech Republic good quality, but not perfect. Many transport routes are built through tunnels through the mountains, we were impressed.
Czech road.
Expressways are toll roads, but there are no barriers at the entrance or exit that we are used to. To travel along them you need a “long-distance sign”, a vignette. Sold at the post office or gas station, the minimum period for which it is purchased is 10 days, the cost is 310 CZK, and the fine for its absence is 5,000 CZK. It should be stuck on the windshield. Rental cars are often rented with a vignette, if there is one - check the date.
Also we drove to Berlin and Dresden.
Border of the Czech Republic and Germany.
The Autobahn in Germany is free, the speed is limited in some places to 130 km per hour. In other places - not limited at all. There may be traffic jams on the highways too...
German village.
Conclusion
We had a great trip to the Czech Republic, and having a car at hand allowed us to get to know this wonderful country a little closer. On our next visit to the Czech Republic, we will definitely rent a car again, drive around the country and go to Vienna.
Alekseeva Ekaterina, St. Petersburg
The length of the public road network in the Czech Republic is 130.671 km. All of them are hard surfaced. The length of motorways and highways is 1,250 km.
Toll roads
There is a fee (vignette) for driving vehicles on some highways in the Czech Republic. The amount of the fee depends on the category of the vehicle and the duration of use of the highways.
Toll sections of roads are marked with "Motorway" and "Road for Cars" signs. Free sections of the road are marked with the same signs, but with the inscription " BEZ POPLATKU ".
The fine for driving on motorways with an invalid or incorrectly affixed vignette ranges from CZK 5,000 (€ 193) if paid on the spot and up to CZK 100,000 (€ 3,868) if the case is heard in court.
Vignette cost
The cost of a vignette for passenger cars weighing up to 3.5 tons (regardless of the weight of the trailer) for 2019 is:
Motorcycles released from paying for roads in the Czech Republic.
Cars with a total weight of over 3.5 tons pay tolls using special electronic devices.
Map of toll road sections
| Entry/exit point | Section length | |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Modletice - Prague-Slivenec | 23 km |
| 1 | Prague-Chodov - Kuvalka | 180 km |
| Holubice - Kroměříž-západ | 48 km | |
| Kroměříž-východ - Říkovice | 12 km | |
| Lipník nad Bečvou - Ostrava-Rudná | 58 km | |
| 2 | Brno-Chrlice - border of Slovakia | 58 km |
| 3 | Mezno - Cekanice | 14 km |
| Měšice - Veselí nad Lužnicí, sever | 25 km | |
| 4 | Jíloviště - Háje | 36 km |
| 5 | Prague-Trebonice - Beroun-východ | 14 km |
| Beroun-zapad - Ejpovice | 45 km | |
| Sulkov - German border | 62 km | |
| 6 | Jeneč - Nové Strašecí | 25 km |
| 7 | Kněževes - Knoviz | 15 km |
| 8 | Zdiby - Řehlovice | 65 km |
| Knínice - German border | 12 km | |
| 10 | Stará Boleslav - Bezděčín | 25 km |
| Kosmonosy - Ohrazenice | 25 km | |
| 11 | Jirny - Sedlice | 76 km |
| 35 | Mohelnice-jih - Křelov | 26 km |
| Olomouc-Holice - Lipník nad Bečvou | 20 km | |
| 46 | Vyškov-východ - Prostějov-jih | 21 km |
| Držovice - Hněvotin | 11 km | |
| 48 | Bělotín - Bělotín-východ | 4 km |
| Dobrá - Žukov | 11 km | |
| 52 | Rajhrad - Pohořelice-sever | 13 km |
| 55 | Hulín - Otrokovice-sever | 14 km |
| 56 | Ostrava-Hrabová - Frýdek-Místek | 12 km |
Where to buy a vignette in the Czech Republic?
Vignettes can be purchased at almost any gas station, post offices or special sales points at border crossings, which are open 24 hours a day. Places where vignettes are sold are marked with a corresponding sign.
Other resellers who sell vignettes at vacation sites may charge additional fees as a commission or for currency conversion.
What should I do if I immediately enter a toll section of the road in the Czech Republic?
If you look at the map of toll sections, you can see that some highways are tolled immediately after crossing the border of the Czech Republic. These are the motorways D2 (entry from Slovakia), D5 (entry from Germany) and D8 (entry from Germany).
In fact, you can easily drive to the nearest recreation area and purchase a vignette there. Despite the fact that they are marked on the map as paid areas, they become so only after these rest areas.
