i am planning a trip for 9 days. we land in prague and return out of munich. having not been to either city, i am looking for sugggestions as to how much time to spend in each city, whether to take the train from prague to munich or fly, and if there is a city in between that we should spend a day or two in. thanks for your thoughts.

I am in the process of getting more familiar with options for a trip to/in/around Prague. These ideas might help you:<BR><BR>1. Get on the weekly newsletter from CSA. And contact them about the possibility of a triangle trip, as they might be able to offer you cheap air connections between the two cities. I'm sure that this would mean flying home from Munich by connecting back through Prague (or the reverse - - flying through Prague if you want to go to Munich first) - - but I'm guessing that wouldn't be any big deal.<BR><BR>2. Similarly, there seem to be some good deals with Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines. check into www.consolidatorwebfares.com or www.affordablepoland.com - - the point being that if you are one of these two carriers there might be cheap air travel options to connect points within the two(three) countries of your itinerary.<BR><BR>3. It seems like you have two main options for travel between Prague and Munich (by land - - and I am assuming that this means train) - - a more northern route, and a more southernly route (through Austria presumably). I think there is a lot to like about both. You can find a recent posting here about Karlovy Vary (CR), and I think that the German region that is near the Czech border is supposed to be very interesting. Alternatively, you wouldn't go wrong trying to include Melk or Linz or Salzburg (I actually only know Salburg of these three, from personal experience).<BR><BR>4. Last of all, you will hardly find a better website for all kinds of info about Prague than www.jasoncholt.com - - one of these personal &quot;labor of love&quot; types of websites that may join the legendary www.twenj.com in time.<BR><BR>When are you thinking of going? A number of people have their sights set on Prague for the springtime.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

topping, for michael<BR><BR>

The reference library of a city near you may have the Thomas Cook European Timetable. Table 57 shows the day train connections and the through train.<BR>Prague Hlavni 0625, buffet car train, Nurnberg 1118 to 1129, restaurant car train, Munich 1311<BR>Prague Hlavni 0730, Schwandorf 1157 to 1211,Munich 1320<BR>Prague Hlavni 1425, restaurant car train, Nurnberg 1918 to 1929, restaurant car train, Munich 2109<BR>Prague Hlavni 1530, Nurnberg 2038 to 2054, Munich 2218<BR>Prague Hlavni 2145, through train with 1, 2 and 3 berth sleepers, Munich 0646 or 0648<BR><BR>Stations on the line include Augsburg, with memories of the great merchant Jascob Fugger, Martin Luther, and Berthold Brecht, or Regensburg, then Marktredwitz, Marianske Lazne, which is the handsome spa town Marienbad, and Plzen, home of Pilsner.<BR><BR>A less convenient line, but more romantic, runs through the mountains to the south and involves changes of train at Plattling, Bayerische Eisenstein, and Plzen.<BR><BR>Per person the fare by day is about 75 euros, and by night about 110 euros. You can book any route and train a few days ahead.<BR><BR>Given the amounts to see, I would give Munich a third of my time and Prague two thirds. For a change from big-city living you might stop for a night up in the mountains. I do not know those parts, but Klatovy looks good in the guide books. A good train connection might be Munich 0728, Plattling 0901 to 0911, Bayerische Eisenstein 1023 to 1053, Kralovy 1203. Google shows three top hotels in Kralovy, none of them expensive:<BR>Parkhotel Tosch, Namesti 4<BR>Hotel Central, Masarykova 300 <BR>Hotel Rozvoj, Prochazkova 110/V<BR>I think you might pick the Parkhotel Tosch, well placed on the town square.<BR><BR>A route through Austria would be longer, and a diversion from the direct routes.<BR><BR>Please write if I can help further.<BR><BR>Ben Haines<BR>

&lt;&lt;Prague Hlavni 2145, through train with 1, 2 and 3 berth sleepers, Munich 0646 or 0648&gt;&gt;<BR><BR>Maybe this is obvious to others, but what are <BR><BR>&lt;&lt;1, 2 and 3 berth sleepers&gt;&gt;?<BR><BR>Do they sleep 1, 2 and 3 people?<BR><BR>or 2, 4 and 6?<BR><BR>If a 1 berth DOES sleep two people, then does it cost twice as much to have a 1 berth sleeper for a couple as it would cost to be in a 2 berth sleeper?

Each berth sleeps one person. Search for more information about train travel.

Sorry I was too brief. By contrast, my note on getting the best from sleepers and couchettes at http://www.twenj.com/tipsnighttrains.htm is too long, but does answer your question: they sleep 1, 2 or 3 people. To sleep 6 you would use a couchette, but these are often crowded, have no washbasin, and take people of both sexes, so you cannot change into pyjamas. <BR><BR>The basic second-class one-way fare from Prague to Munich is about 75 euros. To this you add about 13 euros for a berth in a couchette compartment, or about 40 euros for a berth in a 3-berth sleeper. The basic first class fare is about 110 euros. To this you add about 60 euros for a berth in a 2 berth sleeper and about 80 euros for a berth in a single sleeper. As ever, please write again if I can help further.<BR><BR>Ben Haines<BR>

if interested. I do know a chauffuer car that drives to munich and many other countries.<BR>very comfortable and also dependable.<BR>I use them all the time for all things wihile in prague.<BR>Drop line if you have interest.<BR>Dan