Rail travel to 

   Europe: 

   general
   information
 

How to travel by train from London to

Prague & the Czech Republic . . .

How to travel by train from the UK to Prague...

   Home     Site map     Search site     Links     Railpasses     Buy train tickets     Buy ferry tickets    Book a hotel     What's new    About me    E-mail    Guestbook

Africa

Middle East,

Caucasus

   Iran
  Israel
  Jordan
  Syria
  Turkey
  Caucasus

Asia

America

Australasia

Australia
New Zealand

London to China
& Japan by
Trans-
Siberian
Railway


London to Central Asia & China via The Silk Route


London to India overland
by train


London to Australia without flying


London to

the USA by Queen Mary 2 Trans-Atlantic


Eurail & European
Railpass guide


Explore Europe by train with an
InterRail pass


Taking your car by train:
Motorail


Holidays
by train


Ski holidays
by train


Eurostar,
the train from London to Paris


All about the real Orient Express


The luxury Venice Simplon Orient Express


Switzerland's
scenic train:
Glacier
Express


Switzerland's
Bernina
Express


Auckland to
Wellington
by train:
Overlander


NZ's most
scenic train:
TranzAlpine


Across the
USA on
Amtrak's
California
Zephyr


Canada's Rockies by train:
The Rocky Mountaineer


Bridge on the
River Kwai


Singapore to
Bangkok by
luxury train:
The Eastern
& Oriental
Express


Britain's most scenic route:
The West Highland Line


Scotland's own
cruise train:
The Royal Scotsman


Buy train tickets & passes online at the seat61
Rail Shop


Buy ferry tickets online at the seat61
Ferry Shop


Book hotels online at the seat61
Hotel Shop


Resident in France?  Try www.seat61.fr


Comments?  Feedback?  Need help?

Email the Man in Seat Sixty-One! 


Sign the
guestbook


Disclaimer, copyright & privacy policy.

Webhosting by Ultraspeed

Thank you for visiting my site...

 

 Country information

Train operator:

CD (Ceské Dráhy):  www.cdrail.cz.  Online Czech tickets: www.cd.cz/eshop

All-Europe train times Eurostar times & fares

 

 

Railpasses:

 

Beginner's guide to European railpasses    Buy rail passes online

Time zone & dialling code

GMT+1 (GMT+2 from last Sunday in March to last Saturday in October).   Dial code:  +420

Currency:

Tourist information:

www.czechtourism.com   Prague bus, tram, metro info  Prague map  Recommended guidebooks

Hotels in Prague:

Finding a hotel or hostel in Prague  Hotel reviews: www.tripadvisor.com

Visas:

UK citizens do not need a visa to visit the Czech Republic.

Page last updated:

9 January 2012.  Train times valid from 11 December 2011 to 9 June 2012.


 Travel to Prague by train...

  Visit Prague by train - the old town square

Prague's historic old town square is just 15 minutes walk from Prague Hlavni station where you arrive by train from London.  A few more photos...

It's easy to travel from the UK to Prague by train, and it's both affordable & time-effective when compared to an afternoon of airport buses, airports, flights, taxis and then a hotel.  Take an afternoon Eurostar from London to Brussels and a connecting high-speed train to Cologne, then the excellent 'Phoenix' City Night Line sleeper train to Prague, arriving right in the city centre just after breakfast next morning.  The deluxe sleepers on this train even have a private shower & toilet, with breakfast included, served in your compartment.  Or take an afternoon Eurostar from London to Paris, the overnight sleeper to Berlin, then a scenic EuroCity journey from Berlin to Prague with lunch in the restaurant car.  Or use daytime trains with an overnight stop.  The choice is yours...

On this page...

You'll find a step-by-step guide to planning, booking & making a UK to Prague train journey:

London to Prague via the Cologne-Prague sleeper  The recommended option. Train times, fares, how to buy tickets

London to Prague via the Paris-Berlin sleeper  A useful alternative.  Train times, fares & how to buy tickets

London to Prague by daytime trains with overnight stop in Cologne or Berlin.  The leisurely option...

London & East Anglia to Prague via the Harwich-Hoek van Holland ferry with a day in Amsterdam too.

Scotland & the North of England to Prague using a ferry from Hull or Newcastle, with a day in Amsterdam.

Other destinations in the Czech Republic:  Brno, Ostrava, Karlovy Vary, Cesky Krumlov, Plzen

Hotels & accommodation in Prague

Holidays  & tours to Prague by train not plane

On other pages...

London to Krakow & Prague in one trip    The Amsterdam to Prague sleeper train

Buying connecting train tickets from other UK towns & cities     Scotland & North of England to Prague avoiding London

Taking your bike   Dogs   Luggage   General information    European train travel help line

Route map:  London to Prague by train...

Route map:  London to Prague by train

Sponsored links...

 

 London to Prague

Option 1:  London to Prague using the Cologne-Prague City Night Line sleeper...

This is usually the cheapest & most time-effective option, with a arrival in Prague just after breakfast and a departure back to London in early evening.  It may even save you a hotel bill or two compared to flying.

London ► Prague

  • Travel from London to Brussels by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras daily except Saturdays at 15:04, arriving Brussels Midi at 18:05.  On Saturdays, depart London at 12:57 arriving Brussels Midi at 16:08.

  • Travel from Brussels to Cologne by ICE high-speed train leaving Brussels Midi at 18:25 and arriving Cologne at 20:15.  On Saturdays you can also take the earlier 17:28 Thalys train arriving Cologne at 19:15.  You've time for a meal in Cologne.

  • Travel from Cologne to Prague by City Night Line sleeper train, leaving Cologne daily at 22:28 and arriving in Prague's central Hlavni station at 09:26 next morning.  This train is the excellent City Night Line 'Phoenix' with modern Czech sleeping-car, couchettes & seats, see the photos & information below.  There's no restaurant car, so feel free to take you own picnic and bottle of wine aboard.  Next morning south of Dresden (around 07:00) the train starts winding along the scenic River Elbe, well worth putting the blind up for!  The train arrives at Prague Hlavni station, just 15 minutes walk from Prague's historic old town.  Map of Prague showing Holesovice station Map of Prague showing Hlavni stationPrague Hlavni station information.

Prague ► London

  • Travel from Prague to Cologne by City Night Line sleeper train, leaving Prague Hlavni station at 18:29 or Prague Holesovice station at 18:38 and arriving in Cologne at 06:14 next morning.  This train is the 'Phoenix', with sleeping-car, couchettes & seats, see the photos & information below.  In summer when it's light, sit back in your compartment with a glass of red and enjoy the scenic trip along the Elbe river valley towards Dresden.

  • Travel from Cologne to Brussels by ICE high-speed train, leaving Cologne daily at 07:43, arriving Brussels Midi at 09:35.

