On the roads of the Czech Republic. What you need to know when traveling by car in the Czech Republic

When compiling the routes of our travels, we very often, at least by the edge, capture two or even three countries. I do not mean transit travel, we are talking about sights and stops not only for an overnight stay. This time we decided to go purely to the Czech Republic for several reasons, such as: a) the relative cheapness of the country, b) its richness in cultural and natural monuments. We finally decided to dedicate the whole trip to the Czech Republic and not combine the country with neighboring countries, or Slovakia. I doubt that before the new trip we will have time to tell in detail about all the places we have seen in the Czech Republic. But we will not hide the main route and the financial report. So,

To the Czech Republic by car. Travel preparation. Getting a Czech visa

We will not tire of repeating that for us the main part of preparation always rests on drawing up a clear travel plan. Even if there are visas, a certain trip pattern is needed to book hotels along the route. This time, in order to obtain a Czech Schengen multi-visa, the daily layout of the trip was translated into Czech using Google Translate, and attached to the questionnaires along with unpaid hotel reservations, insurance, copies of passports and other necessary documents, a list of which can be viewed.

To save money, this time we went not to the visa center, but to the Czech consulate, after making an appointment by phone. It took several days to get a visa - on February 28 they took the documents, on March 6 we received our new passports with a one-year visa. The Embassy of the Czech Republic is guaranteed to give a year if you are going to Europe not for the first time. “Beginners” are also given, but only short-term, for the dates of the trip.

This time we were pleasantly surprised that the visa was opened not from the day the documents were submitted, but from the first day of the trip. In the French embassy, they do not look at the duration of the trip, they give from the day of application. Therefore, you should not go to the French much ahead of time - they will immediately open a visa and the duration of the “exit” status will automatically decrease. I am focusing on this, because we are trying to “roll out” a visa in full and a month before its expiration we go on another trip. It is clear that now we are talking about multivisas.

And one more digression concerning preparation. This route is made taking into account personal preferences and the factor that we have already been to the Czech Republic three times. The trip plan included many previously seen places, we decided to return there due to neglect and their special appeal. Although our route may be suitable for an initial acquaintance with the country, adjusted for the fact that you love natural beauties and have nothing against the quiet and amazingly beautiful Czech province.

On the eve, we collect bags with practiced movements. (Details - in the article). We set one alarm clock at 4.15, the other at 4.30 (so as not to push in the bath at the same time) and at 5.15 our purely Czech journey begins.

Moscow - Domachevo - (Poland)

This day is described in full detail in two articles: ... and. Not included in only a very funny episode. As mentioned above, visas in our passports began to be valid on the first day of travel, that is, from March 27th. Somewhere in the Smolensk region, the journalist not only suddenly puzzled with the question: “What date is it today?”, But being completely sure that she was right, she voiced the answer aloud: “Today is the 26th! And we have visas from the 27th. What do we do?" The Head of the Expedition almost had a stroke from such a statement:
“What am I, a fool stuffed, or what?” Everything has been checked a thousand times! Today is the 27th, we're on the right track!
-No, today is the 26th! I know for sure. Let's go to Smolensk already, take a walk, and spend the night there.
The chief abruptly pulled over.
- Where did you get it? Where are the passports? What date is the visa?
I pulled out the documents, where it was written in black on white Czech on pink - 27-03-14.
- How can I find out the number? Let's call someone, - the Head of the Expedition was confused, picked up the phone and continued in a voice that was not at all angry:
- I will sue you, Strasbourg, for the protection of human rights, for perjury! Look at the phone, what date is written?
I glanced at my cell phone. Bright numbers on the display showed March 27, Thu. Yes, but it's not my fault, I was scared too!
- So what! But have fun!

And we had another 20 minutes of fun on the topic “What date is it today?”.

To the Czech Republic by car. Border crossing. Radzyn Podlaski

We completed the maximum task that day, but with significant losses. Trusting the navigator, we taxied in high spirits for about an hour, following his “smart” instructions, until we were horrified to find that he was pulling us on! We did not expect such meanness from this hellish machine. (For explanations on this, see articles and). The atlas of Polish roads was left at home. Our crew quickly found a solution - at the nearest gas station they got a new atlas (43 zł = about 500 rubles) and drove off, like in the good old days on the map, quarreling with the “shaitan-cars” and somehow reconciled with it already at the entrance to Czech Republic.

The journey took the whole day - exactly 12 hours. The navigator who came to his senses led to the Czech Republic by such goat paths that the car barely passed in width into the narrow throat of the border bridge.

In the very first village, Czech customs officers stopped our vehicle and slightly inspected the car. We aroused a completely understandable suspicion - well, what kind of respectable traveler, and not an evil smuggler, would think of climbing into such cracks? The inspection was very correct and friendly. Seeing the reservation in the village and asking to open the bags, the sovereign's people let us go in peace.

