Traveling by car to the Czech Republic. Traveling to Prague by car. Equip the car with everything necessary to comply with Czech traffic regulations

Perhaps a road trip could be called a special type of vacation. However, it is associated with a number of difficulties, and if you are planning to visit Prague, choosing to travel by car only for reasons of economy - better give up your idea. To enjoy a trip from Russia to the Czech Republic by car, you need to love adventure and be at least a little adventurous.

Are you one of those? Then - forward.

Prepare for difficulties and hardships along the way!

Preparation of documents

For a Schengen visa you need to contact the Czech embassy or visa center. The second option is more affordable, but will cost an extra thousand rubles. In any case, you must provide:

Questionnaire.
Confirmation of stay.
Cash guarantees.
Documents for the car.
Passport.

You must attach two 3.5x4.5 photographs to the application form, carefully fill it out, answer all questions, and indicate which hotel you plan to stay at. Since you are traveling independently, Czechs must ensure that you will have where and at what cost to live. Therefore, you will need to book a hotel in Prague in advance and receive a fax confirmation from it; an electronic reservation notification sent by e-mail is not considered by the Czech visa center as a document.

You can also use the popfax.com service. After registration, you will be given a number to which the fax should be sent, and then you will receive a copy of it in the form of a picture by email. This copy contains all the attributes of the fax message, its printout good for proof of stay. You can book a hotel through the website booking.com or on your own if you know for sure where you want to go. The booking.com website does not charge fees for services and blocks funds on your bank card before payment (or prepayment) for your hotel stay. When if you cancel your reservation After the specified period, you will face penalties, be careful.

You must prove that you will have a place and money to live on.

To confirm your financial solvency(50 euros per person per day), take from the bank an extract from the card account or a certificate of purchase of currency, certified by a stamp. ATM checks will not work.

You will need to add to copies of your vehicle registration certificate and your driver's license. green card- it is issued at any insurance point.

Medical insurance obligatory for everyone and . Ask your insurance agent which numbers to call in Prague if you are accidentally injured or become ill.

Studying the route

A very convenient tool for plotting a route is Google maps service. In the boxes corresponding to points A and B (the beginning and end of the route), enter the names of the point of departure and point of arrival - in our case, Moscow and Prague. After this, you will be offered graphic and textual options for following with detailed specifications, indicating segments toll roads, route length and travel time.

Google maps suggests that you can get from Moscow to Prague by car in 21 hours 25 minutes. (click to enlarge)

There can be several routes:

Moscow - Smolensk - Brest - Warsaw - Lodz - Wroclaw - border - highway in the Liberec area - Prague. This route is the shortest (820 km from Brest), but also the longest, since the road passes through many Polish settlements with a speed limit of up to 50 km/h. On the mountainous route the speed will be very low.
Moscow - Smolensk - Brest - Warsaw - Katowice - border - Olomouc - Brno - Prague. You won’t be able to admire the mountains, but almost the entire route is on highways, with the exception of a small section of the road near Warsaw. This route is 140 km longer.
You can go bypassing Belarus: Moscow - Kyiv - Lviv - Krakow - Prague, but it will take much longer.

The Belarusian section of the route runs along the M1 highway across the entire country to Brest, which is very convenient. Excellent quality road and allows you to drive at a speed of 120 km/h. Total length The route is approximately 2000 km.

Andrey talks about how he planned a trip to Prague from Moscow by car through Belarus and Poland, how he collected documents, crossed the border and where he stopped for the night, and also warns against mistakes that he himself made on the road -

What to take with you on the road?

In general, there are enough roadside cafes on the Belarusian M1, and even more so in Poland, so the issue of food on the road depends only on the allocation of a budget item for this. However, take with you drinking water- 5-6 liters will be enough to make coffee in the car (if you bothered to purchase a special boiler from the cigarette lighter socket), wash your face or just drink. Books will not be superfluous and a collection of your favorite films on your laptop - standing in lines at the border is a tedious task. And, of course, don't forget navigator.

The easiest way to navigate is using the navigator.

Navigation

If you already have a navigator, then you just need to install it required software and download atlas of European maps. If not, don’t rush to run to the store to get it: a modern smartphone (do you have a smartphone?) will cope with the task just as well.

Perfect for Russia, Ukraine and Belarus Yandex navigator from Google play market (for Android) or application store (for Windows mobile). Unlike programs from the Navitel family, this software is free, intuitive, simple and convenient. Its only drawback is that it requires data transfer support.

For the European part of the route, the Navigon and Here maps programs are suitable, but IGO is considered the most proven. This program can be used throughout your journey and does not require an Internet connection. IGO is available for free download here: navitopsoft.com.

By the way, do not forget to take a car charger for your smartphone - in GPS navigation mode its battery runs out quite quickly.

Let's hit the road!

We will assume that your vehicle is in good working order and will be taken care of. serviced before a long journey. When setting out on the road, do not forget to equip it with a warning triangle, a set of light bulbs and fuses, reflective vests according to the number of passengers with the driver and a RUS sticker on the rear window. Failure to comply with these European standards can lead to problems at border checkpoints.

There must be such a sticker on the rear window.

Upon entering Belarus You need to pay a transit fee at the transport inspection, its building is located on the road not far from the border. The issued receipt must be kept; it will be collected when leaving the country. Since 2013, Belarusians have installed on the M1 highway electronic system BelToll toll collection. For drivers of passenger cars from the countries of the Customs Union, travel on the M1 is free, but if the weight of your car exceeds 3.5 tons, you will have to register in the BelToll system and take an on-board unit as collateral at the border service point. It will sound signals when passing checkpoints, recording the distance and deducting 0.08 euros per kilometer from your budget.