  • Travel from Brussels to London by Eurostar.  Daily except Saturdays, a Eurostar leaves Brussels Midi at 12:56 and arrives London St Pancras at 14:03.  On Saturdays and also Mondays & Tuesdays from 18 February onwards, also Wed, Thurs & Fri from 2 April onwards, a Eurostar leaves Brussels Midi at 10:56 and arrives London St Pancras at 11:57.

Take Eurostar to Brussels, then a German ICE high-speed train to Cologne...

High-speed ICE3 train from Brussels to Cologne & Frankfurt ICE3 second class ICE3 first class
An ICE to Cologne & Frankfurt waiting to leave Brussels Midi.  More ICE information. ICE3 2nd class.  ICEs are perhaps the most comfortable daytime trains in Europe... ICE3 1st class, with real leather seats.  All seats in both classes have power sockets.

Introducing the Cologne-Prague City Night Line sleeper train...

The City Night Line sleeper train 'Phoenix' has a modern air-conditioned Czech sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3-berth deluxe rooms with private shower & toilet, 1, 2 & 3-berth standard rooms with washbasin, there is a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in standard rooms, all rooms have vingcard locks and power sockets for laptop computers & mobiles, a sleeper is the recommended option if your budget allows), air-conditioned German couchette cars (simple but comfortable berths in 4- or 6-berth compartments), and ordinary seats in 6-seat compartments (not recommended).   The sleeping-car fare includes a light breakfast.  More pictures & information about this train.  The Phoenix actually starts its journey in Amsterdam, so if you're coming from the north of England or Scotland, you can take the overnight ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam or Hull to Rotterdam, spend a day in Amsterdam, then travel overnight to Prague from there, see here for details.

Dinner in Cologne before you board?  For a traditional German meal in Cologne before boarding the sleeper to Prague, try the Brauhaus Sion (www.brauhaus-sion.de), 5 minutes walk from Cologne hauptbahnhof, or the Malzmuehle restaurant (www.muehlenkoelsch.de), 10-15 minutes walk from Cologne Hauptbahnhof.  Alternatively, there's a restaurant inside the Hauptbahnhof itself at the Schweinske, www.schweinske.deFeedback is always appreciated!

A 1 2 or 3 bed sleeper on the Cologne-Prague overnight train

1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper: The most comfortable & civilised option, standard with washbasin or deluxe with shower & toilet.

    4-berth couchettes on the sleeper train to Prague

4-berth couchettes:  Ideal for families, much more space per person than 6-berth couchettes.

    6-berth couchettes on the sleeper train to Prague

6-berth couchettes:  A very economical option, far better than a seat for just a few euros more...

  The Kopernikus sleeper train to Prague...

Above:  As evening falls at Prague's Hlavni station, the sleeper attendant on the 'Phoenix' greets passengers for Cologne & Amsterdam.

More pictures & information about the Amsterdam to Prague sleeper train.

How much does it cost?

 1. London to Cologne

 by Eurostar + Thalys or ICE

 Fares for Eurostar+ICE start at 49 euros (£43) each way.

 Fares for Eurostar+Thalys start at £53 one-way (£39 London-Brussels + £14 Brussels-Cologne)

 or £97 return (£69 London-Brussels + £28 Brussels-Cologne).

 Fares vary like air fares, so book in advance to get the cheapest prices.

 Child, youth & senior Eurostar fares

 

 2. Cologne to Prague

 by City Night Line sleeper

In a seat In a couchette In the sleeping-car (standard room) In the sleeping-car (deluxe room)

6-seat compartment

6-berth 4-berth 3-berth 2-berth single 2-berth single
 Savings fare, one-way from: €43 (£38) 59 (£51) €69 (£60) €79 (£69) €99 (£86) €139 (£122) €129 (£113) €169 (£148)
 Savings fare, return from: €86 (£76) 118 (£102) €138 (£120) €158 (£138) €198 (£172) €278 (£244) €258 (£226) €338 (£296)
 Full price one-way: 133 (£115) 149  (£129) 159 (£138) €169 (£147) 189 (£164)  229 (£199) 267 (£232) 307 (£266)
 Railpass supplement ** €17.50 €27.50 €37.50 €50 €70 €110 €70 €110
 Child under 15* with own berth: Savings fares for children slightly lower than adult Savings fares, child full fare 50-60% of adult normal fare
 Child under 6* Child 0-5 (inclusive) sharing berth travels free...

* If you have children aged 4- 5 or 12-14, please read this note before booking the City Night Line sleeper train.

** This is the supplement you pay if you have a railpass.  A 1st class ticket or pass is required for deluxe sleepers.

Savings fare = cheap 'Sparnight' fare, price varies, limited availability, no refunds, no changes to travel plans.

Full price = fully flexible, refundable, buy any time.

You can check fares for the Cologne-Prague train (and book online) at www.bahn.de.

How to buy tickets online using www.raileurope.co.uk or www.bahn.de...

The cheapest way to book a London-Prague train journey is online, and here's an easy step-by-step guide to buying the right tickets on the best websites.  You can't book from London to Prague all in one go, so I recommend doing a 'dry run' first, following the steps below to check availability on each train before booking for real.  Remember that booking opens 90 days before departure.

  • Step 1, book the City Night Line sleeper train from Cologne to Prague & back...

    Two websites can book the City Night Line sleeper train, www.raileurope.co.uk & www.bahn.de.  It's a good idea to compare prices on both sites as they can differ.

    www.raileurope.co.uk is arguably the easiest to use, it's for UK residents only and prices are in pounds.  One drawback is that it won't book 4-berth couchettes so use www.bahn.de if you want these.  Tickets will be sent to any UK address, for which they charge a small fee.  Only UK credit cards are accepted.

    www.bahn.de is the excellent German Railways website, it will book all types of couchette and sleeper on this train, it can be used by residents of any country, prices are in euros and you simply print out your own ticket.  Obviously, look for the direct CNL train with 0 changes and check availability of the cheap 'Savings' fares.  One minor quirk is that it won't offer you a berth in a 3-bed sleeper if you're travelling alone, so if that's what you want, use www.raileurope.co.uk instead.  I strongly recommend registering when prompted, so you can log in at any time to see all your bookings and reprint tickets as necessary.

  • Step 2, book your trains from London to Cologne & back...

    First, check to see if there are any cheap 'London Spezial' fares from 49 euros between London and Cologne at the German Railways website using the special  links I'm about to give you.  I recommend booking a round trip as two one-ways, as it's easier to see where the availability is.  I also recommend registering when prompted, so you can log in at any time to see all your bookings and reprint tickets if necessary.  Here are some links I've set up with all the details necessary to bring up the cheap fares, just enter your departure date, remembering that on the inward journey, departure from Cologne will be the day after departure from Prague:

    Buy your outward ticket from London to Cologne leaving London at 15:04 any day except Saturdays or leaving London at 12:57 on Saturdays.

    Buy your inward ticket from Cologne to London leaving Cologne at 07:43 any day except Saturdays or leaving Cologne at 07:43 on Saturdays.

