vibhav

We are two adults with our five year old son ... We will be in Cesky Krumlov after a few days in Prague ... After that, we want to get to Zurich... Here is the best option I have seen on the rail websites

Take the train Cesky to Prague (3.5 hrs) and then overnight train from Prague to Zurich (14 hrs)

14 hrs, really? It is that long? I thought I saw an option for leaving Prague at 21:00 and reaching Zurich at 6 in the morning ... but cannot find that anymore ... the only option I see is leaving at 18:00 and reaching at 9:00 in the AM ... Also, could not find the price for it on the czech website ...

Is there a better and easier way to make this journey?

PalenQ

From C Krumlov take the train to Linz, Austria and change to trains on the mainline to zurich - can do in day in about six hours or so. Problem with driving is to rent a car in Czech Republic and return it in Switzerland may encounter a steep drop off fee for doing that.

For lots on trains and schedules, etc I always spotlight these fine sites: www.sdeat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com. You will have little problem buying tickets in C Krumlov - and there is also another option of taking a bus from C Krumlov to Linz I believe -may be quicker than the train from C Krumlov to Linz.

vibhav

Thanks PalenQ ... I have read a lot of posts where you have given some good advice and we appreciate all your feedback ..

For the Cesky to Zurich trip, I investigated the CK -- Linz -- Zurich route ... Looks like it will be 3.5 hrs to Linz, plus another 6.5 hrs to Zurich ... Trying to see if we should spend an entire day making this trip, or should we take the overnight train from Prague to Zurich to save some day time hours ... unfortunately the only night train available is 14 hrs it seems like and not the 9-10 hrs that I had expected ... We are not stopping in Zurich but want to head on to Lauterbrunnen right away ... So thinking about an overmight train so that we can head on to Lauterbrunnen during the day time ...

Is the czech website the best place to look for those tickets? Or swiss will be ok too? Also, any idea on the cost? Czech site is not very friendly to look at costs... Is there a need for a pre-reservation?

PalenQ

Yes it is a longr slog in the day than I thought- six hours from Linz about to Zurich- a really sweet place to stop over IMO would be Hallstatt, tucked high up in the Austrian Alps and a dream place - on an Alpine lake - you get off the train and take a boat to the town itself - there are dramatic snow-capped peaks all around and a Salt Mine to ride down into- lots of chalet-style guesthouses and family-run hotels and probably only 3-4 hours from C Krumlov if you take the bus to Linz.

As for night train tickets yes if the Czech Railways web site will sell it - if you can buy it from it then yes. But you will have been in Czech Republic for several days so I think you would be fine buying it when in Prague the first time. Not sure if reservations are required but on any overnight train IME there are strongly advised - see if they have T-3s, or private triples and not just multi-person couchettes. You could if all else fails and you are the type who wants everything pinned down then you could buy that ticket in the U S thru RailEurope, though often at a higher price than once in Czech Republic - and for any REurope product I always advise Budget Europe (site mentioned above) because after years of buying railpasses from them I can attest to great phone service - even if not buying will answer questions, etc. But if it were me - and I can live with some uncertainty - I would either try to buy online from Czech Railways site or once there.

There may even be an overnight train from Linz to Zurich, investigate that too.

joannyc

You may want to look into taking the Lobo Shuttle from C. Krumlov to Linz. I took it a few years ago, worked well for me.

http://www.shuttlelobo.cz/1/en/trans...lstatt_Prague/

iris1745

To add what joannyc said; www.shuttlebus.cz

vibhav

PalenQ ... Halstatt !!! Sighhh !! We were there this last summer ... Absolutely loved it !! Though we got only an evening there and that was too short ... Should have stayed a night ... Oh well ... This time that is why we want to focus maximum time in one place and see it properly ... hence my frustration as it is taking us almost 24 hours to reach from Cesky to Murren ... BO is where I want to end up that day ... So for now I am looking at the option of taking a bus from cesky at about 2 PM to Prague... Then take the 6:30PM overnight train to Zurich reaching at 9 AM ... From there it will take 2.5 hours to reach Lauterbrunnel by train ... So about 2 PM by the time we reach Murren ... In this it takes 24 hours but saves me half of daytime on each side, I save on a hotel night in the train, the overnight train is long enough to allow for decent sleep ... and I get to reach my final destination of Murren during day time ...