- D2 - Lanžhot recreation area (Google Maps) 5 km from the Slovak border;
- D5 - Rozvadov recreation area (Google Maps) 1 km from the German border;
- D8 - Varvažov recreation area (Google Maps) 14 km from the German border.
The toll section of the D48 road (entry from Poland) starts approximately 5 km from the border (Google Maps, Google Earth). As a guide, you can use the European route E75, which goes off to the side before the toll section begins.
You can watch this in the video below route in the Czech Republic from the border with Poland to the border with Slovakia. A vignette is not required to travel this route.
Vignette validity period
10-day vignette - gives the right to travel on highways for ten consecutive calendar days, starting from the marked date.
1 month vignette - gives the right to travel on highways until the end of the day with the same number of the next month. And if there is no such day in the next month, then until the last day of the month.
1-year vignette - gives the right to travel on highways for 14 months, from December 1 of the previous year to January 31 of the following year.
An unattached vignette is considered invalid!
Basic traffic rules in the Czech Republic
Speed Limit
Standard speed limits in the Czech Republic (unless otherwise indicated on signs).
Cars and motorcycles:- in a populated area - 50 km/h
- outside the populated area - 90 km/h
- on a road or highway inside a populated area - 80 km/h
- on a road or highway outside a populated area - 130 km/h
- in a populated area - 50 km/h
- outside the populated area - 80 km/h
- on the road - 80 km/h
- on the motorway - 80 km/h
Vehicles whose maximum design speed does not exceed 80 km/h are prohibited from driving on the motorway.
The last 50 m of the journey before crossing the railway tracks, the speed should not exceed 30 km/h.
For vehicles equipped with snow chains, the maximum permitted speed is 50 km/h.
Alcohol
Maximum permissible blood alcohol level 0.0‰.
If the blood alcohol level exceeds the permissible limit, the fine will be from CZK 2,500 to 20,000 (€ 97-774) and deprivation of the right to drive a vehicle from 6 months to 1 year.
Refusal to undergo a medical examination for intoxication entails a fine from CZK 2,500 to 50,000 (€ 97-1,934) and deprivation of the right to drive a vehicle for 1 to 2 years.
Low beam
Dipped beam is required 24 hours a day all year round. Fog lights should only be used in foggy or poor visibility conditions.
Fine - up to CZK 2,000 (€ 77).
Transportation of children
Children under 12 years of age and less than 150 cm tall are prohibited from riding in the front seats. They can only travel in the rear seats of the car in special child restraint systems.
Fine - up to CZK 2,000 (€ 77).
Seat belts
Using seat belts Necessarily for front and rear passengers.
Fine - up to CZK 2,000 (€ 77).
Talking on the phone
It is prohibited to use a telephone that is not equipped with a technical device that allows hands-free negotiations while the vehicle is moving.
Fine - up to CZK 1,000 (€ 39).
Tinting
The degree of light transmission of the windshield must be at least 75%, and the front side windows must be at least 70%.
For rear windows, the degree of light transmission is not regulated.
Non-compliance with light transmission standards falls under the article on the operation of a vehicle that threatens road safety.
In case of this violation, operation of the vehicle is prohibited until the cause is eliminated.
Fines
A fine of up to CZK 5,000 (€193) can be paid on the spot directly to the police officer who issued the ticket. If the violation carries a larger fine, the driver's license may be confiscated as a guarantee of appearance in court.
Fines for speeding in the Czech Republic (CZK):| Over speed | ||
|---|---|---|
| up to 19 km/h | 1,000 (€ 39) | 1,000 (€ 39) |
| from 20 to 29 km/h | 2,500 (€ 97) | 1,000 (€ 39) |
| from 30 to 39 km/h | 2,500 (€ 97) | 2,500 (€ 97) |
| from 40 to 49 km/h | 5,000 – 10,000 (€ 193-387) |
2,500 (€ 97) |
| from 50 km/h and above | 5,000 – 10,000 (€ 193-387) | 5,000 – 10,000 (€ 193-387) |
In the Czech Republic, the following error applies when measuring speed using radar:
- at speeds up to 100 km/h - 3 km/h
- at speeds over 100 km/h - 3%
This means that at a speed limit of 50 km/h, an excess will be recorded when the radar shows a speed of at least 54 km/h. And at a permitted speed of 130 km/h - no less than 135 km/h.