    You may or may not see any cheap 'Spezial' fares available on your date of travel, as availability is very limited because DB only have a small allocation of seats on Eurostar.  If you find a cheap ticket, great, if not, move swiftly on to the following paragraph.

  • Next we check London-Cologne prices on the Belgian Railways international website www.b-europe.com.  It can book both Eurostar+Thalys and Eurostar+ICE, their booking system handles this two-leg journey pretty well and frequently seems to offer the cheapest fares (when there's no 'spezial' fare available at the bahn site, that is).  www.b-europe.com allows you to print your own tickets and accepts credit cards from anyone in any country.

  • Finally, you can also check London-Cologne fares at www.raileurope.co.uk (UK residents only) and www.eurostar.com.  Annoyingly, the Eurostar site can only book Eurostar+Thalys, not Eurostar+ICE, but the Rail Europe site can book both options.  By all means try booking London to Cologne on these sites sites, but a major quirk of the French reservation system on which they're based is that it can't mix & match fare types and may come up with silly-money fares as a result.  The solution is to split the journey into London-Brussels and Brussels-Cologne as follows:

    UK residents should go to www.raileurope.co.uk, and using the Eurostar & ICE times given above as your guide, first book the train from London to Brussels & back, add it to your basket, click 'continue shopping' then book Brussels to Cologne & back.  Add this to your basket and checkout.

    Another way to split the journey, which can be used by anyone from any country is to book London-Brussels at www.eurostar.com (with self-print tickets) and the Brussels-Cologne ICE at www.bahn.de (also with self-print tickets).  Brussels-Cologne Thalys trains can be booked at www.thalys.com.

How to buy tickets by email...

If you'd like someone book it all for you, just click here and a booking form will appear which lists all the trains you need to book for any of the options on this page.  Fill it in & email it to sales@europeanrail.com.  European Rail will make the reservations and call you back to confirm the cost.  If you're okay with the price you can give them your credit card details and they will send you the tickets.  European Rail is an experienced agency equipped with the German Railways reservation & ticketing system, so they have access to all the cheap fares for travel via Germany.  They charge a £35 booking fee which includes postage to any UK address, or they can send to any address worldwide if you pay the courier fee.  Seat61 gets some commission if you buy tickets using this form.

How to buy tickets by phone...

If you prefer to book by phone, call Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66  (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card charge, no charge for debit cards) or www.europeanrail.com on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday, £35 booking fee but may have more time to help).  Click here for a list of agencies and other useful information on how to buy tickets to Europe.

Tailor-made travel & hotel arrangements...

If you want a compete tailor-made trip with all your rail travel expertly booked for you and good quality hotels arranged, UK residents can call www.railbookers.com on 020 3327 0761.  US residents can call them on (646) 770 2894 (please quote seat61) and Canadian residents on (416) 800 0732 (please quote 'seat61').  If you live in Australia you can call their Australian office, www.railbookers.com.au on 02 8096 0550.  Just tell them what you want, and they'll advise you on the best trains, routes & hotels and sort it all out for you, hassle-free.  They get very positive reviews and take good care of their guests.  Browse suggested itineraries & prices.


Option 2:  London to Prague using the Paris-Berlin City Night Line sleeper...

This is also a good option, though a bit slower, with a mid-afternoon departure from London and an arrival in Prague after lunch next day, after a pleasant ride along the river Elbe between Berlin and Prague.

London ► Prague

  • Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 16:01 (15:31 at weekends), arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 19:17 (18:47 at weekends).  It's then a 10 minute walk from the Gare du Nord to the Gare de l'Est.  By all means take an earlier Eurostar if you'd like to spend some time in Paris, or if it has cheaper seats available.

  • Travel from Paris to Berlin by the City Night Line sleeper train 'Perseus', leaving Paris Gare de l'Est daily at 20:05 (20:20 at weekends) and arriving at Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 08:26 next morning.  The 'Perseus' has sleepers, couchettes and seats.  More pictures & information about this train.

  • Travel from Berlin to Prague leaving Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 10:45 and arriving Prague Hlavni station at 15:26.  The is the EuroCity train 'Jan Jesenius' with modern air-conditioned coaches and a restaurant car selling drinks, snacks and affordable full meals - treat yourself to a sit-down lunch!  It's a scenic journey, too, all along the Elbe river valley between Dresden and Prague.  Map of Prague showing Hlavni station.  By all means take a later train if you'd like to spend some time in Berlin.

Prague ► London

  • Travel from Prague to Berlin, leaving Prague Hlavni station at 12:29 and arriving in Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 17:13.  This is the EuroCity service 'Jan Jesenius' with modern air-conditioned coaches & restaurant car.  Treat yourself to lunch!  Have dinner in Berlin.

  • Travel from Berlin to Paris by City Night Line sleeper train 'Perseus', leaving Berlin Hauptbahnhof daily at 20:07 and arriving Paris Gare de l'Est at 09:24 next morning.  The 'Perseus' has ordinary seats, couchettes (4-bunk or 6-bunk) and modern sleeping-cars (1, 2 or 3-berth standard rooms with washbasin or deluxe rooms with private shower & toilet, highly recommended).  Breakfast is included in the fare for sleeper passengers.  More pictures & information about this train.
  • Travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Nord daily at 11:13 and arriving London St Pancras at 12:30.

On board the Paris - Berlin City Night Line sleeper train...

The Paris-Berlin overnight train is one of the German Railway's excellent 'City Night Line' sleeper trains.  Called the 'Perseus', it has modern 'Comfortline' sleeping-cars (1, 2 & 3-berth deluxe rooms with private shower & toilet, 1, 2 & 3-berth standard rooms with washbasin, shower at the end of the corridor, all rooms with power points for mobiles & laptop computers), modern air-conditioned couchettes (choose between a berth in a 4 or 6-berth compartment), and ordinary seats (not recommended, as a couchette is far better).   Inclusive fares are charged covering travel plus sleeping accommodation.  The sleeping-car fare includes a light breakfast served in your compartment.  More pictures & information about this train Travel tip:  For a good meal in a classic Parisian brasserie before boarding the sleeper train in Paris, catch the earlier 14:02 Eurostar from London & dine at the Brasserie Terminus Nord directly across the road from the Gare du Nord.

Sleeping-car compartment on the Paris to Berlin night train   4-berth couchette compartment on Paris-Berlin overnight train   6-berth couchette compartment on Paris-Berlin overnight train  

The sleeping-car on the Paris-Berlin City Night Line train boarding at the Gare de l'Est

1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper: The most comfortable & civilised option, standard with washbasin or deluxe with shower & toilet.

 

4-berth couchettes:  Ideal for families, much more space per person than 6-berth couchettes.

 

6-berth couchettes:  A very economical option, far better than a seat for just a few euros more...

