getting from Berlin to Prague and back again

May 18, 2007 10:34 AM

I will be in Berlin in mid-June for work. I am looking to meet a friend in Prague, leaving Friday night from Berlin, and leaving Prague on Sunday night (a short time I know). What's the best, cheapest way to get there. An overnight ride isn't a problem, though shorter is always better. I can arrive in Prague on Saturday morning, and back in Berlin on Monday morning.

I'm assuming the best way is to go by train, right? Die Bahn seems to have one that would work well (leaving at 6:45 at night on Friday), but they want me to put in credit card information before ven showing the fair. Is there another good train or bus option? Or would flying work well too?

Sorry, I'm so totally in the dark about all this...

posted by jare2003 to travel & transportation (16 comments total)

I'm no expert on Berlin-->Prague, but I didn't have to put in CC info to see a fare. Try this link, put in your age, and it will give you a quote.
posted by different at 11:10 AM on May 18, 2007

I took an overnight train from Berlin to Prague in 2002 and remember it being a very long, very uncomfortable ride. You're going to be hurting on Monday morning, I'd bet. Flying, either from Berlin or from Frankfurt, might be a better option.
posted by lunalaguna at 11:11 AM on May 18, 2007

lunalaguna, you can get a faster train though. It only takes about 4.5 hours ...
posted by different at 11:15 AM on May 18, 2007

In February I caught a bus (I believe with Student Agency buses) from Berlin to Prague for about €7 (€10 for non-students). It left Berlin around midnight, and arrived in Prague at 5am. There was free coffee, tea and hot chocolate, personal radios and televisions on each seat, blankets provided, everything. It was way better than the overnight trains we'd been catching around. We just bought the tickets on the spot from the main bus station (where it leaves from) about 10pm that night, but you can apparently buy in advance at travel agencies.
posted by jacalata at 11:24 AM on May 18, 2007

When I had to do this [although I met my friend in Prague and then went to Berlin] I had my corporate travel agent look into it and book me a train ticket when we booked my travel for the trip. She charged my personal credit card. The train ride was not very long and was scenic. If you have a travel department you can always ask if they can help you do this. If you haven't booked your ticket yet, find out if they'll let you just fly into one city and fly out of another. That would save you the back and forth. Only if that works for what you need to do, obviously.

If you are under 26, just go to a travel agency once you arrive in Berlin, the rates for under 26 are usually discounted. Agencies will usually speak english, you can't be positive you'll get that at the bus/train station.

The distance is so short that bus or train is probably your best bet. The airports in both cities are a bit far afield that I think it will be an hour getting to/from airports.
posted by Mozzie at 11:36 AM on May 18, 2007

CSA Czech Airlines can get you from Berlin Tegel to and from Prague, but a search of CSA's website priced out at over 200 euros for a Friday night departure and Monday morning return.

This train has a 0500 departure on Saturday, June 16 from Berlin Lichtenberg, gets to Prague at 0920, and costs 29 euros one-way! This train is the same price, leaves from Berlin Hbf, and departs a little later, around 0645.

This page has prices from Sunday afternoon to Monday morning; it looks like the night trains aren't available, and it's a little more expensive, like 56 euros.
posted by mdonley at 11:40 AM on May 18, 2007

Hmm, Die Bahn shows fares for me on the query- 56 EU, with savings plans down to 29EU. I just put in a random Friday in June, my age and 2nd class- so YMMV.
It always seems to me like buying tickets at the train station in Europe is cheaper, though that's a popular travel day so you might be better off buying in advance.
posted by oneirodynia at 11:46 AM on May 18, 2007

It seems round trips can be had for 58 EU, returning Sunday afternoon. There's possibly a Czech night train from Prague, but that isn't going to show up on the Deutche Bahn site.
posted by oneirodynia at 12:03 PM on May 18, 2007

Just an FYI, if this is all new to you- border patrol will wake you up to check passports in the middle of the night. So if you need a good sleep before Monday morning, I'd advise against the overnight train. The overnight trains are also much slower- I've taken a Czech sleeper car from Wroclaw, Poland to Prague, and it was not particularly restful.
posted by oneirodynia at 12:11 PM on May 18, 2007

We took an overnight train from Prague to Berlin in 2001. It was pretty inexpensive, but I remember having to bribe the porter to get out of being awake and alert for the border crossing. We bought the tickets the day before at the train station.
posted by togdon at 12:25 PM on May 18, 2007

Thanks all. Ive crossed borders several times before, so it's not a new experience. The trip to Prague is for fun so work won't cover it. Worldwide, we only have 30 people where I work so this is all planning on my own.

As for fares on their site - for the *specific* train that would work (leaving Friday at 6;45) they had no fare listed. (though they did at other times)

honestly, a bus would be just as fine and probably cheaper! Where could I find information about that before I go or buy before i go? I will be working during the entire week before i go to Prague, and I wont have much time.
posted by jare2003 at 12:38 PM on May 18, 2007

bus
posted by different at 1:33 PM on May 18, 2007

I did a train from Berlin to Prague where I left Berlin Hauptbahnhof on Sunday morning around 7am, got to Prague and hung out all night until taking the 7am train the next morning back to Berlin. I was admittedly fairly tired by the end, but the train was comfortable, I only woke up at the border crossing and it cost me under 100 euro round-trip. I highly recommend it.
posted by atomly at 2:27 PM on May 18, 2007

I have no helpful information, but y'all are reminding me of the one time I went to Prague from Germany via train. It was in the Spring of 1989, before the Wall had come down. Not only did the border crossing folks wake us up in the middle of the night, they did so while wearing machine guns and with huge German Shepards on leashes. Then we had to try to be coherent while a woman from the State Bank came into our compartment and ordered us to exchange our money NOW.

Good times.
posted by Oriole Adams at 9:13 PM on May 18, 2007

bahn.de does not show you the fare for your preferred connection (Friday, Berlin 18:46 - Dresden - Prag 23:26) because the train from Dresden to Prag is a night train going on to Bratislava. Night trains can normally be booked at www.nachtzug.de. Unfortunately, you can't book Dresden to Prag online because it is not a proper night trip, but you can take the night train for the normal fare and pay 3,50 euro extra for a seat. The fare for the trip to Prag would be the same as during the day (probably 55,80 euro + reservation). Depending on your return trip (Sunday evening) it may be possible to get the whole journey to Prag and back for a "Sparpreis" of 58 euro + 3,50 for the night train seat. This depends on the availability of these reduced tickets for the trains you take, so booking early and booking the whole trip is better.
You may want to try calling the Deutsch Bahn call center at [phone], book the trains via the website or just go to any train station when you are in Germany. When you purchase the ticket via the call center, they can give you a code and then you can get the ticket at any ticket vending machine with that code and your credit card.
posted by ltl at 4:08 AM on May 19, 2007

You should be able to fly quite cheaply if you buy in advance, and it will save a lot of time... have a look on skyscanner, which will check all the European budget flight for you.
posted by xanthippe at 6:56 PM on May 19, 2007