Czech Republic on $28 a day.

Reflecting on our six and a half weeks in Central Europe. We arrived in Prague July 23, and departed from Budapest September 7. We spent three weeks in Czech Republic, three weeks in Slovakia and four days in Budapest, Hungary.

We covered about 950 kms (590 miles) over the 46 day trip. Although, that is a little deceiving because the last 400 kms (245 miles) or so were to get from Poprad to Budapest, a distance we covered in only two days.

If you look at what we did in perspective to all of Europe, we only saw a very small section of two very small countries. And although we spent four days in beautiful Budapest, we did not see any other parts of Hungary.

Spain, France, and Germany are all large countries. Czech Republic and Slovakia are very small in comparison.

Our original plan included taking in part of Poland, and seeing more of Hungary. But we quickly learned that there is so much to see that rushing through from country to country simply wasn't worth it. 

Starting in Prague, we planned on only one day to explore the city. We probably should have planned on two full days, although Prague is more expensive than anywhere else in Czech Republic and the central area is also chock full of tourists. I mean, so much so that you are unlikely to spot anybody actually from Prague in the downtown core. It is all tourists!

Old Town Square (Staroměstské náměstí) and the front of the Church of Our Lady before Týn (Kostel Matky Boží před Týnem), Old Town in the historical centre of Prague (UNESCO site), Czech Republic. July 24, 2012

Strangest thing we saw? Definitely the chandelier at the Sedlec Ossuary (Kostnice Sedlec) or The Bone Church in Sedlec just outside of Kutná Hora, Central Bohemia Region, Czech Republic. It contains at least one of every bone in the human body. July 26, 2012.

Free beer? Can't see this ever happening in Canada! But the Czechs love their beer. It is actually cheaper than bottled water!

View of the front of St. Barbara's Church (Chrám sv. Barbory) a UNESCO site in Kutná Hora, Central Bohemia Region, Czech Republic. July 27, 2012.

We spent four whole days in the town of Kutna Hora. There's a lot to see and do there, and we enjoyed it. Only thing we would have done differently is that we would not recommend buying their "tourist pass" to see all of the attractions. Pick and choose the ones you like, and pay for them separately. Some city passes are worth it, and some are not. We didn't see enough value in the Kutna Hora pass.

Looking down Peace Square (Náměstí Míru) the main square in downtown Svitavy, Pardubice Region, Czech Rupublic. July 30, 2012.

We were also four days in Svitavy. Not a touristy place, Svitavy is only know as being the birthplace of Oskar Schindler. We enjoyed being the only tourists there! 

Looking down Masaryk Square to the Church of St. Jacob the Elder (Kostel sv. Jakuba Staršího) from the bell tower in the Town Hall (Radnice) building, Boskovice, South Moravian Region, Czech Republic. August 3, 2012.

We only spent two days in Boskovice. This is one area that we felt that we left too soon and we would easily return here.

The central square and the Unesco listed Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc, Czech Republic. August 7, 2012.

We really enjoyed Olomouc. Given the choice of four days in Prague, or four days in Olomouc, we would choose Olomouc hands down. Lots to see in the city and surrounding area, and not the crowds of tourists that hinder Prague. Olomouc is listed as one of Lonely Planet travel guides "undiscovered gems of Europe".

Ruth, hiking in the hills near Zasova. August 10, 2012.

So, what does three weeks touring Czech Republic cost? Well all we can do to give you an idea is to tell you what we spent because obviously everybody has their own lifestyle. But, Czech Republic can be very cheap. Yes, we stayed with couchsurfing hosts most of the time for accommodation, and so we only spent $80 for overnight expenses. But you can easily find guest houses for $20 per night for a couple.

Here's our three weeks worth of expenses...

Groceries: $183 (We didn't eat out very often, although it is cheap to do so!)

Wine and Beer: $50 (Remember, this is for three weeks worth!)

Misc: $48 (Mostly for local transportation, although also includes $10 for a Czech-English dictionary)

Entertainment: $186 (This includes meals out and various castles and other tourist attractions)

Overnight: $80 (Four nights in a guest house in Kutna Hora)

Travel: $43 (This was our train and bus costs to get to our destinations in Czech Republic)

So, for two people to tour Czech Republic for three weeks, we spent a total of $590, or $28 per day.