Rick recommends stopping at the Castle at Konopiste (Benesov) on the way to Cesky Krumlov. We will not have our own car. Is there a way to do this when you are traveling by train or bus? I have tried to find a map with the train or bus routes but have not had any luck finding them and the train schedule website has been a little confusing to me. I can't seem to figure out if there is a direct route from Prague to Cesky Krumlov that will stop in Benesov or if we need to take a little detour mid-route or what. I'm also curious if there are any other possible fun stops along the way? Thanks for any potential helps or ideas.
This is not a great option if you do this by public transport. Either bus or train from Prague will take about 40 minutes then if you make the local bus connection at Konopiste it's two stops and takes about 4 minutes to the castle. If you miss the connection the alternative is a 30 minute walk to the Castle or taxi. Any attempt to get to CK from Konopiste means getting to Ceske Budejovice and changing there. It is possible but miss a connection and you'll be stranded. You might just want to to Prague-Konopiste-Prague-CK.
Are you just 2 people? Can you afford a driver? When we went from Prague to CK we wanted to stop in Kutna Hora to see the bone church and tour the silver mine. We hired a driver through CK Shuttle. They stopped and waited for us during our two tours then drove us into CK. We were 4 people and the convenience offset the price, especially since we had our luggage with us.
We had a car and did not make the stop you are interested in but I will say that CK was well worth the stop….we spent one night there and LOVED this charming village……stayed right in the town square that one night, had a delicious breakfast brunch, walked the town and castle and were so glad we had made the effort to see this place……we drove from Prague to CK…….
We hired Comfy Prague Transfers for the journey from Prague to Cesky Krumlov, and they were happy to include a stop at Konopiste. The driver was excellent; vehicle was immaculate & reasonably priced. If the need arose for a transfer again, I would use them. https://comfy-prague-transfers.com/ IMO, one night in CK is more than enough. We found it to be extremely touristy, even after all of the day trippers have departed.