Fairy-tale castles, sandstone canyons, Europe's cheapest beer & a growing kemp network
The Czech Republic packs an extraordinary density of fairy-tale scenery into a landlocked country roughly the size of Austria. Prague's spires and Charles Bridge, Český Krumlov's looped river town, the wind-carved sandstone towers of Bohemian Switzerland, and the vineyard hills of southern Moravia all sit within a few hours' drive of each other. Add genuinely excellent, genuinely cheap beer, and it's easy to see why the country has become one of Central Europe's favourite vanlife destinations.
Infrastructure is straightforward once you know the rules. Wild camping is illegal, but a fast-growing network of kemp sites (the Czech word for campsite) and dedicated motorhome stopovers covers the whole country, and a digital motorway vignette has replaced the old sticker system used elsewhere in the region. EV charging is fair and expanding quickly, led by the utility company ČEZ, though rural coverage away from the main cities still needs some planning. Food, drink, and fuel remain some of the most affordable in this guide.
Small, compact, and packed with contrast, here's where to point your van.
The Old Town, Charles Bridge, and the castle complex above the Vltava river make Prague one of the most complete historic capitals in Europe. Come for the astronomical clock and Gothic spires, stay for a beer garden with a view over the red rooftops at sunset. Several kemp sites sit within tram or metro reach of the centre.
A near-perfect medieval town looped inside a bend of the Vltava, watched over by its own castle and a 16th-century painted tower. Small enough to see on foot in a day, atmospheric enough to justify staying two. Arrive early or late to have the cobbled lanes largely to yourself.
Wind-carved sandstone towers, deep gorges, and Pravčická brána, the largest natural sandstone arch in Europe, all within a short drive of the German border. Hiking trails wind through pine forest and narrow canyons, and a boat trip through the Edmund Gorge is a highlight in its own right.
Czechia's grandest spa town, its colonnades and hot mineral springs framed by pastel Habsburg-era facades along the Teplá river. Sip the mineral water from a spa cup the way locals do, then follow it with a shot of Becherovka, the herbal liqueur invented here.
Southern Moravia's rolling vineyard hills around Lednice and Valtice feel closer to Austria than to Prague. The Lednice-Valtice cultural landscape, a UNESCO-listed patchwork of chateaus, follies, and wine cellars, is best explored slowly by bike or on quiet backroads between tastings.
A former silver-mining town whose wealth built the soaring Gothic Cathedral of St Barbara, and whose ossuary at nearby Sedlec is decorated with the bones of an estimated 40,000 people. Unsettling, extraordinary, and an easy day trip from Prague.
Czechia is easy to travel once you know the vignette system and where kemp sites cluster.
Czechia's motorway vignette went fully digital in 2021. There is no windscreen sticker to buy, the vignette is linked electronically to your number plate and checked automatically by cameras along the network. A 10-day vignette costs roughly 300 CZK (about €12), with monthly and annual options also available for longer stays.
Wild camping is illegal throughout the Czech Republic, but the country makes up for it with a good and growing network of around 500 kemp sites (the local word for campsite), plus a steadily expanding set of dedicated motorhome stopovers near towns and attractions. Prices are low by Western European standards, and even basic riverside or forest kemp sites are usually clean and well kept.
Facilities range from simple pitches with a tap and toilet block to full-service sites with electric hook-up, showers, and a small restaurant. Many kemp sites sit beside rivers or lakes and lean heavily into a laid-back, family-holiday atmosphere rather than a formal campsite feel.
Czechs drink more beer per person than anyone else on the continent, and it shows in the price. A half-litre of good Pilsner-style lager in a village pub often costs less than bottled water, and even in Prague's tourist centre it stays remarkably affordable compared to the rest of Western Europe. Plzeň, home of Pilsner Urquell, is where the style was invented and worth the detour on its own.
Cheap beer and cheap food together mean a Czech leg of a trip can meaningfully lower your overall daily spend. Hearty classics like svíčková (marinated beef in a creamy sauce), guláš, and knedlíky (bread or potato dumplings) are filling, inexpensive, and widely available at small local restaurants (hospoda) well away from tourist prices.
Prague 1, the historic core, restricts entry for heavier vehicles. Vehicles above 3.5 tonnes need to meet a minimum Euro emission standard and, in many cases, register with the city in advance to be permitted entry. Buses and coaches face additional entry and parking restrictions around the main sights.
Most standard campervans under 3.5 tonnes are unaffected by the low emission zone, but the historic centre's narrow medieval streets and scarce parking make driving in a poor choice regardless. Larger motorhomes should check the current rules before planning a route through Prague 1.
The Czech Republic is ringed by low but serious mountain ranges: the Krkonoše (Giant Mountains) along the Polish border, the Šumava along the German and Austrian border, and the Krušné hory (Ore Mountains) along the German border in the northwest. All three see reliable winter snow and can require careful driving from late autumn through early spring.
EV charging in the Czech Republic is fair and growing quickly, especially along the D1 motorway corridor linking Prague, Brno, and Ostrava, and within the main cities themselves. Coverage thins out noticeably once you head into rural Bohemia, the Moravian countryside, or the mountain border regions, so plan charging stops before you leave the main routes.
One classic Bohemia loop, and one compact Moravian wine country route for a shorter trip.
Prague, the sandstone canyons of the north, and the fairy-tale south, Czechia's greatest hits in a single week-long loop.
Brno, the Pálava hills, and the UNESCO-listed vineyard landscape around Lednice and Valtice, a shorter, slower loop near the Austrian border.
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Czechia sits right in the middle of Central Europe, with easy land borders in three directions. Here's where most vanlifers head next.
