Prague-Vienna-Budapest via train
Apr 20th, 2013, 09:02 AM
#1
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Prague-Vienna-Budapest via train
I am flying to Prague in August and will return from Budapest via Vienna. Can anyone recommend the train(s) I should take from point to point. I was told Eurrail was quite expensive and that I should deal with trains that run within a particular country. I also do not want to waste time transferring so would like the most direct available. Can anyone offer a suggestion? THANKS so much.
Apr 20th, 2013, 10:17 AM
#2
In 2006 we visited Prague and then Budapest. We took a train from Prague to Budapest without changing trains.
It left at a little after 4PM and arrived around 11PM or so. That way we had most of the day in Prague and arrived in time to go to bed.
I just checked the train schedule and now there's one that leaves at 15:39 and goes without a change arriving at 22:35.
I don't remember where we bought the ticket but definitely not Eurail.
If I remember correctly we might have bought it at a travel agency on a main street in Prague. I just checked my old trip report and it mentions that the original plan was to take a sleeper but I didn't like the idea of being awakened twice during the trip when crossing borders.
It doesn't mention where we bought the ticket. I'm sure somebody else will give you more current info on that.
It left at a little after 4PM and arrived around 11PM or so. That way we had most of the day in Prague and arrived in time to go to bed.
I just checked the train schedule and now there's one that leaves at 15:39 and goes without a change arriving at 22:35.
I don't remember where we bought the ticket but definitely not Eurail.
If I remember correctly we might have bought it at a travel agency on a main street in Prague. I just checked my old trip report and it mentions that the original plan was to take a sleeper but I didn't like the idea of being awakened twice during the trip when crossing borders.
It doesn't mention where we bought the ticket. I'm sure somebody else will give you more current info on that.
Apr 20th, 2013, 10:41 AM
#3
I found a little more info. I know we bought some train tickets to a town but not sure if we bought the tickets from Prague to Budapest at the same place.
The travel agency is Cedok and is located at Na Prikope 18. I remember it being very central. About a block or two from Wenceslas Square. You can look up their web site or give them a call.
The travel agency is Cedok and is located at Na Prikope 18. I remember it being very central. About a block or two from Wenceslas Square. You can look up their web site or give them a call.
Apr 21st, 2013, 02:07 AM
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Thanks so much..we are stopping in Vienna for several days so I probably will want an early train out of Prague to spend the day in Vienna...think it is about 5 hours and then only 2-3 from Vienna to Budapest. I will look up the agency on line. Thanks again...
Apr 30th, 2013, 05:59 AM
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Prague to Vienna or Budapest from €19 at www.cd.cz/eshop
Vienna to Budapest from €19 at www.oebb.at
Budapest to Prague or Vienna from €19 at www.mav-start.hu
Vienna to Budapest from €19 at www.oebb.at
Budapest to Prague or Vienna from €19 at www.mav-start.hu
Apr 30th, 2013, 07:17 AM
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<<I should deal with trains that run within a particular country>>
Your request is impossible because each of your trips crosses a border. Is 19E ($27) per trip too expensive? If not, go with what Seat 61 shows.
Eurail is basically a ticket broker, which means it is charging you the price for the trip and a sizable service charge. It does NOT itemize those charges.
Your request is impossible because each of your trips crosses a border. Is 19E ($27) per trip too expensive? If not, go with what Seat 61 shows.
Eurail is basically a ticket broker, which means it is charging you the price for the trip and a sizable service charge. It does NOT itemize those charges.
Apr 30th, 2013, 09:30 AM
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I was told Eurrail was quite expensive and that I should deal with trains that run within a particular country.>
Yes a Global Eurail or Eurail Select Pass is very expensive compared to the few trains you are taking - but you may want to investigate the Eastern European railpass (valid on trains in Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland) which is much cheaper and lets you hop on any train anytime. If you want total flexibility it may be cheaper than individual full fare tickets though with just three train trips I would doubt that.
For lots of great info on trains in Eastern European trains I always spotlight these IMO fantastic sites - www.seat61.com (Man in Seat 61 who posts above his commercial site - click on his commercial link to RailEurope to check pass prices; and www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.
You can always get on trains if you want to just wait to buy tickets as you go and buses between Prague and Vienna are cheap and nearly as fast as trains.
Yes a Global Eurail or Eurail Select Pass is very expensive compared to the few trains you are taking - but you may want to investigate the Eastern European railpass (valid on trains in Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland) which is much cheaper and lets you hop on any train anytime. If you want total flexibility it may be cheaper than individual full fare tickets though with just three train trips I would doubt that.
For lots of great info on trains in Eastern European trains I always spotlight these IMO fantastic sites - www.seat61.com (Man in Seat 61 who posts above his commercial site - click on his commercial link to RailEurope to check pass prices; and www.ricksteves.com and www.budgeteuropetravel.com.
You can always get on trains if you want to just wait to buy tickets as you go and buses between Prague and Vienna are cheap and nearly as fast as trains.
May 2nd, 2013, 07:48 AM
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Eurail is basically a ticket broker, which means it is charging you the price for the trip and a sizable service charge. It does NOT itemize those charges.>
well not really - Eurail Tariff tickets if that is what BigRuss is referring to and not Eurailpass or Rail Europe - if that is what he is on about then those ticket prices are for fully flexible walk up fares - now they are much more expensive than discounted and severely restricted fares - much like on an airline and which must be booked weeks in advance and set in stone.
So Eurail tickets and discounted online tickets are very different things and are like comparing apples to oranges - the mark up is about 5% or so but the big price discrpancy is that one if full fare fully flexible ticket and the other is not - the price discrepancy is solely because of that and not some ridiculous mark-up by Eurail as I found often falsely claimed.
well not really - Eurail Tariff tickets if that is what BigRuss is referring to and not Eurailpass or Rail Europe - if that is what he is on about then those ticket prices are for fully flexible walk up fares - now they are much more expensive than discounted and severely restricted fares - much like on an airline and which must be booked weeks in advance and set in stone.
So Eurail tickets and discounted online tickets are very different things and are like comparing apples to oranges - the mark up is about 5% or so but the big price discrpancy is that one if full fare fully flexible ticket and the other is not - the price discrepancy is solely because of that and not some ridiculous mark-up by Eurail as I found often falsely claimed.