 

The Night train to Berlin...  This is the  'Comfortline' sleeping-car of City Night Line sleeper train 'Perseus' boarding at the Gare de l'Est in Paris... More pictures & information about this train.

 

On board the EuroCity train 'Jan Jesenius'...

   
The 'Jan Jesenius' for Prague about to leave Berlin Hauptbahnhof platform 1...   The Jan Jesenius has air-conditioned German InterCity coaches...   ...and a Hungarian restaurant car.  Treat yourself to lunch!

How much does it cost?

 1. London to Paris

 by Eurostar:

From £39 one-way or £69 return 2nd class.   Child, youth & senior fares

From £107 one-way or £189 return 1st class.

 
 2. Paris to Berlin by

 sleeper train (per person):

In a

seat

In a couchette In the sleeping-car (standard room) Deluxe sleeper
6-bunk  4-bunk  3-bed  2-bed  1-bed  2-bed 1-bed
 Savings fare, one way from: €43 (£38) 59 (£51) €69 (£60) €79 (£69) €99 (£86) €139 (£122) €129 (£113) €169 (£148)
 Savings fare, return from: €86 (£76) 118 (£102) €138 (£120) €158 (£138) €198 (£172) €278 (£244) €258 (£226) €338 (£296)
 Normal fare, one-way: £124 £129 206 euros (£179) £148 £166 £203 £215 £259
 Child under 15*, own berth: £55 £62 ? £71 £80 £98 £106 £124
 Child under 6* without berth: Child under 6* sharing berth travels free...
 
 3. Berlin to Prague by EuroCity train

 Savings fares from 29 euros (£25) each way.

 Normal fare £41 one-way, £82 return 2nd class

 Normal fare £65 one-way, £130 return 1st class

* If you have children aged 4- 5 or 12-14, please read this note before booking the City Night Line sleeper train.

Savings fare = Special cheap 'Sparnight' fare, book in advance, limited availability, no refunds, no changes to travel plans.

Normal fare = fully flexible, refundable, buy any time.

Youth fares: There is a 25% discount on normal fares (but not Savings fares) for anyone under 26 years old.  Savings fares usually cheaper!

Senior fares: There is a 20% discount on normal fares (but not Savings fares) for anyone over 60 years old.  Savings fares usually cheaper!

How to buy tickets online, using www.raileurope.co.uk...

This is probably the easiest way to book.  Booking this way involves two websites, so do a 'dry run' first on both sites to check prices and availability before booking for real.  I recommend checking fares for the Paris-Berlin train at both www.raileurope.co.uk and www.bahn.de as they can differ.

  • Step 1, go to www.raileurope.co.uk and book the sleeper from Paris to Berlin.  Tickets can be sent to any UK address or can be collected at the station.  Only UK credit cards are accepted.  It's best to book the Paris-Berlin sleeper train first and double-check arrival and departure times before booking the Eurostar connection, in case times vary from the ones shown above.  For some reason, it won't book 4-berth couchettes.

  • Step 2, after booking the Paris-Berlin train, add it to your basket & click 'continue shopping'.  Now book the Eurostar from London to Paris and back, using the recommended Eurostar times above as a guide.  By all means book an earlier Eurostar outward or a later Eurostar on the way back if these have cheaper seats available or if you'd like to stop off in Paris.

  • Step 3, now go to the German Railways website www.bahn.de, and use the journey planner to bring up the Berlin-Prague trains shown in the train times above, and buy the ticket.  It will show if any cheap special fares are available.  Tickets can be sent to any address, or in some cases printed out yourself.  In fact, www.raileurope.co.uk can also book the Berlin-Prague train, but only at full-fare prices with no special deals available, that's why it's better to use www.bahn.de for this bit.

How to buy tickets online, using www.bahn.de & www.eurostar.com...

Sometimes www.raileurope.co.uk has the cheapest fares for the Paris-Berlin sleeper, sometimes www.bahn.de is cheaper, so it's worth checking both sites.  Bahn.de can book all accommodation, including 4-berth couchettes.  If you book using the bahn.de site, children under 6 go free, children under 14 can get the child rate.  However, if you book the Paris-Berlin sleeper using www.bahn.de you'll need to book the Eurostar separately at www.eurostar.com, so do a 'dry run' first on both sites to check prices and availability before booking for real.

  • Step 1, go to www.bahn.de, the German Railways website, and book from Paris to Berlin and back on the direct overnight sleeper train.  Availability of cheap 'savings' fares and fully-flexible fares will be shown, for each type of seat, couchette & sleeper.  You pay by credit card and print out your own tickets in .pdf format.  Easy!  Note that the prices shown on www.bahn.de are in euros, and are the total cost for all passengers selected, not per person.  Always book the sleeper first and check its actual arrival & departure before booking the Eurostar connection, as times occasionally vary.  I recommend registering when it asks you before completing the purchase, so you can easily make the next booking and retrieve any bookings later.

  • Step 2, still on www.bahn.de, use the journey planner to bring up the connecting Berlin-Prague trains shown in the train times above, and buy the ticket.  It will show if any cheap special fares are available.  Tickets can be sent to any address, or in some cases printed out yourself.  You can also book this bit online at the Czech Railways shop, www.cd.cz/eshop, and print out your own ticket

  • Step 3, go to www.eurostar.com to book your connecting Eurostar tickets between London and Paris, using the Eurostar times above as a guide.  By all means book an earlier Eurostar outwards, or a later Eurostar on the way back, if this has cheaper seats available of if you'd like to stop off in Paris for a while.  Eurostar tickets can be sent to any UK address, self-printed or picked up at the station.

How to buy tickets by email...

If you'd prefer to have someone book it for you, just click here and a booking form will appear which lists all the trains you need to book for any of the options on this page.  Fill it in & email it to sales@europeanrail.com.  European Rail will make the reservations and call you back to confirm the cost.  If you're okay with the price you can give them your credit card details and they will send you the tickets.  European Rail is an experienced agency equipped with the German Railways reservation & ticketing system, so they have access to all the cheap fares for travel via Germany.  They charge a £35 booking fee which includes postage to any UK address, or they can send to any address worldwide if you pay the courier fee.  Seat61 gets some commission if you buy tickets using this form.

How to buy tickets by phone...

If you'd prefer to book all these trains by phone, simply call Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card charge, no charge for debit cards), or a booking agency such as European Rail on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday, £35 booking fee).

Tailor-made travel & hotel arrangements...

If you want a compete tailor-made trip with all your rail travel expertly booked for you and good quality hotels arranged, UK residents can call www.railbookers.com on 020 3327 0761.  US residents can call them on (646) 770 2894 (please quote seat61) and Canadian residents on (416) 800 0732 (please quote 'seat61').  Australian residents can call their Australian office, www.railbookers.com.au on 02 8096 0550.  Just tell them what you want, and they'll advise you on the best trains, routes & hotels and sort it all out for you, hassle-free.  They get very positive reviews and take good care of their guests.  Browse suggested itineraries & prices.