In Teplice, a small surprise was also expected - they did not expect us! Having mixed up the dates a bit when booking hotels, we canceled the reservation at this guest house and booked another date. The re-booking did not reach the manager and he was very surprised at our arrival. Everything ended well - we were settled in a good half-empty room.

We drank a glass of beer, walked through the village in pitch darkness, tired and happy that we had reached the coveted Czech Republic.

To the Czech Republic by car. – –

We are still living on Moscow time, it still differs from European time by 3 hours. Tomorrow the clocks will be changed in Europe, one more hour in our favor is essential. In the meantime, we jump up before dawn and go to explore the surroundings. Our flat gaze embraces with admiration the extraordinary, sunlit masses of rocks,

the chest inhales the air full of freshness, we enjoy the singing of birds, the cheerful overflow of a stream in a ravine.

I have nothing against heaven being like this!

We return to our "mountain shelter" and his host advises instead of the well-known to stay here in Teplice, he believes that the local views are no worse. We are in doubt because we planned. The owner, not finding serious arguments in favor of Teplice over Matthew, recommends not changing plans and we part ways warmly.

To the Czech Republic by car. Mount Jested

The Chief noted this point on his first trip to the Czech Republic, having spotted it from. This time we made the “ascent”.

Not missing the opportunity to get acquainted with the quality of the products of the Liberec brewer Konrad.

As always, at first they took a sip, and then remembered the photo album.

We limit ourselves to a close-up shot of the TV tower and leave the details for.

And we invite you to take a look at the only restaurant that was specially included in the program back in Moscow, and did not come across by chance, as usual.

Detenice. medieval tavern

and refreshed with coffee and cakes,

we go to Melnik - the patrimony of the living Prince Lobkovich.

On the way, we spontaneously stop at the Renaissance. He stood on a mountain near the road and did not have enough strength to drive past.

To the Czech Republic by car. Miller

In Melnik, we got to the castle without the boring accompaniment of a Czech guide. Visiting most of the local castles is possible only with organized groups, usually the tour is conducted in Czech, giving foreign tourists an accompanying text in their native language. On this trip, we escaped this fate for the only time - in the afternoon they waved their hand at us and let the “goat into the garden”. The flight reporter did not fail to take advantage of the hospitality of the owner and violated the ban on photography.

In my defense, I can say that if these pictures are used, then not at all for commercial purposes, but for the sake of enlightening those who are drawn to knowledge and supplying them with visual aids.

The first grain of doubt about the traditionality of beer was born in the castle. We tried the local red and rosé wine Melnik and bought a bottle to take with us.

Having made a traditional, but rather fluent detour of the town of Melnik,

satisfying hunger

and slightly thirsty, we left for Pilsen.

To the Czech Republic by car. Pilsen

The program of the day ended in a landmark place for Plzeň – “At the Salzman”. It was another restaurant, a visit to which we included in the mandatory program of our stay in the Czech Republic.

I didn't remember the type of beer.

Plans continued to

Although for the first time we examined Pilsen in great detail, the luxury of its architecture and our love for modernity again haunted us.

The flight reporter methodically, with all the details, filmed if not every, then almost every house of the architectural ensemble of the central square and nearby streets.

We planned the return to Pilsen for one single purpose -. We were there a couple of years ago. But for some mystical reason, the pictures disappeared, and the exposition is so interesting, the accompanying text of the audio guide is so lively, cheerful and even funny, that even for the second time we enjoyed this local museum inexpressibly.

Exhibit at the Brewery Museum in Pilsen. More details in the article

Street, .

Circling through its streets and generous libations of the divine drink, we diluted only with a visit to the castle. Acting on the principle of “drank in the morning - the whole day is free”, we decided to do away with “this boring and uninteresting business”, that is, by visiting the castle as early as possible. There we were told about the lords Rožemberks and Eggenbergs, the history of the castle is connected with their names. Immediately after its cold halls, the owners wanted to try the beer of the same name, which is still brewed in.

Beer "Eggenberg" can be tasted without departing from the ticket office of the castle.

And in the afternoon we spontaneously climbed the castle tower, hoping for the “correct sun”. We didn’t experience much pleasure or great disappointment from this event, so we won’t dissuade or advise the venerable public on a rather simple (after the Prachovski Rocks) ascent.

By the evening they were full.

But falling asleep, they said in unison: “We will definitely return to this city!”

8th day. April 3, Thursday. in - .

To the Czech Republic by car. Jindrichuv Hradec

The rest of the day was dedicated to him. The program included lunch,

aimless wandering around the purely Czech beautiful city,

looking after glass shops, light and music water show,

walk in and around it,

view of the city from panoramic points,

drinking alcoholic beverages.

“Solomon” dark did not impress much, “Vaigar” - I liked it very much.

9th day. April 4, Friday. – .

Tableware purchases.

