Plzeň region — beer, castles and châteaux
A brewery tour in Plzeň, the moated castle of Švihov and the châteaux of Kozel and Manětín: three days by motorhome with no long drives. A motorhome solves two problems at once here — at the brewery nobody has to stay sober to drive, because you sleep at a campsite on the edge of Plzeň, and the next morning you set off for the castles without packing up and moving on. Bear in mind that Manětín lies north of Plzeň, while Radyně, Kozel and Švihov are all south of it, so the trip is made up of two separate runs from a single base camp. The season is set by the opening hours of the monuments: everything works fully in summer, while in spring and autumn a number of them open only at weekends and on public holidays.
The D5 motorway puts you in Plzeň before noon, so an afternoon tour of the Prazdroj brewery fits in comfortably. Buy your tickets in advance — tours run at fixed times, the basic route takes about a hundred minutes and ends in the lager cellars, where it stays around five degrees; a sweater is welcome even in August. The rest of the day belongs to náměstí Republiky with the Cathedral of St Bartholomew, or to the Brewery Museum and Plzeň's historical underground, which children enjoy too. Take public transport into the centre from the campsite in Bolevec — there is no need to wrestle a motorhome through the streets around the brewery. On that first evening, go through the plan for the days ahead: Kozel, Manětín and Švihov are all run by the National Heritage Institute and all close on Mondays.
In the morning head south of Plzeň to Radyně. You park below the castle by the restaurant, walk up through the woods, and from the tower you can see the whole Plzeň basin; outside high season — in May, September and October — the castle opens only at weekends and on public holidays, while from June to August it opens from Tuesday to Sunday. From there it is only a short hop to Kozel château, so you can fit both stops comfortably into the morning — and the park around the Neoclassical hunting lodge is open daily from morning until evening. In the afternoon move on to Švihov, the last Czech castle with a water moat: you can walk up the tower without a guide, in summer you can also take a boat around the walls, and in October it opens mainly at weekends, with daily opening only over the autumn half-term at the very end of the month.
The third day is a separate run to the north, because Manětín lies on the opposite side of Plzeň from yesterday's stops. The château and its lavish Baroque interiors are complemented by a whole open-air gallery of statues in the village itself and by the château garden, so even a short stop makes sense. In September the château often keeps shorter hours on weekdays than at the weekend, and in October it opens only on Saturdays and Sundays — check before you set off. In the afternoon you head back to Prague, either via Plzeň and the D5, or by the quieter route through Kralovice and Rakovník.
Vehicles up to 3.5 t, which covers most motorhomes, need an electronic motorway vignette for the D5. Under the price list valid from 1 January 2026, ten days cost CZK 300, thirty days CZK 480 and a year CZK 2,570; CNG vehicles and plug-in hybrids pay a markedly lower rate and electric vehicles pay nothing. Vehicles over 3.5 t do not buy a vignette — under the Czech roads act they fall under electronic tolling, need an on-board unit and pay per kilometre driven. The roads to Švihov and to Manětín lie outside the tolled network. Of the paid attractions, budget mainly for admission: the basic tour of the Pilsner Urquell brewery costs CZK 430 and the unguided tour of Radyně CZK 80 per adult.
ATC Ostende, Plzeň-Bolevec — a campsite by the Velký bolevecký rybník lake with space for tents and caravans, electric hook-ups and a restaurant; public transport runs into the centre of Plzeň. Open roughly from May to the end of September. · Autokemp U jezera (Diana), Ejpovice u Rokycan — beside a reservoir right on the route from Prague, explicitly accepting tents, trailers and motorhomes, with electric hook-ups and a restaurant on site. Open roughly from April to the end of September. · Autocamping Klatovy, Klatovy — the nearest campsite to Švihov, next to the open-air baths and an indoor pool; accommodation in your own tent or caravan, open mainly in the peak summer season, so confirm the dates by phone. · Kemp Nový rybník, Prádlo u Nepomuka — open all year round, taking tents, caravans and motorhomes without a reservation, a useful fallback outside the summer season.
The car parks at the monuments are designed for daytime visitors, not for overnight stays — at Radyně and at Kozel leave the vehicle only for the length of the tour and drive to a campsite to sleep. Treat parking up freely in the woods and by the ponds of the Plzeň region as a driver's rest, not as camping: the awning, table and chairs belong on a pitch. Book a campsite above all on long weekends and during Pilsner Fest, when Plzeň is full.
You can top up drinking water and use the showers and toilets at ATC Ostende in Plzeň-Bolevec, which is also the nearest base to the brewery. Outside that campsite's summer season, the safest stop is the year-round Kemp Nový rybník in Prádlo u Nepomuka. Always arrange emptying of the chemical toilet at reception and use the spot they show you — there is nothing for it at the monuments or in village car parks.
Adria Compact
The Compact is a low-profile motorhome under seven metres long and 2.12 m wide, so it gets through the narrow roads from Kozel to Švihov and fits into an ordinary visitor car park such as the one below Radyně by the restaurant. It also stays under 3.5 t, so a vignette is all you need on the D5 and you avoid both the on-board unit and per-kilometre tolls.
Get road trip ideas by email
Leave us your email and we will send motorhome inspiration and stock updates.