flights between Prague and Berlin
 

We are considering flying to Prague from Berlin (we would be flying from NY to Berlin; Berlin to Prague, and Prague to NY). Does anyone have any information on European airlines that fly this route? I am wondering if it would be cheaper to make the Berlin-Prague reservation separately rather than do it as a multi-destination ticket (which is proving to be hideously expensive). Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks.

--Nicole

I don't know how much time you have but it is a fairly easy train trip - probably less then 4 hours so it might be faster than flying with security and travel to the airports. We took the train from Prague to Dresden (half way to Berlin) and thought it was very scenic for most of the trip. You could stop in Dresden for a while as well. We had a connection there and really enjoyed seeing the reconstruction of the city.

We have a total of 8 days on the ground between both cities, so we were thinking it would make the most sense to fly from Berlin to Prague. Had not really considered taking the train, only because of the time factor. If it is less than 4 hours, however, perhaps we should reconsider (the flight is 55 minutes, but with check-in, security, and customs, I'm sure we're talking several hours). Thanks for the suggestion.

--Nicole

Just checked some prior postings here and see that the train is actually 5 hours. Given this (and the fact that we only have 4 days in Prague), I'm thinking that perhaps it's best to go back to the original plan of flying. Can anyone recommend some resources for booking the flight from Berlin to Prague? I'd be most appreciative. Thanks.

--Nicole

It's actually 4:45 - and I would think that's pretty similar to flying considering it's downtown to downtown (assuming you'll be staying downtown) since you can avoid treking to and fro the airports, extra trime for security and check-in and then waiting for your luggage to turn up.

We are doing this same route and going by train. Flying is such a hassle now. Door to door the train will take the same amount of time, be cheaper and has the bonus of not having to deal with all the different connections, security etc. On the train you can walk around, look at the scenery, and use those 4.5hrs to read guidebooks, write postcards, eat, journal, whatever. Try getting things like that done on an hour flight.

OK, I am now reconsidering the train option for the second time (you guys make very persuasive arguments!) How often do the trains run from Berlin to Prague? Where might I find a schedule? Can one purchase tickets in advance? Thanks very much for all this helpful information!

--Nicole

I use the German train site for checking schedules throughout Europe. bahn.de - click on international travelers and the site will be in English. I think the trains are every 2 hours but check to be sure.

Here is the english version of the german rail site, it has been very helpful for me:

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/en?

I understand that you can buy tickets in advance from Rail Europe at a mark up, otherwise just buy them when you arrive.

Flying between Berlin and Prague makes no sense. Like the previous posters said, including all the hassle around it it takes longer than the train ride.

The trains run indeed every two hours. No need to book in advance. Make sure to print out the schedule from the www.bahn.de website to know from which station in Berlin the train departs.