Poland and Czechia itineraries

Thanks Periscope!! Really appreciate the book recommendation as I love to read books set in my travel destinations.
When I started planning the trip I thought of adding 2 other stops, but the older I get the more I value slow traveling and having time to just relax.
One spot I’m considering for a day trip is Tarnów, with its Art Nouveau train station.

We hired Pavel Batel in Prague for a tour of Terezin. He also highlights the history of Rheinhard Heydrich. (Thanks periscope for recommending the historical novel.) Pavel is the best guide we’ve ever hired in our travels. Many recommendations on this forum as well. The tour was the highlight of our stay. http://www.terezin-private-tours.com/

You could add a night to Wroclaw from Krakow. Wroclaw is probably one of the most architecturally diverse cities in central Europe, the architectural eye candy around the old center reflects every country that has ruled the city over the centuries - from Polish Gothic to Austrian Baroque and German Modernist. Both the local cuisine and culture reflect this multi-layered history too. For comparison, Wroclaw and Krakow are about the same size.

Shelly, if you like fiction related to places to which you are traveling, check out this website: tripfiction.com

Janis: Thanks so much for the Terezin guide recommendation. I lived/worked in Prague in the mid ‘90s but never made it to Terezin. This is on my list!
Carlos: I’m still fairly early in my research so will definitely consider adding time in Wroclaw. I have been to Krakow (twice) but just for long weekends when I lived in Prague.
Stan: Thank you so much for the link!

I’m still fairly early in my research so will definitely consider adding time in Wroclaw.

Great! Just in case here's my trip report from my own trip to Poland, including Wroclaw, from earlier this year, to help give some ideas for your research :)

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/poland-trip-report-april-2022

Shelly, in addition to Pavel Batel I can highly recommend his colleague Yvonne Weisgrab for the Prague Jewish Walking Tour. On Pavel’s tour their were 4 of us and it worked out well. We did a private tour with Yvonne. Both Pavel & Yvonne are extremely knowledgeable and passionate about their work. Both are well versed on WWll history. Nice that you are returning to Prague after living there in the 90’s! https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/czech/terezin-and-jewish-quarter-private-tours

Wow! Wow! Wow! You just named off my four favorite places in Central Europe. Spectacular itinerary!

Be careful in Karlovy Vary. It will enchant you to stay longer than you planned. It happened to me twice. Last fall I booked 2 nights and extended to 3. This fall, I booked 3 nights and extended it to 4. It still wasn’t enough. If your budget can afford it, stay at the GrandHotel Pupp. The film Grand Budapest Hotel was rumored to be based on it. It’s history of hosting everyone from Goethe, Mozart, Lou Reed to Johnny Depp speaks to it calibre. Enjoy fabulous champagne brunches, maid service twice a day and stainless steel mineral spring pools in incredible surroundings for around $200/night when we were there. If your a train aficionado, take a day trip on the train to theRailway Depository Museum in Chomutov. Or grab a bus or electric bike and visit Loket for an incredible castle and village experience.

Wroclaw is an incredible city with so much going for it. It’s worth an extra night from Krakow. Take a day trip to Ksiaz castle. Explore the castle and underground tunnels with so much nazi history. Hitler outfitted the castle for himself and is rumored to have hidden Nazi gold in a train in the tunnels. Fascinating.

Perfect trip!

Gosh where do I start?! Thank you all so much for the great advice!
Carlos: Hah, yes I’ve already read that trip report of yours and most of your Poland posts. They’ve been super helpful — I decided to go to Wroclaw because of your posts!
Janis: Your tour recommendations are so helpful and I’m going to plan on both. I love to just wander and being back in Prague after all these years will rekindle a lot of memories.

thenosbigs: I JUST watched that movie last week! That hotel is outside my typical budget, but it might be worth scrimping more elsewhere to stay there. So glad to hear your thoughts on KV. I spent a long weekend there with an old flame when I lived in Prague so I have fond memories of it. I want to have a day of spa treatments (any recommendations?) but otherwise just take long walks and soak in the beauty.

I am not sure which town you are hoping for a spa day in, but I had an absolutely lovely afternoon at Ambra Day Spa in Krakow.

Happy to help inspire you to visit Wroclaw! It's my favourite city in Poland, it was actually featured in Steven Spielberg's film Bridge of Spies with Tom Hanks where it stood in for 1950s Berlin.

Travelmom: I’ll do my spa day in Karlovy Vary but don’t know where/exactly what yet.

Carlos: I’d love your opinion on the order in which I visit the towns. I keep waffling but right now I’m thinking flying direct from Frankfurt to Wroclaw, train to Krakow. Then take overnight train to Prague (then go on to KV by bus), finishing up trip back in Prague and flying back to Frankfurt to fly home.
I know there’s a lot of debate on whether night trains are a good idea or not, but I love train travel!
The other option would be starting in Krakow >> Wroclaw >>Karlovy Vary >> Prague.

I’m thinking flying direct from Frankfurt to Wroclaw, train to Krakow. Then take overnight train to Prague (then go on to KV by bus), finishing up trip back in Prague and flying back to Frankfurt to fly home.

That would work I think.

As an alternative you could also consider flying direct from Frankfurt to Krakow, then take the train to Wroclaw, then take the direct bus to Prague (I think around 4:30 hrs), then bus to Karlovy Vary before looping back to Prague to fly out

Hi,

I overlooked your intention of going to Tarnow (above). Since you're interested in WW2 history, Tarnow lay in the thick of WW1 history as it was the site in 1915 between Gorlice and Tarnow where the Austro-Germans launched their counter-offensive driving the Russians out of Galicia and Poland.

In 2001 I had a chance to see Tarnow while visiting Krakow, didn't realise I was so close to that town. It would be very interesting to see the unique architecture of the train station knowing what the town went through.

Thanks Fred. Tarnow looks like a lovely day trip spot - thanks for the history info!