CZ Czechia: how to get around

Czech drivers may seem aggressive sometimes, especially in Prague, but it is far from the "madness" found in some southern European countries.

The Czech Republic is a zero tolerance country for alcohol. It's illegal to drive a motor vehicle under the influence of any amount of alcohol (or other drugs), and violations are heavily punished. Every time a driver is stopped, he is given an alcohol breath test; if the driver looks suspicious, he is can be also given saliva drug test. For driving under the influence of alcohol, an on-the-spot fine can be issued (get a receipt). In case the drug is positive, the driver has to be taken to hospital for blood tests and can only be penalised based on the results of these blood tests. There have been a few cases of policemen using already positive drug tests and demanding bribes.

In order to drive on the well-kept motorways, however, you need to purchase a vignette unless you're riding a motorcycle. These vignettes cost 310 Kč in 2023 for ten days (for vehicles lighter than 3.5 tonnes), but can be purchased for longer periods of time (1 month for 440 Kč or 1,500 Kč for a year). If you don't buy a vignette when you drive on the motorways, the fines can be very steep (5,000 Kč minimum). Since 2021, the vignette is no longer a physical sticker, but is available to be bought online. It can also be bought at post offices and EuroOil gas stations. Make certain that you purchase the correct vignette: there are those for vehicles under 3.5 tonnes in weight and those for vehicles between 3.5 and 12 tonnes.

The condition of many roads is continually improving, but to be economical and fast, drive on the motorways as much as possible, although if you want to get to remote parts of the country you will not avoid side roads that may be a little bumpy sometimes. Even after reconstruction, second-class roads in the countryside are often quite narrow, without a dividing line in the middle.

Speed limits in the Czech Republic are usually 130 km/h (81 mph) on motorways, 90 km/h (56 mph) off the motorways, and 50 km/h (31 mph) in towns – on small sections of the D3 motorway, 150 km/h (93 mph) limits can be found, depending on road and weather conditions. Petrol is cheaper than in the rest of Europe (40 Kč, May 2022). If driving for a longer distance, it is economical to shop around for petrol - the price range between petrol stations is extremely wide. Petrol can cost 50 Kč at a highway petrol station and 40 Kč in a small town nearby. Petrol stations belonging to the ONO chain usually have the cheapest petrol. There are usually three or more kinds of car fuel label;ed by different colours - black is diesel, green is gasoline. 98 petrol (premium), 95 petrol (standard) and 92 petrol (not recommended) are usually available.

Traffic fines can usually be paid on the spot, but always demand a receipt.

The use of either daytime running lights (DLR) or dipped headlights is mandatory even during daytime all year. Failure to have your lights on while driving may result in a police fine.

Compulsory equipment includes

• first-aid kit,
• spare tire or tools for tire repair (does not apply if you have roadside assistance which includes tire replacement service),
• warning triangle (not required for motorcycles),
• reflective jacket.

Trains in Czech Republic are operated mostly by state-owned company České Dráhy (Czech Railways). RegioJet (a subsidiary of Student Agency) and LeoExpress operate modernised trains between Prague and Ostrava.

The trains go to the most remote locations of the Czech Republic and unlike buses, they usually operate regularly during off-peak hours and during weekends. However, outside the modernised main corridors, the standard of travelling is often the same as it was in the 1970s, and therefore it is quite time-consuming to get to the provincial towns or villages, the trains tending to meander around the countryside.

• Osobní vlak (Os) - regional local train, stops everywhere.
• Spěšný vlak (Sp) - regional fast train, skips villages.
• Rychlík (R) - long-distance interregional express train, stops in bigger towns and cities only.
• Rychlík vyšší kvality (Rx) - higher quality long-distance interregional express train, stops in bigger towns and cities only.
• Express (Ex) - higher quality long-distance interregional express train, stops in major cities only.
• EuroCity (EC) - highest quality international long-distance express train, stops in biggest cities only.
• InterCity (IC) - highest quality national long-distance express train, stops in biggest cities only.
• RailJet (rj) - highest quality international long-distance express train, stops in biggest cities only.
• SuperCity (SC) - highest quality national long-distance express train, stops in biggest cities only.
• EuroNight (EN) - highest quality international overnight long-distance express train, stops in biggest cities only.

