The Czech Republic (Czechia) is a landlocked country in Central Europe; its capital is Prague on the Vltava river, and its currency is the Czech koruna (CZK), not the euro. We went for the Prague Christmas markets; this page covers the language, the time zone, how to get there and every Prague guide we have.
The currency of the Czech Republic is the Czech koruna (CZK; the currency symbol is Kč); the country is in the European Union but does not use the euro (official info, October 2026).
Prices in Prague are in koruna; about 24.5 CZK made one euro in early October 2026 (Czech National Bank, 2 October 2026). Some places take euros, but they give change in koruna at a poor rate.
Watch on YouTube · 2:36 Be careful at exchange offices: the sign may say "no commission", but the cut can reach 12 percent. On our trip to Czechia we brought euros and a card and tried not to change money at all; cards worked almost everywhere we went in Prague.
Got a poor rate at an exchange office? Czech National Bank rules give you 3 hours to undo an exchange of up to 1,000 euros at the same office, free (official info, October 2026).
The Czech Republic is located in Central Europe and has no coast; its capital city is Prague, on the Vltava river. It has four neighbours: Germany to the west and northwest, Poland to the north, Slovakia to the east and Austria to the south.
Prague is in the west of the country, about 2 hours from Dresden in Germany by bus and about 4 hours from Vienna by train. The map above marks where we went.
Yes. The official name is the Czech Republic (Česká republika); Czechia is the official short name, registered with the United Nations in 2016, and the official name did not change. Until 1993 the country was part of Czechoslovakia, together with Slovakia.
Czechia vs Czech Republic is a question of length, not of place: you will see both names on maps, airline sites and sports results. This Czechia travel guide uses Czech Republic, the name most travellers still search for.
The official language is Czech, a Slavic language very close to Slovak (official info, October 2026). In Prague we got by in English at the sights, hotels and restaurants. A few Czech words help at markets and cafés; the most useful ones, with audio, are in our Czech phrases guide.
Tap a dot to see the place and open its card. Borders from Natural Earth, dots at real coordinates.
Prague is the city we visited, and it is the most visited place in the Czech Republic. If you are looking for nice places to visit in the Czech Republic other than Prague, the two towns most often visited on a day trip are Český Krumlov and Karlovy Vary; Brno is the second largest city.
In Prague, the castle, Charles Bridge, the Astronomical Clock and Old Town Square are all within walking distance of each other; tickets and opening hours stop by stop are in things to do in Prague , and how many days to stay and how to get around are in our Prague travel guide .
Český Krumlov, a medieval town in the south, is one of the most popular day trips from Prague; we did not go, and most visitors go on a guided tour. Our own day trip went across the border: on the second day we took the bus to the Dresden Christmas market and were back in Prague at night.
Český Krumlov day trips from Prague Ad
Prague to Dresden train and bus times Ad
How many days: two to three days are enough for Prague itself; add a day for Český Krumlov or Dresden. With a week, continue by train to Vienna and then Budapest or Bratislava. That is the Czech Republic travel itinerary we would give a first timer: most of the things to do in the Czech Republic on a short trip are in Prague and one day trip.
The Czech Republic has been a member of the European Union since 1 May 2004 and part of the Schengen area since 21 December 2007 (official info, October 2026). It is your passport that decides the visa question; our Czech Republic visa guide goes through it country by country, with the 90/180 day rule and the EU Entry/Exit System.
Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Poland are in Schengen too, so the same entry covers Dresden, Vienna and Bratislava. Carry your passport anyway: when we crossed into Germany by bus, police stopped the bus and checked IDs.
Most international flights land at Václav Havel Airport Prague (PRG), west of the city. Our own way in was bus 59 from the terminal to Nádraží Veleslavín, then the green metro line A; a single 90 minute ticket did the lot, and the ride took about 35 minutes (official info, October 2026). Fares and the other airport options are in the Prague travel guide .
Trains are the easy way to combine the Czech Republic with its neighbours. We went from Prague to Vienna by train with a change in Břeclav, about 4 hours. From Prague, direct trains reach Berlin in roughly 4 hours and Budapest in close to 7 (6 hours 50 minutes); Dresden is 2 hours 20 minutes by rail or around 2 hours by bus (official info, October 2026).
Prague holds the country's most famous Christmas markets. On the Old Town and Wenceslas squares the stalls open at 10:00 and close at 22:00 every day, starting 28 November 2026 and closing for good on 6 January 2027; the smaller markets in Vinohrady start sooner but are gone after 24 December (official info, October 2026).
Our Christmas trip started in Prague. For dates, hours and food at all five markets see Prague Christmas markets ; for the onward route to Dresden and Vienna see the best Christmas markets in Europe .
The best known Czech foods are goulash served with knedlík (bread dumplings), roast duck with red cabbage and dumplings, and trdelník, the rolled pastry baked over coals at the Christmas markets.
In Prague we had trdelník at the Old Town Square stalls, then goulash in a bread loaf and a duck leg with dumplings a few streets away; every place and every bill is listed in what to eat in Prague guide. Czech cooking uses a lot of pork, so ask if you do not eat it.
On a first trip, make Prague your base; from the Old Town and the New Town you can walk everywhere. Our own hotel, EA Hotel Rokoko, is on Wenceslas Square in the New Town.
The four areas, who each one suits and the hotels we picked are in where to stay in Prague ; hotels in Český Krumlov, Karlovy Vary, Kutná Hora, Brno and Olomouc are in where to stay in the Czech Republic .
The Czech koruna (CZK, Kč), not the euro (official info, October 2026). About 24.5 CZK made one euro in early October 2026 (Czech National Bank). Cards work almost everywhere in Prague; avoid exchange offices that advertise "no commission".
No. EU member or not, Czechia never adopted the euro; you pay in koruna. Some shops take euros but give change in koruna at a poor rate, so pay by card or in koruna.
Yes. The Czech Republic is the official name and Czechia the official short name, registered with the United Nations in 2016. Until 1993 the country was part of Czechoslovakia.
Czech, a Slavic language close to Slovak. In Prague we got by in English at the sights, hotels and restaurants.
UTC+1 in winter (Central European Time) and UTC+2 in summer, with the clocks changing on the last Sundays of March and October. For most of the year Prague is six hours ahead of New York and one hour ahead of London.
Yes. It joined the EU on 1 May 2004 and the Schengen area on 21 December 2007 (official info, October 2026). That depends on the passport you hold.
Prague, on the Vltava river in the west of the country. It was also the capital of Czechoslovakia until 1993.
The Czech Republic uses type E sockets at 230 volts, so visitors from the US, Canada, the UK and Australia need a travel adapter.
+420. The emergency number is 112.
Experiences come from our own Christmas trip to Prague and Dresden. Currency, EU and Schengen dates, language and Christmas market dates are from official sources (official info, October 2026); the exchange rate is from the Czech National Bank; travel times are from the operators' timetables. Times and fees can change, so check before you go.
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