Table of fines for violating traffic rules in the Czech Republic (CZK):| Violation | Fines (on site) |
Fines (via court) |
|---|---|---|
| Driving a vehicle with unreadable, non-standard or incorrectly installed license plates | --- | 5,000 - 10,000 (€ 193-387) |
| Driving a vehicle in the presence of malfunctions that pose a threat to other road users | --- | 5,000 - 10,000 (€ 193-387) |
| Turning left or making a U-turn in violation of the requirements prescribed by road signs or road markings | --- | 5,000 - 10,000 (€ 193-387) |
| Violation of the rules for stopping or parking vehicles in places designated for stopping or parking vehicles of disabled people | 1,000 (€ 39) | 5,000 - 10,000 (€ 193-387) |
| Violation of rules for crossing a railway crossing | up to 2,500 (€ 97) | 2,500 - 5,000 (€ 97-193) |
| Overtaking a vehicle where it is prohibited by road signs | --- | 5,000 - 10,000 (€ 193-387) |
| Failure to comply with traffic regulations to give way to a vehicle that has the right of way | 2,500 (€ 97) | 2,500 - 5,000 (€ 97-193) |
| Driving through a prohibiting traffic light or a traffic controller's prohibiting gesture | 2,500 (€ 97) | 2,500 - 5,000 (€ 97-193) |
| Failure to comply with traffic regulations to give way to pedestrians who have the right of way | 2,500 (€ 97) | 2,500 - 5,000 (€ 97-193) |
Winter tires must be marked with the signs "M+S", "M.S." or "M&S" and have a minimum tread depth of 4 mm. All wheels must be equipped with winter tires. Roads on which winter tires are required are equipped with a corresponding sign.
It is recommended to use winter tires when the air temperature drops below 4°C. In case of absence of winter tires - a fine from CZK 1,500 to 2,500 (€ 58-97).
Studded tires
Using studded tires forbidden.
Anti-skid chains
Snow chains can be used if there is an appropriate road sign. Maximum speed 50 km/h.
The navigation software feature that indicates the location of fixed speed cameras must be disabled.
Currently, the use of radar detectors in the Czech Republic is not limited by any law, decree or regulation.
Excerpt from Czech traffic rules (§3 clause 4):
(d ále jen "antiradar").
It states that no devices should be used that prevent or interfere with the functioning of technical means used in road safety monitoring.
Use of anti-radars forbidden. Fine up to CZK 1,000 (€ 39) if paid on the spot. In court proceedings, the fine will range from €5,000 to €10,000.
Auto trip to the Czech Republic
To the Czech Republic by car, a review of the trip with photos. Family trip to car to the Czech Republic. Visa and documents necessary for travel to Czech Republic by car.
Trip idea to the Czech Republic by car was born a long time ago. Back in my first trip to the Czech Republic in 2004, people who came from Smolensk by car stayed with us at the hotel. Since then the thought of traveling has not left me. to the Czech Republic in your own car. Of course, our car was not the best for long journeys, but it coped with its task quite well.
The photo shows our car, Suzuki Sidekick (Vitara for the Canadian market), produced in 1996. Despite such an ancient year of manufacture, at the time of the trip, the mileage of our car was only 97,750 km. And such a short mileage allowed us to hope that the trip would be without breakdowns. The route was supposed to be as follows:
Day 2 Departure from Radom, overnight in Prague ~700 km.
Day 3. Departure from Prague, check-in at a hotel in the town of Pec pod Snezkou, 150 km.
4,5,6 days skiing in Pec pod Snezkou.
Day 8 Departure from Lublin, overnight in the city of Orsha, Belarus 800 km.
Day 9: departure from Orsha, arrival in Moscow, 560 km.
In total, the car covered 4,300 km during the trip.
So, the hotels have been booked, things have been packed, a minimum set of products have been purchased. Me, my wife and my middle son, 9 years old, are going. You can read in detail about the documents required to obtain a visa in a separate article.
I apologize for the quality of some of the photos, but sometimes the shooting conditions did not allow for better results.
To the Czech Republic by car. Start
Saturday morning, March 2nd, chilly weather, it rained in the evening, and at night it turned to snow. The roads are slippery and dirty.
Things were loaded, the crew took their seats, and set off.
