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Voykit pocket guide · Czech Republic
Český Krumlov
Sleep one night in the old town: the day tours leave by 18:00 and the river loop is yours. Two nights only if you paddle or day-trip.
Český Krumlov is a 13,000-person castle town inside a bend of the Vltava, UNESCO-listed since 1992 and the second-largest castle complex in the country. It is small: the old town is a 15-minute walk end to end, and the point of staying overnight is that the coach groups are gone by dinner. Come for the castle and the river, not for a checklist.
- Country
- Czech Republic
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (crowds and river traffic), Christmas–New Year
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CZK
- Money
- Currency is the Czech koruna (CZK, Kč). Cards are widely accepted, including for small sums.
- Daily spend
- Budget 900–1,500 Kč excl. bed · Mid 1,500–2,800 Kč excl. bed · High 2,800 Kč+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- O2, T-Mobile and Vodafone sell prepaid SIMs; EU roaming covers EU SIMs at home prices.
- Emergency
- All emergencies (EU) 112 · Ambulance 155 · Police 158 · Fire 150
- Plugs
- Types C, E, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Type E sockets have a pin; German type F plugs fit with the hybrid E/F plug found on most chargers.
- Tipping
- Pub or café: Round up to the next ten or twenty koruna.; Restaurant: About 10%, told to the server when paying ('make it 500').; Taxi: Round up.; Tour guide: CZK 100–200 per person for a half-day.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Restaurants sell bottled water by default; ask for tap water if you want it.
- Toilets
- Station and shopping-centre toilets often charge CZK 10–20; restaurants reserve theirs for customers.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | 60–90 Kč |
| Half-litre of draught beer | 30–60 Kč |
| Main course in a tavern | 180–350 Kč |
| Canoe rental, per day | from 350 Kč |
| Raft rental, per day | from 1,200 Kč |
| Bus České Budějovice → Český Krumlov | 45 Kč |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | 400–700 Kč |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PRG · Václav Havel Airport Prague
- No direct rail link to Český Krumlov; bus or train via Prague, about 3 h
- LNZ · Linz Airport
- Shuttle transfers from Linz and Vienna run in summer; check operators
Typical fares
- Prague → Český Krumlov, RegioJet bus
- about 200 Kč, about 3 h (check)
- České Budějovice → Český Krumlov, local bus
- 45 Kč, about 45 min (check)
- Train station → old town, taxi
- about 100 Kč
- Local bus, station to terminal
- 10 Kč
Get around
Walk. Cobbles are uneven, so bring shoes with grip; the station is 15–20 min downhill from the centre. Local buses link the station and bus terminal for about 10 Kč. Bikes are for the trails outside town, not the lanes.
See and do
Known for
- Český Krumlov State Castle and Chateau
- Vltava river loop and rafting
- Baroque Castle Theatre
- UNESCO old town
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| České Budějovice | Bus from the terminal, about 45 min, 45 Kč | About 1 h |
| Holašovice | Bus via České Budějovice, then local bus or taxi | 1.5–2 h |
| Zlatá Koruna monastery | Local bus or train toward České Budějovice, then a short walk | About 45 min |
| Vyšší Brod and the Vltava | Train toward Černý Kříž, or a raft put-in | About 1 h by train |
| Jindřichův Hradec | Train with a change, about 2 h | 2–2.5 h |
Sleep
- Old town (Náměstí Svornosti and Horní)
- Everything on foot; book early for May–Sep and expect noise near the square.
- Latrán
- The street below the castle, between the Budějovická Gate and the castle; quiet at night, 5 min to the square.
- Plešivec / riverbank
- Across the river, 10–15 min walk up to the centre; cheaper rooms and parking.
- Near the bus terminal
- East of the square, 5–10 min walk in; practical for one night with a bag.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | PromiňtePRO-min-tye |
| Thank you | DěkujiDYEH-koo-yi |
| This one, please | Tohle, prosímTOH-leh PRO-seem |
| How much is it? | Kolik to stojí?KOH-lik toh STOH-yee |
| Can I pay by card? | Můžu platit kartou?MOO-zhoo PLA-tit KAR-toh |
| Where is the toilet? | Kde jsou toalety?gdeh soh TOH-a-leh-ti |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Dobrý den on entering shops; handshake with eye contact; avoid: Walking in and out without a word
- Names and titles: Use academic titles if given (pan inženýr, paní doktorka); avoid: First names with older people until invited
- Pubs: Share tables, put a coaster on the glass when you have had enough; avoid: Waving for the waiter; they will come
- Homes: Shoes off at the door; slippers are offered; avoid: Arriving empty-handed; bring flowers (odd numbers) or wine
- Conversation: Dry humour, understatement; avoid: Calling it 'Eastern Europe' or confusing it with Slovakia
- Queues and trams: Give seats to older people; let people out first; avoid: Loud phone calls on public transport
Scams and watch-outs
- Cobblestones are slick when wet and hard on wheeled bags.
- Weirs on the Vltava are dangerous: take a guided raft or get a briefing before tubing.
- Restaurants on the square can charge tourist prices; a half-litre of beer over about 30 Kč is a warning sign.
- Castle interiors and the Baroque Theatre are guided-tour only and sell out in summer; buy ahead.
- The castle complex is free to walk through, but individual sights are ticketed.
Very safe for a tourist town; the real risks are wet cobbles, river weirs and pickpockets in the summer crush on the square.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Český Krumlov yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Český Krumlov State Castle and Chateau
- Vltava river loop and rafting
- Baroque Castle Theatre
- UNESCO old town
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Český Krumlov official tourism site: www.ckrumlov.cz/
- Czech Railways (ČD): www.cd.cz/en/
- RegioJet: regiojet.cz/
- Wikivoyage: Český Krumlov, revision 5317203 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5317203
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Český Krumlov
Na tuto adresu, prosím
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies here; the US, UK and most others are in Prague. Consulates: check Prague listings.
Castle interiors and the Baroque Theatre are guided-tour only; buy tickets at the main office in the second courtyard.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/cesky-krumlov). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.