The M1 highway crosses Belarus in about 6 hours.

Belarusian gas stations good European level. Payment for fuel is accepted at national currency, in dollars, euros and Russian rubles. Recently, prices for gasoline and diesel fuel there have been pegged to the dollar exchange rate, but you can still fill up cheaper in Belarus than in Poland, so in Brest fill up a full tank, and, if possible, a ten-liter canister.

Belarusian gas stations are no worse than European ones, and gasoline is cheaper.

Before the Polish border, you need to pay an environmental fee in the building behind the first barriers of the checkpoint.

Convenient in Brest have a sleepover, and in the morning, with fresh strength, go to Europe. Average cost of a double room numbers in Intourist- 850 rubles. The rooms are clean, but not made “for oneself”; there are minor hotel inconveniences everywhere: tiled edges with sharp corners along the edges of the bathtub, a toilet next to the wall, on which you can only sit sideways, low sockets.

Room in the Intourist hotel in Brest.

If you want to spend the night in comfort, it is better to book a room at the Vesta hotel.

Brest Hotel Vesta.

You can cross the Polish border at the Brest-Terespol point, or 40 km to the south, in Domachevo - there is less traffic there. In any case, don’t be too lazy to open the Belborder Committee website in the morning and look current load of crossing points:

When crossing Polish border, if you are not bringing cigarettes and alcohol, you will be sent to the CD corridor - there are small queues there. By the way, Polish customs officers may require you to present $100 in cash or a certificate of money on the card as confirmation of your solvency. Duty-free import restrictions: up to three liters of alcohol per person, goods worth no more than 1,500 euros.

Drive on European roads- pure pleasure. However, if you choose the first route, you will move very slowly to Warsaw, since there are many settlements along the way with a speed limit of up to 50 km/h.

There is a developed network in Poland self-service car washes. You throw in the token and wash the car with shampoo and wax. It costs about 100 rubles. Keep the car clean Necessarily, in Europe you practically won’t find dirty cars.

Polish self-service car wash.

And, finally, the Czech Republic itself. The route from Poland to Prague is quite short, but requires the purchase of a vignette for 10 euros - most roads in the Czech Republic are toll roads. You can buy a vignette right on the border with Poland or at the nearest gas station.

By the way, neither Poland nor the Czech Republic want to accept euros for payment, so you need to buy zlotys and crowns in advance.

Roads in the Czech Republic are worse than in Poland. In any case, from Brno to Prague you will have to travel on a “washboard”. For large cars this is not so sensitive, but for small cars it is unpleasant.

If such a picture occurs on the road, then it will not be possible to develop high speed.

Travelers tell

“In both the Czech Republic and Poland, everything is very cheap and tasty, there are a lot of baked goods, sweets, and meat products. If you don't speak Polish or Czech, or at least Belarusian, you'll need to take a phrasebook. Few people understand English and German there. Noticed in the Czech Republic interesting feature: if you buy drinks in glass bottles, you need to pay a 3 crown deposit, which is returned when you return the glassware. In the center of Prague, all parking is paid; three or four stops from the metro you can park along the road.”

“About roads. In Poland, it is customary to overtake everywhere - even on corners. There are a lot of broken center lines on narrow roads, where there is a row in each direction. Usually such roads have very wide shoulders so that they can pass. No one will honk from behind, but if possible, stay to the right.”

“From Brest to Prague, I think it’s better to go around Warsaw: to Krakow, and from there in the direction of Ostrava. If you immediately move towards Krakow, there will be many settlements with speed limits and control cameras. We crossed the Polish border at 11 am, and were in Krakow only at seven in the evening. The distance is only 400 km.”

Conclusion

Getting to know new places, stopping in cities along the way and just looking around during a car trip is a most exciting activity. Road trip from Moscow to Prague will give you many new impressions. Have a nice holiday and good roads!

An article about traveling by car to the Czech Republic - what you need to do before traveling, paperwork, traffic rules in the Czech Republic. At the end of the article there is a video about a road trip to the Czech Republic.

The content of the article:

The Czech Republic is very popular among Russian tourists, some of whom prefer to get there by private car. This method allows you to be independent from public transport and plan the route yourself, but it requires some preparation and a more careful study of Czech laws. Things to remember when traveling to Czech Republic on own car?

What to do before leaving

Apply for a Schengen visa at the Czech embassy or visa center

The difference between the two organizations, by and large, is only in the monetary and time expenses of the applicant. To receive an appointment at the embassy, you must first register on the website and then stand in line at the entrance to the building. There is no need to pre-register at the visa centers; instead, service is provided on a first-come, first-served basis, and in addition to visa processing, there are also Additional services, such as travel insurance and delivery of completed documents. The processing time for applications at the visa center is 3 or 5 working days, depending on the price.

You can use a Schengen visa to enter any country of the agreement, but you need to obtain it from the representative office of the state where you plan to stay the longest.

However, it is worth noting that travel within the Schengen zone is free and there is no total control over tourists and the time of their stay in a particular country.

When applying for a visa from a tourist with his own car, you will most likely need a compiled itinerary, a “Green Card” - an international vehicle insurance policy, a vehicle registration certificate and a driver’s license (it is best to obtain an international one in advance). Everything else is the same as for ordinary travelers, but it is better to check by phone or on the website of the nearest visa center.

Equip the car with everything necessary to comply with Czech traffic regulations

This list includes: a first aid kit, a reflective vest for each passenger (it is unacceptable to be on the highways without this vest at any time of the day, so you need to store it in the cabin vehicle), a warning triangle, a set of spare fuses, headlight bulbs, a jack and a wheel wrench for changing a wheel, and the spare wheel itself, which does not apply to cars with run-flat tires. This kit is checked by the Czech police and can impose a fine of up to 77 euros if the kit is incomplete.

