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Voykit pocket guide · Czech Republic
Karlovy Vary
Sleep 1 night, 2 if you take spa treatments: walk the colonnade, drink from the springs, ride the Diana funicular, then move on.
Karlovy Vary is a spa town in West Bohemia, 2 h by bus or about 3 h 10 min by train from Prague, built around 12 hot springs along the Teplá river. The colonnades, Belle Époque facades and the Grandhotel Pupp are the draw; the town itself is small and walkable in a day. Most travellers come for one night, or as a stop between Prague and Germany.
- Country
- Czech Republic
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (cold, many spa hotels closed or quiet), early July (film festival: rooms sell out and prices spike)
- 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 900–1,400 Kč excl. bed · Mid 1,400–2,500 Kč excl. bed · High 2,500 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 112 · Ambulance 155 · Police 158
- 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 |
|---|---|
| Spa wafer (oplatky), warm from a stand | 20–40 Kč |
| Coffee | 45–80 Kč |
| Czech main course in a mid-range restaurant | 165–350 Kč |
| Beer, 0.5 l draught | 40–70 Kč |
| Becherovka museum tour | 100–250 Kč |
| Bus Prague → Karlovy Vary, one way | 155 Kč |
| Train Prague → Karlovy Vary, one way | from 159 Kč SuperAction, 331 Kč ordinary |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KLV · Karlovy Vary Airport
- Very few scheduled international routes; check before booking.
- PRG · Prague Václav Havel
- The practical choice: bus or train from Prague, about 2–3 h 10 min.
- NUE · Nuremberg
- Regional trains via Cheb, about 2 h 40 min with one change.
Typical fares
- Bus Prague Florenc → Karlovy Vary
- about 155 Kč, 2 h
- Train Prague → Karlovy Vary
- from 159 Kč SuperAction, 3 h 10 min
- Diana funicular, one way / round trip
- 100 Kč / 150 Kč
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is walkable end to end in about 20–25 min. Buses are cheap and a weekly pass also covers the Diana funicular. The funicular runs to the Diana tower; walking up through the forest is an option. Trains use two stations: the main station north of the centre and the lower station by the bus terminal.
See and do
Known for
- Hot springs and colonnades
- Grandhotel Pupp
- Becherovka
- Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
- Spa wafers
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Loket | Bus or train from Karlovy Vary, about 20–30 min | About 1 h |
| Mariánské Lázně | Regional train on line 149 through the Slavkov Forest | About 1 h |
| Františkovy Lázně | Train via Cheb, about 1 h 15 min | About 1.5 h |
| Cheb | Regional train on line 140, about 45–55 min | About 1 h |
| Aš | Train on line 142 via the Ore Mountains | About 1.5 h |
| Prague | Hourly bus from Florenc or Dejvická, or train every 2 h | 2–3 h 10 min |
Sleep
- Centre along the Teplá (Stará Louka / Tržiště)
- Colonnades, springs and restaurants on foot; noisiest and priciest, book ahead in July.
- Near the upper station (Horní nádraží)
- Quieter, 10–15 min walk downhill to the springs; good for early trains.
- Near the lower station and bus terminal (Dolní nádraží)
- Best for buses to Prague; western edge of the centre.
- Bohatice and the outskirts
- Guesthouses and camping, cheaper, 15–25 min walk or a short bus ride in.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Dobrý dendobree den |
| Thank you | Děkujidyekooyi |
| Please | Prosímproseem |
| How much is it? | Kolik to stojí?kolik to stoyee |
| Can I pay by card? | Můžu platit kartou?moozhoo platyit kartow |
| Where is the toilet? | Kde je toaleta?gde ye toaleta |
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
- Establishments on the river charge roughly double places 20 m off the main drag: compare before sitting.
- The film festival in early July fills hotels and raises prices; book months ahead or avoid those dates.
- Some spa hotels and treatments need booking in advance, and several close in winter.
- KLV airport has very few scheduled flights: check before planning around it.
Very safe for a spa town; the real risks are pickpockets in the colonnade crowds in July, overpriced riverside bars, and slippery paths on the forest walk to Diana in wet weather.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Karlovy Vary yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Hot springs and colonnades
- Grandhotel Pupp
- Becherovka
- Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
- Spa wafers
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Karlovy Vary tourism: www.karlovyvary.cz/en/
- City of Karlovy Vary: mmkv.cz/
- Czech Railways (ČD): www.cd.cz/en/
- Karlovy Vary International Film Festival: www.kviff.com/
- Wikivoyage: Karlovy Vary, revision 5320667 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5320667
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Karlovy Vary
Na tuto adresu, prosím
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Karlovy Vary; most countries are represented in Prague (check your embassy's site).
Tipping: round up or about 10%, told to the server as you pay.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/karlovy-vary). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.