Getting to the start
Smetanovy sady (Smetana Gardens), spa-district park
Serves as both start and finish. Per prior (2026, 14th edition) 6:00pm start; 2027 traffic page not yet published but date pattern consistent.
Public transport FREE in Karlovy Vary on race day. No dedicated shuttle; rail between Karlovy Vary dolni nadrazi and Karlovy Vary-Brezova replaced by substitute buses 17:50-20:45; city bus lines 1/2/3/4/6/11/12/20 run modified/suspended routes.
Phased closures per prior edition: nabrezi Osvobozeni closed Fri 6pm-Sat midnight; Varsavska/Horova/Moskevska 1:30-3:00pm; Zapadni/Doubsky most/Studentska/Plzenska 5:30-9:00pm. Paid lots (Tuhnice/Zapadni St) entry only until 1:30pm; free lots at OC Varyada, OC Sedmicky, Dolni Kamenna, KV Arena (entry cutoff 5:30pm).
Getting to the finish
Same location, Smetanovy sady. Core spa-area streets (Zahradni, Sadova, Mlynske nabrezi, Vridelni, Karla IV.) closed 1:30pm-10:00pm race day -- plan a walking/tram return, not a car pickup.
Transit card
Karlovarská karta (a local reloadable transit chip card issued by DPKV) — not needed since contactless bank cards work directly
DPKV customer/information points (dpkv.cz) — not necessary for short visits given contactless EMV support Works directly at the gates
Alternative: Karlovy Vary Region Card (regional tourist benefit card, gives a 50% discount on local public transport plus discounts on attractions/spas) — Only worth buying if you plan to visit multiple paid attractions or the region's spa towns over several days — the standalone transport discount alone likely doesn't justify the cost for a short race trip. Karlovy Vary is a small spa town with a limited DPKV city bus network (no tram or metro) — useful mainly for reaching the town center/spa district from outlying hotels or the Tržnice bus/train hub.
Onboard validators let you select a fare and tap a contactless bank card (or pay the driver cash at a higher price).
