AKruger

What is the most convenient and cost effective way to travel from Cologne to Berlin to Praque? Is it rail? What is the best: to buy a pass or the individual tickets between destinations?

Palenque

Is that the extent of your rail travels?

If so forget about passes and go to www.bahn.de - the German rail web portal and check fares for Cologne to Berlin and Berlin to Prague - you will get both normal fully flexible fares you just show up and buy and you will also get the online discounted fares which can be as low as 29 or 39 euros regardless of distance. If you act far enough in advance - i think these deep discounted fares come on line about 90 days before the actual date of your trip - then that would be by far better than any pass - but these fares are generally not changeable nor refundable so be sure of your time and dates and be sure to get to the train on time. The discounted online fares, if available and they are sold in strictly limited numbers i believe - would be cheaper than flying and you actually see something of the Germany and Czech Republic lying in between - unlike flying

For cheap flights - www.whichbudget.com will clue you in on those, if available for your two cities. But trains on those routes are about as quick if you factor in getting to and from airports - security that seems to be taking a lot longer now than ever, re-claiming baggage, etc.

Here are some Wunderbar sites to clue you in on train travel in these countries - www.seat61.com; www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com - use the latter's home page to quickly reach the English language part of the www.bahn.de schedule and fares info i described above - i mention this home page because it also gives you several nice tips on how to fully use the fabulous bahn.de site - which will give you platform numbers for your train (in Cologne's station there are literally dozens and dozens of tracks or platforms) and also bahn.de will even tell you which bus or tram to take from your hotel to the train station.

Echnaton

From Cologne to Berlin, I would always fly. There are usually inexpensive flights available, especially if you book ASAP.

Try:
www.germanwings.de
www.airberlin.de
www.lufthansa.de

All these airlines are highly recommendable.

From Berlin to Prague, you might take the train. The ride takes 4:51, but I recommend a stop in Dresden for at least two or three hours to get a flavour of this beautiful baroque city.

altamiro

From Cologne to Berlin the flight will take pretty much the same overall time and cost roughly in the same range as the train ride, so I would rather compare the available (early booking) options and go by price.

Palenque

Flying could take even longer now with enhanced security and then there is the question mark poised in the immediate future by volcanic ash closing airports in Germany - anyway i always think folks come to Europe to see the Europe in between the large cities and by flying you only see airports and large cities. And with the train you get on in Cologne and get off in the heart of Berlin - flying you take a train or taxi, etc to the airport - schlepp thru the airport thru security to your gate - then wait for baggages at other end - then head to a train, bus or taxi to get to the city center - train takes about the same time and seems a lot easier logistically - the reason so many Germans would take the train on this rather than flying. And on trains you can get up freely and walk around - head to the bar or restaurant car, etc.

Echnaton

All circumstances given, the plane is 90 minutes faster than the train. For my business trips to Berlin, I often fly (although from my place, the train ride is 1 hour less than from Cologne). But it is up to you.

altamiro

>All circumstances given, the plane is 90 minutes faster than the train. For my business trips to Berlin, I often fly

For your business trips, you probably fly with hand luggage only, and know the layout of the airports.

That alone can easily save an hour or more compared with a tourist who probably has luggage to check in.

Woyzeck

The train from Cologne to Berlin is 4:20 minutes and, if you buy your tickets in advance, the fare could be as little as 39 or 49 euros, one way. I think that's a perfectly reasonable trip and, in my opinion, a little more relaxing than the flight. There is scenery along the way and the train will have a Bordbistro where you can enjoy an overpriced cup of coffee. If the 4:20 sounds like to much time, you could break up your travel with a stopover somewhere in the middle, such as Hannover.

The train is probably the best way to get from Berlin to Prague, with some very scenic stretches between Dresden and Prague.

Palenque

Flying you see only airports and big cities - by train you see the Germany - always rather scenic to a foreign tourist - that lies in between. do you come to Europe to see airports and big cities only or Germany as a whole?