How to travel Czech Republic on £50 a day

Few European capitals offer as much for as little as Prague — where a half-litre of beer costs less than £1.50 in a local pub and a three-course dinner can set you back under £8. But the Czech Republic isn't just Prague, and if you're willing to move beyond Wenceslas Square and the tourist trail, your money stretches even further. The country sits in that sweet spot that many budget travellers overlook: it's not quite as cheap as it was a decade ago, but compared to Western Europe it's still remarkably affordable. Done right, £50 a day in the Czech Republic is not only achievable — it's actually quite comfortable.

Getting There Without Blowing Your Budget

Flights from the UK to Prague (Václav Havel Airport) are plentiful, with routes operating from London Stansted, Gatwick, Luton, Manchester, and Edinburgh. Budget carriers dominate this route, and if you book a few weeks ahead you can regularly find return flights for £40–£80 from London airports. Fly from a regional UK airport and you're sometimes looking at £90–£130 return, but that's still excellent value. Midweek departures and avoiding school holidays will save you meaningful money.

Use the flight search on our site to compare current prices from your nearest airport — prices shift constantly and a flexible travel date of even one day can save you £20–£30.

One thing worth sorting before you travel: travel insurance. The Czech Republic is an EU country (though not in the euro), and the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC/GHIC) covers emergency medical treatment — but it won't cover cancellations, lost luggage, or a £500 excess if something goes wrong. Good travel insurance for a week in the Czech Republic typically costs £15–£30 for a solo traveller. Don't skip it.

Where to Stay and What to Realistically Expect

Accommodation is where your £50 budget either holds or collapses. Here's the honest breakdown:

Prague is split into districts (numbered 1–10 and beyond). Prague 1 — the historic centre — is beautiful but expensive. A basic double room in Prague 1 will cost you £55–£90 per night, which blows your daily budget on accommodation alone.

Instead, look at:

• Prague 2 (Vinohrady and Nusle): Still walkable to the centre, great local cafés, tram connections everywhere. Decent guesthouses and small hotels from £35–£55 per night.

• Prague 3 (Žižkov): Grittier, more authentic, home to the iconic TV Tower and brilliant local pubs. Budget-friendly accommodation from £28–£45 per night.

• Prague 7 (Holešovice): Up-and-coming neighbourhood near the river, popular with younger crowds. Independent hotels and apartments from £35–£50.

If you're travelling solo, hostel dorm beds in Prague still exist from £12–£18 per night, making a £50/day budget feel genuinely spacious.

Outside Prague — in cities like Brno, Olomouc, or Český Krumlov — costs drop noticeably. A comfortable en-suite double in Brno (the Czech Republic's second city, and frankly an underrated destination) costs £30–£45 per night without breaking a sweat.

Compare hotels and guesthouses on our site before you book — prices vary wildly depending on how far ahead you plan, and the same room can be £15 cheaper if you shop around.

Eating and Drinking: The Czech Republic's Best-Kept Secret

This is where the Czech Republic genuinely over-delivers. Traditional Czech cuisine — pork knuckle, svíčková (beef in cream sauce with bread dumplings), goulash, fried cheese with tartare sauce — is hearty, warming, and incredibly cheap when you eat where locals eat.

The golden rule: avoid any restaurant directly on or adjacent to Old Town Square in Prague. The prices triple and the quality halves. Walk two streets back and you'll find proper Czech hospodas (pub-restaurants) serving full meals for £5–£10.

Realistic daily food budget breakdown:

• Breakfast: Grab a párek v rohlíku (hot dog in a bread roll) from a street stand for £1–£2, or a coffee and pastry from a bakery for £2–£3.

• Lunch: Set lunch menus (polední menu) are common across the Czech Republic — a two or three-course meal including soup, main, and sometimes a drink for £4–£7. This is the best-value meal of the day.

• Dinner: A sit-down meal in a local hospoda with a main course and two beers: £8–£14 comfortably.

