m_kingdom2

Is it feasible to travel from Prague to Antwerp (for a few nights) then on to London?

What's the most cost effective way of completing this journey (does one fly, take trains or both?) and please could you give a very rough idea of the cost?

Many thanks.

ben_haines_london

I am sorry I cannot help on planes. The reference library of a city near you may have the Thomas Cook European Timetable. Table and 20 show your trains. The trains from Prague to Dresden have restaurant cars and from Brussels to Antwerp have refreshments trolleys: all other trains I show have a buffet car.
Prague Hlavni (beware pickpockets) 0708, Dresden 0952 to 1111, Leipzig 1217 to 1237, Cologne 1905 to 1913, Brussels Midi 2146 to 2153 or 2207, Antwerp 2240 or 2251
Prague Holosovice 1724, Dresden 1952 to 2106, 1, 2 and 3 berth sleepers and crowded 6 berth couchettes, Cologne 0655 to 0713, Brussels Midi 0946 to 0953 or 1007, Antwerp 1040 or 1056. The basic one way second class fare is about 180 euros. By day you add about 15 euros for use of the day s express trains, and on the night trip you add 2 euros for use of the afternoon express, and either 45 euros for use of a 3 berth sleeper or 12 euros for a couchette berth. The sleeper is the better buy. The night trip cuts out a hostel or hotel bill for a night.

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111op

I can't imagine that you'd be asking for the most "cost-effective" way, m_k2.

Unless you fly directly from Prague, it seems like it'd be easier for you to take the trip another time, considering how close Antwerp is to London.

But otherwise, I did check whichbudget.com, and there's a low-cost option between Paris (CDG) and Prague on Smart Wings. I guess you'll still have to take the train to Brussels and then Antwerp. It seems to me that it'd be easier to go from London.

m_kingdom2

Many thanks to both of you, especially Ben Haines for that wonderfully detailed response.

However, I think I'll have to accept defeat and save Antwerp for another time. The airfares that I could find on singles tickets (at convenient times) totalled around 1000GBP, I'm not that desperate to go there! The train seems to involve lots of changing, and the single back to London is still expensive. I'm not one to waste money. It looks like I will have to stick to Prague, and Prague alone!

Whilst I'm on the subject of Prague, are there any daytrips (a couple of hours away) that you could recommend?

rex

Kutna Hora seems like a good combination of close enough and interesting enough.

Best wishes,

Rex

m_kingdom2

What is there? I don't particularly want anything religious, all these churches/catherdrals are very interesting to visit, but they leave me totally cold.

stardust

m_k2 going cheap... hmmm... anyway, www.whichbudget.com states that from Prague it is pretty cheap to get to either Paris CDG with Smartwings or Koln/Dusseldorf with GermanWings and then you can take the train from there on to Antwerp (Paris CDG has a straight TGV to Brussels, local train to Antwerp afterwards, or perhaps TGV going on to Amsterdam). From Koln there are TGV's to Brussels too.

I checked SN Brussels Airlines (www.flysn.be) and they have a promotional fair, you can get Prague-Brussels one way for as little as 97 €, taxes included.

MyriamC

m_k2: There's a brandnew direct service between Prague and Antwerp Airport (Deurne) by an air carrier called Discovery Travel. More information and online booking at http://www.discovery-link.com/

m_kingdom2

It sounds perfect, however, their web-site is far from perfect on my computer. I can't seem to work out how to use the online booking, I'd be very grateful if someone could give me a rough idea of the price for a single to Antwerp on the 27th August.

Thanks in advance.

MyriamC

The morning flight at 7.20 am is 106 EUR or 71 GBP. Later flights are more expensive.
For online booking or a simulation, use the button "booking" underneath the little login window (you don't need to log in!!).

MyriamC

They seem to have max 2 flights a day. On 27th Aug there's another one leaving in Prague at 16.55 (cost is 222.50 EUR without taxes !!)

m_kingdom2

Thank you.

I did use that, but my computer didn't like the web-site.

caroline_edinburgh

It is frequently cheaper to buy a return ticket (with fictitious return journey - whatever's cheapest) than to buy a single. I've found this both with flights and with trains.

When I recently needed a single train ticket between Edinburgh & London, it was £84 for a 2nd class single & £80 for a 1st class return !! (using the same outward train)

m_kingdom2

The flights times from Prague to Antwerp direct aren't suitable for me.

Please could you advise a web-site where one can book all of these trains as it all sounds so complex.

stardust

m_k2, if you're getting messy with booking trains, I suggest you not to take the Koln connection, cause it's a very small airport and you probably will first have to take transport to Koln before getting on the Thalys to Brussels and then changing to Antwerp.

Anyway, Thalys trains should be booked on www.thalys.com.
If you decide to go by Brussels, just go to the -1 level of the airport and buy your ticket there. One train an hour goes straight to Antwerp, otherwise you have to switch in Brussels to whatever train goes to Antwerp (about 3 to 5 an hour I think). If you decide to need shopping advise for Antwerp, I think Myriam C and me will be glad to help you out.