We drove a few kilometers and the first trouble was that the driver's windshield wiper lay motionless. A lot of unpleasant thoughts appeared in my head, the car is old, and there are more than 1000 km of road ahead, maybe this is a sign from above? While we drove not far from home, maybe we’ll come back, because there’s another car? I took the wrench and slightly tightened the nut securing the leash to the trapezoid, and lo and behold, the wiper started working. True, it did not work for long, every 30-50 km I had to tighten the nut and in the Smolensk region the pin broke and the wiper remained in my hands. As it turned out, the splines on the leash were ground off, which did not allow the leash to rotate relative to the trapezoid pin. Yes, it’s unpleasant, but the snow has stopped and we decided to continue moving. On the way, we look at some auto repair shop that does welding, but all the services are either closed or not working because of Saturday. In general, I want to say that roadside service can still be found in Russia, but in Belarus there are practically none. Then I remembered about anti-rain, the product helps during rain, you don’t have to use wipers and can see everything. However, this product is useless when dirt and reagents fly onto the glass. In Belarus and Europe the roads are clean, anti-rain should help.
The Smolensk region ends. The road is of high quality along its entire length; it’s a shame that there aren’t bump stops everywhere. There are many settlements, traffic cops with radars or cameras hanging. We keep the speed in such places at 60+18. They can't stop at that speed.
We are approaching the border with Belarus. Only heavy trucks are inspected. Cars pass freely.
To the Czech Republic by car. Belarus
Truck weight control point.
It's still snowing and raining, but it's getting warmer outside.
The precipitation has stopped, the sun sometimes comes out, and the road has begun to dry out. We stopped at a gas station, gasoline is cheaper than in Russia by an average of two rubles, you can pay in dollars, euros, Russian, Belarusian rubles or by card. You can only pay for groceries at a gas station with hares or a card. Gas stations on the territory of Belarus are much less common than in Russia; you can drive 50 km and not see a single gas station; I recommend not letting the level of gasoline in the tank reach the light level.
The famous bison. The road goes mainly through fields and you can’t say that there are many forests in Belarus.
We are approaching Minsk, the weather has cleared and it has become even warmer. The road quality is solid 4, wide lanes, large median, the permitted speed for cars is 120 km/h. Mostly the sides of the road are empty, there are very few gas stations, a few motels and that’s it. Settled areas are also rare. In populated areas the limit is 70 km/h. There are Belarusian traffic cops in old foreign cars, measuring speed.
We passed Minsk and are approaching the Brest region. In the Brest region the road is a little worse; there are potholes closer to Brest. In Brest itself the road is not important at all.
Belarus has good LED traffic lights, visible in any weather. I wonder who made them?
We entered Brest, the road to the border goes through the entire city, there are many traffic lights, but here for the first time I saw how the green wave works. We drove through about a dozen traffic lights without stopping once. It is clear that people from the Traffic Department do not receive their salaries in vain. In Moscow it’s the other way around, I can give you a bunch of examples when, having started at one traffic light, you approach the next one and there the light turns red, you move off - it’s red again, and so on.
We drove to Brest and turned towards the border. At first we wanted to cross the border in Domachevo, but when we approached the Brest-Terespol checkpoint, we saw that we were the only ones who decided to cross the border on Saturday evening.
To the Czech Republic by car. Border.
A short summary: we were at the border at about 20-30 Moscow time, at 19-30 Minsk time, it was still light. We drove a little more than 1000 km in 14 hours. If there are no weather disasters or troubles with the car, if you do not break the speed limit, then you can safely spend 10-11 hours on this section. We crossed the border in about 10 minutes, we didn’t even have time to take pictures of anything. Everything was done politely and quickly; he only got out of the car to open the trunk.
And now we are already in Poland, the road is dry, we need to drive about 300 km to Radom.
On the road to the border there is a queue of many kilometers of trucks, we have to drive along the side of the road, the oncoming flow of cars is passing along our lane. The road to Radom goes mainly through populated areas, the limit is 50 km/h, there are photo radars everywhere. There were few cars and after about four hours we arrived at our hotel. Of course, I drove the last 100 km with great effort, and fatigue accumulated. As they say, on a long journey the first hundred kilometers and the last are the most difficult.
To the Czech Republic by car. Poland, hotel "Arbiter"
We stayed at the Arbitr Hotel; the hotel attracted us with its location and reviews. We arrived at the hotel at 0-40 Moscow time and 21-40 Polish time. We checked in within 1 minute and still had time to have dinner at the hotel restaurant. Thank them very much, there were 10 minutes left before the restaurant closed, and they brought us the first, second, salads and beer. Everything is quite edible.
The hotel is clean and comfortable, polite staff. A triple room with breakfast cost us 265 zlotys, which is approximately 2650 rubles.
The hotel is located on the outskirts of Radom, on the edge of a pine forest, we slept well and continued our journey in a great mood. Looking ahead, I will say that we really liked Poland and the Poles. Very friendly attitude, neat, constant desire to help. There is not a single bad moment associated with Poland. We will definitely come to this country for a longer time.