If you or anyone can think of a better option, do let me know ...

I looked at the Linz to Zurich overnight train ... It is only six hours and leaves at midnight ... traveling with a 5 year old that might be too hard to do ...

And I agree with you ... the best way to get the tickets will probably be in Prague ... that much uncertainty we can probably and should live with ... but I will definitely call up budget europe and see what my options are ...Thanks for the idea of T-3s ... that should serve us well ..

Joannyc thanks for the Lobo shuttles option .. will look into it definitely ...

Thanks Iris for another shuttle bus website ... will expore it ...

Attnymom

Have you looked into flying from Prague to Zurich? That might be cheaper and almost certainly will be quicker than taking the train.

We did two overnight trains when we were in Europe a couple of summers ago and I would avoid them at all costs if there is a reasonably priced flight available! We were a party of three as well so we reserved 3 person sleeper compartments. Because there are 3 "beds" there is absolutely NO where to sit during the train ride because the middle bunk is in the way. Both of the trains we were on had no dining car either, so we had to spend the entire train ride laying down or standing in the hallway. The train compartments are so tiny that by the time you get your luggage in the compartment there is no room even to stand - and we all had small carry-on bags. The reason the train ride takes so long is it probably stops at every little city/town between your destinations - which means the train will be stopping and starting all night long (not real conducive to a good night's sleep!)

After our experience with the overnight train we all agreed it wasn't worth it. We arrived at our destination exhausted and in need of a shower (the trains we were on weren't the cleanest). I recommend looking into flights.

vibhav

Wow ... Attnymom ... That is one feedback on overnight trains that I have not seen as yet ... Thanks for the perspective! Looking into flights but not cost effective ... One question - the middle bunk does not fold away to allow for seating on the lower berth? the only place we have travelled on overnight trains has been India where the middle bunk folds down ... always taken day trains in Europe, so no idea about this ...

Attnymom

When we arrived, the bunks were already made up. We did try to fold away the middle bunk but we couldn't get it to move and we were nervous that we wouldn't get it back in bed formation if we messed with it anymore. The space between the bunks is not very roomy either (hence the no room to sit) so if you are at all claustrophobic it might be a problem. My husband took the top bunk and he only had a few inches between his face and the ceiling of the train car. It was also very hot in our car and we couldn't get the temperature to go down. We finally opened a window, but that was very, very loud - especially when we would pass another train.

Did you ever see the Sex in the City episode where Carrie and Samantha decide to take the train from NYC to California? They are all excited because they have first class train tickets and they show up at the train station dressed to the nines. When the porter shows them their compartment Samantha turns to Carrie and says "I'm beginning to see why there was a murder on the Orient Express. . ." It was very funny and demonstrated that overnight train travel, with few exceptions, is not very glamorous!

I completely understand the desire to skip a night's hotel cost and kill two birds with one stone, but for us it just wasn't worth it.

Ingo

You might want to look into taking a train to Dresden and flying from there to Zürich (or Basel). Don't know about the Dresden-Zürich flight, but the low-cost carrier EasyJet flies Dresden-Basel.

Definitely avoid the night train from Prague. It also runs via Dresden. Friends of mine took it from Dresden to Switzerland and were very unhappy with it. Dirty, sometimes cars are missing so the reservations are not valid anymore ... As long as the train started in Dresden everything was fine. A year ago or so they decided to start the night train in Prague and nothing works anymore.

I.

PalenQ

Because there are 3 "beds" there is absolutely NO where to sit during the train ride because the middle bunk is in the way.>

Well a European who knew something about those three-tired bunks would have simply unhinged the middle ones and have the compartment revert to ordinary seats - these things fold up and down. during early evening on some night trains they bunks may not even be hinged and the compartment looks like an ordinary train car - three seats. Now perhaps there is a small chance that those three tiered bunks did not unhinge but I've never ever in zillions of night trains never seem one that has not.

