Located in central Europe, one of the best things about travelling in the Czech Republic (now known as Czechia FYI) for those of us on a budget, is how cheap this country is!
And having visited this country 5 times in my life (2 in the last 12 months in fact!) I can definitely attest to this!
Much much cheaper than adventuring in neighbouring Austria, or even Germany, the Czech Republic is probably the cheapest country in central Europe due, inevitably, to its Soviet historic route, which restrained economic development here for many decades now.
Now however, Czechia is a thriving and proud nation offering visitors a lot more than you might think!
From the Medieval capital of Prague – an eternal big hitter on any European itinerary – through to its beautiful areas of natural beauty, its famous Bohemian castles, not to mention its beer heritage and dazzling array of festivals, it’s clear there’s more to the Czech Republic than meets the eye!
So if you’re thinking of heading to this country and are wondering how much a trip here might cost you, then read on.
I’m bringing you my complete guide to the price of a Czech travel adventure so that you can start planning yours asap!
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Intro to this Czech Travel Budget
The first thing I’d encourage you to do, before you read this post, is head over to my 1 week Czech itinerary post and then come back here!
To give you some idea of what to expect in this country, this other article is a great read and will give you a really clear idea about the sort of things you might want to budget for in this country, as well as the general vibe of the place – which I have to say is pretty relaxed (music to many a budget travel ear!)
And then this article, (the one you’re reading now!) is going to bring you the full lowdown about what it cost to travel the Czech Republic – a budget based exactly on the 1 week Czech itinerary, which involves travelling as affordably as possible.
That said, this budget will also include a few splurges – things that wouldn’t generally be considered budget travel items but which, in Czechia, are well worth the expense, such as guided day trips to national parks and historic cities.
And now a bit more housekeeping…
This budget doesn’t include the cost of getting to Czechia, but thankfully a whole host of budget airlines, train as well bus companies service the country, meaning you can usually pick up a bargain to make your way here.
As always I recommend Skyscanner for finding the best flight deals and Flixbus for some awesome coach deals in Europe.
You can also get the train to Czechia too of course – and booking with Omio at least 4 weeks in advance will help you grab the best ticket prices.
Worth pointing out too, that this budget does not include any visa expenses or travel insurance costs, so don’t forget to factor those in as well.
Generally, most people will start their Czech travels in Prague, so it’s probably easiest to look to arrive here – unless you’re coming wast from Poland or north from Austria.
Czechia is part of the EU, which means the same entry requirements apply i.e. whatever visa you need (or don’t need) to enter the EU will also apply to the Czech Republic.
For many travellers from outside Europe, this will involve a Schengen visa. For EU nationals, no visas are required. For British passport holders, visas are not required for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
WWorld Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Buy at home or while travelling and claim online from anywhere in the world.
Alternatively, if you’re a long-term traveller, digital nomad or frequent remote worker seeking travel health cover, check out Safetywing’s Nomad Insurance policies.
And now, with housekeeping out of the way, I’m going to give you a breakdown of each travel expense category so that, if you are travelling to Czechia for longer than a week, or with a bit more / less cash, you can work out your own budget.
Then, at the end of this post, you’ll find the complete budget breakdown of my 7 day Czech trip, which details exactly how much to set aside for your travels
I hope it helps and that you have a wonderful time travelling this fab country too!
#1 Accommodation
Accommodation costs in Czechia are really reasonable, especially for central Europe and you can pick up some real bargains, especially if you are travelling as a couple or a group.
The one exception here does tend to be Prague, which is more popular and therefore more expensive, especially in the high summer season. At this time, Prague accommodation can be double the price of elsewhere in the country.
Hostels are common in the capital as a result – check out The Roadhouse Prague, which gets rave reviews – but outside of this, there are many local guesthouses or Airbnbs offering good prices too.
In guesthouses, standard double or twin rooms outside of the capital (usually including breakfast) range from €30- €80.
Otherwise, in Prague, check out Miss Sophie’s Downtown, which is right by the train station and is a top-rated boutique hotel with easy access to the Old Town that I loved.
Alternatively, low-mid range Airbnb apartments in the Czech Republic can be picked up for around €50- €100 a night – a real bargain if there’s a lot of you, as these spaces are often houses that sleep 2-4 people and include a kitchen space so you can prepare your own meals.
At the other extreme of the price range, luxury hotel stays in Prague can be 300€+ a night, like the amazing Grand Mark Prague, which offers a spa and fitness facilities amidst a 5 star experience.
#2 Transport
Transport costs can make a huge difference when it comes to the costs of travelling in the Czech Republic and will largely be dictated by whether you plan to use public transport while you are here, or rent a car, or see the country via an organised tour.
If you’re following my 1 week Czechia itinerary – or perhaps increasing to 10 days, but adding on Brno too – then you can easily make this trip using public transport and a couple of guided day trips.
I recommend Omio for booking your train / bus travel across the country, because they make everything simple easy to understand and book in English and accept payment in multiple currencies.
If you’re looking for some flexibility to create your own itinerary and perhaps want to explore more or base yourself outside of cities in the Czech Republic, then it will probably be best to rent a car.
Hiring a car is a cheaper option if there’s a group of you, but having to foot all the costs yourself if you’re a solo traveller, means your budget could soon start spiralling.
As a benchmark, a hire car with fully comp insurance can be picked up for around 70€ a day. If you have excess insurance, you can bring this cost down by not going fully comp and using your excess insurance to mop up the costs of any accidents you do have.