Home The journalist bought only beautiful wine glasses and glasses for mulled wine. The rest fell apart.

An individual tour with a guide, whose presence excluded smuggled pictures, but did not interfere with reading the Russian text.

Then - a boring ride on the autobahn with a very mediocre road surface (Prague-Brno).

To the Czech Republic by car. Punk caves. Moravian Karst

The order of execution of the next two points of the program - the Pernstein castle - did not matter, they are approximately the same distance from our location -. But the popularity of the caves raised concerns that there could be many visitors there on Saturday. Therefore, we decided not to postpone the caves until tomorrow, if they can be seen today. The decision turned out to be very correct, again, the tour turned out to be individual, at the viewpoints we turned on the Russian sound recording. The sight is fabulous

mystical,

magic,

unearthly

and completely unexpected

especially for amateurs, to whom we rank ourselves. and in this journey we stood on a par with the rocky city of Adrspach in terms of the strength of impressions and the unexpectedness of what we saw. Neither photographs nor words can convey it, and we will not break copies in vain.

Pleasant surprises on this day did not end, unexpectedly, in a remote place, the hotel turned out to be the best throughout the entire route. We did not yet know that even the best room was waiting for us, but it was almost 2 times more expensive there - 1485 kroons against 950 in .

To the Czech Republic by car. Blansko. Olomochans

Having decided that there was nothing to do in the village for the whole evening, we drove to the neighboring one and made sure that Czech towns can also be mediocre. It turned out to be “simple, but clean”.

(I am reviewing the pictures and I think that the Czech Republic “snickered” to death, we would have such “simplicity”!)

Despite the fact that the Glavvreda had its own plans for that day, the news reporter realized that the life of ordinary Czechs once again remained securely hidden behind the cities, castles, and museums created by their ancestors.

Olomochans

Compensating for this shortcoming, she cheerfully went for a walk around Olomochany, tactlessly looking into the yards and examining

front gardens,

sheds, sheds,

chicken coops, beds, greenhouses and other attributes of the daily worries and aspirations of modern Czechs visible from behind the fences.

The head of the Expedition gritted his teeth. He found that visiting the castle and the next palace complex was much more important than chickens walking around the garden and separate garbage collection.

and, not without reason, he was worried that he would not see the palace in Kraměříž. Therefore, familiarization with the domestic side of the Czech Republic had to be curtailed,

until the grinding of teeth turned into an ominous clang with irreversible consequences.

To the Czech Republic by car. Pernstein

The issue with the plan of events for the designated day remained open, because some faint hope of visiting the palace still flickered. But the Tatra Museum in Kopřivnica was at stake! And if you wait until the opening of the residence of the Kroměříž bishops, then you could safely say goodbye to the opportunity to see the car model of Hanzelka and Sigmund and the Tatraplan presented to Stalin for the 70th anniversary. The flight reporter, feeling guilty for yesterday's unhealthy interest in the Czech gateways, was ready for great sacrifices. They were not needed, because the persistence of a couple of Russian tourists, rushing to the main museum of Kroměříž for the second day, softened the heart of the museum employee (it’s nice that sometimes “cadres decide everything” and a simple cashier can just say “yes”). We were added to an already ordered group, handed a traditional Russian text, and the German group and I set off to inspect the coveted interiors, observing along the way how to work (museum guide) and how not to (guide-translator of the group).

The ban on photography was also in effect in this museum, but we were surprised to see how the Germans unanimously pulled out their “soap dishes” and, without even turning off the flash, filmed everything and everything.

In order not to stand out from the group with a lean mine and a condemning look, the Journalist, under the instigation of the Head of the Expeditovich Glavvreda, overcome by remorse, blushing and embarrassed, clicked the SLR, convulsively and unsuccessfully trying to turn off the sound of the shutter.

In Kroměříž, the Russian emperor Alexander the light of Alexandrovich III is well remembered.

mnu 🙂

Satisfied with double luck (1. got to the museum, 2. photographed) and having celebrated this event in the garden of the palace with two glasses of “Starobrno”,

we finally realized that there was no particular fire anywhere and became closer to us than ever. True, it was required to cancel the hat museum in, which, due to negligence, the Journalist missed on the previous trip. It was the least she could do for her master, and the amputation of the headgear was completed without anesthesia. But as a consolation prize, she received a walk through the magnificent palace park and was even captured against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower.

I will not take bread from the Head of the Expedition, the time will come, he himself. I will confine myself to a picture of a satisfied visitor and say that the exposition touched even the “cold heart of the beauty”.

Next to the museum, a supermarket came in very handy, where we made the last Czech purchases for “home” and our crew only for the second time during the whole trip condescended to a snack bought in the store dry food (the first - on).