So it helps to know how they work before complaining about them.

vibhav

Thanks Attynmom and Ingo for sharing your experiences ... We will definitely try to keep those in mind and continue to look for the easier flight option ...

Thanks PalenQ for the confirmation that the middle bunk should fold down ... That is what we thought from our experience with the trains in India ...

If flying is cost prohibitive and steep car rental and drop off rates, we will likely have to stay with the overnight train option ... The T-3 option looks like something we will opt for since we are three of us and this will allow us to lock the door and allow some safety of luggage ... And for the time, looks like our only option for direct and overnight train to save time and minimize changeover, it is the 6:30PM train reaching Zurich at 9:15AM ...

Are Czech trains known for their punctuality like the swiss trains or not? We will have to think about onward journey from Zurich and though we might not book tickets in advance, it will help to know what to expect from a timeliness perspective...

Attnymom

PalenQ,
As I mentioned above, we had issues getting our middle bunk to fold down. My complaint with the train compartment was not limited to the lack of seating (which by the way - even if the middle bunk went away there is still little room to sit because the space in front of the bench is taken up with luggage. And yes, I do know there is a rack for luggage up above but it was very cramped). As I said, the compartment was loud, hot and when the bunks are down there is little room between them - not good if one is claustrophobic. None of us got a good night's sleep. These are all valid concerns that I felt should be shared with another traveler so he/she can make up his/her mind if these issues are bothersome. This forum is supposed to help other travelers, and I assumed (rightly or wrongly) that the OP is not an "European who knew something about those three-tiered bunks." If he/she did, why would he/she post the question?

My understanding of this forum is that it is a place where travelers can share their experiences and hopefully help other travelers along the way. We did not care for overnight train travel. Others may love it. I believe it is helpful for the OP to hear about different traveler's experiences so he/she can make an informed decision as to what is best for their family.

So it helps to know the purpose of these forums before complaining about those who try to offer helpful advice.

Ingo

EasyJet flights Dresden - Basel start at 29 Euro. Book well in advance and you'll get this airfare. The train rides Prague - Dresden and Basel - Zürich are not *that* expensive.

StuDudley

Last Sept we picked up a car in Prague & drove to Cesky Krumlov. Visited a few places along the way, stayed 2 nights in CK & visited Trebon one morning. Then drove to Passau (Germany) (visiting a castle on the way), stayed 2 nights, & visited Regensburg. Then 4 nights on the Danube in Austria staying in Melk, 1 night in Sopron Hungary, then returned the car in Budapest.

The car was an automatic - because my wife (who drives) just had hand surgery & we felt the manual trans would be difficult.

Total cost for 10 day rental - $674
Drop of fee 150E

I didn't think the 150E/$200 fee was too outrageous - and we like the liberty of stopping where we please and travelng anytime we want. We took an overnight train about 30 years ago - our first & last overnight (didn't sleep a wink).

Stu Dudley

vibhav

Folks ... we just tried to map out another way ... Take a shuttle bus (Lobo Shuttle anyone?) to Linz at 9 AM from Cesky .. Reach Linz train station at about 10:20 AM ... Train to Zurich at 10:51 AM ... Reaches Zurich at 17:20 PM ... Onward train to Lauterbrunnen reaching at 20:20 PM ... A full day of travel and we reach our destination late in the evening ( not ideal) but this saves us a whole day in our trip and also saves the overnight train ..

Any feebdack on this plan??

vibhav

Anyone?

PalenQ

Well the only problem I can see is the 30 min connection at Linz - are these buses always punctual and where does the bus drop you - right at the station entrance in Linz or a few blocks away - is there an earlier bus 30 minutes earlier? Once in Zurich trains are probably half hourly or so so being late there is no problem.

A long day but at least by having to change trains a few times you will give your legs some moevment!

PalenQ

Well the only problem I can see is the 30 min connection at Linz - are these buses always punctual and where does the bus drop you - right at the station entrance in Linz or a few blocks away - is there an earlier bus 30 minutes earlier? Once in Zurich trains are probably half hourly or so so being late there is no problem.

A long day but at least by having to change trains a few times you will give your legs some moevment!