In terms of roads, Poland is not very good; the roads themselves are of very high quality with good markings. But a large flow of transit transport and a high density of settlements significantly reduces the average speed. The further route we came up with was as follows: we go down to Krakow, and from Krakow there is a high-speed toll highway to Wroclaw, where we turn left into the Czech Republic. The route turned out to be successful. Sunday morning, there are few cars, quite quickly we reached the highway leading to Krakow.
The road is excellent, in no way inferior to the German autobahns.
As I understand it, the road was built not long ago and there were several sections where the road had not yet been completed. By the way, in Poland there is a large construction of a transit highway from east to west and some sections of the road have already been put into operation. This road is on the map of Poland that we bought at a gas station. But the navigator doesn’t know it well, so we got a little lost on the way back. The navigator tried to send us to the no longer existing exits leading to the highway.
As we approached Krakow, the road became narrow. We are driving on the outskirts of the city. Krakow is a large, ancient city that we will definitely visit, but not just passing through.
Poland is considered the most Catholic country in the world. There are a lot of functioning churches. Churches can be either of a generally accepted type or very unusual; it is clear that some churches were built not long ago and only the Catholic cross on the roof reveals that these buildings belong to the church.
We drove through the outskirts of Krakow and again found ourselves on a magnificent highway.
Three sections on this road are toll roads. The fee is about 15 zlotys (150 rubles) per plot. Not weak. You can pay by card or zlotys, there is no queue.
We had a snack with food purchased from a Tesco store, the salmon was excellent, we don’t sell anything like that here. What is sold in Moscow under the name Norwegian salmon is salmon. And of course delicious bread, in Poland and the Czech Republic there is very tasty bread, rolls, bagels. It’s good that it’s basically impossible to eat Moscow bread, otherwise you’d get completely fat.
There are many beautiful cable-stayed bridges. In general, everything on the highway is done well and wisely, markings, shoulders, entrances/exits, noise barriers.
Be careful, gas stations don't come across often. On this road I enjoyed the fact that the car has cruise control. In Russia I did not understand this option. Here in Poland on an almost empty road, the cruise control was very useful.
We’ve almost reached Wroclaw, now we need to go left, towards the Krkonose Mountains and the Czech Republic. The road is narrow again, there is practically no shoulder. We are met by a stream of cars of Poles vacationing in the mountains on the weekend.
We pass populated areas and have to slow down.
Mountains are visible on the horizon, unmelted islands of snow appear in the fields, and it has become noticeably colder outside. A cold wind blows from the mountains. If not long ago it was clear that spring had finally arrived, here winter was still clinging to its positions.
Ahead is the Krkonoše People's Park. One part of the park is located in Poland, the other in the Czech Republic. The highest mountain is Snezka; the border between Poland and the Czech Republic runs along its peak.
We approached the border with the Czech Republic, relaxed a little and were immediately punished. The brave policeman stopped us and showed on the radar our speed in the populated area - 71 km/h with the allowed 50. Fine 100 zlotys (about 1000 rubles or 25 Euros). I didn’t have any zlotys, I cautiously offered to pay him a small bonus of 10 Euros. , because he would forget about our violation, but the policeman refused. I had to go to the nearest exchange office and exchange euros for zlotys. The exchange office was located 100 meters away and was open on Sunday evenings, it seems to me, only for violators.
These are the 100 zlotys with which I paid the fine. I never held cash in my hands in Poland; I always paid by card. A little advertising, I had several cards, it seemed to me that the lowest commission was at Avangard Bank and the rates were also very good, even when receiving cash from an ATM in Prague.
While I was going to change money, a Pole policeman caught a Czech and a Slovak woman for a violation similar to mine.
To the Czech Republic by car. Czech Republic, Prague.
We are approaching the border with the Czech Republic.
The sign says we have entered the territory of the Czech Republic, hurray. Prague is about 180 km away.
The first settlement we came to in the Czech Republic was Náchod. Nakhod is the birthplace of excellent beer Primator (mayor in Russian). The line of Primator beers is quite extensive and includes some crazy beer in terms of density and strength, almost the strongest Czech beer. I haven’t tried the strong beer, but I quite like the rest. 
We pass several more towns, including the large industrial center of the Czech Republic - Hradec Králové and exit onto the E67 highway. We are all on our way to Prague.
The road is of excellent quality and the Czechs fly along at a speed of 140-150 km/h.
