How to get from Linz, Salzburg, Munich, or Vienna to Cesky Krumlov
Today there are many choices depending upon how much one wants to pay for speed and convenience. Many take the train as far as Linz then use a shuttle van described below from Linz to Cesky Krumlov OR use a long distance shuttle between Salzburg (or Vienna) and Cesky Krumlov. When there are three or more people in your group, you have a lot of heavy/valuable luggage, etc. using one of the chauffeur services becomes more cost effective especially since then one has the option of making side trips along your journey (ie., seeing the stunning Melk Abbey on the Danube River when riding between Vienna and Cesky Krumlov or seeing the beautiful mountain lake town of Traunkirchen when riding between Salzburg and Cesky Krumlov). Linz is on the high speed train line between Salzburg (one hour and ten minutes west of Linz) and Vienna (one hour and thirty five minutes east of Linz) where trains run several times per hour during peak travel times. Munich is one hour and a half to two hours west of Salzburg by train; Budapest is about three hours east of Vienna by train. There are numerous discounts to reduce the "walk up" price (see http://www.oebb.at/pv/en/Travel_within_Europe/SparSchiene/ or www.bahn.de for details; note that with the lowest fares one is limited to travel on a specific train and that tickets must be purchased three or more days in advance). Use train schedules between Budapest and Linz that do NOT require changing trains in Vienna; some "connecting" trains leave from stations in different parts of Vienna, making transfers difficult. The main Linz train station has completed its extensive modernization and is now much easier to use than previously. Travel on trains between Linz and Cesky Krumlov has traditionally involved many "hassle factors" such as often poorly synchronized connections, having to ride north to Ceske Budejovice then south to Cesky Krumlov on a train that takes almost twice as long as the bus, the train station in Cesky Krumlov being located far from its historic center, etc. Hence the growth over the years of more shuttle services between Linz and Cesky Krumlov.
1. Travel by air
Until commercial flights begin to the nearby airport at Ceske Budejovice, the Linz airport is the closest one to Cesky Krumlov. Ryanair has begun discount nonstop flights between London and Linz. Lufthansa has nonstop flights from Frankfurt to Linz, and Austrian Airlines has nonstop flights from Dusseldorf to Linz. American carriers like Delta Airlines have nonstop service between the United States and Prague. Austrian Airlines has nonstop service from several American cities to Vienna. Such carriers as Delta, United, etc. have nonstop service between the United States and Munich, and Munich is a major hub for Lufthansa.
2. Travel by Shuttle Van
Lobobus with email at lobo@ckrumlov.cz and telephone numbers +420 380 713 153 or +420 777 637 374 (website http://www.shuttlelobo.cz/1/en/transfer_Krumlov_Vienna_Salzburg_Hallstatt_Prague/) currently quotes 450 CZK per person between Linz and Cesky Krumlov with departures at 9:00 am, 11:00 am, and 1:00 pm; however at various times during the year the prices change. During a recent trip the Infocentrum in the Main Square sold Lobobus seats 70 CZK cheaper than the Lobobus satellite office just around the corner! Their main office is on Latran Street between the Castle and the Post Office; the satellite office on the northwest corner of the Main Square. Pension Lobo also offers a shuttle service between Cesky Krumlov and Vienna AND a service between Cesky Krumlov and Salzburg. This three hour, air conditioned van service between Cesky Krumlov and Vienna OR Cesky Krumlov and Salzburg costs 1,100 CZK as of this writing; however since there can be a significant variation in the price charged during the year and whether or not a given company makes the trip on a specific day, it is always best to get a quote from several of the shuttle van companies. Both shuttle vans leave Cesky Krumlov at 9:00 am and then return from the respective cities at 12:30 pm back to Cesky Krumlov; their vans leave from just outside the Westbahnhof in Vienna and just outside the Hauptbahnhof in Salzburg. See their website for additional information. For groups they have discounts and the ability to schedule different departure times.
"Sebastian Tours and Transport" (phone +420 608 357 581 or +420 607 100 234) at http://www.sebastianck-tours.com also provides service between Cesky Krumlov and Linz with three departures per day (9:00 am, 11:00 am, and 1:00 pm) for 399 CZK per person; when you know your travel schedule, email them for an upate since their prices change at various times during the year. Their three hour trip to the center of Salzburg costs 1,090 CZK and leaves at 9:00 am; their three hour trip to the front of Vienna's West Bahnhof (train station) costs 1,090 CZK per person and also leaves at 9:00 am. One can also contact them at sebastiantours@hotmail.com for additional details; in Cesky Krumlov their office is located in the southern part of town.
"Travel Agency Expedicion" (www.expedicion.cz) located one block from the Main Square in Cesky Krumlov also makes the same trips at a higher price (with this increase in price their website notes they have "free non alcoholic beverages or beer on the our trips as well as a large choice of music"). "Travel Agency Expedicion" has shuttle service between Cesky Krumlov and Linz (990 CZK), Vienna (2,300 CZK), Prague (1,800 CZK), Salzburg (2,100 CZK), etc. Their website contains additional information about the shuttles and an extensive list of equipment rentals for the outdoor enthusiast; for reservations call +420 607 963 868, or send them an email at expedicion@centrum.cz.
