Karlovy Vary is a world famous resort and one of the most visited cities in the Czech Republic. If you are going to go to these parts for rest or treatment, you should find out in advance how to get from Moscow to Karlovy Vary, and draw up the best route for your trip. It should be borne in mind that there is a considerable distance to overcome - about two thousand kilometers, therefore, it is necessary to take into account the time that will have to be spent on the road. Due to a wrongly constructed route, it takes a very long time to get to Karlovy Vary, losing precious days of a long-awaited vacation.
Possible ways of travel
You can get to Karlovy Vary from Moscow by plane, train, bus and car. Moreover, each of the options has its own characteristics:
| Way | Cost, EUR | Travel time | Notes (edit) |
|---|---|---|---|
| By train | 200-300 euros from Moscow to Prague 6.22 euros from Prague to Karlovy Vary | About 31 hours + road to the railway station in Moscow | We'll have to change trains in Prague. You can travel by train through Berlin (also with a transfer), but it will be longer and more expensive. |
| By plane | Ticket - from 42 euros. By public transport to / from the airport - from 4 euros | Flight time - 2 hours 45 minutes + 30 minutes drive to the airport +1 hour check-in | The route can be with a change in Prague. See the city and then take a bus or train to Karlovy Vary. |
| By car | From 240 euros for gasoline. "Green Card" - from 29 euros. Toll roads - from 12 euros | About one and a half days (without sleep and rest) + from 1 hour at each border | The trip passes through several countries, so you need an international driver's license, “Green Card”, “travel card” for toll roads. |
| By bus | 66 euros from Moscow to Riga, 60 euros from Riga to Prague, 6.60 euros from Prague to Karlovy Vary | About 38 hours | We will have to make two transfers: in Riga (Latvia) and in Prague (Czech Republic). |
How to get to Karlovy Vary by train
Unfortunately, there is no way to take a direct train - it simply does not exist. The route involves one change: the best option is in Prague. The route built using the official website of Russian Railways looks like this:
- At the Teatralnaya metro station, switch to line 2. Metro trains run every 10 minutes, and you only have 5 minutes to go. Get off at the station "Belorusskaya".
- At the Moscow Belorusskaya railway station, take the Express train number 21. It departs once a week on Mondays at 18.43. Carrier Russian Railways (RZhD). You will spend 25 hours 53 minutes on the way.
Railway tickets cost differently - prices depend on the compartment class: 2nd class for an adult - from 203 euros, SV compartment - from 300 euros. Various discounts are available. For example, for children under 12 years old, tickets can be purchased at half price. For passengers over 60 and from 12 to 25 years old, a discount of 30% of the ticket price is provided.
- Get off at the station “Praha hl.n” and change to the direct train to Karlovy Vary (it is advisable to pre-book tickets on the carrier's website). The route is popular, so trains run almost every 2 hours from 05.20 am to 17.30 pm. The cost of a ticket to the carriage is 6.22 euros. Travel time - 3 hours 9 minutes.
Be careful: railways in the Czech Republic also offer several trains following this route, but with transfers. Therefore, they drive to their destination for almost 5 hours.
In Karlovy Vary, the train arrives at an old train station, from which you can get anywhere in the city.
How to get there by plane
The fastest way to get to Karlovy Vary is by direct flight, as the minimum flight time is only 1 hour and 40 minutes.
In order to get to the airport, you need to take line No. 2 in the Teatralnaya metro station and get off at the Belorusskaya station. At the Belorussky Rail Terminal, take the Aeroexpress Belorussky - Sheremetyevo, which runs every half hour (carrier Moscow Aeroexpress). On the way, you will spend 35 minutes and get off near the Sheremetyevo airport.
Next, you need to choose a suitable flight, since there are direct and connecting flights from both major airlines and low-cost airlines:
- Czech Airlines (“Czech Airlines”) operates flights every Sunday. A ticket will cost from 18 490 rubles (250 euros) for economy class. The flight lasts 1 hour 55 minutes. Departure from Sheremetyevo at 13.00, arrival at Karlovy Vary airport at 14.55. Flight SU 3614 Airbus A319.
- Flights from Pobeda airline from Vnukovo airport. The airline offers budget flight options - you can buy a plane ticket for only 42 euros. True, the ticket price includes only hand luggage, so this option is suitable for those who travel to the city for only a couple of days. If you plan to stay in Karlovy Vary longer, you will have to pay extra for your luggage at the airport. The plane leaves at 09.35 am and arrives at Karlovy Vary airport at 11.15 am. Keep in mind that cheap tickets sell out quickly, so you need to book them as early as possible.
Cheap flights and discounts are provided for children:
- up to two years - free of charge;
- up to 12 years old - 30% of the ticket price;
- after 12 years the full cost of the ticket must be paid.
There are also transit flights. The most popular of them are via Prague, for example, from Aeroflot from Sheremetyevo airport.
- Buy a ticket to Prague on the aeroflot.ru website. The minimum cost is from 140 euros per person one way.
