Western Bohemia is well-served by train and road, making Plzeň a good base for a few day trips. Karlovy Vary is 80 km northwest — the famous spa town with its colonnade of mineral springs is around 90 minutes by bus or slow train. Český Krumlov is 130 km south and takes about two hours by bus, but the fairy-tale castle town is worth the journey.
Closer to Plzeň, the village of Konstantinovy Lázně (40 km northwest) is a quieter spa destination. The fortress town of Horšovský Týn, 40 km west, has a Renaissance château that sees few foreign visitors. The Šumava national park begins about 60 km south — vast forests, peat bogs, and relatively few crowds compared to the better-known Bohemian parks.