You can transport up to ten liters of fuel in a canister into the Czech Republic, which is important for Russian travelers, given that the cost of gasoline in European countries is twice as high as in Russia and Belarus - 1.25 euros per liter 95 (usually the lowest octane number at Czech gas stations) as of May 2018.

You should also remember that the use of “radar detectors” is prohibited, so if you have such a device, you need to turn it off or leave it at home, while the rules for using radar detectors are not yet enshrined in the country’s legislation.

Prepare for winter if you travel to the Czech Republic at this time of year

Studded tires are prohibited by Czech traffic regulations, so the car must be equipped with winter wheels marked with the “M.S” / “M+S” sign and a tread depth of at least 4 millimeters. This is necessary for all vehicles weighing up to 3.5 tons from November to March inclusive when there is ice or a layer of snow on the road.

If the weather is good and the asphalt is not covered with ice and snow, then the Czech police will not fine the driver for summer tires.

Between Moscow and Prague there are a little less than 2000 kilometers, that is, you will have to travel for at least a day, not taking into account stops and passage across the border. Let's consider the option of crossing the minimum number of borders, that is, the route through Belarus and Poland.

In general, the process of passing through a border checkpoint should not take more than an hour, especially if you are not transporting alcohol and tobacco products, which, in large quantities, are subject to duty on the border with Poland and the Czech Republic.

Belarus can be crossed along the M1 highway, which will take about six or seven hours. When crossing the border, you must pay a transport fee, after which you will be issued a receipt, which will be collected when leaving the country. The fee can be paid at the transport inspection building located near the border. Tolls on the highway must be paid only if the vehicle weighs more than 3.5 tons and/or is registered outside the EAEU countries (including Kazakhstan, Russia, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, and Belarus). To pay for travel, use the website beltoll.by.

The fee, only environmental, will have to be paid at the Polish border - this can be done behind the barrier at the exit from the border checkpoint.

It should be said right away that Poland, like Hungary and the Czech Republic, refused to switch to using the single European currency, so it is best to think in advance about exchanging money for Polish zloty and Czech crowns (they can be purchased, for example, in Moscow) or look for exchange offices inside the countries themselves.

Toll roads When entering the Czech Republic, you need to purchase a vignette, which is necessary to pay for highway tolls.

According to the rules, it must be placed in the lower right corner, be clearly visible outside the car and not interfere with the driver’s view. The cost varies depending on the period for which the vignette is purchased - about 12 euros for 10 days and about 17 euros for 30 days.

The vignette consists of two parts, one of them is a control coupon, which Czech law requires to be kept throughout the entire trip within the country. You can buy it at most gas stations, at special points near the border or at post offices.

Parking

Parking lots are quite expensive in the Czech Republic, so in large cities it makes sense to leave your car in intercept parking lots (usually located around bus stops or metro, called P+R parking) and explore the city on foot and by public transport.

When paying, you can also purchase a subscription for the metro and other public transport for a day or a round trip. In Prague, the cost of parking in such parking lots until 01:00 is 0.7 euros, overnight – 3.9 euros, which is definitely cheaper than parking on city roads in the center. There it can reach up to 1.5 euros per hour. Near bus stops and metro stations there are K+R parking lots intended for dropping off and picking up passengers, but you cannot leave your car there.

Closer to the outskirts of the city you can also find free parking. You can park your car for free on weekends or holidays, as well as at night, from 20:00 to 08:00 (applies to all parking zones).

It is important to know about the three parking zones present in Prague:

Blue- for city residents with parking cards or official vehicles, you can find such a place by the blue stripe on the road surface.
Orange- for all other drivers, limited to three hours of vehicle idle time, indicated by a white stripe on the road and a road sign.
Purple– mixed parking, which is marked with a white dotted stripe and a sign with a purple line; you can leave your car in such a parking space for a day, but only after payment.

A parking lot not assigned to any zone will be marked with a regular blue sign. All this is true only if there is no sign next to the parking space informing about special rules for this street - for example, the duration or interval of parking.

Parking on yellow lines is prohibited - this color indicates spaces for taxis, public transport, etc.

The fine for parking in disabled spaces can be up to 80 euros; you will have to pay extra for tow truck services. The “cost” of incorrect parking in other places is three times lower – up to 32 euros. Parking is paid through the appropriate machines, which can be found throughout the city, and it is also possible to pay for parking online. Payment verification is carried out by registration number

car. Unfortunately, parking systems differ in different Czech cities, so when entering new town (or in advance when planning a route) you should look on the Internet for information about a specific locality . On the sites major cities

You can also find a parking map with real-time traffic data. You can also use the parkme.com service, which allows you to find and book parking spaces online in many European cities.

Traffic Laws

In addition to all of the above, it is worth mentioning the permitted speed - 50 km/h inside populated areas and 90 km/h between them, unless otherwise dictated by road signs.

For motorways, the threshold is set at 130 km/h (highways inside populated areas - 80 km/h), the speed is recorded by automatic devices located along all types of roads.

Another important point is the speed at which a vehicle can drive closer than 50 meters to a railway crossing - 30 km/h. Also, every car must have low beams on while driving at any time of the day; the same requirement exists in Poland. In the Czech Republic, you cannot turn around at an intersection with a traffic light - the fine for such a maneuver will be about 20 euros.

It is also prohibited to contain any amount of alcohol in the blood; the punishment if it is detected will depend on the size of the ppm - if it is less than 0.3, then you can only get by with a fine of 96 euros, but there is the possibility of deprivation of rights for any amount of alcohol.

Payment of the fine, as a rule, is made on the spot to police officers, but if the violation is so serious that the driver’s license is confiscated and the vehicle is sent to the impound lot, then you will have to pay through the court.

