I am currently planning my second rail trip in Europe for May 2001. Time is very limited. We (my sister-in-law and I) are hoping to go to Prague for two days. We will be taking a night train in from the Frankfurt area, and we are hoping to take a night train out of Prague to somewhere in northern Italy, maybe Venice or Milan. As far as I can see the night train from the Frankfurt area into Prague seems rather doable and simple? The trip overnight from Prague to Italy, however, appears a little long and hairy. Since I have already been to Vienna and Munich, we're hoping to avoid stopovers there with our limited time. Can anyone give me advice on this itinerary/shed some light on traveling to Prague? Also can you buy a Prague rail entension pass (since we'll be using a Eurail pass) anywhere in Germany? I am also a little nervous about safety in Prague. Any advice really would be so helpful! Thanks for the help!

How long do you have? Unless you just have to go to Italy, with limited time, I would choose locations closer to Prague--Berlin, Dresden, Budapest, Krakow/Zakopane, Zagreb/Split/Dubrovnik. I found that buying a ticket (where you get on the train) from the last station in Germany to Prague is cheaper than an extension pass. We were in Prague in November so the "gypsies" were not there, but we had no fear or problems. You will find a lot of tourists and most places have English-speaking workers. For hotels, try www.avetravel.cz or nethotels.com They have good listings and descriptions with some pictures.

Thanks, Linda for your advice. I have considered closer alternatives for the trip out of Prague, but none seem to appeal to me for this trip; most I have been to, and others don't route us out the direction we need for our limited time. So Italy really is our hopeful destination. We only have two days in Prague. How do you buy a ticket from the last station in Germany when you're already on a night train that you won't get off of until Prague? Thanks for the help! (Thanks also for the website suggestion--any info is really helpful to someone so unfamiliar with CR.)

Fodors <BR> <BR>I think I'd change at Munich Hauptbahnhof. Prague Hlavni (beware pickpockets) 1709, Franz Kafka restaurant car express. Change Munich 2302 or 2311 to 2340, Brenner Express with couchettes and sleepers to reach Milan at 0830 or couchettes to reach Venice at 0844. If you want more comfort to Venice you could take a sleeper on the Brenner Express to reach Bologna at 0731, pick up a coffee and sandwich, then double back: Bologna 0752, Venice 0948. <BR> <BR>I'm pretty sure you can buy your Czech mileage anywhere in Germany, and that the site http://www.euraide.de/ discusses this. <BR> <BR>All tourist areas of Prague have pickpockets, so each day I walk out with just cash for the day and a credit card to get more. Other credit cards, money, tickets and my passport are in the hotel safe. When I boardin at Prague stations I have these goods from the safe, and the credit card, in the middle of my bag, except that my ticket is in my pocket and my banknotes in the top of my sock. It's jolly hard to pick a sock. Otherwise, Prague is safe enough. You can read the considered views on safety of five consuls <BR>from Australia on http://www.dfat.gov.au/consular/advice <BR>from Britain on http://193.114.50.10/travel <BR>from Canada on http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/menu-e.asp, under "Travel Reports" <BR>from France on http://www.dfae.diplomatie.fr/voyage...s/alphabet.asp <BR>from the USA on http://travel.state.gov, under "travel warnings" <BR>Some experienced American travellers find the American site over-cautious. It is therefor useful to check all five sites. <BR> <BR>I see that web references might interest you. I know these:- <BR> <BR>Prague: http://www.inyourpocket.com <BR>Prague: http://www.volny.cz/prague2001/ <BR>Prague events: http://www.praguepost.cz <BR> <BR>Links to web sites: <BR>http://www.ncsml.org/links.htm <BR>http://goeasteurope.about.com/travel.../msubmenu2.htm <BR>http://www.netguide.com/Snapshot/Arc...=travel&id=668 <BR>hotels, other accommodation, buildings and places to see: http://www.budgettravel.com/czech.htm <BR> <BR>Czech Tourist Board: http://www.czech-tourism.com/ <BR>General. http://www.czech-tourinfo.cz <BR>http://www.czech-tourism.com <BR>http://www.czechsite.com <BR>Czech Tourist Authority in USA. http://www.czechcenter.com/travel.htm <BR>General, including links: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~sever/Czech.homepage.html <BR>Information, travel planning, reservations: http://www.muselik.com/ <BR>Art, architecture, food, cultural experiences, hiking and other matters: <BR>http://www.centraleurope.com/country/country.php3 <BR>A Czech's webpage: http://www.prague2001.com <BR> <BR>Please write if I can help further. Welcome back to Europe. <BR> <BR>Ben Haines, London <BR> <BR>

