How to get to Český Krumlov

Český Krumlov is located 174 km south of Prague near the border with Austria.

There are a few ways to get to Český Krumlov. First of all you can rent a car in Prague. Although this option is more expensive it has an obvious advantage. On your way you will have a possibility to visit other places including the Hluboká Castle (Hluboká nad Vltavou) regarded as one of the most beautiful castles in the Czech Republic. It is located 34 km from Krumlov. If you are not afraid of late night driving you can stay in Krumlov until late and enjoy its wonderful night atmosphere.

The old town of Cesky Krumlov at twilight

The second way to get from Prague to Krumlov is to take a comfortable Student Agency’s direct shuttle bus.  There are a lot of disputes arising on the Internet about whether you need to book the tickets in advance or not. Judging from what I saw it is recommended to buy advance tickets. When we were going to Krumlov it was May 3 and it wasn’t a peak season but the bus was overcrowded.

The trip takes about 3 hours and the one-way ticket costs 200 CZK. On this website you can find bus and train schedules and book tickets. http://jizdnirady.idnes.cz/vlakyautobusymhdvse/spojeni/

Another way to get to Krumlov is by train. But there are no direct trains from Prague to Krumlov, so you have to change at Ceske Budejovice. Besides, they say that the Krumlov railway station is located quite far from the town centre.

Ceske Budejovice railway station

As for us, we chose the fourth way which is least well-known. It was me who created the route and we liked it very much. We went to Ceske Budejovice by train. The trains were far from modern but rather comfortable and empty. On our way we had an opportunity to enjoy various spectacular views such as fields, forests and villages that looked as if stuck in the past.

Spectacular view from train

Old cottage in the middle of nowhere

In Ceske Budejovice we got off the train, crossed the street and moved up to the bus station. As the trip was thoroughly planned we got on the bus to Krumlov after a short wait. The bus station in Krumlov is located just five minutes walking distance from the old town.

The whole trip including the waiting time took about 4 hours and cost us around 200 CZK. If you choose this way I recommend you to plan it in advance.

Now let us turn to the story about Český Krumlov and its sights.