"Shuttlebus" (www.shuttlebus.cz/ ) has started services between Cesky Krumlov and Linz (400 CZK), Hallstatt (1,100 CZK), Salzburg (1,100 CZK), Munich (1,700 CZK), Vienna (1,100 CZK), Melk (800 CZK). and so forth. At their website click "Timetable" for details about departure times. prices, duration of trips, etc. They can be reached at info@shuttlebus.cz or by telephoning +420 604 914 496. As of this writing, they do not have a local office in Cesky Krumlov to facilitate contacting them when in town.
As the time for your trip draws closer, email/telephone the companies for updated prices (ask for any "specials") and departure times; always reconfirm that the trip will take place on your date of travel. Some companies cancel their longer trips if not enough passengers sign up for them on that particular day. Although listed prices were correct when this article was written, the shuttle prices frequently fluctuate; sometimes the prices listed at their ticket offices are 20% less than the posted internet prices. Sometime the "Infocentrum" in the Main Square in Cesky Krumlov has additional discounts. Increasing competition on the routes has lowered the prices at the same time that inflation has raised some prices. The January 1, 2008 removal of passport control on the Czech/Austrian border has also made all of the trips faster/easier, especially on weekends.
3. Travel by taxi or chauffeur services
Krumlov Taxi at phone +420 380 712 712 (website at www.krumlov-taxi.cz) quotes 1890 CZK for a taxi between Cesky Krumlov and the Linz airport; the cost is 1690 CZK from the Linz train station to Cesky Krumlov.
If there are several people in your group or you need more route/time flexibility with personalized service, visit the recently renovated website www.mike-chauffeur.cz for an exact quote. As of this writing his price is 5,500 CZK between Cesky Krumlov and Vienna and 5,800 CZK between Cesky Krumlov and Munich; Mike offers clients of Castle View Apartments a 3% discount on these and all other trips mentioned on this website. Every Wednesday and Sunday in May, June, July, August, and September he drives a minibus between Prague and Salzburg via Cesky Krumlov. The price per person for the entire journey is 1,500 CZK between Prague and Salzburg (less between the intermediate stops) and operates if there are at least five passengers. If you are interested, email him to learn his schedule/prices for the segment of the route you wish to use (ie., his return trip from Salzburg to Cesky Krumlov or from Linz to Cesky Krumlov). From time to time his website also lists long distance trips from Vienna to Prague; if it fits your schedule, you could have "door to door" service from Vienna or Linz to Cesky Krumlov for a significantly lower price.
4. Travel by train and bus
TRAINS: For train schedules and rail discounts in Germany, visit www.bahn.de (has an English language option in the top right corner of the home page). The website for Austrian trains, http://www.oebb.at/ , has details about discounts on their rail system and an English language option as well. For specific details about bus/train travel from Linz to Cesky Krumlov, visit www.idos.cz with an Engligh language option on the right side of the home page. Use your EXACT date of travel since the weekday, weekend, and holiday schedules are usually different. Also, remember to use the European system of writing dates (ie, December 25, 2008 would be written in Europe as "25.12.08"). When riding the train in Eastern Europe (actually the Czech Republic is in central Europe; to call it "eastern Europe" is to use old Cold War terminology), ride in the front of the train. Unlike western Europe, many train stations here have only one location sign. If you are in the back of the train, the train will have left the station before you know the name of the station. Before your trip, print your detailed itinerary so that you will know the EXACT name of your stop and the time of the stop. Even small towns may have several train/bus stations with almost the same name. There is nothing worse than getting off at the wrong station at night in the rain when the next train/bus is many hours in the future. If you are not sure if you are at your destination, ask the conductor on the train. Unless you speak Czech, don´t ask locals riding on the train for clarification; they will usually try to be helpful but may not fully understand your question. Take it from an expert who has "been there; done that" and gotten off at the wrong station a few times. It is better to take a train earlier in the day than later, in a case you miss a connection. Unlike such countries as Holland where close train connections are on the SAME platform and connecting trains will wait for a late train, many trains/buses in the Czech Republic and at times in Austria are late; connecting trains are often on distant platforms. Even if you ask the conductor to hold the next train for a few minutes, they seldom will do so. Although it is improving now with more electronic or preprinted connection information on EVERY platform as in western Europe, until recently many small train stations in the Czech Republic listed connections on a single chalk board just outside the main building at the station. Also, don´t take heavy, bulky luggage unless you like mountain climbing. Many small train stations have no raised platforms beside the trains; to board the train you climb from the ground to the train compartment. Many times when I have carried a heavy backpack, I have been unable to board the train without taking the backpack off and putting it in the train before climbing the steps; the heavy backpack would pull me backwards as I tried to climb the almost vertical steps to the train. On weekends and holidays second class on the trains can be very crowded with people even sitting on their luggage in the corridors. Since first class is so inexpensive in the Czech Republic (compared to Western Europe), consider sitting in first class if you do not have a reserved seat in second class; when the conductor comes by to check your ticket, hand him about 100 CZK with your second class ticket so he will know you are buying an "upgrade" and not trying to cheat the system. In Europe children between 6 and 15 years of age usually pay half fare, and children less than that pay nothing if they are not taking a seat. There are many special fares so it helps to search the train travel website for that country before your trip.
