Help, please, with Train (SC Pendolino) from Prague to Vienna
 

We are having difficulty trying to purchase first class train (SC Pendolino) tickets from Prague to Vienna online. Does anyone know how we would do this online and also specify first class tickets? Thanks.

You cannot buy 1st class ticket on line.....the special prices offered by Czech Railways for Austria only apply to 2nd class.
You will need to buy the ticket in Prague. Pendo only travel once a day (early morning) and is no more quicker than other trains. The seats won't sell, don't worry about that.

Thanks, wobbers. We were thinking that was the case - buy when we arrive. We were also thinking of renting a car and driving there ourselves but have not looked into prices yet and are not sure we want to do the drive.

You might find it difficult to hire a car in Prague with a drop off in vienna...even if you did, not worth in my opinion unless you plan to stop enroute..either via Cesky Krumlov/Linz etc or via Moravia - Moravsky Krumlov, Lednice/Valtice, Moravian Karst, easily 2-3 days

We did not plan to stop other than once or twice for a brief rest stop, if possible. We need to be in Vienna on the day we depart from Prague. I did read that it wil be expensive to rent in Prague and drop of in Vienna. It seem sthat the train is the way to go. Our son is in Prague now so perhaps he can purchase the tickets before we arrive. I am looking into that now. The CS person on the SC Pendolino website responded to my earlier question just now - that was nice.

Go for the train - worry free! And there is very little difference between first and second class except the price of the ticket. I can recommend going to Cedok in Prague to buy your train passes as there are English speakers there and not necessarily so at the train station. Having lived in Prague for 4 years recenlty while teaching English, I can say you are in for a treat. However, Vienna has nothing over Prague for old world charm and is more expensive in every way. For films, producers are often filming in Prague to portray old Vienna. But one must see both! Enjoy!

Thanks for the information, jzkohl. We are looking forward to the trip.

I get always angry when people say there is very little difference between first and second....most likely they've never travelled first class....it is definitely more quiet in first, and if you can afford it, go first, I always do.
PS you don't buy train PASSES you buy train tickets, and the new ticket office in the central station is very modern and many languages including English are fluently spoken.

Wobbers, what is the difference between the Pendolino and the other trians then? I thought it was a shorter ride. It does leave early in the morning while there are a few later in the morning which we would like to take but are not sure of what the difference is, except for departure time. We will most likely buy first class tickets since there is a separate waiting area for first class passengers.

Hi wobblers. I agree with the advice you've given above (i.e, don't rent a car, etc.) By chance, do you know if we can purchase tickets online in advance for our trip from Prague to Frankfurt - either using the bahn.de site or a Czech site? I know the shortest trip involves a bus trip from Prague to Nurnberg, which is ok.

wobbers:
Very glad to hear the main station has emerged more internationally friendly! Traveling to me is more being in the middle of everything and that's not usually quiet. We are all different. Thank goodness.

wobbers
<I get always angry when people say there is very little difference between first and second....most likely they've never travelled first class....it is definitely more quiet in first, and if you can afford it, go first, I always do>

Hey hey to that - in four decades of European train riding i can attest to the same as wobbers says - there is a world of difference, for many reasons - seats are larger - many more empty seats - more room for luggage since 25% less passengers or so in the same-size rail car as in 2nd class, etc.

But yes the Fodor mantra seems to be there is little difference between first and second class - and like wobbers i suggest most of these have really never ridden in first class (or in 2nd class it seems for many who say this but never talk about actually taking trains) - there is a reason Europeans pay about 40% more for first class than second class.

I always chuckle when some of these folks advise going 2nd class to save a few euro then go and talk about their $200/day hotels and $100/day meals, etc.

Put your same standards to train travel as to other aspects of your trip IMO.

Off the soap box now

http://eshop.cd.cz

You can buy 2nd class tickets from a mere 19 euros!!! You pay online and print out your own ticket.

Marianna - sorry to be late with my reply - holidays etc.
Pendolino - the train is quicker than 'normal' trains but not by much. The reason is that the train travels on the same track as all other trains, i.e. no high speed track. It is quicker because it stops in fewer stations, waits for no connections and has a priority on the line.
But it is a lovely new train, worth paying a bit more IMO

ruthruthruth - you can buy Prague Frankfurt tickets from Czech Railways eshop- address given above. Cost 49 euros second class (cannot buy first class)- all trains available go via Dresden.
Alternatively you can buy the tickets from Deutsche Bahn - but those would be by bus via Nurnberg.

Thanks, wobbers! Tomorrow we will go see about tickets but we rented a car just in case. Prague is beautiful!

About the Czech Railways eshop: I want to buy 3 tickets from Prague to Munich on the 9:04 train, 2nd class. I have 3 options: 1) ticket; 2) seat reservation only; and 3) SC/Rail plus seat reservation only. What is that third option? I thought it would be the ticket plus the reservation, but the cost is the same as for option #2 (seat reservation only).

Is there a way to buy both the tickets and the reservations at one time, or must I buy the tickets and then go back and buy the reservations separately?

Thanks, Fodorites!

you have to buy tickets and reservations separately - but you don't need reservation on that train (Franz Kafka) only if you want.
The third option is a reservation for holders of Czech Railways travel cards - will not be applicable to you.

Thanks much! I thought the third option was likely something along those lines, so you confirmed it for me. Grateful to you for sharing your expertise.

way to go - have you tried to see if you can purchase at similar prices on the German Rail site - www.bahn.de - may be more user friendly than the Czech site that has so flummoxed you.