Czech Holiday Plzeň June 2024
For our third trip to Czechia, following on from Praha in 2022 and Ostrava in 2023, our base for this year was Plzeň. Plzeň is a city in Western Bohemia and the fourth most populous city in Czechia, population of some 186,000 people. It is situated 96 km (61 miles) west of Praha, the capital of Czechia. Pilsner Urquell Beer has been brewed here since 1842, incidentally a great view from our hotel which was just opposite across the dual carriageway. The other notable reason for Plzeň claim to fame is it is the place that Škoda cars are produced.
Like last year half the party, 5 members, travelled out on Eurostar to Bruxxels Midi, with overnight stops in Aachen and then Munich before arriving in Plzeň on Saturday 8th June. The remaining 5 members arriving by aeroplane at Praha and then by train to Plzeň. The party assembled at the hotel early evening and went round the corner of the hotel to have our evening meal. As in our trip to Ostrava in 2023 we have to thank our restaurant finder in chief, Matthew Shaw who had planned our eating itinery for the complete week, very successfully it must be said.
During the week we used the “Czech One Ticket” which allowed us to use any operator, costing £90 first class for the week.
It was late that evening after most people had retired for the night, that Steve Ollive our tour leader checked trains for the Sunday and to his surprise found our 08.04 Plzeň to České Budějovice was to be a bus replacement, at least to Nepomuk, leaving at 07.30
Sunday 9th June
Our first full day with a revised plan saw us on the 09.35 replacement bus to Nepomuk arriving at 10.31, approximately 2 hours behind planned time. At least it gave us time to observe the trains at Plzeň hl.n. Also, since our last visit to the station in 2022 how great it all looked with all the building work completed. Then back on plan to České Budějovice behind České dráhy (the railway operating company) cl 242 281. With a change of trains first at Rybnik (CZ) our journey took us to Lipno nad Vitavou, the end of the branch. This branch was operated by centre cab electric locomotive 210 023 and two coaches. Then it was time to retrace our route to Rybnik and České Budějovice to enable us to explore the branch line to České Velenice behind Regio Panter cl 650 225. Returning to České Budějovice it was time to eat before catching the 20.04 to Nepomuk and the bus replacement to Plzeň, arriving back at approximately 22.25. A long but very enjoyable day.
Monday 10th June
No bus replacement journeys for the group today as we travelled out to Most. The principal reason for visiting Most was to look at a small tramway that links Most with Litvinov. Most is very interesting, a population of 70,000, is a new town constructed in the late 1960’s and 1970’s as the old town was demolished in order that large reserves of brown coal which was beneath the town could be mined. Our journey was in a GWT (a Czech railway company operating rail transport on regional lines) cl 843 402. From Most we travelled to Kadaň, Kadaň Prunéřov behind cl 362 080 and then on to Karlovy Vary in a cl 814 023. After a planned 60-minute wait, our next train a cl 650 213 transported us to Cheb, located in the very west of Czechia and is an important railway junction. It was also our location for our evening meal. Then it was time to retrace our steps back to the station to catch our train back (20.33) to return to Plzeň hiavní nádraží arriving on time at 21.52.
Tuesday 11th June
The object for the day was to travel on some more branches south of Plzeň. Whist on our initial trail of the day it was discovered that our original plan to travel between Straknice and Volary was being operated as a bus replacement service all day, a two-hour trip. It was agreed by all the group to miss out that leg of the trip. Instead stay on the train to Čičenice and travel down to our original destination of Nové Udoli, just a few hundred metres from the German border. The 30 minutes or so before our return train departed, GWT 818 009, gave just enough time for a leisurely stroll across the border, and, if you wanted to purchase some refreshments in the disused railway trucks, although the owner did appear to be somewhat flustered by a group of 10 all turning up together. Then it was time, 14.13 to retrace our route back to Čičenice and hence towards Plzeň hiavní nádraží, although this trip took us via Nepomuk and the proverbial bus replacement. Arriving back in good time to sample the delight of the Hospoda Na Spilce, part of the Pilsner Urquell brewery complex.
Wednesday 12th June
It was the turn of the branch lines to the west of Plzeň. Today’s trains were all operated by Ceske drahy, the national operator, and consisted of cl’s 810, 814, and 842 with a 40-minute trip in a cl 650.
From Plzeň hiavní nádraží we travelled out to Bezdružice, the top of the branch, about 1 hour from Plzeň hiavní nádraží, and, then a return to Pňovany zastăvka which we had previously travelled through. 50 minutes later our connection, arrived on time, to Planá u Mariánských Lazni. Arriving at 12.03 it gave us the opportunity to eat lunch as our next departure was scheduled for 13.08. This was a 16-minute journey to Tachov on a cl 842. From Tachov it was a cl 810 to Domažlice arriving about 2 hours later. A quick change to the 15.28 to Nyřany (16.20) to ride the branch line to Heřmanova Huť. Another branch line ticked off, then it was the return trip to Nyřany, arriving back at 17.15. It was then just a relatively short trip back to Plzeň hiavní nádraží on a cl 844 002. That evening we all ate in Plzeň about 25 minutes from our hotel.
