Prague the heart of Europe
24/7/365 European Taxi & Transfers are often searched for custom made travel itineraries, private chauffeured services, tailor made transportation and made to measure road trips. Our clients seek help to decide, which route to take and what to see along the way between point A to B, when traveling between European cities. In the article we are going to go through the most popular scenic routes that include Prague as a stop along the, final destination or start of the travel.
Prague is often referred to as the heart of Europe. Prague position is almost perfect in terms of getting around the Central Europe and its connection to other big cities. As you can see on the map below, Prague is located between several big European cities. Berlin, Dresden, Wroclaw, Krakow, Brno, Bratislava, Vienna (Wien), Budapest, Graz, Salzburg, Munich, Nurnberg (Nuremberg) and Frankfurt am Main. For planning a road trip, I suggest to use the Google maps or the taxi planner.
Planning the travel itinerary
There are several routes to look at, when planning a one way scenic transfer or a day trip:
- Route North from Prague towards Germany: Prague – Dresden – Berlin
- Route North east from Prague towards Poland: Prague – Mlada Boleslav – Jelenia Gora – Wroclaw
- Route: Prague – Brno – Olomouc – Auschwitz – Cracow (Krakow)
- Route East from Prague towards Slovakia and Hungary: Prague – Brno – Bratislava – Budapest
- or Prague – Brno – Vienna – Parndorf shopping Designer’s Outlet – Budapest
- Route South east from Prague towards Austria: Prague – Brno – Vienna – Graz, alternatively Prague – Jihlava – Vienna – Graz
- Route South from Prague towards Austria: Prague – Cesky Krumlov – Linz – Salzburg and even further to Zell Am See, Kaprun or Hallstatt
- Route South west from Prague towards Germany: Prague – Plzen (Pilsen) – Amberg – Regensburg – Munich
- Route West from Prague towards Germany: Prague – Plzen – Nurnberg – Frankfurt am Main
- Again west from Prague towards Germany: Prague – Karlovy Vary – and then further west to Frankfurt or north to Leipzig and then to whether Potsdam and Berlin north east or to Magdeburg and Hannover to north west
Recommended points of interest
Each route can be split into several parts by visiting points of interests along the way. Such stops not only extend the enjoyment of the holiday, but it also adds efficiency to the travel time usage. If you can fit side trips to the one way trips, you are using the travel time with more efficiency. For example making a stop in Cesky Krumlov on the way between Prague and Salzburg does not really add up any travel time to the total driving time. However should you do a day trip from Prague to Cesky Krumlov or from Salzburg to Cesky Krumlov, you will always have to return to the original city and thus the return journey is a waste of your holiday time. Considering the cost of the holiday and travel expenses, it is always good to plan the itinerary well. This counts no matter if you rent a car, travel by public bus or train or even if you hire private driver and do a private day trip.
- Route 1 – Prague – Dresden – Berlin
- Terezin Memorial – in memory of victims of the WWII; concentration camp & prison
Bastei – The Bastei is a rock formation towering 194 meters above the Elbe River in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains of Germany – the famous Bastei Bridge
Dresden – capital city of Saxony; reconstructed beautiful historical like city center (guided tours are available on request); situated on the Elbe river; home of the VW Factory (guided tours are available)
Tropical Islands – claims to be the largest tropical holiday resorts only 60 kilometers away from Berlin - Route 2 – Prague – Mlada Boleslav – Jelenia Gora – Wroclaw
- Skoda Car Factory and Museum
Castle Kost
Liberec Babylon Aquapark and IQLandia center
Harrachov Ski resorts
Jelenia Gora Spa Town - Route 3 – Prague – Brno – Olomouc – Auschwitz – Cracow
- Cesky Sternberk Castle
Brno Castle and town center, Villa Tugendhat – one of the pioneering prototypes of modern architecture in Europe was designed by the German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Olomouc Town center – the historical city – Astronomical clock
Auschwitz – concentration camp and memorial of the victims of WWII - Route 4 – Prague – Brno – Bratislava – Budapest
- Cesky Sternberk Castle