Of course, you’ll need to add fuel onto the rental costs of hiring a car, but this can be eliminated by renting an electric vehicle – although charging points are sadly not super common in the Czech Republic, so ensure you undertake some research on this in advance.
For the best deals on car hire in Czechia, check out DiscoverCars.
Alternatively, you can also take organised tours of the Czech Republic that includes a lot of the travel costs in their prices and will take all the organisation off your hands.
Check out these top picks.
#3 Activities, Day Trips & Entrances
And coming in at number 3, it’s another variable cost in your Czech travel budget, because it really depends how many tours and activities you do while you are here!
As I mentioned above, if you don’t have a car, then you probably will take at least a couple of day tours in this country to help you experience some of the best national parks and historic towns that can be accessed from Prague
If you have a rental car, or are travelling as part of an organised tour, then probably won’t have to pay for any guided day trips – apart from maybe a short brewery / winery or city tour.
When it comes to brewery tours, this monastic breweries segway tour in Prague gets great reviews and costs around 60€ per person or this historic Prague pub tour is another fav.
When it comes to city tours in the capital, check out this half day guided walking tour around Prague or this guided ebike full day trip to Karlstejn Castle.
However, across Czechia, you don’t really need to take any tours if you don’t want to – in the capital, for example, you can easily wander around for free and then enjoy free or cheap entrance to many of the churches, museums and gardens.
The exception here is the Hradčany Castle – grab your skip-the-line tickets here – and the Prague National Museum – buy tickets here – 2 attractions in this city that I highly recommend you check out.
If you’re looking for more short Prague adventures, then this paddle board one that would be really fun in the summer, or this electric trike one would be a great winter choice.
If you’re venturing beyond Prague on some epic day trips, then here’s my top picks which all cost between 50-150€ per person:
#4 Food & Drink
Following on from the activities, day trips and entrances budget section, it’s time to address every traveller’s favourite – food and drink.
In my humble opinion, especially as a vegetarian, the Czech Republic is the not the most amazing when it comes to food, so if you’re on a budget, I definitely wouldn’t spend big on this.
The country is, however, super famous for its beer, so if you want to get into the craft brewing scene, this is a good place to do it.
Outside of this (and to give you some idea), a coffee in a local café will cost you around 1€, a beer costs around 1.50€ and a gelato is around 2€.
A casual sandwich and drink lunch in a café is likely to be around 6€ and an evening pizza in a casual restaurant with a drink will set you back around 10€.
Limiting how much alcohol you consume in Czechia is an easy way to keep the budget even lower, but if you do enjoy a drink, sticking to local beer is a good way to go to keep things cheap!
This means you should be able to get by on as little as 20€ a day when it comes to eating and drinking if you keep things really minimal.
For those who want to indulge more, you could be looking at around 50-80€ per day – it just depends how much you like doing this stuff!
Final Czech Budget Breakdown
And here it is, the complete per person breakdown of what it costs to travel in the Czech Republic for 7 days at an affordable rate!
- 7x nights accommodation in a shared double room or group Airbnb – 270€
- 7x days of food and drink – 150€
- 2x day trips from Prague – 250€
- Entrance fees and short guided tours in various cities – 70€
- 2x trains journeys to cities outside Prague (Olomouc, Ostrava or Brno) – 70€
Total – 810€
I hope you’ve found this article about how much it costs to travel in the Czech Republic useful.
Is the total figure more or less than you expected?
I’d love to know what you think and also how much you’ve budgeted for / spent on your Czech travels.
And now, here’s a few other tips about travelling in this country that might be helpful…
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Mini Czech Travel Guide
How to Travel to Czechia?
If you’re coming from further afield to Czechia, it’s likely you’ll fly into Prague’s international airport.
Serviced by many budget airlines, I always use Skyscanner to get the best prices.
Otherwise, if you’re coming from nearby parts of central or eastern Europe, then it’s easy to travel to Czechia either via bus or train.
Check out Omio, where you can easily compare hundreds of journeys, view timetables, and buy tickets in English.
Alternatively, you can also take an organised tour to Czechia – check out these fantastic options for more info.
4 Key Packing Items for Czechia
#1 Good Camera – You will be pretty much snapping non-stop in Czechia and will need a good camera to do this gorgeous country justice. I highly recommend the Sony A6000, which I use for all my travels and love, not least because it’s light, compact and robust!
#2 Good Walking Shoes – There will be a lot of walking in Czechia, so make sure your feet are comfortable therefore with a pair of New Balance Trainers.
#3 Good Water Bottle – All that sightseeing is thirsty work, so make sure you have a metal water bottle that you can refill as you go, because Czech tap water is drinkable… and free!
#4 Good Day Pack – And to carry your water bottle, camera and guidebook, you’re going to need a decent backpack that will help you balance the weight as you walk the city streets. In my opinion, you can’t go past the Bobby Anti Theft Backpack, which is also perfect for helping you avoid pickpockets too.
Travel Insurance for Czechia
World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Buy at home or while travelling and claim online from anywhere in the world.
Alternatively, if you’re a long-term traveller, digital nomad or frequent remote worker seeking travel health cover, check out Safetywing’s Nomad Insurance policies.
Travel Money in Czechia
When it comes to getting paying for things in Czechia, you want to ensure you’re not being charged overseas transaction fees or getting poor exchange rates when using your card abroad, which is why I always take my Wise Card away with me.
The easy way to spend abroad with real exchange rates, no markups and no sneaky transaction fees, you can use your Wise card just like a debit card in Czechia… and it links easily with Google and Apple pay – sold! Get yours here.
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