Purchasing Vienna-Prague Train Tickets on Internet
 

Hi,
I'm looking to buy roundtrip train tickets from Vienna to Prague prior to my journey in October. Can these be purchased on the internet? The only site I've found so far that actually sells these tickets is www.RailEurope.com and their prices appear to be somewhat inflated. Thanks!

http://www.oebb.at/vip8/oebb/en/
Austrian Rail site.

Thanks, Operaman, but they don't sell international tickets.

Do you have to buy them ahead of time? We had no problem buying them from a travel agency when we were in Vienna. we got them one day ahead.

I guess this should've been my second question. Do I need to get tickets in advance for traveling in early October? If it makes any difference, I prefer the overnight train.

You can buy your tickets while in Vienna, it is a standard route, no reason for panic on not getting passage.

You can buy tickets via email from www.oebb.at - click on Online Tickets then on Tickets per Post. But there is no real reason to go to all that trouble, you can just walk up and buy tix for Prag when you get there, best a few days in advance, but if that can't be, even on the day of departure (but leave enough cushion, the line may move very slowly).

They don't all leave from the same station, so check the timetables.

Rail Europe prices are obscenely inflated. My best estimate of the price of a ticket from Vienna to Prague from OEBB is $62, allowing for using a credit card with its 3% exchange fee - Rail Europe wants $96 plus any shipping.

In 150 train connections in Germany, I only once "needed" a ticket purchased in advance.

If you want an international ticket in advance, call the Austrian Rail Helpdesk at (011) 43 5 17 17. They will probably have someone there who speaks English, but you might have to wait on hold for a while.

Here is another piece of evidence to support the claim that RE prices are way up there.

I recently bought and printed my on-line ticket from Munich to Basel.

By going ahead, I got a lower price than normal fare on that route.

I paid €51 per ticket including a seat reservation.

RE for the same ticket wanted $199.00 each plus shipping charges.

The departure from Vienna South at 9:08 requires a change in Breclav. The departure at 11:08 does not require any changes. Both departures take 4 hours, 17 minutes to reach Prague.

There is also a no change departure at 15:33 that takes 4 hours, 19 minutes on the schedule.

Departures are from Wien Südbahnhof.
(Vienna has no main station. Trains to Salzburg, Munich, and Zürich leave from Wien West.)

PS, coming back to Vienna, departures are at 6:01 and 10:01. There is a departure at 9:40 that goes to Vienna Floridsdorf. Later, at 14:40 there is another 0 change departure.

The Floridsdorf station is across the Danube, well to the north of downtown Vienna. You would need another means of transportation to reach the central city. U-6 goes from there to the Westbahnhof.

Unless you have a compelling reason to be back in Vienna for some event, I don't think that option is realistic.

There are other departures. These seemed to be at good times.

You might see if the Prague pass is still available. It was a low price for train travel into or out of Prague. We bought it two years ago, so it may be gone now. Call budgeteuropetravel.com. They know all about it, and are very helpful with all train travel in Europe. They will give you lots of free advice over the phone, then if you buy through them it's a very small fee.

The Prague pass is now $68. That only gets you from the Czech border to Prague and back to the border. You still need something more than $33 from Vienna to the border and back.

You best bet is probably $56 (€43,80) from Vienna to Prague from Austrian Rail plus Prague to Vienna purchased from Czech Rail in Prague. At the very worst you would have Prague to Breclaw, purchased in Prague, $19.57 (430 Kc), Hohenau to Vienna, purchased in Vienna before you leave, $16.50 (€12,80), plus a little more for Breclaw to Hohenau from Czech Rail. That's still less than using the Prague pass. I hope that is what BETS told you.

Thanks everyone for your responses. I have a follow-up question.

I tried to purchase one roundtrip first-class Vienna-Prague-Vienna ticket (overnight train) on OEBB's website. Now, the website doesn't give you price information; it does however ask for the itinerary, personal and credit card information (which I provided). Now, without quoting their prices or replying to my e-mail, OEBB just placed a temporary charge on my credit card account in the amount of $462.08. I think that's excessive (RailEurope sells these same tickets for $140 each way). I already e-mailed OEBB and asked them to cancel my order. If they refuse or fail to respond, what are my options? Are these tickets refundable (considering the price)? Anyone been in a similar situation? Thanks in advance.

I don't think that price from raileurope includes anything but a seat (ie, no sleeper car or anything). Is it possible you booked a compartment on the Austrian site, rather than just a seat? I believe those overnight trains on that route have sleeping cars.

We did the Vienna - Prague train route this past October and had no trouble purchasing tickets the day of travel. We asked for reserved seats and the ticket agent said not to waste the money as there would be plenty of seats. The train left about half to a third empty, picked up some passengers along the way, but never filled up. This was mid week travel. I understand that the situation might be different on Fridays and Weekends.

One more thing EugeneNY - you spoke of an overnighter, but the trip is not nearly that long. It wouldn't be practical.

I agree with that. I think the overnight trains on that route are slow trains in order to make them at least minimally fit some kind of arrival schedule in daylight (ie, leave midnight, arrive 6 am). But you can get faster trains at other times.

Thanks, Christina and basingstoke1. I actually like overnight trains; that way you don't have to waste time by traveling during the day and you also save money on hotels.

The price I requested from OEBB was for 1 ticket (not the entire compartment). RailEurope's price of $140 is likewise for a sleeper seat. Anyway, I guess I will have to wait for OEBB's response (if any) and take it from there.

You will save some daylight travel time but consider that the fast day train 2nd class ticket is under $60 bought at the station. The trip is between 3-3.5 hours so you can take an early train and still get to your destination with plenty of day left. The difference in cost of what you have been quoted can almost pay for a decent hotel e.g. Hotel Kampa Garden (about $100 in October less discount if you pay cash) and some others and give you the comfort of a room and bath.

Austrian Rail's customer service number is (011) 43 5 17 17. I don't know if they will have anyone there that speaks English (German Rail always does).