Option 3:  London to Prague in one day, by daytime trains...

Regrettably, Eurostar, Thalys & DB's poorly-coordinated timetable changes from 12 December 2010 significantly worsen connections between London & Germany.  For all practical purposes, it is not possible to travel between London & Prague in a day, although it can just about be done in the other direction, but with some tight connections that I wouldn't recommend.  Please either use a sleeper train, or travel the scenic route by day with an overnight hotel stop, as shown below.


Option 4:  London to Prague by daytime trains, with overnight stop in Cologne or Berlin...

You may prefer to use daytime trains.  London to Prague is too far to go in one day, but you can break the journey up with an overnight stop in either Cologne or Berlin.  By all means go one way by sleeper, the other by day trains with a stopover.  Or one way with stopover in Cologne, the other with stopover in Berlin.

  • Step 1, London to Cologne or Berlin:  See the Germany page for train times between London & Cologne or between London & Berlin.  London to Cologne takes as little as 4 hours 16 minutes, centre to centre with one change in Brussels.  London-Berlin takes a day.  Take any service you like.  Stay overnight in a hotel in Cologne or Berlin.

  • Step 2, Cologne or Berlin to Prague:  Now use the German Railways website www.bahn.de to find train times between Cologne or Berlin & Prague & back.  Cologne-Prague is an 8 or 9 hour journey on superb German ICE trains & EuroCity trains with bistro or even a proper restaurant car (treat yourself!), but feel free to take your own food and even a bottle of wine. 

  • Top tip:  If you're going from Cologne to Prague, make sure you put 'Berlin' in the 'via' box on www.bahn.de to force it to find train services via Berlin, as the best Cologne-Prague services involve just one change of train in Berlin and involve trains all the way.  If you don't do this the system has an annoying habit of only suggesting that awful railway-run bus connection from Nuremberg to Prague, and you don't want a bus!

Fares & how to buy tickets...

  • London-Cologne starts at £97 return, Cologne-Berlin-Prague starts at 39 euros (£35) each way.

  • First decide what trains you want on what dates.  Then use either www.eurostar.com or www.raileurope.co.uk to book from London to Cologne & back on your chosen trains on your chosen dates.  Check both websites as prices can vary between the two.  Also try www.bahn.de to book London-Cologne or London-Berlin, as this sometimes has fares from Just 49 euros from London to anywhere in Germany, if you use the 08:27 (Mon-Fri) or 08:57 (Sat, Sun) or 12:57 (Mon-Thurs, Sat) or14:34 (Fri, Sun) Eurostar from London connecting with the German ICE from Brussels to Cologne.  Booking tip:  If you want the 12:57 on a Monday-Thursday or Saturday, put 'Brussels' in the 'via' box and '02:00' in the 'stopover' box when using www.bahn.de as otherwise it won't offer the Eurostar+ICE combo with the special fares because there's a faster Thalys connection which it finds first.

  • Now use www.bahn.de to book from Cologne to Prague & back on your chosen train & dates (Booking tip:  Put 'Berlin' in the 'via' box to force it to find train services via Berlin, not that annoying railway-run bus connection from Nuremberg!  If you want to stop off in Cologne one way, Berlin the other, just book this as two one-way trips not a 'return').  To stop off for up to 24 hours in Berlin, type 'Berlin' in the 'via' box and put (say) 10:00 (= 10 hours stopover, adjust this figure as you like) in the 'hh:mm' stopover box.  That way, it'll still give you a cheap fare from Cologne to Prague from just 39 euros each way, but with a 10-hour stopover in Berlin.  It's not rocket science, just keep your wits about you to book the right trains on the right dates.  Easy when you know how!

  • You can also book by phone.  Call call Deutsche Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card charge, no charge for debit cards), or a booking agency such as European Rail on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-18:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday, £35 booking fee).

  • Tailor-made travel & hotel arrangements...

    If you want a compete tailor-made travel service with all your rail travel booked for you and hotels arranged, contact www.railbookers.com, 020 3327 0761.  Just tell them what you want, and they'll advise you on the best trains, routes & hotels and sort it all out for you.  They get very positive reviews.  Browse suggested holiday itineraries & prices.


   
Prague's old town square with the old town hall & cathedral...   The old town hall clock...   Crossing the King Charles Bridge...

No flights were involved in the taking of these pictures - Prague is just a train ride away from the UK!


  Boarding the Stena Line ferry from Harwich to Hoek van Holland for Amsterdam

London to the Netherlands by 'Dutch Flyer' train & ferry...  Take a train from London's Liverpool Street station directly to the ferry terminal at Harwich.  You walk off the train, into the terminal, get your boarding card & cabin key at the Stena Line check-in desk and walk straight onto the overnight ferry to Hoek van Holland.  The new superferry 'Stena Hollandica' is the largest ferry of its kind in the world.  See the Netherlands page.

  Standard inside cabin on the ferry

Cosy cabins:  The overnight Harwich-Hoek ferry is a floating hotel.  All passengers travel in a cosy private cabin with en suite shower & toilet and satellite TV.  This is the cheapest 2-berth cabin...

  Captain's suite deluxe cabin on the Stena Line ferry 'Stena Hollandica'

... and this is a Captain's Class cabin with double bed & complimentary bubbly in the minibar.

The luxury ferry to Hoek van Holland, a useful alternative to Eurostar...

You might prefer to travel by train & ferry to reach Prague, for example to avoid the Channel Tunnel if problems affect the Eurostar service or if you suffer from claustrophobia.  This route is handy if you live in East Anglia as you can travel direct to Harwich avoiding London.  Indeed, you may simply prefer a relaxing journey, cruising overnight on the Stena Line superferry in a luxury en suite cabin with shower, toilet, satellite TV and free WiFi, spending a day at leisure exploring Amsterdam, then travelling to Prague overnight on the direct City Night Line sleeper train 'Phoenix'.  It's a great way to reach Prague and see Amsterdam on the way!

London, East Anglia & Harwich ► Prague

  • Day 1, evening:  Travel from London to Amsterdam overnight by 'Dutch Flyer' train & ferry service.  You leave London's Liverpool Street station at 19:32 by train to Harwich International.  At Harwich, the station is right next to the ferry terminal and you walk off the train into the terminal, check in at the Stena Line desk and walk straight onto the Stena Line ferry to Hoek van Holland.  All passengers travel in cosy private cabins with en suite toilet & shower, satellite TV & free WiFi.  Deluxe 'Comfort class' or 'Captains class' cabins are also available, with complimentary minibar.  You can get on board the ferry before 9pm, have a late dinner in the restaurant and settle into your cabin.  The ferry sails at 23:15 and arrives at Hoek van Holland at 07:45 Dutch time next morning.  At Hoek, the station is right next to the ferry terminal.  You hop on the frequent local train to Rotterdam and change for an InterCity train to Amsterdam Centraal, arriving 10:14.  See the Netherlands page for full details.    Dutch Flyer tickets are valid not just from London but from any National Express East Anglia railway station, for example, Cambridge, Norwich or Chelmsford.