Conclusion

The Czech Republic is a fairly comfortable country for traveling by private car, with clear road navigation, developed infrastructure, including intercepting parking lots, online payment services, etc.

Gasoline in the country is inexpensive, compared to its western neighbors, although compared to Russia it costs twice as much.

Violation of traffic rules is punishable by fairly large fines, but preliminary familiarization with them (the main differences were listed above) will greatly reduce the likelihood of receiving them. We wish you a pleasant trip!

Video about traveling by car to the Czech Republic:

Our journey began on April 28, 2016 at 7 am along the following route: Velehrad- Jalubi- Bucovice- Brno- Hrad Buchlov- Zamek Buchlovice- Kromeriz- Rajhradice – Mikulov – Valtice – Lednice – Praha – Vranov nad Dyji – Hrad Bitov – Uhercice – Drosendorf – Hardegg – Hrad Veveri - Rajec-Jestrebi – Pernstejn - Lysice.

01 Without incident, we arrived at 20-00, according to the schedule, at the Belarusian border “Domachevo”.

02 Despite the fact that it was empty, we spent exactly an hour. I also got to the bottom of the employees so that they could explain to me the new law of April 14, 2016 on the rules for importing goods into Belarus. Now, if you enter through the Belarusian border and then exit back through it more than once within 3 months, then the norm for transporting things changes. This norm is 300 Euro and 20 kg. This means that all my equipment: cameras, lenses, laptop, phones, recorder, watch, razor, will need to be declared, so that later I don’t have to prove on departure that I purchased all this not abroad, otherwise I will have to pay a fee. All this is very inconvenient, since I can enter through another country, but it is convenient to leave through Belarus, especially in the warm season!

04 Before the Czech border we drove along the toll Polish highway, where everything is like we have in Russia, even checkpoints with people. One plus is that you can pay here in any currency. Since I had zlotys, I paid with them.

05 With a breeze of 140 km/h we reached the Czech border.

06 I bought a Vignette at the first gas station for 10 days for 11.48 euros, which allows you to travel on the highways of the Czech Republic.

08 The first attraction was the Velehrad Monastery in the city of Velehrad. The monastery is small. In addition to the church, here you can stroll through the well-kept grounds.

09 On the way to the side windmill, we saw the local wooden museum under open air.

11 Bucovice Castle in the town of Bucovice.

12 It took a very long time to decide whether to go inside or not. After looking at the pictures at the entrance, we decided to limit ourselves to the courtyard and park.

14 Price double room 39 Euro. The price also included breakfast for two.

15 The only free thing is the disgustingly working Wi-Fi - whether it's there or not. I have always used mobile Internet.

17 The hotel has paid parking - 1.85 Euro per day.

18 After checking into the hotel, we went for a walk around the city of Brno. The city is small, but there is a lot to see here. The main attraction is the castle from which you can open panoramic view to the city and small tourist centre with historical sights.

19 The first point of this day was Buchlov Castle (Hrad Buchlov). The castle can only be visited as part of a guided tour. The excursion was to Czech language and quite long and boring. The contents of the castle itself are quite meager.

20 Next - Buchlovice Castle (Zamek Buchlovice). It can also only be viewed as part of a guided tour. Despite the fact that the excursion was in Czech, everything was very active and interesting. I really liked the castle, as did the adjacent park area.

21 City of Kromeriz. Kromeriz Castle is located here. Despite it being Saturday and 3 p.m., we were unable to visit the castle because we were late for the last excursion. We could only console ourselves with the view of the city from the tower.

23 With nothing to do, we decided to take a walk in the park.

24 We decided to take a tour of the park on this road train.

25 Personally, the park did not make any impression on me! There's not much to see there, just grass and trees. There is no special grooming, there are not even benches. Our parks are much more interesting.

26 At the very beginning of the park, on a small lawn you can see peacocks walking.

27 The final point of our day was the Benedictine monastery in Rajhradice. The place is absolutely not touristic, it is very quiet, deserted and birds are singing.

28 On this day, our friends from St. Petersburg joined us and the five of us continued our journey.

29 We started the day with the Mikulov Castle in the city of Mikulov. It is small, beautiful city, With big amount tourists. But the castle is a complete despondency. You can only visit with a guided tour, and there is nothing to see there. Here we were given audio guides with a tour in Russian. And we just followed the guide around the halls. The excursion itself was long and tedious, which was simply exhausting at the beginning of the day. And the worst thing is that you won’t be able to leave the tour because the guides close the exit doors!

30 Next we went to Valtice Castle in the city of Valtice. Despite the tour being in Czech, we were given booklets in Russian, and everything was quite lively and interesting. And I really liked the castle itself. What I love are beautiful interiors, wallpaper with antique patterns, and everything that shows the life of that time.

31 Lednice Castle in the city (Lednice). Like all castles in the Czech Republic, it can only be visited as part of a guided tour, which is conducted only in Czech. But, as in the previous place, we were given the text of the excursion in Russian.

32 This whole day was dedicated to Prague. After an unsuccessful attempt to park the car in the free parking lot, we had to get into a paid one and go to walking in Prague.

33 Prague is real tourist town! There are as many people here as in an anthill.

34 There are a lot of street musicians who are very pleasant to listen to.

35 Everything in the city is created for tourists. You can take a tour on a rare car, or on an old water bus, or on a pedicabs, or on a Segway. By the way, we saw a lot of tourists and tourist groups on Segways. As we later learned, Prague is the capital of Segways!