- RegioJet buses will take you from Vaclav Havel Airport to the city center. Such a trip costs 2.60 euros and takes 40 minutes. Buses run every hour from 06.35 am to 21.35 pm. You can also use a taxi service in the Czech Republic. It will cost from 15 euros.
- If you want to get directly to the central bus station in Karlovy Vary, there is a bus route Vaclav Havel - Karlovy Vary from Prague airport. The bus ticket price is 6.40 euros. It takes 1 hour and 45 minutes to go.
According to the bus schedule, buses leave every hour, starting at 7 am and ending at 22.00. The bus departs from the central bus station and makes a stop at the airport, so you can board it both at the bus station and exiting the terminal. Transportation is carried out by the RegioJet company.
Alternative carrier FlixBus will take you to your destination in just an hour and a half. You can also get from Prague to Karlovy Vary by train of Czech railways. And although the price is almost the same as for the bus - 6.60 euros, the travel time is more than 3 hours (if without a change).
How to get to Karlovy Vary by car
The distance between Moscow and Karlovy Vary is 2021 km. Depending on the car, you need to spend about 240 liters of gasoline on the road at a consumption of 12 liters per 100 kilometers. Thus, a round trip to the Czech Republic by car will require 480 liters of gasoline.
In Russia, the average cost of gasoline is 0.70 euros per liter, and in the Czech Republic - 1.30 euros per liter (98 gasoline). At the same time, a liter of diesel fuel costs 1.23 euros in the Czech Republic and 0.59 euros in Russia. Based on this, a one-way trip will cost from 200 to 300 euros. To make it cheaper, you can take passengers with you using the BlaBlaCar service.
Keep in mind that even following the shortest route, you will have to travel several countries (Belarus, Poland) where fuel prices change, hence the price range:
| Country | Gasoline 95 | Gasoline 98 | Diesel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belarus | 0.59 EUR | 0.64 EUR | 0.59 EUR |
| Poland | 1.18 EUR | 1.23 EUR | 1.16 EUR |
| Russia | 0.62 EUR | 0.70 EUR | 0.59 EUR |
| Czech | 1.26 EUR | 1.30 EUR | 1.23 EUR |
According to the Vienna Convention, drivers from Russia only need a standard driver's license to drive through the territory of Belarus, Poland and the Czech Republic. But in order to be on the safe side, it is still better to formalize international law.
In addition, drivers and passengers will need a Green Card policy to travel across Europe. In 2021, you can buy it by paying from 2,190 rubles for a document valid for 15 days.
To travel on a route with toll roads, you need to purchase a special vignette that permits this passage.The cheapest vignette costs 12 euros, which entitles you to drive on toll roads for 10 days.
If you wish, you can not go by car from Russia, but, having arrived from Moscow, for example, to Prague, you can rent a car right at the airport. The rental price depends on the class of the car, the minimum cost is from 38 euros / day. The longer the rental period, the lower the daily rate.
How to get to Karlovy Vary by bus
Buses in the Czech Republic are a popular form of transport. However, there is one drawback: there are no direct bus services to Karlovy Vary. True, you can get there with a transfer by ordering tickets online at ecolines.net:
- From metro "Tushinskaya" by bus Ecolines get to Riga. Sending at 20.45. Considering the stops, you will spend 11 hours and 30 minutes on the way. The bus is comfortable: air conditioning, toilet, Wi-Fi (free). Passengers are given coffee and tea, small meals. From entertainment - multimedia devices. Each seat has sockets for recharging gadgets. Price - 66 euros for an adult (33 euros for a child). It includes the carriage of baggage.
- From Rizhsky railway station, go to the main bus station in Prague. Departure at 12.30 pm. You will arrive in Prague in 22 hours and 25 minutes. The bus is comfortable and big. Tickets are relatively cheap considering the mileage: € 60 for an adult and € 30 for a child.
- A trip across the Czech Republic - from Prague to Karlovy Vary. Flights depart from the Central Bus Station every hour, from 06.30 am to 21.30 pm. The cost of the trip is 6.60 euros.
This is a long and inconvenient route, despite the comfortable buses of the carriers.
Conclusions: what is the best way to get there
The fastest and cheapest way to fly is a direct flight from Vnukovo or Sheremetyevo airports. A flight ticket from the Pobeda company will cost from 42 euros, and the trip itself will take less than three hours. True, you will have to spend time to withstand the check-in for the flight. Other travel options take more than a day and are very exhausting. In addition, they are more expensive than an Economy Class flight.
The bus should be considered the last thing: two transfers and the inability to rest properly can ruin the whole experience of the trip. If you are afraid to fly, it is better to opt for a train or a car.
In the first case, you will be able to sleep on your bunk in the compartment, and in the second case, possible fellow travelers will compensate for the cost of gasoline. In addition, traveling in a car makes you independent: you can stop anywhere, enjoy the views, eat and stay overnight at the hotel.
