Late night train from Prague
 

We are reaching Prague airport at 950pm. Is it feasible to take 00:04 train from Prague to budapest so we can directly start the tour with Budapest? Thanks

well you are better off taking the direct EN EuroNight night train that departs Prague at about 11:45 pm - the train you pinpoint is a regional train going to a city where you change to another EN night train at 3 am!

So as long as you have booked a ticket and berth on the direct night train (or the other train) why not? You may not necessarily have to book ahead as if there are sleeping berths available you can usually buy that night train ticket just before the train but it could be sold out too. Book directly thru the Czech Railways official site.

http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/que...&rt=1&OK#focus

Note I have given you the bahn.de/en schedule site so you can get details on both trains - just put in Prague to Budapest and a date and you'll see the direct night train is much much better over changing in some station around 3 am to another night train.

Thanks PalenQ. But time wise is it feasible including customs proceedings etc?

The 11:45 train will give you enough time if your plane is on time. The Prague airport is small and immigration should not take long. The airport is not far from city center and at that time of night there will be minimal traffic.

Please note that there is seamless customs in Europe; you simply walk through a "nothing to declare" door. It is immigration where you show your passport.

You can book a car service to take you to the train station. I can recommend Mike's Chauffeur Service which is reasonably priced and reliable.

http://mike-chauffeur.cz/

You might want to get some Czech money so you can buy snacks and water before getting on the train. There may be a buffet car but it's best to at least have water with you for brushing your teeth.

Ditto PalenQ. The DB site says <i>EuroNight.
Special offer Spar-Night, Subject to compulsory reservation, 2nd class only seated accommodation, Global price or ticket plus supplement, Sleeping-car, Couchettes, snacks and beverages available from sleeper/couchette attendant.</i>

So if you are in a sleeper or couchette you can buy food from the wagon attendant. If you take a 2nd class seat you will probably not be able to buy anything until breakfast and will feel like hell the next day. This train makes 8 stops during the night. For an illustrated introduction to night trains see http://tinyurl.com/y57vft. With your entry plans it would probably be a good idea to get some krona or euros before you land in Prague.

Bring food and drink for the night train with you fromw herever you are flying in from. IME these trains may as in maybe might even take euros if you have them.

Sorry in my initial response I stupidly thought you were arriving in Prague by train and not plane - if it is a long-haul flight then planes can always be late, bags late, etc - Q - why not just stay the night in an airport area hotel or in Prague and spend the next day in that lovely city and leisurely take the night train - or go by day trip though that is a rather long haul.

Taking the 00:04 train would be a nightmare to me - first you have a local regional train to some place where at 3 am you change to a proper night train- unless you have a private compartment - very pricey often even in Eastern Europe - then you have to wake everyone up who is already on that night train sleeping (assuming it's coming from Poland or some place and you would join it mid-route)

anyway the door will be locked (from the inside) - a conductor may help you or may not - rousing folks at 3 am - putting on the light to get your bunk ready, etc would for me be daunting.

I would only consider taking the direct 11:45 pm night train but again planes can always be late, etc. I'd stay in Prague or at an airport hotel.

Thanks a lot PalenQ and all other great folks. It seems clear that we should be in prague that night. So if you dont mind, can you suggest if it is just better to make prague as base and make 2-4 day trips? or sqeez a short 3 day trip to Berlin, which is kind of "closest" only 4.5 hours compared to BUD or any Polish place. I know its personal preference to all of us but give me your thoughts so it may help us. Thanks!

It depends on how much time you have in Prague. It's such a beautiful city I would give it at least 3 days, perhaps 4 days.

You could do a 3 day trip to Dresden - only a couple of hours from Prague. When I started planning for Dresden I was amazed at how many things there were to see and do.

Another day trip (or overnight) is the small town of Cesky Krumlov (in southern Czech Republic).

A place I haven't been to but have read about and it looks interesting is Plzen.

is just better to make prague as base and make 2-4 day trips? or sqeez a short 3 day trip to Berlin>

very subjective takes obviously on that... to me Berlin is one of the most fascinating if not beautiful of all European cities - its history - good and bad - remnant of The Wall, world-class museums, iconic places like Checkpoint Charlie and the Brandenberg Gate, the renovated Reichstag, etc

I have been to Prague several times and though it is a neat city its main sights are in a compact area in and around Castle Hill and even though there are nice days trips to me Berlin trumps every thing - two full days in Prague and 3 or 4 in Berlin - the train ride in between (yeh get off at Dresden, throw your bags in a station locker and spend a few hours looking at the "Florence on the Elbe" and end up for the night in Berlin - anyway the train trundles right down the Elbe River south of Dresden and from the Czech border, going smack thru...

Saxon Switzerland with famous landmarks easily seen (east side of train going north) the Basteii, fortresses crowning rocky red sandstone pinnacles) and castles, sweet riverside towns, etc.

I love Berlin!

Berlin is 4 3/4 hours by fastest trains from Prague and even for tomorrow when I just searched www.bahn.de/en there were discounted tickets available for 44 euros on the two faster morning trains.

Thanks. Considering all inputs, looks like Berlin may deserve more time than we (have 7 days,8 nights). So we are thinking of doing BUD along with Prague this trip. if we take night train in both directions,we may be able to squeeze one more day trip from Prague like Dresden or CSK. Please feel free to give additional comments. your inputs are great!

I would not go to Berlin from Prague UNLESS I were planning to spend several days there. I say this without knowing anything about your interests, etc. You could do Dresden along the way but that would mean at least one full extra day IMO.

Prague itself can keep you busy for at least a couple of days depending on how many places you want to visit. Berlin is about as opposite to Prague as it gets; nothing wrong with that but I think it "requires" more than you may be able to give it.

Digesting all the inputs, we are thinking of following tentative itinery, Please give your feedback.

Day 1 : Arrival in prague at night, sleep (near airport, or in town?)

Day 2: Sight seeing Prague, Take 11:45 pm Night train to Budapest.

Day 3: Budapest
Day 4: Budapest (daytrip?)
Day 5: Budapest night train 8 pm to Prague
Day 6 Prague
Day 7 Daytrip to Drisdon or CSK
Day 8 Prague (Or Daytrip?)
Day 9 Flight back at 11 am

Definitely stay in town; it's only about a 20 minute drive from the airport.

Why are you hopping in and out of Prague. Seems like lots of extra traveling. Why not fly home from Budapest?

What are Drisdon and CSK? Where are they located?

Drisdon must mean Dresden

CSK may mean somewhere in the Czech Republik?

I agree with adrienne - fly into Budapest and out of Prague or Dresden, etc - so-called Open Jaw ticket.

<< Drisdon must mean Dresden >>

With this spelling, the OP will completely bypass the Dresden train station as he will look for Drisdon and keep going.

CSK may mean Cesky Krumlov. Again, references/spelling are important so people know what is meant.