Seeing in the surroundings a pointer to the next ruins of the castle, we tried to drive up to it. But after looking at the time, the enterprise left it, not at all regretting the fruitless attempt. It was an impromptu city tour. Kopřivnice did not make an impression, and we hurried to the overlooked last time

And we find a variety equal, if not superior to "Trumpeter" in taste - "Ushak".

"Ushak" - dark, "Trumpeter" - light

But the “Walachian warriors with the governor” were not understood. Probably "Trumpeter" and "Ushak" are too good to be compared with other varieties. We satisfy our hunger there.

Grated cheese with garlic is served here separately.

Raw grated horseradish is served with clobasa. Brings you to tears!

And after a wonderful evening walk-memories, for the coming dream we are again celebrated in the same institution. We end the day with the traditional “Trumpeter” and “Ushak”.

To the Czech Republic by car. To the eastern border

You should have left early that day. Without foreseeing such a circumstance, we paid for breakfast in advance. Therefore, we had a good reason not to get up early and extend the date with at least a little. It was not possible to breathe in the county before death, and, like Chesky Krumlov, we say to Štramberk: “To the skhledanou!”

From Štramberk to the Polish border is within easy reach. On A-1, 20 km from the border, on the Polish side, a bridge is being built globally. Detour (temporary yellow signs) on local roads, following signs to “Lodz-Katowice”.

Passed in the evening, a little pleasant, but not fatal, the city from the western outskirts to the east passed in 50 minutes. We caught up with grocery purchases not far from the capital, if we were not mistaken, the town is called Kalyushin. We spotted a Topaz supermarket there - we bought everything we needed there. And after a few tens of meters we found our beloved “Bedronka”! Oh, to know the buyback .... But now we know!

We reached at 22.20, but this is already Moscow time.

From the Czech Republic by car. Way home

Before the border, we do not give ourselves concessions. We firmly set the alarm clock at 5.20, despite the fact that during the whole trip we didn’t wake up before 9.00 in Moscow. To save time, we do without morning coffee. At 6.45 we drive up to the Polish border, we get a reprimand from the border guard for first standing in another corridor. Chief Expeditovich retorts with the fact that there is a green traffic light.

After a sluggish inspection and an on-duty question about the amount of alcohol imported into the Republic of Belarus, at 7.20 we pass the last border barrier.

We had breakfast in RB. In a roadside cafe, for cashless payments, they concocted something like fried eggs and made good coffee for us. Interference Spravovna The journalist took a well-deserved day off, put the camera in the luggage compartment, which she still bitterly laments about. One road theme is spinning in her frivolous head, but without pictures, alas, it’s not interesting.

Due to the fact that our favorite cafe in the Smolensk region was closed at the very time when we arrived there, we had the “pleasure” to test the “Staroe Ruslo”. Crowded, expensive, tasteless, with an unnecessary claim on the road. It would be better if the soup was served hot. The hunger was satisfied, but nothing more.

Hopes for a calm, in view of the working day, entry into Moscow did not materialize. A global reconstruction is underway at the Minka with all the consequences, which are aggravated by Moscow rudeness. After Europe, it is very striking.

The last entry in the next road diary of the Journalist: “We entered the Novoarbatsky bridge at 20.05. We arrived at 8:30 pm. On this, let me take my leave and proceed to the lessons of travel.

To the Czech Republic by car. Travel Lessons

There were few of them this time. It is not without reason that we place the responsibility for all the troubles on Mr. V.A. Navigator and draw two conclusions for ourselves:
1. In addition to other necessary literature, always take with you a road atlas of Poland and other transit countries.
2. Do not rely blindly on the navigator, turn on your head to plan a route on the map and turn on the electronic device when searching for specific addresses in settlements.

Financial report. (The price of our trip to the Czech Republic by car in 2014)

The “dirty” result of this 13-day, 12-night trip is 76,000 rubles for two. Let's try to wash them clean of any bad excesses. As of April 2014, the ruble was worth 1.8 Czech crowns or 11.78 Polish zlotys, for convenience I counted 11.8
1.Traveling expenses. Almost everywhere they paid for gasoline by card, the amount was debited in rubles, so I’ll immediately give the amount in rubles: in Russia and the Republic of Belarus, 5267 rubles were paid for fuel in both directions, in Poland - 4451 rubles, in the Czech Republic - 3630 kroons (of which 310 kroons - “ nalepka”, road tax for toll roads). We paid 315 crowns for parking. Total 3945 kroons = 7101 rubles. Total: 16 819 rubles .
2.Hotels: 230 zł = 2773 rubles, 11464 crowns = 20644 rubles. Total: 23 417 rubles.
3.Food. Here the journalist went into a stupor. Should beer be included in the overall balance or not disclose the amount of alcohol consumed and consider it a bad excess? Usually, everything put into the mouth is entered in the “food” column and the differences between what is eaten and drunk are not taken into account. This time, for some unknown reason, a separate column “restaurants” appeared in the road magazine, and beer was entered in the column “food”. We will give here an extract from the travel diary and announce two separate figures.