Thursday 13th June
Once again a day of bus replacements, the usual Plzeň hiavní nádraží to Nepomuk and later return in the evening to Plzeň hiavní nádraží. We never did find out the reason for the bus replacement. From Nepomuk our train journey took us south east of Plzeň to Strakonice, cl 242 238 then onwards to Tabor which took us about 90 minutes. From Tabor after a break of 20 minutes it was time to board our next train in which was to take us to Jihlava, our furthest destination from Plzeň, for the day. Our unit was cl 814 122 for the 2-hour 15 minute journey, arriving at 13.20.
After some 20 minutes or so it was time to board train R630, hauled by cl 362 055, to České Budějovice. This gave is plenty of time to train watch and have our evening meal before returning to Plzeň hiavní nádraží. Of course, the return had to include the bus replacement service as mentioned above from Nepomuk, arriving back at Plzeň hiavní nádraží at 22.25.
Friday 14th June
We investigated more branch lines around Cheb. On our journey to Cheb we were hauled again by a cl 362, this time 024, and our journey time being 1 hour 20 minutes. The first branch line was to Bad Brambach, across the border into Germany. In fact, the line to here criss-crossed the German/Czechia border some 5 times on the 30-minute journey. We then had to wait about an hour for the same train to take us back to Cheb. The train was operated by VBG (Vogtlandbahn – regional trains of Landerbahn Group). Another change of train and destination. This time our destination was to Luby u Chebu and return on cl 814 045. The second branch line of the day completed. Another short break and change of trains with our next destination to be Hranice v Čechach via Aš (CZ). For the first part of the journey to Aš (CZ) an OPB cl 650 734 was our mode of transport and for the last leg to Hranice v Čechach a CD 810 425. It was then a question of retracing our steps to Cheb, where a table had been booked in advance.
The restaurant this night was Mana Kamana Indian Restaurant in Cheb. Interesting to see what meals members of the group choose, in particular the “vindaloos” and what affect it had on people’s facial expression and colour of their cheeks.
Our scheduled departure time was 20.33 to Plzeň hiavní nádraží, but we had discovered that a bus replacement was to take us back to Plzeň. Fortunately we made our way to the station in plenty of time and boarded the second bus, which left at 20.00. The bus, a normal service bus was extremely uncomfortable. Don’t ever complain about Great Western Cl 800’s hard seats again. After some 2.5 hours need I say anymore?
Saturday 15th June
Our last day of the trip, another day exploring the branch lines around Karlovy Vary, north west of Plzeň. But first awaiting us to view, photograph was a steam loco in platform 1, No 475 111, 4-8-2-wheel arrangement, built by Škoda in 1947. It was on a charter/enthusiast train comprising 3 coaches.
Our first station on the route today was Mariánské Lázně in which we reached in just over an hour. Then it was all change to GWT 818 245 to Karlovy Vary dolni n, a 75-minute journey and then onwards to Karlovy Vary, a very short journey of some 5 minutes, this time on a VBG cl 650. The next station on our travels was Nové Sedlo u Lokte. Interestingly we spotted Simon Calder on the platform, the independent travel correspondent who regularly appears on BBC programmes. He actually joined us in our part of the carriage. During this part of the trip, about 17 minutes he asked Steve what we were doing and then invited Steve to take part in a pod cast, about railways of course. Once again, another branch line was achieved when we arrived at Loket. It was then a case of retracing our tracks back to Karlovy Vary. The next and last branch line to be explored was to Merklin. Again, a relatively short line, our travel time, about 23 minutes. A very short time at Merklin, 3 minutes, and back to Karlovy Vary and eventually Cheb. It was time for our last meal all together, a different restaurant in Cheb. In looking back at the week we had travelled on some 47 different trains, including a Mouse, Panter, Shark, Nova and Spider.
And finally ...
It was time to say “thank you" for jobs very well done. Firstly, to Matthew for his work in finding such suitable eating establishments for the whole week. Then finally to Steve for all his work in planning the trip, a very busy but excellently planned trip. (I must say Steve was in no way to blame for the bus replacements). Incidentally they only resulted in the planned return to České Budějovice from České Velenice via Veseli nad Luznici and one of the planned legs on Tuesday being abandoned on the day. A glass was raised to say “thank you for a job very well done”. Everyone showed their appreciation to both Matt and Steve and all expressed their thoughts to Steve – where and when next year?
The answer, at this stage, “nowhere near finalised but I have a seed of an idea to base the party in Ústi nad Labem”.
It must be mentioned that on a couple of occasions a glass was raised in the memory of Tom Kolisch who was a member of the 2022 trip in Praha, he himself being of Czech ancestry, Tom died earlier this year following injuries sustained in the Patagonia rail accident in 2023.
Incidentally for those on the trip you may be pleased to know that my case arrived home at Ringwood some 10 hours before I got home on 19th June. Quite pleased to see it again having last seen it when it was collected from Ringwood on 29th May.
Report prepared by Denis Horsman