Brno Castle and town center, Villa Tugendhat – one of the pioneering prototypes of modern architecture in Europe was designed by the German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Bratislava the capital city of Slovakia; visit Bratislava Castle and the historical center, have lunch at the famous UFO restaurant
Danube Bend side trip to Esztergom, Visegrad and Szentendre - Route 5 – Prague – Jihlava – Znojmo – Vienna – Parndorf Designers Outlet Shopping center – Budapest
- Cesky Sternberk Castle
Jihlava Zoo and town center
Znojmo town center and local vineyards
Vienna capital of Austria; city center visit, Zoo, Schonbrunn palace, St. Stephen Cathedral
Parndorf Designers’ Outlet Shopping center - Route 6 – Prague – Brno – Vienna – Graz, alternatively Prague – Jihlava – Vienna – Graz
- Cesky Sternberk Castle
Brno town center and the Villa Tugendhat
Vienna capital of Austria; city center visit, Zoo, Schonbrunn palace, St. Stephen Cathedral - Route 7 – Prague – Cesky Krumlov – Linz – Salzburg and even further to Zell Am See, Kaprun or Hallstatt
- Pisek – historical town center, oldest stone bridge
Protivin – crocodile Zoo
Ceske Budejovice – Budweiser Brewery, Black Tower, Old Town Square, Historical Square
Hluboka nad Vltavou – beautiful chateau (also Zoo nearby)
Holasovice – rural village listed in the UNESCO heritage list
Cesky Krumlov – Jewel of Southern Bohemia, UNESCO listed site
Linz – town center, Danube river, art galleries
Hallein – Salt Mines, similar to the ones in Hallstatt - Route 8 – Prague – Plzen (Pilsen) – Amberg – Regensburg – Munich
- Zbiroh Chateau
Karlstejn Castle
Nizbor Glass factory
Pilsner Urquell Brewery, Zoo, Dinopark
Flossenburg concentration camp
Amberg – town center, aqua park
Regensburg – town center, cemetery - Route 9 – Prague – Plzen (Pilsen) – Nuremberg – Frankfurt am Main
- Zbiroh Chateau
Karlstejn Castle
Nizbor Glass factory
Pilsner Urquell Brewery, Zoo, Dinopark
Marianske Lazne spa town
Flossenburg concentration camp
Nuremberg Castle, town center
Wurzburg Castle and town center
Frankfurt am Main airport - Route 10 – Prague – Karlovy Vary – Hof – Leipzig – Magdeburg – Hannover or Potsdam and Berlin
- Krusovice Brewery
Karlovy Vary Spa Town
Leipzig Town center and the Halle Airport
Magdeburg river bridge – unique water bridge
Potsdam – Brandendburg Gate, town center, filming locations
Rent a car vs. taxi transfers vs. private hire
It does not matter whether you plan to rent a car or hire a chauffeured driven car service, all the routes are very comfortable, fast and easy to follow. There are plenty of side trips, which can be done on the way. When you rent a car, make sure that the return of the car in final destination is possible. Also check that it is not too expensive. Often it is cheaper to book a private transfer, rather than renting a car and then paying expensive fees to return the vehicle in other city or country. Most rental companies charge for additional devices like GPS, car seats for babies, children boosters or automatic gearbox. Not to mention that having the private driver at hand is a big advantage that will save you a lot of energy and hassle. Furthermore the private driver can look after the vehicle and the luggage, when you do sightseeing on they way. Your belongings will be risk free and protected from theft, which can occur, if you leave the car unattended. During the private hire you do not need to worry about the car itself, since all cars and vehicles are fully insured. Similarly to rent a car, backup vehicle is provided in case of technical failure or an accident.
Driving in Europe
Photo by George Huffman on Unsplash
European roads have similar speed limits and traffic rules. Typically the speed limits are: 50 Km/h in the city, 90 – 100 Km/h in the countryside, 130 Km/h on the highway. The German highways also known as the famous Autobahn (German word for highway – often people think it is a special looking road, but it is only well built. The extra quality of the surface and better base allows the vehicles to maintain higher speeds, thus many highways in Germany do not have speed limits). Drivers in Europe are fairly good, welcoming and typical follow the rules. Driving yourself is a good idea, especially if you plan to spend a lot time on the road and prefer to have the freedom of movement. Navigating around Central Europe is not difficult, parking and going through the historical center in the bigger cities can be trouble. Alternatively you can hire a private chauffeur and have the driver on disposal with the car for the whole trip. Then you do not worry and just enjoy the comfort of being driven.
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