So, restaurants: 110 zlotys = 1298 rubles, 5172 crowns = 9310 rubles, 200 rubles. in Belarus, 850 rubles. in the "Stary Rusl". Total: 11658 rubles.
3a. Beer and other drinks, small snacks: 100 rubles, 39 zł = 460 rubles, 1328 crowns = 2390 rubles. Total: 2 950 rubles.
4.Museums. Recall that we buy the most expensive tickets, with at least one permission to shoot. This time they did not use their official position, they paid honestly for all tickets, 3800 crowns = 6 984 rubles .
5.Literature. We bought, we buy and we will continue to buy, so for us this is a necessary budget item, we are including it.

There are countries, as if created for traveling by car. The Czech Republic is one of those. 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 the winter, remember: you will not be allowed into Europe on studded tires! Easy to rent a car upon arrival in the country. It is not bad to have with you the so-called "international rights" - a plain gray book that is a translation of your basic rights into the languages of the world. But Ordinary Russian rights are also suitable.

Renting an economy class minicar 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 profitable than at any other rental point, and this rule was valid in all rental organizations.

Parking in Prague

For us, as for most Russians, morally difficult to pay for parking. The quirky inquisitive mind, in addition to fabrications about the beauties of the country visited, is constantly looking for means to avoid unnecessary expenses. Somewhere there are loopholes.

Parking density in Prague.

In Prague, parking is mostly paid, in the districts of Prague 1, 2, 3 - paid almost always. But we, living in a botel in the center of Prague, found a free one: it was enough to carefully look at the map.

Botel is a hotel on a ship. The sy lived in the Matilda Botel.

She, of course, was always quite packed, but every time we found a place.

We walked around Prague on foot, only occasionally using public transport.

Walking around Prague - pleasing to the eye!

Walking around Prague - pleasing to the ear!

Walking around Prague - delight the scent!

By car within Prague, we went only to shopping centers and supermarkets: parking there is mostly free.

Parking, outlined in blue, from 6 pm to 9 am is allowed only for residents of the building in the neighborhood, at other times - for everyone who paid.

During the day there is paid parking for everyone, at night it is free, but only for local residents.

White marking - parking can be both free and paid from 9 to 18 (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. Prepare change - the change machine does not give. Put the parking ticket under the windshield. Pay close attention to the signs. Even if parking is paid, parking time can be limited, for example, to two hours on weekends, the rest of the time - without restrictions. Usually such difficulties are just in places near the sights.

We went to the castles of Křivoklát and found out the following: the most popular castles (there are about two and a half thousand of them in the Czech Republic) are paid parking lots, and quite expensive.

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 paid parking. So take it easy.

They made the strongest impression on us from everything that we saw in the Czech Republic except for Prague.

Karlovy Vary is impressive.

A stunningly beautiful resort for wealthy 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 by car to the promenade and the embankment: there is little parking there, it is expensive. We parked upstairs, found free parking.

In small towns such as Velkopopovitz, Krusovitz, you can find free parking.

Entrance to the territory of the factory Velkopopovitsky brewery. In front of the gate - I, above the gate - two goats.

Some features of the road

There is one interesting difference regarding traffic lights. If the green light is on, but the arrow to the right is not on, then you can turn (yielding pedestrians, of course). We did not know. Therefore, we were once maliciously signaled by some hot Czech.

Despite the fact that the Czech Republic is a beer country, the norm for blood alcohol content is zero. On the roads, they don’t stop specifically to let you breathe into a tube, but if you become a participant in an accident or you are stopped for an offense, it will be expensive. Bribes are not taken.

You need to park in the Czech Republic very carefully, following the rules: do not drive on the sidewalk, do not block exits, stand in the markings. The police generously issue fines and put blocks on the wheels, which are unlocked only after paying a fine (up to 5,000 kroons). Residents of the city actively help the police to detect such offenses: even if you parked crookedly in some distant nook and cranny 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 inadequacy on the roads is added by visiting Germans, who seem to love fast driving no less than Russians.

If someone in front of you signaled an emergency gang, he warns that he sees a traffic jam and will slow down. If the high beam flashes to you on the highway, you forgot to turn on the headlights.

Roads

Roads in the Czech Republic good quality but not perfect. Many transport routes are laid through tunnels through the mountains, we were impressed.

Czech road.

Highways are paid, but there are no barriers at the entrance or exit that we are used to. To drive through them, you need a “long-distance sign”, a vignette. It is sold at the post office or gas station, the minimum period for which it is bought is 10 days, the cost is 310 kroons, and the amount of the fine for its absence is 5000 kroons. It must be affixed to 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.

Autobahn in Germany is free, speed is limited in some places to 130 km per hour. In other places - not limited at all. Traffic jams can also be on the autobahns ...

German village.

