Best means of travel from Prague to Krakow and Krakow to Budapest
Dec 14th, 2012, 04:17 PM
#1
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Best means of travel from Prague to Krakow and Krakow to Budapest
Between Parague & Krakow and Krakow and Budapest are there day and night trains and do they run every day?
Is it better to fly? Is it more expensive to fly?
My husband and I are traveling for 2 weeks. We usually rent a car, but will not drive this time.
Is it better to fly? Is it more expensive to fly?
My husband and I are traveling for 2 weeks. We usually rent a car, but will not drive this time.
Dec 14th, 2012, 04:45 PM
#2
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You can go to bahn.de for train schedules. There's also the Orangeways bus.
http://www.orangeways.com/en/
Both sites will give you schedules and duration. The bus site will also give you prices. Czech and Polish trains are very expensive but it takes a long time to get anywhere from Krakow by train.
I would definitely fly to save time.
http://www.orangeways.com/en/
Both sites will give you schedules and duration. The bus site will also give you prices. Czech and Polish trains are very expensive but it takes a long time to get anywhere from Krakow by train.
I would definitely fly to save time.
Dec 14th, 2012, 05:26 PM
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I'm interested in seeing what responses you get to this question. I would also like to go to Krakow but it seems very time consuming to combine it with most other places. bahn.de says it's 8 hours Krakow to Prague. Doesn't sound like fun. I usually fly easy jet and they have flights from Krakow to Paris and several places in the UK. I checked skyscanner a while ago but it looked like it was quite expensive to go most of the places I was interested in combining with Krakow.
Dec 14th, 2012, 05:45 PM
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isabel - please do go to Krakow; I'm totally in love with it and I think it's the most wonderful city. It's worth the hassle.
I flew from there to Frankfurt one time since the train was about 20 hours. The second time I took the train to Warsaw and flew home from there.
Sometimes Lot or Lufthansa have special fares.
I flew from there to Frankfurt one time since the train was about 20 hours. The second time I took the train to Warsaw and flew home from there.
Sometimes Lot or Lufthansa have special fares.
Dec 15th, 2012, 04:29 AM
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For answers to train questions check out these IMO suprb sites - www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com.
There is an overnight train between Krakow and Budapest and I believe between Prague and Krakow. Though it is a 6 hour day train trip it does show you the real Czech Republic and Poland in between - things you would not see if flying where you only see a couple of big cities.
There is an overnight train between Krakow and Budapest and I believe between Prague and Krakow. Though it is a 6 hour day train trip it does show you the real Czech Republic and Poland in between - things you would not see if flying where you only see a couple of big cities.
Dec 16th, 2012, 09:40 AM
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Yes www.bahn.de - German Railways seb site that I find the easiest and best to use for all European train schedules confirms there is also an overnight train rolling between Prague directly to Krakow, which I also echo to me was the absolute highlight of Poland - if had to chose between Warsaw and Krakow, hands-down the ancient royal town of Krakow with Wawel Hill castle, a sweet main square that is one of the best in Europe IMO and day trips to the nearby Wieliczka Salt Mines (UNESCO World Heritage site you can tour and also Auschwitz-Birkenau, which is not the cup of tea some are looking for but which I found so so moving and disturbing.
Dec 16th, 2012, 09:48 AM
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I've gone between Prague and krakow a couple times, but it isn't easy as there isn't a fast train with a fairly direct route. If you accept that, you can plan a train trip in your vacation combined with some other things you may want to do. Otherwise, if you jsut want to get between the two points, I think you'd have to fly. I don't know what flights are available or if they are direct, there might be some on Czech Air or LOT, etc.
Once I took the train from Prague down to Olomouc in Moravia and spent about 2 days in that town, but I wanted to see more of the CR. From there, the train to Krakow isn't that bad, maybe 5 hours (there is a good train coming up from Vienna that goes to Krakow, you have to catch it in Prerov, as I recall, which is a short train ride from Olomouc. I didn't want to do an all day train trip.
The second time I went from Prague up to Dresden (good trains, not far), spent several days there and then took the train from Dresden over to Wroclaw in Poland, spent another few days and then finally to Krakow. Polish trains are very slow so the train from the border of Germany to Krakow was fairly long, but I did want to spend time in some other towns in Poland, I loved Wroclaw.
So it can be done but it is a long trip, you have to decide what your goals are. you can check www.whichbudget.com or whatever for airline fares.