36 The main attraction of Prague is the Charles Bridge.

37 You can probably photograph the bridge without people only early at dawn, when there are no tourists here.

38 From the embankment there are simply gorgeous views of the old city.

39 In the city you can climb every tower, which offers stunning views of the old city.

40 In the old town square, tourists feel like they are in a clearing in the forest! Some eat, some drink beer, some just relax, taking off their shoes and showing off their dirty feet. It's not a pleasant sight. I’m scared to imagine what would happen to those who wanted to do this here on Red Square!

41 After a walk around the city, which lasted until the evening, we visited a Prague bar on the outskirts of the old town. Next, since our car was far from the center, we decided to take the metro.

42 The fare depends on the amount of travel time. A minimum trip of 20 minutes costs about 45 euro cents.

43 Metro looks almost like ours. Only the escalators are very old and the stations are boring and ugly, and the cars are slightly different. There is a board on the platform that tells you the time until the train arrives.

48 Moving towards the castles, I couldn’t resist taking a photo of the mill.

49 Our first attraction was the Vranov nad Dyji castle in the town of Vranov nad Dyji. The castle can only be visited with a guide. I really liked the castle itself. The interiors were especially rich here. I was surprised that there were no lamps in the castle, no electricity and there were candles on the chandeliers.

50 Bitov Castle (Hrad Bitov). When visiting such places, you don’t want to go to museums. Not only does parking cost 2.5 euros, but to explore the castle you need to take several excursions and pay from 5 euros for each. And you also have to pay to walk around the territory. Even the toilet is paid!!! And all this despite the fact that restoration is underway and everything is in scaffolding! This is definitely worst place from our entire trip!

52 Next, according to our plan, we had another castle, which we decided not to go to because it was 70 km away. We decided to go to neighboring country– Austria, which was just a stone’s throw away, and to visit two castles there. The first was Drosendorf Castle in the city of Drosendorf in Austria. There was not a soul in the castle, as in the city. It seemed like we were in a dead city. Not finding any of the staff in the castle, we wandered around the first floor a little. As we understand, there is a hotel in the castle. It is not clear whether there is anything there for tourists to see.

53 On the way we saw the Riegersburg Palace in Hardegg. It was not possible to enter the territory, since everything was closed.

54 I last place of our day - the very beautiful Hardegg Fortress in the city of Hardegg. The fortress looks gorgeous from afar, but inside it is ruins.

55 Having loaded our things into the car, we went to Veveří Castle. I was surprised that free parking, free entry to the territory and free toilets! The complex is huge, restoration work is going on in some places. The interior can only be visited as part of a guided tour. We didn't go on a tour, we just toured the castle from the outside.

56 Rajec nad Svitavou Palace in Rajec-Jestrebi. The palace can only be visited as part of a guided tour. We were the only tourists at that hour. When the guide came and found out that we were Russian and didn’t know either Czech or German language, fell into a stupor and couldn’t decide what to do with us! She did not agree to our entreaties to simply show us the castle without a tour. Apparently, my conscience did not allow it. As a result, remembering the Russian words that I learned 40 years ago, at the very least she gave us a tour. The palace made a rather pleasant impression. The guide said that we were their first Russian visitors this year. And in general, the place is not quite touristy, so Foreign tourists rarely come here!

58 Well, the last place of our trip is the Lisice Palace in the city of Lysice. We didn’t take the excursion, since here you have to pay for each room and the whole thing would have taken 2.5 hours. Therefore, we limited ourselves to a walk through the rather dull garden.

59 This concludes our first trip to the Czech Republic. Having said goodbye to our friends from St. Petersburg, we moved towards home.

To sum up, I can say that the trip was a complete success. Despite the disappointing weather forecast, it was cloudy only for the last two days. I didn’t like that all the castles had to be visited with a tour, despite the fact that it was conducted only in Czech. It turns out to be a useless waste of time. And the most unpleasant thing is when you pay for entry and also have to pay to use the toilet. For me this is wild and incomprehensible!

60 In the Czech Republic, as in other developed countries, everything is done to ensure that the owner cleans up after his dog. We are far from this!

61 Therefore, when moving along the lawns, you are not afraid of running into a “mine.”

62 Unlike the Baltic countries, Poland, Finland, and Slovakia, here in the Czech Republic they do not adhere to the speed limit and drive as they please, crossing continuous roads. There are very few cameras in the country; traffic police with cameras are found only on highways. Sometimes it seemed to me that I was in Russia, when a truck in a populated area was rushing at a speed of 90 km/h, at times flashing and honking at me in a populated area where there was a speed limit sign of up to 50 km/h. I met two accidents. Two lanes are blocked off and the cars are painted with light green paint. At the same time, hellish traffic jams form on the road, and the police alternately let cars in from one side and the other. If we had this, we would simply die in traffic jams!

63 Most of the roads are toll roads. To travel you need a vignette. The beginning and end of such a road are indicated by a special sign. Unlike neighboring Poland, there are many highways with a maximum speed limit of 130 km/h and it is very comfortable to travel along them.

64 Roads in the Czech Republic are different. From patchy and rutted, like ours, to excellent, even and smooth.

65 Gasoline in the Czech Republic is more expensive than in Poland and costs 1.12 - 1.25 euros per liter depending on the class.

66 Without any problems we reached the Polish border, which we crossed in 10 minutes.

67 Next is the Belarusian border, where everything is also fast. If it weren’t for the shift change, we would have passed in 10 minutes. They didn’t examine anything, they just limited themselves to a survey. I don’t know what will happen next time, and most likely, because of the new law, I will go back through neighboring states, bypassing Belarus.

43 Let's summarize the trip:
4970 km were covered and 291 liters of 95 gasoline were consumed in the amount of 235.45 euros (145.55).
Green card and medical insurance 50.33 euros
Visa 122.00 euros
Vignette 11.48 euros (7.66)
Toll roads 4.54 euros
Hotel 185.19 euros
Parking 41.11 euros (25.00 euros)
Museums 125 euros
Meals 60 euros
Metro 0.90 euro
In total, a trip for two for 5 days cost 726.17 euros.