Conclusion

We went to the Czech Republic very well, and having a car at hand allowed us to get to know this wonderful country a little closer. On the 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 Czech Republic, like all other European countries, has signed the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, so in the Czech Republic you can safely drive on Russian rights, however, some traffic rules differ from ours. In order not to run into unpleasant fines, I recommend that before traveling around the Czech Republic by car or when, read the differences between the rules of the road and ours.

Driving on the motorways of the Czech Republic is paid, so when entering the Czech Republic, you must definitely buy a vignette. Free roads are marked with a sign "Without Poplatků". Vignettes for cars weighing less than 3.5 tons are sold at gas stations and in special shops on the highway. Traveling on toll roads on a motorcycle is free.

The vignette must be attached in the lower right corner of the car windshield from the inside. An unattached vignette is considered invalid. The fine for driving on toll roads without a vignette is between 5,000 and 500,000 CZK.

Speed limit in the Czech Republic

There are speed limits in Czech cities and on highways.

Speed limit for cars and motorcycles:

In settlements - 50 km/h;
Outside the village - 90 km/h;
Highways within the city - 80 km/h;
Motorways outside the settlement - 130 km/h.

Speed limit for vehicles with a trailer:

In the village - 50 km/h;
Outside the village - 80 km/h;
On the motorway inside the settlement - 80 km/h;
On the highway - 80 km/h.

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 speed limit is 50 km/h.

Table of fines for speeding in the Czech Republic in CZK

In the Czech Republic, an error is applied when measuring the speed of a vehicle.

At speeds up to 100 km / h - 3 km / h.
At speeds over 100 km / h - 3%.

With radars in the bushes, you won’t see policemen here, but police cars that are disguised as civilians drive along the highways, so they can catch you for violating traffic rules. And so throughout the country cameras are installed everywhere, which are marked with the inscription Mereni rychlosti, which means "Speed measurement". So if you exceeded the speed limit, then you will receive a fine in the mail.

Alcohol

Current legislation regarding the consumption of alcoholic beverages while driving in the Czech Republic is very strict. The maximum legal blood alcohol level is 0.0‰. Those. in the Czech Republic it is forbidden to drive a vehicle even after drinking a small amount of alcohol. If the blood alcohol level is less than 0.3 ‰, the fine will be from 2,500 to 20,000 CZK (up to 800 Euros), and you will be deprived of a driver's license for a period of 6 months to 1 year. With a blood alcohol level of more than 0.3 ‰, the fine will be the same, only you will be awarded 7 penalty points. Refusal to pass a medical examination for intoxication entails a fine of up to 50,000 crowns (2,000 Euros) and deprivation of the right to drive a vehicle for a period of 1 to 2 years.

One way to get from Russia to Prague is by car. How to organize an independent trip to Prague from Russia by car, I will tell you in detail in this article.

Since air tickets are becoming more expensive every day, and traveling by train to Prague is very long and also not cheap, some travelers choose their personal car as a vehicle that can comfortably get to Prague.

By car, you can see many more places along the way, especially remote corners of Europe. No one will ever limit you in time. You can sleep for as long as you want, sit in a restaurant or as long as your soul wants, you will spend as much time in a museum or in another interesting place that you come across on your journey.

It is important to consider a few details when organizing your trip!

You have to drive very well to go on such a long journey.
You should have money for unforeseen expenses related to the car, for example, your tire may burst or something breaks, car repairs in Europe will cost you much more than in your homeland.
You must clearly plan the route and accurately calculate how many kilometers each day you can travel so as not to get so tired during the trip.
Get a good navigator with new maps. I saw how people on trips suffered with old badly working navigators or with maps in their phones that hung up and constantly because of them it was necessary to re-lay the route, and this is a waste of time and nerves.
Study in detail the features of each country and city in terms of parking, toll roads, features of traffic rules.

But first things first.

What documents are needed to travel to Prague by car

One of the most important questions that worries independent car travelers: "How to get a Schengen visa if you go to Prague and the Czech Republic in your car?".

In fact, there is nothing complicated. Before applying for a Schengen visa, you need to collect the following package of documents:

filled questionnaire for a Schengen visa.
Proof of stay(reservation of hotels all the way). I recommend booking hotels on the Hotellook website, prices are often lower than on booking, and there are even more offers! For a visa, you can simply print the hotel reservation. All consulates have been accepting printed hotel reservations for a long time, do not believe people who say that this method of confirming accommodation does not work.
Cash guarantees(bank statement). The amounts vary depending on the length of your stay. But, in addition to the funds for paying for the hotel, you must have at least 50 Euros per person.
Documents for the car(Copies of vehicle registration certificate).
Driver's license(copy), an international driving license is not required to travel to the Czech Republic.
International passport.
Medical insurance. I advise you to buy travel insurance for trips on a trusted site.
Green card for a car (car insurance).
Route sheet.