  • Day 2:  Spend the day at leisure exploring Amsterdam.  Left luggage lockers are available at Amsterdam Centraal.

  • Day 2, evening:  Travel from Amsterdam to Prague overnight by City Night Line sleeper train 'Phoenix', leaving Amsterdam daily at 19:01 and arriving in Prague's Hlavni station in central Prague at 09:26 next morning (day 3 from London).  This train has a modern Czech sleeping-car, couchettes & seats, see the photos & information here.  There's no restaurant car, so feel free to take you own picnic and bottle of wine aboard.  Next morning south of Dresden (around 07:00) the train starts winding along the scenic River Elbe, well worth putting the blind up for!  The train arrives at Prague Hlavni station, just 15 minutes walk from Prague's historic old town.  Map of Prague showing Holesovice station Map of Prague showing Hlavni stationPrague Hlavni station information.

Prague ► Harwich, East Anglia & London

  • Day 1, evening:  Travel from Prague to Amsterdam by City Night Line sleeper train 'Phoenix', leaving Prague Hlavni station at 18:29 or Prague Holesovice station at 18:38 and arriving in Amsterdam Centraal at 08:56 next morning.  This train has a modern Czech sleeping-car, couchettes & seats, see the photos & information here.  In summer when it's light, sit back in your compartment with a glass of red and enjoy the scenic trip along the Elbe river valley towards Dresden.

  • Day 2:  Spend the day at leisure in Amsterdam.  Left luggage lockers are available.

  • Day 2, evening:  Travel from Amsterdam to London overnight by 'Dutch Flyer' train & ferry service.  You take the 18:46 train from Amsterdam to Rotterdam and change onto the local sprinter train to Hoek van Holland.  The ferry terminal is right next to the station.  Walk onto the ferry and sail overnight in a snug private cabin to Harwich.  The ferry sails at 22:30 Mondays-Fridays or 22:00 Saturdays & Sundays and arrives at Harwich International at 06:30 next morning, UK time.  Take a train on to London next morning (day 2) arriving 08:48-08:59.  See the Netherlands page for full details.

How much does it cost?

  • London to Amsterdam starts at £39 per person each way, plus the cost of a cabin.  Cabins start at £30 for a single berth cabin or £43 per cabin for a 2-berth, and are compulsory on the night sailing.  The fare covers the train from London to Harwich, the ferry, and onward Dutch trains from Hoek van Holland Haven to any station in the Netherlands, see the Netherlands page for full details of fares and cabin types and costs.

  • Amsterdam to Prague by City Night Line sleeper train starts at 59 euros one-way with a couchette in a 6-berth compartment, 69 euros with a couchette in a 4-berth, 99 euros with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper, or 139 euros with a bed in a single-bed sleeper.

How to buy tickets...

  • Step 1, buy a 'Dutch Flyer' train & ferry ticket from London to Amsterdam as shown on the Netherlands page.

  • Step 2, now book the sleeper train from Amsterdam to Prague.  To buy tickets online, simply go to www.bahn.de - I've set this link up for you to book this train easily, just enter your dates of travel and look for the direct CNL train with 0 changes in the search results.  Alternatively, you can book by phone with DB's UK office on 08718 80 80 66, lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 weekends.


 Scotland & North of England to Prague via ferry   

  DFDS Seaways ferry 'Princess of Norway' about to sail from Newcastle.

DFDS Seaways 'Princess of Norway' about to sail overnight from Newcastle to Amsterdam...

  A Commodore Deluxe cabin on DFDS Seaways

A Commodore deluxe cabin with minibar, satellite TV, shower & toilet.  See the video...

  A standard cabin on DFDS Seaways Newcastle-Amsterdam ferry.

A standard 'Seaways' class cabin with shower & toilet on DFDS 'Princess of Norway'...

If you live in the North of England or Scotland, the fastest option is to take a train up to London and travel from London to Prague using Eurostar, as described above.  If you choose this option, see this advice on buying cheap connecting train tickets to London.  But there are some useful ferry alternatives which allow you to by-pass London, and spend a day in Amsterdam on the way.  DFDS Seaways run an excellent daily overnight cruise ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam, and P&O Ferries run a daily overnight cruise ferry from Hull to Rotterdam.  So take the overnight ferry to Holland, spend a day exploring Amsterdam, then take the excellent City Night Line overnight sleeper direct from Amsterdam to Prague.  A wonderful combination!

Scotland & North of England ► Prague

  • Day 1, take a train to either Hull or Newcastle, whichever is most convenient for where you live.  Transfer to the P&O overnight cruise ferry from Hull to Rotterdam or the DFDS Seaways cruise ferry from Newcastle to IJmuiden, the port of Amsterdam.  Both ferries have bars, restaurants & comfortable en suite cabins, arriving next morning.  For details of timetables, fares & how to buy tickets for travel to Amsterdam via each of these ferry routes, see the Netherlands page.

  • Day 2, spend some time in Amsterdam, all the sights are easy walking distance from Centraal station.  Left luggage lockers are available.

  • Day 2 evening, take the daily City Night Line sleeper train 'Phoenix' from Amsterdam to Prague, leaving Amsterdam at 19:01 and arriving at Prague Hlavni station at 09:26 next morning (day 3), just 15 minutes walk from the historic old town.  This train has a modern Czech sleeping-car, couchettes & seats, see the photos & information here.

Prague ► Scotland & North of England

  • Day 1 evening:  Take the City Night Line sleeper train 'Phoenix' from Prague to Amsterdam, leaving Prague Hlavni daily at 18:29 and arriving at Amsterdam Centraal at 08:56 next morning.  This train has a Czech sleeping-car, couchettes & seats, see the photos & information here.

  • Day 2:  Spend the day in Amsterdam.  Left luggage lockers are available.

  • Day 2, travel overnight by cruise ferry either with P&O Ferries from Rotterdam to Hull or with DFDS Seaways from IJmuiden (near Amsterdam) to Newcastle, whichever is most convenient for where you live.  Next morning (day 4) transfer to the station and take a train home.  For full details of train & ferry times and how to buy tickets for each of these routes, see the UK-Netherlands page.

Fares & how to buy tickets...

  • For journeys via P&O Hull-Rotterdam or DFDS Seaways Newcastle-Amsterdam, first check the ferry times and buy tickets online at www.dfds.co.uk (Newcastle-Amsterdam) or www.poferries.com (Hull-Rotterdam).  Then check train fares and buy train tickets to Hull or Newcastle using www.thetrainline.com or www.nationalrail.co.uk;

  • Amsterdam to Prague by City Night Line sleeper train starts at 59 euros one-way with a couchette in a 6-berth compartment, 69 euros with a couchette in 4-berth, 99 euros with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper, or 139 euros with a bed in a single-bed sleeper.