Wow, Ben, many thanks for your CR discourse. What helpful information! Much appreciated! I especially appreciated your night train itinerary from Prague to Italy--very helpful. One question about safety. I haven't been one to use money belts in Europe, but thought that using one in Prague might be wise. Do you think wearing a money belt is a good option here? Even with wearing a money belt should I only keep the day's money, etc. in it and other valuables in the hotel safe? I have never used hotel safes--are they really okay to use? It makes me nervous to leave everything there. I am generally a pretty adventerous traveler with experience traveling in Europe, but somehow Prague is intimidating to me. (Maybe the movie Mission Impossible put me on edge a bit

Shannon, when you go to the bahnhof to get the train from Frankfurt, just buy the ticket there. Tell them you want a ticket from the border to Prague--very cheap. Don't let Prague intimidate you. You do need to watch for pickpockets, but being careful & looking confident, with 2 of you, it should be okay. We were 2 females & never felt any concern except at the train station near Wenceslas Square. We stayed at Penzion Balbin on Balbinova, near the Muzeum Metro stop & Wenceslas Square. It is on the top floors of apartment building (yes, has elevator) with locked door to outside so safe. You get a nice, clean room with shower/toilet, buffet breakfast & helpful English-speaking staff for about $80/night for 2. You are 5-10 minute walk to just about anywhere you want to go. We walked around daytime, nighttime & just really enjoyed Prague. If you have limited time, take the half-day tour & see the Charles Bridge at night. Garnets & crystal are great gift ideas--plenty of shops for both. Food is good & people are friendly. Use AAA taxi from train station as others are rip-off (however, even those are cheap compared to US). You can buy nice kolaches (sweet pastry) & meat pastries for very little for your overnight. There is a great little bakery on Wenceslas Square near the statue.

Fodors <BR> <BR>Yes: I think a hotel safe your best method in Prague, or anywhere. I use them all around central Europe. These countries gain much income from tourism, and a crooked hotel keeper would be in deep trouble. If in western Europe you carried valuables, or left them in a hotel room, you took greater risks than you will using a safe in Prague. <BR> <BR>Yes: you could leave most valuables in a hotel safe there, and put the day's money and credit card in a money belt. I've never bothered, and am unconvinced. But perhaps you have no trouser pockets. <BR> <BR>I did like "Mission Impossible", the one where our hero dangles on a wire, (though not "Mission Impossible 2" which teaches the young that the solution to a problem is a 20-minute fight), but don't remember the Prague part. Were the Czechs planning to take over the world ? That'll be the day. Vaclav Havel as Dictator of the World ? He'd die laughing first. <BR> <BR>Ben Haines <BR> <BR>

Ben and Linda, <BR> <BR>Thanks to you both, especially for the website tips and for making me feel more at ease about going to Prague. <BR> <BR>Ben, I agree MI2 was a sad sequel to its predecssor. The fight scenes were way too long and a bit melodramatic for my taste. Anyhow, to jog your memory the first movie starts out in Prague at a stately affair where Ethan Hunt's (Cruise) team is there to catch a man who plans to swipe the FBI hit list and in the process Hunt is framed for the deaths of his espionage team. It was tense, but nothing like Vaclav Havel taking over the world! <BR> <BR>Anyhow, thanks again!