I'd be grateful for information from people who are familiar with German train travel-- I will be making my first trip in January, from Berlin to Prague.

Might there be a real dining car on such a train? If so, how would I be able to tell when making a reservation on-line? Would it be available to first class passengers only?

My companions are hoping for white table cloths and agile waiters. Does that exist anywhere any more?

Thanks for your help.

On some trains you may still find the latter but not nearly all

to see what each separate train has on it in terms of dining facilities - go to the German rail website - www.bahn.de and in the details they will not such things as onboard bistro, restaurant, etc. A good way to access the English schedule and info page of the bahn.de site go to the homepage of www.budgeteuropetravel.com and click on the link "The best online train schedule" (or some similar wording) and that takes you to the English version of bahn.de - i reference this home page because they give you several useful tips for using the Wunder bahn.de site that may not be apparent at first glance - such as how to get to the details for each train that should indicate a restaurant car - where yes you may have nattily attired wait persons waiting on you at sit-down meals - or simply a bar/cafe car where you take you stuff back to your seat though there may be a few seats there. Also on bahn.de you can nab deep discounted fares for the Berlin to Prague trip - much much cheaper than just buying a ticket once you get to Berlin usually. to get those deep discounts however you should book far in advance as they are sold in limited numbers for each train.

Thanks so much! I will be lurking around bahn.de waiting for the discounts, and very glad to hear that there's a hope of a "North by Northwest" moment.

The following trains have a restaurant car called Bordrestaurant:

EC (EuroCity) train 171 lvg Berlin Hbf (lower level called "Tief") at 06:36 arr Prag-Holesovice at 11:16 and Prag-hl.n. at 11:27. Runs daily but not 18., 19. Sep 2010, 21. Nov 2010, 5. until 9. Dec 2010

EC (EuroCity) train 175 lvg Berlin Hbf (lower level called "Tief") at 08:36 arr Prag-Holesovice at 13:16 and Prag-hl.n. at 13:27

EC (EuroCity) train 175 lvg Berlin Hbf (lower level called "Tief") at 10:36 arr Prag-Holesovice at 15:16 and Prag-hl.n. at 15:27

Ditto two hours later EC 177 at 12:36

Ditto two hours later EC 379 at 14:36

Ditto two hours later EC 379 at 16:36

For a trip like that most people bring a snack on the train with them. We took the train from Berlin to Prague several years ago and didn;t have time to buy one to my dilatory friend. so we went to the dining car. Got a decent omelet and fries for a modest amount. I certainly wouldn;t expect any sort of gourmet fare - or upscale waiters.

Depends! Now and then they have a campaign for a couple of weeks with some gourmet chef designing the menu.

quokka - not on the trains between Berlin and Prague! They are not run by Deutsche Bahn. From my experience between Dresden and Prague the food is crap. White linens? Forget it.

I like the chilli con carne with a roll and a beer. Or just Würstel mit Brot.

Thank you all-- DalaiLlama, thanks especially for the specific information. I'll forward it to my companions, who are the exigent ones re dinner.

Now we have to investigate what a "Bordrestaurant" is. Chili doesn't sound so bad.

Again, many thanks.

I don't like leaving my luggage unattended back in my seat while dining in another car. I eat only at my seat whether it is something brought on board or purchased on the train unless I am in a group where someone can watch the unattended luggage.

Just wanted to say thanks again, if anyone returns to this thread-- my friends said, "What nice people," to reply so thoughtfully.

Now we have to investigate what a "Bordrestaurant" is>

A restaurant car on board is what it is - sit down restaurant car - at least that is my understanding as it would be on German trains but Ingo says these are Czech trains or at least not German trains so not positive - but Bordrestaurant i do believe means restaurant wagon on the train.

Don't raise your expectations.

http://www.bahn.de/i/view/GBR/en/tra...view/ice.shtml shows you a pic from inside a bordrestaurant on a German IC train - no tablecloths...

But your trains from Berlin to Prag will be EC trains, with a mix of carriages - and here the caveat from the Germans kicks in (my bold):

"Almost all Intercity or Eurocity trains have a Boardrestaurant and/or a Boardbistro. The Intercity trains of DB Bahn have been recently updated to include electric outlets at table seats of the center aisle in coaches of both classes. <b>Eurocity trains consist partly of wagons from neighbouring train companies and may vary in terms of equipment.</b>"

And when the German train website defines the Czech trains (http://www.interrailnet.com/interrai...czech-republic)

it is somewhat toned-down and faint praise:

"Intercity, Eurocity (IC, EC) - pretty modern longer distance train, stops in major cities only" 

So, on "pretty modern" EC trains I wouldn't expect haute cuisine and snazzy waiters and white tablecloths...

"So, on "pretty modern" EC trains I wouldn't expect haute cuisine and snazzy waiters and white tablecloths..."

I think the less modern, the more chances to find table clothes ... German rail got rid of them maybe a decade ago.

Dining on German rail is certainly nothing like the splendour of the Orient Express, but I think the food is surprisingly good for just being heated. But the best train restaurant I've eaten in the last years was the Austrian railway. There you even got white table clothes

ah rail travel even in Europe ain't like it used to be!

We are going on by train from Prague to Vienna, maybe we'll get lucky. Thanks again.

Even though German trains may have thrown out fancy table cloths long ago dining cars on German trains IME still have a hint of grandeur compares to dining cars in other countries (well the few that still routinely offer them) - you do have a separate table with a table lamp and waiters that may not be dressed like at the Hilton but still looking pretty natty IME - still a unique experience to be dining whilst rolling along at over 100 mph.