Best way to get from Prague to Vienna?

December 30, 2005 2:01 PM

What's the best way to get from Prague to Vienna (and back) in January?

The cheaper the better. Also, if it's by train or bus, do we purchase the tickets there or in the States before we leave?

posted by parttimesaint to travel & transportation (7 comments total)

There are daily train connections, and the journey takes anywhere from 4 to 6 hours, but the prices are (unfortunately) not listed on the site of the Austrian Bundesbahn. European train services generally have a byzantine method of calculating costs, with numerous potential discounts that only make sense to the people working there. It'd be best to talk to someone at the train station. (I would definitely wait until you're in Austria/Czech Republic to buy the tickets.)

Chances are that the bus will be less comfortable, but cheaper. Eurolines would be a good bet, but they only have telephone numbers and few details. Have a good trip!
posted by Ljubljana at 2:38 PM on December 30, 2005

We took the train from Prague to Vienna. The ticket was about US$40 each and and that includes the extra fee to have a seat reserved. I did not ask if a return ticket was less. We bought the ticket at the train terminal the day before we left. The train leaves from the terminal that is reached by going to the metro stop Nadrazi Holesovice on the C-Line. The train trip took just over 4hours.

The only frustration was that the train arrives at a terminal in Vienna that is not directly linked to the Vienna Metro. We had to get a surburban train and go 3 stops to reach a station to be able to switch to the metro.
posted by skybeedoo at 2:47 PM on December 30, 2005

By the way, we took that train trip two weeks ago and the carriage was clean and comfortable. I also would suggest you buy your tickets once you are in Austria/Czech Republic
posted by skybeedoo at 2:52 PM on December 30, 2005

You can czech timetables and buy seats in the US through Flight Centre and Rail Europe.* Not sure how competitive their rates are, but for peace of mind, you might prefer to have tickets in advance. (For main routes, or at busy times, reserving a seat might be advisable, but can be done in Prague.)
*And just in case you'd like to do a little more train travel, here's a link describing the new Austria 'n Czech Railpass.
posted by rob511 at 4:54 PM on December 30, 2005

Train! I've done this a few years ago. For that particular leg of my trip I bought my ticket at the railway station in Prague right there at the counter. It's a big train station and they're friendly, speak English, etc.
It's a really cool trip by train - one of my favourite trips ever. Once you cross the border from the Czech Republic to Autria, everything suddenly changes: the cars look different, the streets are paved differently, the platforms at the stations that zoom by look totally different. So make sure to look out the window once you're in the train!
posted by easternblot at 6:40 PM on December 30, 2005

Remember that if you take the train now, you won't be seeing much if it leaves after 3pm. Damn short winter days...
posted by jedrek at 11:55 AM on December 31, 2005

I took the train from Prague to Vienna in November. It's a beautiful ride- rolling countryside with castles here and there.
No problems with connections to public trainsit in Vienna-
there's an S-bahn station right at the Sudbahnhof, and an U-bahn station just a block west at Sudtiroler Platz. The U1 will take you right into the center of town.
posted by oneirodynia at 6:24 PM on December 31, 2005