The itinerary is compiled in free form, you can make three columns: in the first we write the dates of the stop in a certain city, the second column is the name of the country, the third column is the address of the hotel.

After you have received a visa, you need to take the following documents on your trip:

Foreign passport with visa
Medical insurance
International Vehicle Insurance (Green Card)
Vehicle registration certificate
Driver's license
Printed hotel reservation

I would advise you to take a Russian passport and make copies of all visas and documents, you need to store them separately in a secluded place, you never know what happens on the road.

Expenses

When planning the cost of a road trip to the Czech Republic, try to take into account all the costs during the trip. After all, in addition to the usual expenses: hotel, food, restaurants, souvenirs, shopping, you will have expenses for a car: payment of toll roads, fuel, paid parking, car wash.

To get to the Czech Republic by car, you have to drive part of the way through Poland. In Poland, part of the motorways are paid, the distance traveled is paid. When entering the highway, you take a ticket in a special machine (which you keep during the whole journey) and pay a certain amount when leaving the highway. You can pay in Polish zlotys, in euros, in dollars or by bank card, change is issued only in zlotys.

Where to leave the car on a trip

I advise all travelers who conquer countries by car to always leave the car in guarded parking lots. It doesn't matter if it's private paid parking or secure parking at the hotel, remember: secure parking only. And it is advisable to travel by car with an alarm.

At the same time, whenever you leave the car, always take valuables with you: money, all documents and expensive equipment.

Remember, when traveling, tourists are always a tasty morsel for thieves and swindlers. Even though you are in Europe, car thefts are rampant here. Thieves are especially interested in money, expensive navigators and, of course, documents that can be sold very profitably on the black market. Based on my bitter experience and the experience of my friends, I can tell at least 5-6 sad stories when a side or rear window was simply broken in a car and people lost their iPhone, expensive navigation system, passports, all the money!

By the way, when booking hotels, choose only hotels with secure private parking. Some hotels go to the trick and indicate that they have free parking, and upon arrival it turns out that free parking is on the street without security, and you can even look for a place for about 20 minutes. And when booking a hotel, always indicate that you will be by car and you need parking. This is all the information regarding long-term parking.

If you drive into the castle or the city center by car, I also advise you to leave the car only in the parking lot. The cost of an hour of parking in Europe costs from 0.5 to 6 Euros. There are paid parking lots on the street, you need to throw money into a special machine, but such parking lots are not safe. If you want to park a car for free, then in the center of European cities it is very problematic to do this, if you parked incorrectly or did not pay, then they will at least put a shoe on the wheel and issue a fine, at most they will drag the car to a fine parking lot. When traveling, it is all costly, nervous and a lot of time, effort and money are spent on such problems. Therefore, remember, during the trip only paid guarded parking lots!

Traffic Laws

In addition to parking rules, it is worth studying the traffic rules and signs of the countries you are going to visit. Although the rules are almost the same, there are some differences. For example, radar detectors and DVRs are banned in some countries. The speed of movement on highways and in cities is different, there are differences in the passage of intersections. On the trip, you must take equipment that must be in the car, for example: fuses, lamps, Reflective vest for all persons. The fine for any kind of violation will be rather big, and excuses like: "I'm not local and did not know" will not help you.

Distance to Prague

Prague is located in the very center of Europe, and when traveling from Russia you will have to overcome the following distance from Moscow 1921 km, from St. Petersburg 1840 km. If you are interested in the distance from Prague to other cities, then I will give some figures: Munich 388 km, Dresden 147 km, Krakow 533, Vienna 331 km, Karlovy Vary 125 km, Berlin 349 km. If you are interested in the distances from Prague to all cities in Europe, go to the post "".

Between large cities, highways with 2 lanes in one direction are usually laid, occasionally there are two-lane roads. When plotting a route, always read the data on traffic jams and repair work on the tracks. After all, no one wants to drive on the highway at a speed of 30 km / h. It is also worth considering the fact that on Friday and Sunday evenings there are traffic jams on the tracks, especially in large cities. After all, a lot of Europeans go somewhere to unwind for the weekend. Therefore, try to avoid moving during this time or add extra time to the route.

Route

The route of travel should be approached with all responsibility. Calculate your itinerary so that you get to the busiest time at customs. And according to estimates, it is comfortable to overcome a distance of 200-500 km per day. If you try to drive more per day, you can get very tired, see little, and by the end of the trip you will be squeezed like a lemon. All the places you plan to visit, look at the map, choose where you will leave the car. Enter the main points of the route and hotels in the navigator. It is also worth considering how much time you will rest and what time to leave. It only seems that if you leave at 10 am, you will have time for everything, usually it is worth getting up early in order to reach your destination before nightfall, explore the city and check into a new hotel.