One of the ways to get from Russia to Prague is by car. How to organize independent travel to Prague from Russia by car, I will tell you in detail in this article.

Since air tickets are becoming more expensive every day, and traveling by train to Prague is very long and also expensive, some travelers choose their personal car as a means of transport in which they can comfortably get to Prague.

With your car you can see a lot of things along the way. more places, especially remote parts of Europe. No one will limit you in time anywhere. You can sleep as long as you want, sit in a restaurant, or as long as your heart desires, so you can spend as much time in a museum or other interesting place that you come across on your journey.

It is important to consider a few details when organizing your trip!

You have to be a very good driver to go on such a long journey.
You must have cash For unforeseen expenses related to the car, for example, your tire may burst or something may break, car repairs in Europe will cost you much more than in your home country.
You must clearly plan your route and calculate exactly how many kilometers you can travel every day so that you don’t get so tired during the trip.
Buy a good navigator with new maps. I saw how people while traveling suffered with old, poorly working navigators or with maps on their phones that froze and constantly needed to be re-routed because of them, which was a waste of time and nerves.
Study in detail the features of each country and city in terms of parking, toll roads, and specific rules traffic.

But first things first.

What documents are needed to travel to Prague by car?

One of the most important questions that worries independent cars travelers: “How to get a Schengen visa if you travel to Prague and the Czech Republic in your own car?”

There's really nothing complicated. Before applying for a Schengen visa, you need to collect the following package of documents:

Completed questionnaire to obtain a Schengen visa.
Confirmation of stay(hotel reservations along the entire route). I recommend booking hotels on the Hotellook website, prices are often lower than on booking, and there are even more offers! For a visa, you can simply print out your hotel reservation. All consulates have been accepting printed hotel reservations for a long time; do not believe people who say that this method of confirming accommodation does not work.
Cash guarantees(bank statement). Amounts vary depending on the length of your stay. But, in addition to funds to pay for the hotel, you must have at least 50 Euros per person.
Documents for the car(copies of vehicle registration certificate).
Driver's license(copy), an international driver's license is not required to travel to the Czech Republic.
International passport.
Medical insurance. I advise you to buy travel insurance for trips on a trusted website.
Green card for car (car insurance).
Route sheet.

The itinerary is drawn up in free form; you can make three columns: in the first we write the dates of the stop in a certain city, the second column is the name of the country, the third column is the hotel address.

After you have received your visa, you need to take the following documents for your trip:

Foreign passport with visa
Medical insurance
International vehicle insurance (Green Card)
Vehicle registration certificate
Driver's license
Printed hotel reservations

I would advise you to take a Russian passport and make copies of all visas and documents; you need to store them separately in a secluded place, you never know what will happen on the road.

Expenses

When planning the cost of a road trip to the Czech Republic, try to take into account all the costs during the trip. After all, in addition to the usual expenses: hotel, food, restaurants, souvenirs, shopping, you will have car expenses: toll roads, fuel, paid parking, car wash.

To travel by car to the Czech Republic, you must drive part of the way through Poland. In Poland, some highways are toll roads, and you pay for the distance traveled. When entering the highway, you take a ticket from a special machine (which you keep during the entire journey) and when leaving the highway you pay a certain amount. Payment can be made in Polish zlotys, euros, dollars or by bank card, change is issued only in zlotys.

Where to leave the car on a trip

I advise all travelers who conquer countries by car to always leave the car in guarded parking lots. It doesn’t matter whether this is a separate paid parking or guarded parking at the hotel, remember: only guarded parking. And it is advisable to travel in a car with an alarm.

At the same time, whenever you leave the car, always take valuables with you: money, all documents and expensive equipment.

Remember, when traveling, tourists are always a tasty morsel for thieves and swindlers. Even though you are in Europe, car thefts are rampant here. Thieves are especially interested in money, expensive navigators and, of course, documents that can be sold very profitably on the black market. From my own bitter experience and the experience of my friends, I can tell you at least 5-6 sad stories when the side or rear window of a car was simply broken and people lost their iPhone, an expensive navigation system, passports, all their money!

By the way, when booking hotels, choose hotels only with secure private parking. Some hotels use a trick and indicate that they have free parking, but upon arrival it turns out that free parking is on the street without security, and even it takes about 20 minutes to find a place. And when booking a hotel, always indicate that you will be by car and you need parking. This is all the information regarding long-term parking.

If you drive into the castle or the city center by car, I also advise you to leave your car only in the parking lot. The cost of an hour of parking in Europe costs from 0.5 to 6 Euros. There is paid parking on the street; you need to put money into a special machine, but such parking is unsafe. If you want to park a car for free, then in the center of European cities it is very problematic to do this; if you parked incorrectly or did not pay, then at a minimum they will put a shoe on your wheel and issue you a fine, at most they will drag your car away to a parking lot. When traveling, everything is expensive, stressful, and a lot of time, effort and money are spent on such problems. Therefore, remember, during your trip there are only paid guarded parking lots!

You can also find a parking map with real-time traffic data. You can also use the parkme.com service, which allows you to find and book parking spaces online in many European cities.

In addition to parking rules, it is worth studying the traffic rules and signs of the countries you are going to visit. Although the rules are almost the same, there are some differences. For example, in some countries radar detectors and video recorders are prohibited. The speed of traffic on highways and in cities is different, and there are differences in driving through intersections. On the trip, you must take equipment that must be in the car, for example: fuses, lamps, Reflective vest for all persons. The fine for any type of violation will be rather large, and excuses like: “I’m not local and didn’t know” will not help you.