Tickets should be bought online in advance - Czech Railways, which run on all national and international long-distance routes as well as on the vast majority (99%) of local railways, or Leo Express (Czech only) and Regiojet, the privately held companies, operating trains only on the Prague-Ostrava long-distance route. In each case, there are many advantages compared to buying at the ticket office: tickets are cheaper when bought in advance and the system automatically recommends the cheapest variant (sparing you the trouble of going through the, often Byzantine, tariffs). Visiting the ticket office is only necessary when paying with cash or when needing some special kinds of fares (for example, sleeping car reservations) unavailable online. Ticket purchased online don't have to be printed: It's usually enough to show the pdf file to the conductor on a laptop or tablet screen. The main disadvantage when buying tickets on-line is the need to supply the traveller's name and the number of a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license or a passport. You can usually cancel the online ticket for a small fee up to 15 minutes before departure.

The normal train ticket price on the ČD trains, always available even immediately prior to the departure, can be discouraging (roughly 1.40 Kč per km), but Czech Railways (ČD) offer plenty of discounts. Return tickets give you a 5% discount, and a group of travellers (even two travellers are considered as a "group") is treated roughly as "first person pays full price, others pay half price". Therefore, ask for "skupinová sleva" (group discount) and/or "zpáteční sleva" (return discount).

Regular travellers can use a ČD loyalty card, called In-karta, which comes in varieties of 25%, 50% and 100% discount for train tickets (although some tickets may get a lower or no discount) and can quickly pay for itself. The 3-month 25% In-Karta costs 190 Kč whereas the one year 100% discount card gives you free rides for a year at 19,990 Kč. The price of the 25% In-Karta will pay for itself quickly. You have to fill in an application form at the ticket counter and provide a photograph. You will get a temporary paper card immediately and start using the discount. After three weeks you will get a plastic chip card.

On the route between Prague and Ostrava, you can choose between three competing rail carriers: the national Czech Railways (operating both standard "Ex" and premium "SC" trains) and privately held IC RegioJet and LeoExpress (LE) trains. Considering price, LE, Ex and IC trains are equivalent (about 295 Kč), while the SC trains cost usually about 100 Kč more. Speed-wise, SC is the fastest, followed closely by LE, while IC and Ex lag behind. The on-board service is better on the LE and IC trains.

If you travel in a group on weekends or public holidays, you can buy a Group weekend ticket for unlimited travel until midnight on any one eligible day. It is valid for group up to 2 adults and 3 children. The pass is valid in all trains including IC and EC, but in SC you need to buy a seat reservation for additional 200 Kč (or less, for less-frequented times). The whole-network variant costs 600 Kč and regional variant costs 200 to 275 Kč. Buying online and printing the ticket yourself gives you a small discount of 3% and you'll avoid the queue at the station.

Although many train stations were repaired and modernized, the rest is still like a trip back in time to the communist era. Try to avoid them in the late night hours. Trains are generally safe (there are regular police guards assigned for fast trains) and very popular mean of transport and they are widely used both by students and commuters. Therefore, especially the principal rail axis Praha-Pardubice-Olomouc-Ostrava is crowded during peak times (Friday and Sunday afternoon) and seat reservation is recommended.

Prague has a pretty good network of local trains connecting it with suburbs and surrounding cities called Esko (S-Bahn). The Prague public transport tickets (e.g. 32 Kč for 90 minutes) are valid on these trains (Os and Sp category) for travel within the area of Prague.

If you want to visit the dining car in the Czech Railways (České dráhy) train (the blue one), try to do so while the train is inside of the Czech Republic. While the train is in the Czech Republic, you can get some good and tasty meals (even traditional ones like "Svíčková") for around 150 Kč. If you order while the train is outside of the Czech Republic/Slovakia/Hungary, you will be charged almost double the price. This is not scam, it is official policy of the company.