BUSES: After you have printed your itinerary at www.idos.cz (even and tells the departure platforms at large bus and train stations), look for the shortest, convenient schedule. Don´t worry if you can´t understand the schedules posted in bus stations; even native born well educated Czechs have problems with these schedules and often stand at the wrong platform waiting for a bus. At times the bus driver will stop at a different location. Some schedules involve multiple bus and train transfers. (2007 UPDATE - The new main bus station in Ceske Budejovice is now operational and on the same city block as the former bus station, across the street from the main train station. However now it is located on the roof of a new shopping mall shown at http://jizdnirady.idnes.cz/info/C2/S4842.HTM instead of being at ground level. After entering the mall, take the escalators or elevator to the top floor. When you reach the top, turn right, and go outside on the roof. Look to your right, and you will see bus stop #1 where most buses to Cesky Krumlov depart. Bus stop #1 is located at the northeast corner of the roof from which you can see the top of the main train station across the street. If there is a long wait at bus stop #1 until the next bus to Cesky Krumlov, check with the information counter to determine if the next bus to Cesky Krumlov leaves from a different position. Novices to the area are urged to use bus schedules that do not require transfers. Even though transfers are much easier than when the temporary bus station caused a several block walk between many transfers, there can still be problems; many long distance public buses are late, making it easy to miss close connections). The number of people waiting for a given bus at busy times will exceed the number of seats AND standing room spaces on the bus. Sometimes even though there are a few standing room spaces left on the bus, the driver will insist that the bus is now "full," I assume so there will be some space left for his friends at the next bus stop. To avoid a long wait for a later bus, sometimes I have used my best high school German and said to the bus driver, like Martin Luther at the Diet of Worms, "Hier Ich stehe" (Here I stand) as I showed him that there was indeed one square foot of standing room space left for me. Be prepared to wait for a later bus especially on holidays, weekends (includes Friday afternoon), and during rush hour unless you have a prepaid ticket (available at the bus station earlier) for that particular bus. Whereas in most places people waiting in the Czech Republic stand in a British line patiently waiting their turn, at some bus stops people use the south European line (that is, a large crowd pushing from all sides towards the front door of the bus). In smaller towns it is much safer than in Prague, but always wear a money belt under your clothes and be aware where your valuables are located.
It is best to use a route that involves no transfers unless you have a lot of time between connections in case your bus is late. Notice that most bus/train schedules from Linz to Cesky Krumlov go via Ceske Budejovice, a town about 25 km NORTH of Cesky Krumlov. To avoid paying for a trip north then south, transfer at Kaplice; the trip from Kaplice to Cesky Krumlov is usually thirty minutes by bus and even less by taxi. (Unlike Prague, most taxi drivers in small towns are honest and won´t cheat you. Nevertheless it is always best to agree on the price in WRITING before getting into a cab). Whereas the main bus station in Cesky Krumlov is a very short walk east of the historic center (during winter when the leaves are off the trees, you can see the old town towers from the main bus station), the train station is far to the north of the old town and up a steep hill (see Cesky Krumlov map). The out of town buses stop at the main entrance of the main Cesky Krumlov bus station. As you leave the bus, walk in the direction that the bus entered the bus station (you will see the Castle Tower in the distance above the trees). As you reach the trees at the end of the bus station parking lot, follow the foot path up the hill slightly to your left. At the top of this hill is a park bench with another good photo-op of the town. Keep walking until you reach the street at the top of the hill then hug the left side of the buildings walking downhill to the main highway. There is a stop light here with a button to stop traffic. Cross at the "zebra" (there is a grocery store to your left), and walk straight ahead towards the bridge to the old town (you will be on Horni Street). Just before you cross the bridge there are some good photo-ops on the right side behind the corner building. Between the bridge and Main Square there is a small park to your right for good pictures of the river below and the Castle across the river. After you pass this park and before you reach the Main Square, look to your right along the first side "street", and you will see a famous postcard view of the Castle Tower in the distance between the buildings (Castle View Apartments is on the left side on this side street with the ivy on the front). Actually this side "street" is so narrow it is primarily used for foot traffic. If you have heavy luggage, taking a taxi between the bus station (and even more so when using the train station) and the Main Square of Cesky Krumlov is an easier option.