Traveling by car to Europe and, in fact, to the Czech Republic is not as difficult as it seems and has many advantages over other types of travel. The most important of them is that you plan your route yourself, stop where you want for the desired number of days. Moving in this way, you can visit a large number of cities and see many sights. And at the same time saving your money, in comparison with other modes of transport, will be impressive.

In our case, moving from Russia to the Czech city of Nepomuk, you can simultaneously enjoy a trip through Poland and the Czech Republic. Having reached your destination and staying at the Green Tree Hotel, you will receive excellent service and excellent rooms for little money. In addition, Nepomuk is very advantageously located between two must-see Czech cities, between Prague and Karlovy Vary. Both cities are about 120 km in different directions. 36 km from Nepomuk is the city of Pilsen, the beer capital of the world, with its famous Pilsensky Prazdroj (PLZENSKY PRAZDROJ, a. s.), where the most famous Czech beer brands have been brewed since 1842. In Plzeň you can take a tour of the brewery itself and the Brewery History Museum. Also, famous castles and churches will be located near you (see the excursion section). Traveling by car, you can easily visit all this.

Let us dwell in more detail on what is needed to travel to the Czech Republic by car:

Travel documents. You must have international passports with open visas. At the Polish customs, they are allowed strictly from the day from which the visa is open. You will wait even 40 minutes until the next day. In Poland, the time differs from Moscow - it is 2 hours behind in summer and 3 hours in winter.

Auto documents. You must have a vehicle registration certificate (registration certificate), driver's licenses for everyone who will drive and car insurance, the so-called "Green Card" (Green Card), an analogue of our OSAGO. You can buy it in Russia in several insurance companies, for example, such as RESO-Garantia, AlfaStrakhovanie, ZhASO Insurance Company, Alliance, Allianz, etc. The "Green Card" indicates in which countries it is valid (the price depends on this), but the most popular option is designed for all countries included in the system. For the first half of 2012, the price of the "Green Card" for 15 days, designed for all countries, is 1550 rubles. (may vary slightly depending on the insurance company).

The technical condition of the car must correspond to the long journey. The distance to our hotel in the Czech Republic in Nepomuk from Moscow is approximately 2100 - 2150 km, depending on the route. If you build a route from another city, do it in such a way that you do not have to cross unnecessary borders. From the territories located to the east of Moscow, in most cases, the most convenient route will pass through Moscow.

In Europe, they have a negative attitude towards the tinting of the front and front side windows. Therefore, it is not worth driving in a fully tinted car. If you drive in winter, then the wheels should be winter, but not studded. Or you will have to tear out the spikes with pliers near the border in order to drive further.

You must have a first aid kit, a warning triangle, a fire extinguisher and a reflective vest. The vest can be purchased at any workwear store, with reflective stripes. It is inexpensive.

The car must have a sticker RUS. As a rule, no one checks it, but it is better to let it be, for example, in the glove compartment, and it can be quickly glued. You can buy the sticker at auto parts stores.

Now directly about the trip. The route can be made to your taste, we will give an example of a proven route from Moscow, which passes through the following settlements: Moscow - Brest - Warsaw - Brno - Prague - Nepomuk.

It is most convenient to drive a distance during daylight hours that does not bother you, and stop for the night. Usually it is 1000-1200 km. Therefore, leaving early in the morning from Moscow, late in the evening or at night, you cross the Belarusian-Polish border and stop for the night in Poland, not far from the border. There are plenty of hotels there, they are all inexpensive and very decent, as a rule, with breakfast. Here are the coordinates of one of these hotels: Biala Podlaska, about 30 km from the border. Hotel Dukat, st. Warszawska 129 is right on the main road to Warsaw. You can book a room by writing an e-mail or by phone. A voucher will be sent to you as confirmation of your booking. The cost of accommodation will be about 40 EUR per quadruple room per night with morning breakfast

Leaving early in the morning from Biala Podlaska, and following the route indicated above, closer to night you will find yourself in the city of Nepomuk in the Czech Republic at the U Zeleneho Stromu (Green Tree) hotel.

In Poland, the condition of the roads is good, but many roads are being repaired, so the traffic on them is in one lane. Some of the roads go through villages where there is a speed limit. There are police patrols with radars.

Before the border with the Czech Republic, or immediately after crossing it, at the gas station you need to buy a "Vignette" - a payment for driving on the Czech autobahns and attach it to the windshield. Vignette costs 12-15 EUR for two weeks. You must buy and stick it, otherwise you will be fined at least 200 EUR.

In the Czech Republic, the route runs mainly along autobahns and the speed is high, but observe the speed limit, because. they have cops too.

Arriving at our hotel and resting, the next day you can choose trips to Prague, Karlovy Vary or Pilsen with their sights, visit famous Castles or choose one of the ready-made excursions listed on our website. Traveling in the Czech Republic by car, you have the opportunity to independently drive these routes

We wish you good luck and new discoveries!