This road is toll, but there are no toll points. Before leaving the highway, you need to buy this brand at any gas station. Part of the stamp is glued to the lower right corner of the windshield, the second part is filled in and hidden in the car documents. You must buy a stamp; there are special police crews that monitor the availability of these stamps. The fine is impressive.
And here we are in Prague, we circled around a little, breaking the rules a couple of times (out of ignorance), the required turn was so narrow that we drove past it several times. Once we even drove under a brick in front of a police car, but, probably, when they saw our license plates, they didn’t bother.
We stayed at the Koruna Hotel. There is nothing good about this hotel except the price of accommodation (triple room 1900 rubles with breakfast) + parking 800 rubles and the location. The hotel is located a stone's throw from the Narodní Tršida metro station. The hotel is quite suitable for spending one night, but I would not stay there a second time and would not recommend it to anyone. By the way, the breakfast was meager and not tasty.
We quickly dropped our things and went to have dinner; it was about 18.00. We wanted to have dinner at a restaurant Baráčnická rychta that on Tržiště 23/555, the place is, of course, a tourist place, but I serve Sviany there and the food is not bad. Unfortunately, despite the fact that we arrived at the restaurant at about 18-45, we were told that the kitchen was no longer open and they would not feed us. On Sunday the restaurant closes at 21.00. I will definitely write to the restaurant management about this. The mood was ruined. I didn’t want to look for something on Sunday evening. We decided to go to a fish restaurant on Kampa. Although it is not cheap, it was always consistently tasty.
I ordered creamy fish soup (it was worse than a year ago)
Trout with brambo porridge, fried carp and pork tenderloin for a child.
Apple strudel.
And of course beer. It seemed to me that the owner of the restaurant had changed. The Budweiser on tap disappeared from the menu, and Staropramen took its place. The restaurant has undergone some minor refurbishment.
The magnificent paintings that adorned the walls of the establishment were replaced with reproductions, or maybe some reproductions were replaced with others, but something was wrong. I don't think I will go to this restaurant again, although I have gone to it once or twice over the past eight years.
On the way back we walked around Kampa a little.
Photos from the Charles Bridge restaurant, Putin drank beer in this restaurant. Of course, it was a so-so event.
A few photos of magical, magical night Prague.
We were tired and didn’t have the strength to walk, so we went to bed.
To the Czech Republic by car. Into the mountains.
In the morning the weather was great, in the sun there was a slight plus, in the shade it was about zero. We walked around the shops a bit, buying gifts and baby clothes. We refreshed ourselves and got ready to move on.
We go to Vinogradskaya Street, this street leads us straight to E67
On Vinohradskaya Street in Prague, the mileage of our car exceeded 100,000 km, I wished it to drive ten more times the same amount, we move on.
It was getting dark.
We climb the mountains, there is snow in the fields. It's winter outside.
To the Czech Republic by car. Pec under Snezka
A little more and we are at the goal. Our hotel Horizon. The hotel has changed for the better, some renovations have been done. Wi-Fi has become free throughout the hotel. They were already waiting for us, check-in took no more than three minutes. We were given an excellent triple room on the 8th floor. We dropped our things and went to the restaurant at the Gvezda hotel that we loved so much last year. Here another disappointment awaited us. There was not a single visitor in the restaurant, although last year they had to look for a free place. This did not alarm us.
We were served by the same waiter as last year. But the cook has apparently changed. It started with the fact that the mixed (vegetable) salad we ordered was clearly not freshly prepared. The salad had been cut a few days ago and was in the refrigerator; the vegetables were frankly icy and swimming in their own juice. We called the waiter and said that we wouldn’t eat it. The waiter apologized twice and said he would bring a fresh one. I brought it, it was edible but not tasty. They brought it hot, everything was not tasty, the pork was frankly raw. We didn’t finish eating, we left, we won’t come here again. We decided to have dinner in the Horizon Hotel restaurants in the future. The decision was correct, we did not experience any more negative emotions from food.
The view from the window of our hotel, the eye rests. At least paint a picture.
There are two small minuses in the hotel, the first is the lack of a refrigerator in the room, there is a minibar, but it is sealed. It would also be possible to put kettles in the rooms. Although the price for tea in the restaurant was not high, and they brought lemon, honey, cookies with tea and everything was included in the price of tea. Beer bought on the way to Tesco, Budweiser for 10 crowns (16 rubles), Primator for 8 crowns (13 rubles). On the windowsill, all this got terribly hot in the sun, I had to put it on the floor. After breakfast we went up the mountain. Yes, the breakfasts at Horizon are wonderful, all the products are very high quality and tasty, there is a large selection of sausages and cheese. Hot omelet, sausages, porridge. The cook fries scrambled eggs and pancakes, sweets, cottage cheese, kefir, yoghurts, good juices, etc. Everything was so delicious that we ate a lot and after such a breakfast I only wanted to sleep and not ride.