  • To buy tickets for the Amsterdam-Prague sleeper train online, simply go to www.bahn.de (I've set this link up for you to book this train easily, just enter your dates of travel and look for the direct train with 0 changes in the search results).  Alternatively, you can book by phone with DB's UK office on 08718 80 80 66.

 

 

 Other destinations in the Czech Republic...

 

Above:  Czech Railways (CD) link all main towns & cities in the Czech republic...

You can easily reach anywhere in the Czech Republic by train, travelling from London to Prague as shown above, then using domestic Czech trains onwards from Prague.  www.bahn.de will give you train times within the Czech Republic, and www.cd.cz will also give you fares.  On all these routes, trains run regularly, at least every hour or two.  Don't worry about buying a ticket in advance, just book as far as Prague then buy an onwards ticket at the station when you get to Prague, this is easy.  Or buy online at www.cd.cz/eshop.  There are two main stations in Prague, Praha Hlavni (= central) near the city centre and Praha Holesovice which is a little further out.  Some trains leave from Prague Hlavni, others from Prague Holesovice, some serve both, so check which your train leaves from.  The sleeper trains from Frankfurt and Cologne to Prague both stop at Prague Holesovice ten minutes or so before arriving at Prague Hlavni, so get off at the one that's best for your onward connection.

  • Ostrava: Prague to Ostrava by train takes about 3 hours 5 minutes, the fare is about 500 Kc (£12).  The best services are the tilting pendolino 'SuperCity' trains, which are air-conditioned with bar car, see the photos below.  In addition to the regular Czech Railways (CD) trains, at least one private operator now links Prague and Ostrava, with more to follow, see www.regiojet.cz (currently in Czech only).

  • Plzen: Prague to Plzen by train takes about 1 hour 40 minutes, fare about 130 Kc (£3).

  • Brno: Prague to Brno by train takes about 2 hours 30 minutes, fare about 400 Kc (£9).

  • Cesky Krumlov:  Prague to Cesky Krumlov takes about 4 hours 30 minutes by train with one change of train at Ceske Budejovice.  The fare is about 225Kc (£6).  Alternatively, you can travel from London to Linz in Austria (see the London to Austria page) then travel by local trains from Linz to Cesky Krumlov (2 changes of train are normally necessary, one at the frontier and the other at Ceske Budejovice.  Use http://bahn.hafas.de to find train times from Linz to Cesky Krumlov.

  • Karlovy Vary: Prague to Karlovy Vary takes about 3 hours 15 minutes by train, the  fare is about 275Kc (£7).  However, if you're travelling from London, Paris or Amsterdam, change trains at Usti nad Labem, an hour before arriving in Prague, for a local train to Karlovy vary.  This will save time over going into Prague and out again.  Use http://bahn.hafas.de to find train times.  You'll find it easier to book to Usti nad Labem, then buy a local ticket to Karlovy Vary when you get to Usti.  Similarly, on your return journey, travel from Karlovy Vary to Usti nad Labem and pick up the sleeper to Cologne & Amsterdam, or the EuroCity to Berlin, there.

Buying tickets for trains within the Czech Republic:  www.cd.cz/eshop...

You can buy tickets for train journeys wholly within the Czech Republic online at www.cd.cz/eshop, complete with seat reservation, at cheap Czech prices with no booking fees.  You sign up and are sent a activation email, you pay online and print out your own ticket.  Feedback from anyone who uses this system would be welcome.  www.cd.cz/eshop will also book daytime international trains (but not overnight sleeper trains) from Prague to neighbouring countries, including Krakow & Warsaw, Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava, Dresden & Berlin, also at cheap prices.  However, don't try and use the e-shop for journeys in the other direction (from countries outside the Czech Republic to Prague), as these tickets aren't valid unless stamped by the conductor on an outward journey from Prague.

Czech pendolino, 2nd class   Czech pendolino, first class   Czech Railways pendolino at Prague, about to leave for Vienna
SuperCity pendolino trains...  The pride of the Czech Railways, these modern 'pendolino' units operate the premium 'SuperCity' trains linking Prague & Ostrava (the Czech Republic's second city), also two daily trains between Prague & Vienna and one between Prague & Bratislava.  Left-hand picture = 2nd class, centre picture = 1st class, with similar seating, but carpeted.

 

 Prague's railway stations...

Prague has two main stations, Prague Hlavni Nadrazi (main station) & Prague Holesovice.

Prague Hlavni station...

 

Above:  Prague's main Hlavni station, just 15 minutes walk from the historic old town...

Prague's main Hlavni station is in the city centre, just 15 minutes walk from Prague's historic old town and 20 minutes walk from the famous Kings Charles Bridge.  It actually has a grand old station building, sitting on a hill overlooking the city, but you now head downstairs from the platforms to a modern undercroft which exits at a lower level closer to the city, so you hardly see the old building at all.

  • Left luggage lockers are available in one size that will fit a backpack or small case but not larger suitcases.  Lockers cost 60 koruna (about £2) per 24 hours, maximum permitted time 72 hours.

  • There are national and international ticket windows, and major credit cards are accepted.  There's also a Wasteels travel agency (www.wasteels.cz) with helpful English-speaking staff, open 09:00-17:00 Mon-Fri, 09:00-16:00 Saturdays, and this can be a better place to arrange tickets, whether national or international.  It's 1 level down from the platforms.

  • Toilets (10 Kr charge) and hot showers (40 Kr charge) are available, 1 level down from the platforms.

Prague Holesovice station...

Holesovice station is just outside the city centre, about 2km away and 3km from Prague Hlavni.  It sits astride the Berlin-Prague-Bratislava-Budapest line, so many through trains call there as it saves them having to head into Hlavni and reverse.  You can take the metro from Holesovice to the city centre or Hlavni station, see the Prague official public transport site www.dpp.cz or (probably more useful) www.prague.net/metro.

 

 

 Holidays & tours to Prague by train

 

020 3327 0761 (UK)

02 8096 0550 (Aus)

 

01904 730 727

 

01904 527120

If you want a holiday to Prague by train not plane, but would like someone else to organise all the train tickets and hotels for you, several specialist companies do just that, for a holiday with no airport hassles or whole days in cramped coach seats on motorways.  Railbookers offer tailor-made individual holidays with departure on any date you like, Treyn Holidays & Great Rail Journeys both offer escorted tours with specific departure dates.

Railbookers, www.railbookers.com, 020 3327 0761 (UK) or 02 8096 0550 (Australia)....

Railbookers can tailor-make a flight-free holiday to Prague for you, with train travel, transfers & hotels included, for however long you like, leaving on any date you like.  For example, a 6-night holiday to Prague, Vienna & Budapest starts at £669 per person with daytime train travel by Eurostar & TGV.  See their Prague page for details.  You can use London-based www.railbookers.com to arrange a European train tour whatever your country of residence, in fact they now have an office in Sydney Australia (www.railbookers.com.au, 02 8096 0550) or you can call their London office from overseas on +44 20 3327 0761.