The basic ticket for bike costs 25 Kč for one train or 50 Kč for whole day. You load and unload your bike by yourself. Long-distance trains (with suitcase symbol in timetable) have a luggage wagon, where the train staff will care of your bike, but the ticket costs 30 Kč for one train or 60 Kč for a whole day. Some trains (with squared bike or suitcase symbol in timetable) require compulsory reservation for bikes for 15 Kč at counter or 100 Kč from train staff.

Smaller pets in cages or bags may travel for free. Bigger dogs must have a muzzle and must be on a leash and you have to pay a fee.

Ride-hailing is available in Czech Republic and the following are the most anticipated providers:

• Bolt. Includes many towns. (updated Jul 2020)
• Uber. Works in Prague and Brno. (updated Jun 2021)
• Liftago. Works in regional cities. Focuses on certified taxis and reputation system. (updated Nov 2025)

The Czech Republic is an excellent place for cycling. There are lots of pleasant country lanes, cycling marked paths and picturesque villages along these paths (always with a pub), it's easy to find the way, and the trains have bicycle racks in the baggage section for when you get tired. Try cycling in South Moravia region (close to Austrian borders) where you can find dozens of well-marked paths that will lead you through beautiful countryside full of vineyards, vine cellars and colourful villages.

Also border mountains (Krkonoše, Šumava, Jeseníky, etc.) are more and more popular among mountain-bikers. There are usually no fences along the trails but always keep to the roads or marked cycling paths here as these mountains are National Parks/Reserves and you can be fined if you cycle "off the beaten track".

Mapy.cz [1] is a good source for cycling information - switch the map (via Změnit mapu - Turistická) to see cycling routes in violet color.

In addition to walking in the cities, there are a great number of hiking paths and scenery-rich trails going through the Czech Republic's forests and natural areas, and the Czech Tourist Club (Klub českých turistů) has mapped and marked these trails so that walkers can easily locate and navigate thousands of kilometres of scenic paths, in fact it is probably the best maintained system of marking in Europe. You can buy maps of their paths on their website [2], or in the Czech Republic in most bookstores, tobacco shops or museums (green maps, marked with the organization's symbol and the words EDICE TURISTICKÝCH MAP KČT 1:50000 [3] at the top). These maps are based on military maps and very accurate. It's also possible to go by train to a small village at the edge of a forest and find the on-site map of the surrounding area, and four possible paths will be visible, marked in red, yellow, green, and blue nice tourist maps [4]. Nearby such a map will be a set of directing signs, usually posted to a tree, pointing the direction on any of the coloured paths. The path's colour will be marked on trees throughout the path: three short horizontal bars, the outer two white and the innermost the colour of the path you're on. This symbol at times will appear as an arrow, indicating a turn. Bus and train stops will also be indicated on signs. You can also register to become a member [5] of the Czech Tourist Club, where you can camp for 30–50 Kč a night in cottages [6] around the Czech Republic.

Hitchhiking is very common and some drivers stop even on places where they shouldn't.

Take care to use very a clear gesture with the thumb pointing upwards. A gesture looking like you are pointing to the ground may be mistaken for prostitution solicitation.

As a word of advice, if you are hitch-hiking through the Czech Republic from the south to the German town of Dresden, never go to or past Prague unless you are in a ride going all the way to Dresden. Prague itself has no major and continuous beltway, so residents of the area must maneuver a ring of major and local roads to get around the city from south to north. Therefore, the great majority of traffic you will encounter is going into the city. Past Prague, the major highway turns into a two-lane mountain road through local villages, in which again, the great majority of traffic is local and international travelers are hesitant to stop.

Try a letter-sized (A4) piece of paper with the destination written on it so it is clearly visible where you would like to go. See some other Tips for hitchhiking.

It is possible to hitch-hike with smaller dog, although "waiting time" will be longer. Expect another dog in the car.