Having difficulty obtaining the equipment, we climbed the mountain, and then it turned out that the two-year break from skiing had completely erased the skiing skills in our child’s head. He skated once, fell and said he wouldn’t skate again.
No amount of persuasion, threats or promises helped. I had to drive up to an instructor passing by and take the ski school’s phone number from him. Luckily for us, they had a girl instructor available, half an hour later she found us, we paid 800 CZK (1,300 rubles) for two hours of study, and lo and behold, the child immediately went.
After driving around for an hour, and taking advantage of the fact that the child was busy, we took a break at the cafe where we had a snack last year. Another disappointment - they stopped preparing the pizza that our child was so looking forward to. Thank God, my beloved Sviyany remained in place, only the price went up by three crowns, now 0.5 costs 28 (45 rubles) crowns, and the small one costs 23 (37 rubles). Having rested, we drove off to pick up the child.
In two hours the child restored his forgotten knowledge and, although slowly, skated quite well and was not afraid. We rode a little together, now we need to have lunch.
We returned to our cafe. Today they grilled sausages on the charcoal grill right outside, but for some reason this didn’t happen on other days. We always dined only in this cafe, outside in good weather and inside in bad weather. Always consistently high quality and tasty.
We ride a little more, it's time to go down. After skiing, a mandatory swimming pool and sauna, all included in the price. Having relaxed our tired muscles, we go to dinner.
One day we reserved a table in a restaurant on the 18th floor. The menu differs from the menu of the restaurant on the 3rd floor and is a little more expensive, and there is no draft beer with everything.
The view is beautiful, you can see the track illuminated for night skiing, but it got dark outside the window and there was nothing left of the view. The restaurant is open from 18.00. Reservations must be made in advance. I didn’t like it, it was a little expensive, the beer wasn’t right, and it wasn’t soulful at all.
We ordered garlic, by the way, the garlic at the bottom tastes better. In general, Horizont serves excellent garlic, one of the best we have tried in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The child ate this soup with pleasure.
Pike-perch fillet with brambo porridge. Pike perch is not bad.
Caesar salad. Edible, but nothing more.
To the Czech Republic by car. Back, snowstorm
The last day of skiing turned out to be foggy. The fog or low clouds were so dense that visibility on the mountain did not exceed 50-70 meters. In such weather you don't get much pleasure from riding. But in this weather it’s more fun to end your vacation. Everyone starts driving in the morning. We collected our things.
The weather in the morning was as foggy as yesterday. On the way, we stopped at the nearest Tesco and bought gifts and souvenirs. We bought several beers in one and a half liter plastic bottles, slivovitz, Tuzemak, a pack of 10 bottles of Svijany beer, and some wine. So I typed all this and thought about how to take it all through customs. Three liters of alcohol per person over 18 years of age (including beer) can be transported duty-free into the territory of the customs union; for the fourth and fifth liters, a duty of 10 euros per liter had to be paid; anything over five liters was taken away. I hid the bottles in my suitcases, in case it got carried away.
The weather was deteriorating; we had to travel about 700 km to Lublin. The navigator took us along a different road.
The road went mainly through small settlements. This turned out to be a mistake. It was Friday, and traffic jams began to form on the roads. In front of small towns, traffic jams delayed us for 10-20 minutes.
On top of everything, the weather began to deteriorate. It was raining.
The navigator got confused in the new exits to the highway. We had to follow a paper map for some time. I will say that this route was not successful; when crossing Poland, it is better to avoid narrow roads between cities and be afraid of everything connected with Warsaw.
The navigator started working again, we drove part of the way in the direction of Warsaw, then we had to go to Radom.
The weather deteriorated, the rain turned into heavy snow. The road began to be swept away, and on top of that we ended up in a line of trucks heading towards Warsaw. The maximum speed dropped to 60 km/h, and in some sections we were trudging along at 20 km/h.
