This guide is for couples who marry in Prague and want a short honeymoon or mini-moon straight afterwards without flying again. It compares five realistic trips by train, bus or car, with travel times, how many nights each needs, and what to book in advance.
Stručná odpověď
- Dresden (about 2 h 15 min by direct train) and Karlovy Vary (about 2 hours by bus) are the easiest one- or two-night trips.
- Český Krumlov is about 2.5–3 hours by bus or train and is best with two nights, so you see it early and late without the day-trip crowds.
- Vienna is about 4 hours by direct railjet train. It is a city break of two or three nights, or the first stop of a longer trip.
- South Moravia (Mikulov, Lednice, Valtice) takes 3.5–4.5 hours by train with a change, or 2.5–3 hours by car. It suits couples who want wine, cycling and quiet, for three nights or more.
- For the train, book early: international railjet and Czech fares work like airline fares, and the cheapest tickets go first. A car makes sense for Moravia; for Vienna and Dresden the train is easier.
The five trips compared
| Destination | Best way from Prague | Travel time (approx.) | Nights | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dresden (Germany) | Direct EuroCity train along the Elbe | 2 h 10 min – 2 h 30 min | 1–2 | Baroque old town, museums, river views from the train |
| Karlovy Vary | Direct bus | About 2 h by bus; the train is slower, over 3 h | 1–2 | Spa hotels, colonnades, slow days |
| Český Krumlov | Direct bus (RegioJet, FlixBus) or train via České Budějovice | 2 h 30 min – 3 h | 2 | Small medieval town, river, castle |
| Vienna (Austria) | Direct railjet train | About 4 h 10 min | 2–3 | Cafés, concerts, palaces, a big-city honeymoon |
| South Moravia: Mikulov, Lednice, Valtice | Train to Břeclav, then a short regional connection; or car | 3 h 30 min – 4 h 30 min by train; about 2.5–3 h by car | 3+ | Wine cellars, chateaux, cycling, countryside |
Times are typical scheduled journeys from central Prague. They change with each timetable, so check the exact connection for your date on the operator’s website or on idos.cz, the Czech national timetable search.
Dresden: the easiest trip abroad
Direct EuroCity trains run between Prague’s main station (Praha hlavní nádraží) and Dresden several times a day and take roughly 2 h 10 min to 2 h 30 min. North of Prague the line follows the Elbe through its sandstone valley, one of the most scenic train rides from Prague. Sit on the side facing the river.
Dresden works as one night: walk the rebuilt old town, the Frauenkirche and the Zwinger in the afternoon, and the Elbe terraces at sunset. With two nights you can add a day in Saxon Switzerland, the sandstone national park on the same railway line. By car it is about 150 km via the D8 motorway, roughly 2 hours, but parking in the centre of Dresden costs more than the train.
Karlovy Vary: a spa mini-moon
Karlovy Vary is the best-known Czech spa town, with thermal springs along the colonnades in the valley of the Teplá river. Buses from Prague take about 2 hours and run frequently; the train is slower, over three hours, so take the bus. By car it is about 130 km, under two hours.
This is the right choice if you want to do very little after a busy wedding: a spa hotel, treatments, long walks in the forest above the town. Spa hotels sell anything from a room with pool access to multi-night treatment programmes, so read what a “spa package” includes before booking. One or two nights is enough for a rest; book treatments when you book the room, especially at weekends.
Český Krumlov: stay overnight, not just a day
Český Krumlov is the small town on a loop of the Vltava, below one of the largest castle complexes in the country, and its historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Most visitors come on a day trip from Prague, so the old town is busiest from late morning to late afternoon. If you stay two nights, you have the lanes almost to yourselves in the evening and the next morning.
Getting there
- Bus: RegioJet buses leave from Na Knížecí (by Anděl metro station) and FlixBus from Florenc and other stops; the trip takes about 2 h 30 min to 3 h. The Špičák stop is about five minutes’ walk from the old town; the main bus station is further.
- Train: usually with a change at České Budějovice; the station in Český Krumlov is about 20 minutes’ walk from the centre.
- Car: about 180 km and roughly 2.5 hours according to the town’s official information. The old town is closed to most traffic, so check parking with your hotel before you go.