Once I took the train from Prague down to Olomouc in Moravia and spent about 2 days in that town, but I wanted to see more of the CR. From there, the train to Krakow isn't that bad, maybe 5 hours (there is a good train coming up from Vienna that goes to Krakow, you have to catch it in Prerov, as I recall, which is a short train ride from Olomouc. I didn't want to do an all day train trip.
The second time I went from Prague up to Dresden (good trains, not far), spent several days there and then took the train from Dresden over to Wroclaw in Poland, spent another few days and then finally to Krakow. Polish trains are very slow so the train from the border of Germany to Krakow was fairly long, but I did want to spend time in some other towns in Poland, I loved Wroclaw.
So it can be done but it is a long trip, you have to decide what your goals are. you can check www.whichbudget.com or whatever for airline fares.
Dec 16th, 2012, 04:27 PM
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Thank you all for your responses.....so far there doesn't seem to be a single answer, but I do hear that Krakow is a great place to visit.
I will check some of the schedules and sites offered.....J
I will check some of the schedules and sites offered.....J
Dec 17th, 2012, 02:48 PM
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I took the night train from Krakow to Prague. There's a photo of my ticket at http://tinyurl.com/eym5b. The train departed at 22h14 and arrived circa 07h00 the next morning. It wasn't the best night train I have been on but it was safe and comfortable. For more information on night trains see http://tinyurl.com/y57vft. You have to sleep anyway and the cost of the night train bunk is probably less than you are going to pay for a bed in either city, unless you are staying in hostels.
Note that the Prague train station is a nest of panhandlers. Keep your valuable close.
Note that the Prague train station is a nest of panhandlers. Keep your valuable close.
Dec 18th, 2012, 05:25 AM
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Last year I was going from Krakow to Budapest in a group of 4. We paid 1300 PLN total per private mini-van with private English speaking driver. I know train may be cheaper, especially in case of 2 people but no comparison in standard and duration time - it took us around 6 hours and we saw the Tatra mountains and landscapes of Slovakia with a short stop on the way - I recommend you considering such option
Dec 19th, 2012, 07:02 AM
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Due to the train routing, the driver option is not bad. The terrain and the resulting train routes from Prague to Krakow makes the train line circuitous, which adds to the travel time, and the convenience is low because many of the options require transferring at Katowice. Buses are slow because they're buses. If you can do Prague to Krakow in 6 hours by car, that's far shorter than your other options and not terribly longer than a flight (1.5 hours plus transport to airport plus check-in plus luggage collection plus transport to city center for hotel).
Dec 19th, 2012, 07:27 AM
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Dec 19th, 2012, 03:29 PM
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6 hours by private car and less than two hours more by train for assumingly a fraction of the cost - gain a couple of hours and pay hundred bucks more or more? figure in the tip to the driver in the fare.
Dec 19th, 2012, 04:41 PM
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The fastest train is 10 hours making it 4 hours more by train. The cheapest way is the bus.
For another private car option you can contact:
[email protected]
Marta is a tour guide (whom I used in Krakow) but her husband is a driver.
For another private car option you can contact:
[email protected]
Marta is a tour guide (whom I used in Krakow) but her husband is a driver.
Dec 21st, 2012, 09:32 AM
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The fastest train is 10 hours making it 4 hours more by train. The cheapest way is the bus.>
If talking about Prague to Krakow the first three trains I check on www.bahn.de all take less than 8 hours, including one at 7.5 hours - so it is less that two hours more by train it seems.
If talking about Prague to Krakow the first three trains I check on www.bahn.de all take less than 8 hours, including one at 7.5 hours - so it is less that two hours more by train it seems.
Jan 1st, 2013, 02:38 PM
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Is there any way to know about train schedules in May? I want to know if I can count on there being a train every night--Prague to Krakow, Krakow to Budapest? Is Eger on the train route from Krakow to Budapest or is it better to do Eger as a separate day trip from Budapest? Jan
Jan 1st, 2013, 02:50 PM
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I always use bahn.de to look at all train schedules. That way you don't have to go to country-specific sites.
Eger is not on the line from Krakow to Budapest.
There's no notation stating that the trains do not run daily.
You can see the May schedules but there may be slight changes as you get closer to your departure date. You can check times now to get an idea of departure/arrival times.
Eger is not on the line from Krakow to Budapest.
There's no notation stating that the trains do not run daily.
You can see the May schedules but there may be slight changes as you get closer to your departure date. You can check times now to get an idea of departure/arrival times.
Jan 1st, 2013, 02:54 PM
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Not to be harsh on you but you've now been told 4 times what site to use to see train times. Is there a problem using the site? Something you don't understand? Can we help you use the site so you can be self sufficient?
