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Voykit pocket guide · Czech Republic
Pardubice
Give Pardubice one night, or a half-day stop between Prague and Brno: the old town is 2 hours, the castle museum 1–2 more.
Pardubice is a 92,000-person rail hub on the Prague–Brno–Vienna line, about an hour from Prague, with a preserved old-town core, a Renaissance castle and a gingerbread tradition. It is a stop, not a base: the sights fit into half a day, and the big draws are seasonal race days rather than the town itself.
- Country
- Czech Republic
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (short days, cold, few events)
- Stay
- 1 night
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 1,400–2,400 Kč excl. bed · High 2,400 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 · 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 | 50–80 Kč |
| Lunch, daily-menu style | 130–200 Kč |
| Draft beer, 0.5 l | 40–60 Kč |
| Gingerbread (Pardubický perník) | 30–120 Kč |
| Castle museum or Green Gate tower entry | 50–150 Kč |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi ride3.1 mi (5 km) taxi ride | 150–220 Kč |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | 200–400 Kč |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- PED · Pardubice Airport
- Small civil and military field; few scheduled flights, mostly charter. Bus 90 links it to the station and centre, timed to arrivals.
- PRG · Václav Havel Airport Prague
- The practical airport: train or bus to Prague, then about 1 h by train to Pardubice.
Typical fares
- Train Prague → Pardubice
- about 120–280 Kč, about 1 h (check)
- Bus 90, airport → station
- 15 Kč from the machine, 20 Kč from the driver (check)
- Taxi, station → old town
- about 150–200 Kč (check)
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 minutes. Trolleybuses and buses cover the rest; buy a timed ticket from a machine or by card on board. The main station is 1.8 km (1.1 mi) west-south-west of the centre — walk it in about 25 min or take a bus.The centre is walkable end to end in about 20 minutes. Trolleybuses and buses cover the rest; buy a timed ticket from a machine or by card on board. The main station is 1.1 mi (1.8 km) west-south-west of the centre — walk it in about 25 min or take a bus.
See and do
Known for
- Velká pardubická steeplechase
- Golden Helmet motorcycle race
- Pardubice Castle and East Bohemia Museum
- Pardubický perník (gingerbread)
- Pardubice Brewery
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Kunětická hora castle | Bus or bike from Pardubice to Kunětice, then a walk up the hill | About 1 h |
| Kladruby nad Labem | Train or bus toward Přelouč/Chlumec, then local transport; 22 km (14 mi) westTrain or bus toward Přelouč/Chlumec, then local transport; 14 mi (22 km) west | 1–1.5 h |
| Ležáky memorial | Train or bus south toward Miřetice, then a walk; 30 km (19 mi) southTrain or bus south toward Miřetice, then a walk; 19 mi (30 km) south | 1.5–2 h |
| Hradec Králové | Train or bus, about 20–30 min | About 45 min |
| Litomyšl | Train with a change, or bus | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Old Town (Staré Město)
- Zámecká and Štrossova streets: walk to the castle, Green Gate and restaurants. Best for one night.
- Around the main station
- Cheaper and practical for early trains, but 1.8 km (1.1 mi) from the centre and short on evening life.Cheaper and practical for early trains, but 1.1 mi (1.8 km) from the centre and short on evening life.
- Zelené Předměstí
- Commercial streets, malls and bars; 10–15 min walk from the old town.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Dobrý denDOH-bree den |
| Thank you | DěkujiDYEH-koo-yi |
| Please / Here you are | ProsímPRO-seem |
| How much is it? | Kolik to stojí?KO-lik to STO-yee |
| Can I pay by card? | Můžu platit kartou?MOO-zhoo PLA-tit KAR-toh |
| The bill, please | Zaplatíme, prosímZA-pla-tee-meh PRO-seem |
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
- Main station is 1.8 km from the old town: allow 25 min on foot or a bus ride with bags.
- Race days (Velká pardubická in autumn, Golden Helmet in summer) fill hotels and roads: book ahead or avoid.
- Pardubice Airport has almost no scheduled service and no exchange office — one ATM only.
- Castle park gates close in the evening; the museum keeps separate, shorter hours.
Pardubice is a calm, low-risk city; the real issues are pickpockets around the station and on trams, dark riverside paths at night, and unposted bar tabs — ask the total before you order.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Pardubice yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Velká pardubická steeplechase
- Golden Helmet motorcycle race
- Pardubice Castle and East Bohemia Museum
- Pardubický perník (gingerbread)
- Pardubice Brewery
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- East Bohemia Museum, Pardubice Castle: www.vcm.cz/en/zamek/
- Wikivoyage: Pardubice, revision 5301341 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5301341
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Pardubice
Na tuto adresu, prosím
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Pardubice; most countries keep embassies in Prague (check the address before you need one).
Tipping: round up or about 10%, said to the server as you pay.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/pardubice). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.