Season
The guided interior tours of the castle are seasonal and largely closed in winter, when the castle museum and tower remain open on most days. If seeing the castle interiors matters to you, check the castle’s opening hours for your dates. A winter visit is quieter and can be beautiful, but plan it around restaurants, walks and the town rather than the castle tours.
Vienna: the city honeymoon
The railjet trains between Prague and Vienna take about 4 h 10 min, have a restaurant car, power sockets at every seat and free Wi-Fi, and run several times a day. Fares are dynamic: the cheapest second-class tickets start at around €15 when booked early, and first and business class are worth considering for a newly married couple with luggage. Tickets can be bought from Czech Railways (cd.cz) or ÖBB, typically up to about six months ahead.
Driving is about 330 km. Austria requires a vignette for motorways; in 2026 a 10-day vignette for a car costs €12.80, and a digital 1-day or 10-day vignette bought from ASFINAG can be valid immediately. In Vienna itself, parking and traffic make a car more trouble than help, so the train is the better choice unless you continue somewhere by road.
Two or three nights in Vienna fit a coffee-house and concert honeymoon. If you want to continue to Budapest, see our Prague–Vienna–Budapest route.
South Moravia: wine country
The area around Mikulov, Lednice and Valtice, near the Austrian border, is the heart of Czech wine-making. The Lednice–Valtice Cultural Landscape, with two chateaux connected by parks, ponds and avenues, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the wine cellars of the surrounding villages are open for tastings.
Getting there
- Train: about 3 hours to Břeclav on a direct train, then a short regional train or bus to Valtice, Lednice or Mikulov. Allow 3.5–4.5 hours in total.
- Car: about 250 km, mostly on the D1 motorway via Brno, 2.5–3 hours. A car is useful here, because the villages and cellars are spread out. Remember that the Czech Republic has a zero alcohol limit for drivers, so plan tastings on foot, by bike or with a driver.
Three nights are a good minimum: one day for the chateaux at Lednice and Valtice, one day cycling or walking between villages, one day in Mikulov. The grape harvest is in early autumn, and many villages hold wine festivals then; in winter, check opening times, as some small cellars open only by arrangement.
If you only have one free day
Karlštejn Castle is the closest classic trip: the S7 suburban train from Prague’s main station takes about 40 minutes and runs every 30 minutes, and the castle is around 15–30 minutes’ walk uphill from the station. It works as an easy half-day trip the day after the wedding, and it is also a wedding venue itself: see Karlštejn Castle in our directory.
Booking tips
- Book trains early. International and many domestic fares rise as the train fills. Seat reservations are worth it on Fridays and Sundays and for any trip with large suitcases.
- Use the right station. Most trains in this guide leave from Praha hlavní nádraží. Buses leave from Florenc, Na Knížecí (Anděl) and other stops: check the ticket.
- Keep the day after the wedding light. A noon or early-afternoon departure is realistic after a late reception; an 8:00 train usually is not.
- Do not carry the dress and suit around. Leave wedding clothes with family flying home, or ask your Prague hotel about storing a bag until you return.
- Car hire: Czech motorways need a vignette. In 2026 a 10-day Czech e-vignette costs CZK 300; rental cars registered in Czechia usually have one, but ask. Tell the rental company if you plan to cross into Austria or Germany, as some charge a cross-border fee.
- Check opening seasons. Castles and chateaux in the Czech Republic often close their interiors or reduce opening from November to March.
Plan your Prague wedding and mini-moon
If you want the wedding, the photos and the first days afterwards planned as one trip, tell us your dates. We can help you arrange the wedding in Prague and suggest a realistic route for the days after. Start with the wedding planner tool or contact us.
Zdroje
- The Man in Seat 61: trains from Prague (railjet to Vienna, fares, booking)
- View from Prague: Prague to Český Krumlov by bus and train (updated January 2026)
- Český Krumlov official tourist information: how to get here and opening hours of monuments
- Český Krumlov Castle: opening hours
- Karlštejn Castle: getting here
- ASFINAG: Austrian vignette prices 2026
- Czech motorway e-vignette: official price list 2026
- Czech Police: rights and obligations of foreign drivers (zero alcohol tolerance)
- UNESCO World Heritage List: Historic Centre of Český Krumlov and Lednice-Valtice Cultural Landscape
- Czech national timetable search: IDOS
Checked against these sources in November 2026. Journey times and fares change with each timetable; confirm your connection when you book.