• Beer: Czech beer (Pilsner Urquell, Kozel, Bernard, Budvar) is a matter of national pride. Expect to pay £1.20–£2.00 for a half-litre in a local pub; closer to £3–£4 in tourist-heavy spots.

Total food and drink spend? You can eat and drink very well for £15–£25 per day if you're sensible about where you sit down.

Getting Around the Czech Republic on a Shoestring

Within Prague, the public transport system is excellent and cheap. A single journey ticket is around £0.75, and a 24-hour pass is about £2.80. You'll cover most of the city by tram (the network is brilliant) and metro. Taxis exist but Bolt and Uber are significantly cheaper — a ride across the city rarely costs more than £5.

Between cities, Czech trains and buses are well-priced and reliable. Sample journeys:

• Prague to Brno by train: approximately £8–£15 one way (1h 40m on a fast train)

• Prague to Olomouc: around £10–£18 one way

• Prague to Český Krumlov: no direct train, but buses run for £5–£9

The RegioJet and FlixBus networks are worth knowing — sometimes cheaper than national rail, particularly for Prague–Brno.

If you're travelling outside the EU on this trip, picking up an eSIM through Airalo before you fly is a smart move — plans from around £3–£5 for basic data. The Czech Republic is in the EU, so UK roaming rules apply (most UK networks include roaming here in their standard plans), but check your tariff before you assume.

What to Do Without Spending a Fortune

The Czech Republic is genuinely loaded with free and low-cost things to do — this isn't a destination where you need to spend heavily on attractions to have a great time.

Free or near-free:

• Wander the Malá Strana (Lesser Town) and up to Prague Castle's outer courtyards (entry to the grounds is free; the interior buildings require a ticket from ~£12–£18)

• Cross the Charles Bridge at dawn before the crowds arrive — one of Europe's great free experiences

• Explore Vinohrady and Žižkov on foot — neighbourhood street art, parks, and local life

• Visit Náměstí Míru square and the surrounding streets for café culture without the tourist markup

• In Brno: the old town, Špilberk Castle exterior, and the covered market are all free to enjoy

Worth paying for:

• The Prague Castle complex (~£12–£18 for the full circuit) — genuinely impressive, especially the St. Vitus Cathedral interior

• Sedlec Ossuary (Bone Church) in Kutná Hora — a day trip from Prague, train costs ~£4–£7, entry ~£3. It's one of the most extraordinary places in Europe and wildly undervisited

• Beer spa experiences in Prague — sounds gimmicky, isn't. From around £30–£40 per person

If you want a guided experience — a walking tour of Prague's Jewish Quarter, a food tour through Žižkov, or a day trip to Karlštejn Castle — you can browse and book tours directly on our site, with a wide range of options at different price points. Many free walking tours operate on a tip basis (~£5–£10 suggested), which is a great way to get your bearings on day one.

Building Your £50/Day Budget in Practice

Here's what a realistic £50/day in the Czech Republic actually looks like:

| Category | Daily Cost | |---|---| | Accommodation (Prague 2/3, private room) | £20–£25 | | Food (breakfast + lunch set menu + dinner) | £14–£20 | | Drinks (2–3 beers, coffees) | £5–£8 | | Transport (trams, metro, occasional Bolt) | £3–£5 | | Sights / activities | £3–£7 | | Total | £45–£65 |

Some days you'll come in under £40. Days with a big paid attraction or a splurge dinner will push closer to £60. The average settles comfortably around £50 — and you won't feel like you're roughing it.

The honest caveat: Prague is more expensive than it was five years ago, and the very cheapest hostel-and-street-food approach that once made £30/day achievable is harder to sustain. But £50/day remains very realistic, and in Brno, Olomouc, or smaller towns, you're living well.

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Ready to make it happen? Search flights, compare accommodation, and browse tours on Itching to Travel — everything you need to plan a Czech Republic trip that doesn't cost the earth, all in one place. The beer's cold, the dumplings are coming, and Old Town Square looks even better in person.

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