Visibility has completely deteriorated. There is more snow. And then I liked how the Poles’ snow removal machines work. These are such healthy cars, twice the size of the ones we are used to, with a huge plow in front (or whatever it is called), such a car immediately cleans the entire road from the side of the road to the dividing strip and this car goes at the speed of the flow, i.e. 50-70 km /h. Snowplows appeared on the road about forty minutes after the snow began, and if not for them, we would not have reached our destination that night. The only thing that is very unpleasant is when this huge machine is rushing towards you, it seems that a huge plow is taking up the entire road and is now going to sweep you away.
I was afraid that the trucks would start to slip. And this is what happened in one town at a traffic light, but we managed to pass on the right before the traffic got into a dead traffic jam.
The flow of cars was getting denser. We arrived at a large traffic circle. We had to cross the circle straight to Radom. To the left the road went to Warsaw, to the right to Krakow, in the direction of Warsaw the traffic was dead. Thanks to the disciplined Poles that they did not make a circle, but stood and waited for the stream to move. This allowed us to cross the circle and go towards Radom,
We stood in a traffic jam at another traffic light near Radom and Lublin appeared on the signs. There were about 100 km left to the target. The time had passed one o'clock in the morning Moscow time. I'm tired.
To the Czech Republic by car. Lublin
These last 100 km were the most difficult of the entire trip; we drove for about two more hours. Towards the end, I turned on the four-wheel drive; the snow that had fallen began to freeze. We were in Lublin at about three o'clock in the morning Moscow time.
We stayed at the Mercury Hotel, the hotel is magnificent. The best room of our entire trip.
Nice beds with comfortable mattresses and new linen.
Tea set and mineral water are free.
The hotel left a very pleasant impression, and despite the short sleep, we had a rest. The only negative of the hotel is the price of breakfast. Accommodation at the hotel is not expensive: 195 zlotys (1950 rubles) triple room. But this price does not include breakfast. If you want to have breakfast, then pay 38 zlotys per adult (child is free) plus thirty-five zlotys for parking, as a result the hotel cost almost three thousand rubles. But we don't regret it, it was worth it, Breakfast was great.
We warm up our combat vehicle and head east. I am haunted by the question of how we will cross the border with so much alcohol. I really don’t want to give the surplus to Belarusians in line.
We leave from Lublin, 160 kilometers to the border. The roads have been cleaned and salted. Well done Poles, this is who our clumsy housing and communal services need to learn from.
We are approaching the border, twenty kilometers before the border a line of trucks has started, the police are driving them to the side of the road, we are driving along the oncoming traffic lane. I wonder how much they cost in this line?
The line of trucks turned to another checkpoint, leading us straight to Terespol. Such useful signs (pictured) are often found in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Belarus. Shows the temperature of asphalt and air.
To the Czech Republic by car. Border, Belarus
Pointer to Terespol.
The circle from which we began our journey through Poland.
Border. The queue - ten cars in each row. The line moves slowly. Tax free processing takes a long time. We spent about two hours going through the Polish side, applying for tax free and receiving money. In addition, the money was given to us at some godless exchange rate and with a crazy commission. The only bad memory of Poland.
The Belarusians fussed a little, running with bundles of sausage from car to car.
We passed the Belarusian side in fifteen minutes. We boldly turned into the green corridor, and the bulk of the cars were parked in the red one. A customs officer came up and asked where we were going and what was in the suitcases, I said dirty things. There were no more questions. They stamped our passports, gave us the documents, and here we are in Belarus. My mood lifted, all the bottles I chose with such love stayed with me.
And here we are in Belarus, everything is gray, dull and somehow hopeless. It seemed to me that since the last time I was in Belarus, everything around me had changed for the worse.
We stopped at a gas station. I discovered a funny and slightly disgusting monster sitting on the rear wheel hub. I've never seen anything like this before, it's creepy.
We are driving through Belarus, the road is completely empty, it’s freezing.
We arrived in Orsha around 11 pm Moscow time. We are staying at the Orsha Hotel, here, too, everything has changed for the worse. We praised this hotel so much when we stayed here. The rooms are smoky, sockets fall out of their sockets, the dishes in the room are dirty (we took a suite for almost 100 dollars). We will not go to this hotel again. Does anyone know a good hotel in Belarus located near M1?
In the morning it became even more frosty, it was more than 10 degrees below zero outside.
The sun is shining, the road is dry and clean, we fill up for the last time with cheap Belarusian gasoline. The distance to the house is about 600 km.
To the Czech Republic by car. Home
And here we are in Russia.
In populated areas there are traffic cops, measuring speed, and many cars come across.
We are on the Moscow Ring Road, the last 60 km to home we drove in a constant traffic jam, which began 20 km from Moscow. Thanks to grandfather Baturin.