Distance to Prague

Prague is located in the very center of Europe, and when traveling from Russia you will have to cover the following distance from Moscow 1921 km, from St. Petersburg 1840 km. If you are interested in the distance from Prague to other cities, then I will give some figures: to Munich 388 km, Dresden 147 km, to Krakow 533, to Vienna 331 km, to Karlovy Vary 125 km, to Berlin 349 km. If you are interested in distances from Prague to all European cities, go to the post ““.

Between major cities Usually there are highways with 2 lanes in one direction, and occasionally there are two-lane roads. When planning your route, always check information about traffic jams and road repairs. After all, no one wants to drive on the highway at a speed of 30 km/h. It is also worth considering the fact that on Friday and Sunday evenings there are traffic jams on the highways, especially near large cities. After all, a lot of Europeans go somewhere to unwind for the weekend. Therefore, try to avoid traveling at this time or allow extra time into your route.

Route

The travel route should be approached with all responsibility. Calculate your route so that you arrive at the least busy time at customs. And according to estimates, it is comfortable to cover a distance of 200-500 km per day. If you try to drive more in a day, you may get very tired, see little and by the end of the trip you will be squeezed like lemon. Look at all the places you plan to visit on the map, choose where you will leave the car. Enter the main route points and hotels into the navigator. It is also worth considering how long you will rest and what time you will leave. It just seems that if you leave at 10 am, you will have time for everything; usually it’s worth getting up early in order to have time to get to your destination before nightfall, explore the city and check into a new hotel.

Traveling by car to the EU countries is a special type of vacation. If you are adventurous and have a thirst for adventure, then this trip is exactly what you need. It will bring you complete satisfaction and joy from your journey. Of course, for a trip to be successful, you need to carefully prepare for it, like for any important event. If you plan to travel the Moscow-Prague route by car, it is worth collecting as much material as possible about the cities and countries you will be traveling through. Find out what rules, procedures, customs and traditions are established there so that no unforeseen situations arise. Before the trip, you need to carefully prepare your car, documents, and think through your route inside and out.

Preparation of documents

If you are planning a trip by car to Prague from Moscow, then, first of all, you need to contact the Czech embassy to obtain a Schengen visa. Another option is to visit a visa center. In order for the Czechs to be calm that you will not be left in the country without a roof over your head, they will definitely require fax confirmation from you that a room in any of the hotels has been booked. By the way, confirmation by email will not suit them, so book a room in advance and wait for confirmation of the operation from there. This is quite easy to do on any of the sites, then contact the hotel and discuss the timing of receiving the fax. Your account statements will also be required. You must prove your solvency; you must have at least 50 euros per person per day.

To travel the Moscow - Prague route by car, you also need the following documents:

International passports.
Technical passport for the vehicle.
Driver's license - better, of course, international.
Issued green card.
Car insurance.
Insurance for all passengers, covering at least 30 thousand euros for each.

Preparing the car

Before starting your trip Moscow - Prague by car, you definitely need to take care of technical condition of your vehicle. Go through parts, electricians, and refit your car according to the season. Check the expiration dates of all medications in the first aid kit and whether the fire extinguisher is in order. It is mandatory to have emergency stop signs and a tow rope; repair kits and additional splitter cords may be needed. The spare wheel must be in good working order. Reflective vests and a RUS sticker will come in handy.

Route selection

Be aware that if you choose the Moscow - Prague route, the distance by car will in any case have to be covered through Belarus and Poland. Many people use the service when preparing their route Google maps. After the initial and final destinations, and this is Moscow - Prague, the service will offer you several routes to choose from. How long does it take to travel from Moscow to Prague by car? If you don’t stop to rest in Poland, you can cover the route in about a day.

So, you can choose two ways:

Moscow - Brest - Warsaw - Wroclaw - Prague. This route is about 1950 kilometers, but in fact it takes longer to get there, since the road is laid through many settlements, where the speed limit is 50 km/h, and even less in the mountainous section.
Moscow - Brest - Warsaw - Katowice - Brno - Prague. If you decide to take this route, then there is only one minus - you will not admire the beauty mountain landscapes. In general, this road is longer, the distance will be two thousand kilometers. But throughout the entire journey you can drive at an average speed of 100 km/h, and at an ideal speed. Many sections of the road here are toll.

So, before deciding on a route, study which cities you will be moving through, what interesting things you can see there, where to relax and eat.

Passing the border and customs

So, having set off along the Moscow - Prague route by car, you need to get out and boldly drive straight ahead. The track is quite good, and in some places it is simply excellent. After leaving Moscow, about five hours later you will arrive at the border with the Republic of Belarus. You must pay the transport fee and keep the receipt until the end of the journey. Travel around the territory of the republic for about 600 km; by evening you will find yourself in Brest. It is better to stay overnight here and cross the border with Poland in the morning. From here it's a five-minute walk.

Before crossing the Polish border, you must pay. The move is carried out either at the Brest - Terespol point, or further south, to Domachevo. The car must be changed to any studless shoes, even in winter. Under no circumstances take radar detectors with you, they are prohibited in the European Union! If they are discovered, serious problems can arise. Goods are allowed to be transported in an amount not exceeding one and a half thousand euros. If there is no problem with this, then you will be directed to the CD corridor, the line there moves quickly.

Traveling around Poland

The route from the Polish border to Prague will be no more than three hundred kilometers. You definitely need to purchase a vignette; it gives you the right to move freely on local highways. You will no longer see any border post; only signs will tell you that you are already in the Czech Republic. When driving through Poland, do not miss the opportunity to visit local attractions, because this country is considered one of the most beautiful in Europe. When planning a trip Moscow - Prague by car, include Warsaw in the route. The hotel room can be booked in advance via the Internet. Take a day and visit the most interesting places here.