Treyn Holidays, www.railholidays.com, 01904 730 727...

Treyn Holidays offers a 10-day tour to Vienna, Prague and Berlin from £795 per person, with 3* hotels and overland travel by Eurostar, sleeper train and EuroCity trains.  Check details at www.railholidays.com, then book online or call 01904 730 727.

Great Rail Journeys, www.greatrail.com, 01904 527120...

GRJ offers a 13-day tour to Vienna, Budapest & Prague from £1,750 or a 12-day tour to Berlin, Dresden & Prague from £1,550, with 1st class train travel and 5* or 4* hotels.  Great Rail Journeys also offer holidays by train to other European countries.  Check the tour details online, then call 01904 527120 to book or use their online booking form.

 

 

 The Thomas Cook European Timetable

Thomas Cook European Timetable -  click to buy onlineThomas Cook Rail Map of Europe - buy onlineThe Thomas Cook European timetable has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus currency & climate information.  Published since 1873, it costs £13.99.  It's essential for any serious traveller and an inspiration for armchair travellers.  Still not convinced you need one?  More information on what the Thomas Cook Timetable contains.  You can buy the latest monthly edition online at www.thomascooktimetables.com with worldwide delivery or buy it in person from any UK branch of Thomas Cook (ask at the bureau de change), or from W H Smiths in Victoria or Kings Cross stations in London.  Or buy the twice-yearly independent traveller's edition with laminated cover from Amazon.co.uk:  Winter/Spring 2011/12 edition (Dec 2011 to June 2012) or (when available) Summer/Autumn 2012 edition (June to Dec 2012)

The Thomas Cook Rail Map of Europe is the best and most comprehensive map of train routes right across Europe, from Portugal in the west to Istanbul, Moscow & Ukraine in the east, from Finland in the north to Sicily & Crete in the south.  High speed & scenic routes are highlighted.  Highly recommended!  Buy online at www.amazon.co.uk (worldwide delivery).  See an extract from the map.


 

 Guidebooks

Paying for a guidebook may seem an unnecessary expense, but it's probably only a tiny fraction of what you're spending on your whole trip.  You will see so much more, and know so much more about what you're looking at, if you have a decent guidebook.  The Lonely Planets and Rough Guides are about the best out there for independent travellers.  Both have everything you need - lots of background historical and cultural information, lots of practical information.  You won't regret buying one!  My own book, an essential handbook for train travel to Europe based on this website called "The Man in Seat 61", is due to be published in June 2008, and Amazon will let you pre-order now.

Click the images to buy at Amazon.co.uk

Or buy Lonely Planet guides from the Lonely Planet website, with shipping worldwide.Lonely Planet Best of Prague - click to buy onlineLonely Planet Czech & Slovak RepublicsLonely Planet Eastern Europe - buy online at AmazonThe Man in Seat 61 book - click to buy online


 

 Hotels & accommodation

Hotels in Prague or elsewhere in Europe...

Search by hotel name  Powered by Hotelscombined.com

 

◄◄◄◄◄ Search all the major hotel

booking websites at once...

Hotel reservations? Find the right hotel first. Compare here.

www.hotelscombined.com is probably the best hotel search system I've seen, a free search tool which checks all the main hotel booking sites (Opodo, Expedia, Booking.com, Hotels.com, AsiaRooms, Travelocity, LateRooms and others) to find the cheapest hotel rates.  Set up in 2005, it's probably the best place to start for booking any hotel online in any country, worldwide.

Other hotel sites worth trying...

  • www.tripadvisor.com is the place to find independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.

  • www.booking.com is my own preferred hotel booking system (Hotels Combined being a search/comparison system).  It has a simple interface, a good selection in most countries worldwide, useful online customer reviews of each hotel, and decent prices, usually shown inclusive of unavoidable extras such as taxes (a pet hate of mine is systems that show one price, then charge you another!).

  • www.mrandmrssmith.com (no relation!) is the place to start if you want something special for an anniversary, honeymoon, romantic break or other special occasion.  www.mrandmrssmith.com lists a number of hand-picked boutique hotels in Prague.

Backpacker hostels...

  • www.hostelbookers.com:  If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels.  Hostelbookers offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck and most other European cities at rock-bottom prices.


 

 Travel insurance, health card, SIM card

Get travel insurance, it's essential...

  Columbus direct travel insurance

Never travel without insurance from a reliable travel insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover.  It should also cover loss of cash (up to a limit) and belongings, and cancellation. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year (I have an annual policy myself).  Don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, but European international rail conditions of carriage (known as the 'CIV') contain consumer protection provisions that entitle you to travel forward by the next available train if you miss a connection because of a delay to the first train, irrespective of who operates which train, and even if your ticket is in theory train-specific and non-changeable.  Feedback from using insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome.  Here are some suggested insurers.  Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.

In the UK, try Columbus Direct or Go Travel Insurance, or use Confused.com to get a price comparison on a range of travel insurance providers, seeing policy features at a glance.

        If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct's other websites.

   If you live in the USA or Canada, try Travel Guard USA.

Get an EU health card, it's free...

If you're a UK citizen travelling in Europe, you should apply for a free European Health Insurance Card, which entitles you to free or reduced rate health care if you become ill or get injured in many European countries, under a reciprocal arrangement with the NHS.  This replaced the old E111 forms as from January 2006.  The EHIC card is available from www.ehic.org.uk.  It doesn't remove the need for travel insurance, though.

Get a spare credit card, one designed for foreign travel with no currency exchange loading & low or no ATM fees...

It costs nothing to take out an extra credit card.  If you keep it in a different part of your luggage so you're not left stranded if your wallet gets stolen, this is a form of extra travel insurance in itself.  In addition, some credit cards are significantly better for overseas travel than others.  Martin Lewis's www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which UK credit cards have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use an ATM abroad.  Taking this advice can save you quite a lot on each trip compared to using your normal high-street bank credit card!  You can save money on ATM charges and exchange rates using a Caxton FX euro currency Visa Card, or indeed the multi-currency 'Global Traveller' Visa Card, find out about these cards & sign up here.

Get an international SIM card to save on mobile data and phone calls...

Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, and if you're not careful you can return home to find some huge bills waiting for you.  I've known people run up over £1,000 in data charges just by leaving their iPhone connected during a simple trip to Europe.  However, if you buy a global SIM card for your mobile phone from a company such as www.Go-Sim.com you can slash the cost by up to 85% and limit any damage to the amount you have pre-paid.  Go-Sim cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide, and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries.  It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty bills when you get home.  It also allows cheap data access for laptops & PDAs.  A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't expire if it's not used between trips, unlike some others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone number' for life.


 

Back to 'Rail travel to Europe' general page

Back to home page