Car & Van Hire - Pilsen

Some of the city’s most notable landmarks include St Bartholomew’s Cathedral, Pilsen Gate, the water tower and the city’s town hall. All these are easily explored on foot, as they’re located in or around Republic Square.

From Republic Square, several streets sprawl in a grid layout, forming Pilsen’s Old Town. The area is home to several art galleries and museums, such as the Museum of West Bohemia and Patton Memorial Museum, a must-see for those interested in WWII history.

The city’s reputation for brewing good-quality beer has remained intact from the 13th century to this day and has become one of the main reasons why many tourists choose to visit Pilsen. Guided tours of the Pilsner Urquell Brewery, its cellars and bottling facilities can be booked online for further insight.

Visitors who appreciate Pilsen’s famous lagers can also take a tour of the Gambrinus brewery and spend time exploring the vast underground cellar and tunnel network called Historical Underground, used by local families centuries ago to brew beer.

If you’re planning a family trip to Pilsen, you can’t go wrong with a day out at Dino Park, a dinosaur-themed amusement park located a few kilometres north of the city centre. In the same area, you’ll find Pilsen’s Zoo and the Botanical Gardens. Don’t forget to set aside some time to visit the city’s planetarium and science museum at Techmania Science Centre, which offers interactive learning experiences that will delight the whole family. Other child-friendly suggestions include Jirina Havlova Doll Exhibition and interactive displays at the Puppet Museum.

You’ll find a great selection of steak houses, fine dining restaurants, coffee shops and bistros between Republic Square and Mestsky Park in the Old Town. And this being Pilsen, you won’t have to walk far to find an eatery that has an extensive beer-sampling menu. In addition, the city’s shopping centres all have food courts. The most popular shopping venue in town is Pilsen Plaza Mall.

Annual events related to Pilsen’s beer include Pilsen Fest and Sun in a Glass. Other popular events include Pilsen Busking Fest, Summer Baroque Festival, and the Christmas market in Republic Square. It's worth checking dates and details before planning to attend such events.

Although winters are relatively mild in Pilsen, you can come across adverse weather and heavy snowfall on the road from Prague Airport. Across the country, winter tyres must be fitted between 1 November and 31 March to help make driving safer if ice or compacted snow is present or in the forecast. You may be given an on-the-spot fine if your vehicle isn’t adequately fitted, but if you arrange your car or van hire in Pilsen with a reputable company like Enterprise Rent-A-Car, the required tyres will be fitted by default.

Although brewery hopping is one of the main attractions in Pilsen, motorists visiting Pilsen should be aware of the Czech Republic’s strict stance towards drunk driving. Driving under the influence of alcohol is not permitted at all. Police are often on the roads checking for this type of violation, especially around the time of Pilsen’s beer festivals.

Speed limits are in line with those in other European countries. The maximum speed on motorways is 130 km/h. On expressways and other non-urban roads, it is 90 km/h. In built-up areas, speed limits are set to 50 km/h but can be lower in certain parts of the Old Town to account for high pedestrian counts. Fines for speeding are often issued on the spot, though they may be waived if you're not going more than 20 km/h above the allowed speed.

Most motorways and expressways are toll roads like the D5 going to and from Prague Airport. The Czech Republic uses an electronic vignette system to collect toll payments. The vignette is available for purchase from petrol stations and post offices, and most tourists buy the 10-day vignette. Note that you don’t have to display it on the windscreen since vehicle plates are automatically checked against active vignette records at regular intervals. Penalties for driving without a vignette apply, and their cost can reach hundreds of euros.

When driving in central Pilsen, be aware that in some streets, you’ll have to share the road with trams, which always have priority. Paid parking is available in three multi-storey car parks or as paid street parking. Free street parking is very limited in downtown Pilsen, especially on weekdays. Parking rates vary depending on which zone you’re in, with Zone A (Old Town) being the priciest.
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