Sights of Warsaw

Warsaw has been the capital of Poland since 1596. Many compare the city to the Phoenix bird, because after the defeat by the Nazis there was practically nothing valuable left here. But through the efforts of the people, the main historical architectural monuments. Now Warsaw is one of the ten most beautiful European cities.

It is considered a historical place Old city - local residents They call it Stare Miasto. Each house here has its own pedigree. On Castle Square you can do unique photo at the column This king ruled the country for 44 years. All coronations took place in St. John's Cathedral. The Royal Castle was restored until 1970; even today, art historians are buying up valuables that were taken from it during the war. Nowe Miasto, located to the north, presents a whole string of palaces that compete with each other in beauty. The Presidential Palace is located in Krakow Przedmieście, which connects the Center and the Old Town. It has been in operation since the seventeenth century. Nearby you can admire the Church of St. Anne and the Basilica of the Holy Cross.

Czech

We return to the route Moscow - Prague. The distance by car from Warsaw can be covered in just a few hours. You will only know that you are already in the Czech Republic, in Prague, by reading the signs. Czech is spoken in the country, and young people speak English quite well. The quality of the roads here varies, there are places with ideal coverage, and there are also emergency ones. Don’t forget to buy a vignette; there is a toll on highways here. The vignette must be properly attached to the windshield, otherwise you may receive a fine. At gas stations you can quickly pay with a card, only after you have filled up with gasoline.

Parking

So, we covered all the kilometers from Moscow to Prague by car, and we ended up in the city. How is parking here? Parking spaces are quite expensive, but violating them will be even more expensive. The cost per seat varies depending on the zone. There are several of them, they differ in color. The blue zone is especially for city residents, the green zone is 6-hour, the orange zone is 2-hour. We saw a parking sign and a white line - there was a parking meter nearby. Read the parking conditions carefully; very often it is free. It is much more difficult to park in the center, so many people choose places near hotels or shopping centers. If you come to Prague for a long time, it is better to leave your car in the P+R parking lot and travel by public transport.

Main telephone numbers in Prague

In case of emergency, you should call the telephone numbers below, be sure to save them before your trip.

Police - 158.
Ambulance - 155.
Firefighters - 150.
Emergency technical assistance - 1230 or 124.
Russian Embassy - (2) 333-741-00 or 333-715-48 or 333-715-49.

Traffic rules in the Czech Republic

At all pedestrian crossings, the pedestrian has the right of way, so be extremely careful.
Speed. In a populated area, the speed limit is 50 km/h, outside - 90 km/h; if you are on the highway, the speed limit is 130 km/h. There are radars installed everywhere, invisible to the eye, so if after speeding you suddenly find a car overtaking you with the sign “follow me”, expect a fine.
Alcohol is strictly prohibited.
Low beam is required both at night and during the day. Fog lights are allowed only in poor visibility and fog.
Seat belts must be fastened, including in the rear seats. Children under 12 years of age and persons shorter than 150 centimeters in height are prohibited from sitting in the front.
It is prohibited to use mobile phones without a Handsfree device.
Payment of the fine can be made directly from the police; almost any card is accepted.

The main attractions of Prague

What did those who traveled by car to Prague from Moscow remember? 2016 is coming to an end, everyone who visited there this year received a lot indelible impressions and dream of returning here again next year. What places do tourists most like to visit in Prague?

An amazing city where modernity combines with history. In the distant 8th century, the construction of the Vysehrad and Prague Castle fortresses began here. The latter is still the main relic of Prague. Everyone who arrives in the city must visit this place.

This main fortress ensemble houses the residences of kings, former emperors and modern presidents. The guard of honor is posted at the main gate, which is located on the side of Hradcan Square. The shift changes hourly, and hundreds of tourists gather at this time to look at this magnificent spectacle.

Inside the fortress ensemble there are Prague Castle, a luxurious fountain, the “Court of Honor”, the Church of All Saints, the Church of St. George, and St. Peter’s Chapel. Where once there were stables, an art gallery has now been built, where the rarest exhibits are located. visual arts. The singing fountain adorns the entrance to the Royal Palace.

A special attraction here is Cathedral St. Vitus. Its construction began back in 1344, continued intermittently for several centuries, and was completed only in 1929. Now the Archbishop of Prague resides here. Palace Gardens located on the slopes are also an attractive attraction.

Features of the trip

Considering the route Moscow - Prague, how long it takes to travel by car, we found out. About a day, if without overnight rest, the distance is approximately 2000 km. What features of this trip would you like to note?

Complete independence and freedom of movement.
Excellent quality of European roads.
Be careful, follow traffic rules, otherwise you will not avoid fines!
Don’t forget to purchase a vignette in the Czech Republic.
Along the route you can see many beautiful places, stop at any point.
You can spend a day in Poland and enjoy its architecture.

Moscow - Prague by car (2016): traveler reviews

Prague fascinates all lovers of antiquity with its unique architecture, which is why hundreds of people flock here. Some fly by plane, others travel by train. Those who have traveled the route Moscow - Prague by car leave the most enthusiastic reviews.

Newlyweds heading to Honeymoon in your car, spending time like in a fairy tale. They settle in hotels whose windows overlook old castle, they will tell their children and grandchildren about their impressions.

Young families with children who visited Prague dream of returning here again, because not only adults, but also children of any age can find a lot of entertainment here. Many cafes are equipped with children's playrooms, there are animators, this gives parents the opportunity to relax and the kids to have fun at the same time.

Active pensioners also find a lot of surprising and fascinating things to see in Prague and, when returning home, they advise all their friends to visit this historical center.

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