UK to Prague by train from €88...

It's easy to travel from London 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 high-speed train to Cologne, then the excellent Phoenix City Night Line sleeper train to Prague, arriving in the heart of Prague 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, which can be the cheapest option, London to Prague from just €88.  The choice is yours...

Train times, fares & tickets...

On this page you'll find a step-by-step guide to arranging train travel from the UK to Prague, with train times, fares & how to buy tickets:

London to Prague via the Cologne-Prague sleeper  The recommended option.

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

London to Prague via the Paris-Berlin sleeper  A useful alternative.

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

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

Scotland & the North of England to Prague by ferry from Hull or Newcastle via Amsterdam.

Other Czech destinations:  Brno, Ostrava, Karlovy Vary, Cesky Krumlov, Plzen...

Useful country information - currency, tourist information, time zone...

Hotels in Prague    Prague Open Top Bus Tour

Holidays  & tours to Prague by train not plane

On other pages...

London to Krakow & Prague in one trip     

Train travel from Prague to other European cities

Train travel from other European cities to Prague

The Amsterdam to Prague sleeper train

Scotland & North of England to Prague avoiding London

Buying connecting train tickets from other UK towns & cities    

Luggage on trains   Send your luggage in advance   

Left luggage facilities at stations

Taking your bike   Taking your dog  

General European train travel information

Sponsored links...

Useful country information

London to Prague

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

Lunch in London, breakfast in Prague...  This is the most time-effective and comfortable option, leaving central London mid-afternoon and arriving in central Prague in time for a late breakfast next morning.  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 12:58 arriving Brussels Midi at 16:08.  Advice on connections in Brussels.

• 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 dinner 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 station.  Prague Hlavni station information.

• Important:  This train will leave Cologne earlier, at 21:25, between 20 July & 1 September 2013 due to engineering work.  I'd recommend an earlier connection from London at this time, just to allow for any delay, see the London to Cologne section on the Germany page.

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.  On Mondays to Saturdays, a Eurostar leaves Brussels Midi at 10:56 and arrives London St Pancras at 11:57.  On Sundays, a Eurostar leaves Brussels Midi at 11:56 and arrives London St Pancras at 12:57.

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

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 City Night Line sleeper train Phoenix from Cologne to Prague...

The City Night Line sleeper train Phoenix has a modern air-conditioned Czech sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3-berth deluxe compartments with private shower & toilet, and 1, 2 & 3-berth economy compartments with washbasin.  There is a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in economy sleepers, all sleepers have vingcard locks & power sockets for laptop computers & mobiles, and sleeper fares include a light breakfast.  The train also has air-conditioned German couchette cars (simple but comfortable flat berths with rug & pillow in 4- or 6-berth compartments) and ordinary seats in 6-seat compartments (not recommended).  There's no restaurant or buffet car, but feel free to take your own bottle of wine or picnic on board.  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.de.  Feedback is always appreciated!

1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper: The most civilised option, economy 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 Phoenix rises...  As evening falls at Prague's Hlavni station, the sleeping-car attendant on the Phoenix greets passengers for Cologne & Amsterdam. More pictures & information about the Amsterdam to Prague sleeper train.

How much does it cost?

Berths are sold individually, so one ticket means one bed.  The other beds in your compartment will be sold to other passengers.

If you want sole occupancy, simply book 1 ticket in a 1-bed sleeper or 2 tickets in 2-berth sleeper or 4 tickets in 4-berth couchettes, etc.

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

** Children under 15 travel free if accompanied by a fare-paying adult, but must pay the berth supplement shown here.

Savings fare = advance-purchase fare, price varies, limited availability, no refunds, no changes to travel plans.

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

How to buy tickets online...

Anyone from any country can buy tickets this way, at the cheapest prices bought direct from the train operators.  Booking for Eurostar opens 120 days ahead, booking for the other trains opens 92 days ahead, but I strongly recommend waiting and buying all tickets together, doing a dry run first on all websites to check prices & availability before booking for real.  Hotel accommodation can be booked before booking your trains risk-free if you use a site such as www.booking.com with free cancellation.

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

  Simply look for the direct CNL train with 0 changes and click to check availability of the cheap Savings fares.  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 for all passengers selected (not per person) and you simply print out your own ticket.

  I strongly recommend registering on bahn.de when prompted, so you can log in at any time to see all your bookings and re-print tickets at any time from any PC.

• Step 2, book your trains from London to Cologne & back.  I recommend comparing prices on two sites.

  First, check prices from London to 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.  You simply print your own ticket.  Here are the 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 an outward ticket from London to Cologne leaving London at 12:58 on Saturdays or leaving London at 15:04 Mondays-Fridays & Sundays.

  Buy an inward ticket from Cologne to London leaving Cologne at 07:43 Monday-Saturday or leaving Cologne at 07:43 on Sundays.

  Now check prices from London to Cologne at the Belgian Railways international website www.b-europe.com.  This can sell London to Cologne tickets using Eurostar and ICE or Eurostar and Thalys, and it allows you to print your own ticket.  It may or may not be cheaper than bahn.de, just buy from whichever site has the cheaper fare!

• Alternatively, you can always book London to Cologne in two stages direct with the relevant operators.  First, book from London to Brussels and back at www.eurostar.com.  You print your own ticket, and can buy tickets to Brussels starting not just in London, but from 130 UK towns and cities.  At the end of the booking, look for the link allowing you to book a specific seat.  Tips on choosing the best Eurostar seats.

• Then book the ICE train from Brussels to Cologne and back at www.bahn.de.  You print your own ticket.  I strongly recommend registering, so you can log in and re-print or change bookings at any time.  The best connections for this particular journey are by ICE, as shown in the train times above, but if you want to stop off in Brussels or Cologne so want to book one of the Thalys trains between Brussels & Cologne instead, you can do this at www.thalys.com, also with self-print tickets.

• Starting your journey from other UK towns & cities:  You can buy a special add-on ticket to connect with Eurostar from almost any station in Britain, with better terms and conditions than buying a regular domestic UK train ticket to London, see the advice here.

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...

A hassle-free option is to get a reliable specialist agency such as Railbookers to arrange your whole trip, with train bookings, hotels and transfers all sorted with one phone call.  Just tell them when and where you want to go, and they'll create the best rail holiday or tour for you.

In the UK, call  020 3327 0761 or see www.railbookers.com.

In the USA & Canada, call toll-free 1-800-408-3280 or www.us.railbookers.com.

In Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526 or see www.railbookers.com.au

In New Zealand call toll-free 0800 002 034 or see website.

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

This is also a good option, though a bit slower than option 1, 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 15:31 (14:01 on Saturdays), arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 18:47 (17:17 on Saturdays).  On Fridays, there's also a 16:01 Eurostar arriving 19:17.  In Paris, it's 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 and arriving at Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 08:28 next morning.  The Perseus has sleepers, couchettes and seats.  More pictures & information about this train.

• Travel from Berlin to Prague leaving Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 10:46 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

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 sleeper with private shower & toilet, 1, 2 & 3-berth economy sleepers with washbasin, shower at the end of the corridor, all sleepers 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.

1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper: The most comfortable option, economy 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 from Berlin to Prague...

The Jan Jesenius at Dresden...		The Hungarian dining-car...

2nd class compartment		1st class compartment		Lunch in the restaurant car...
The Jan Jesenius leaves from the lower level platforms at Berlin Hauptbahnhof, usually platform 1.  It uses air-conditioned Hungarian EuroCity coaches with side corridors and 6-seater compartments, and has a proper restaurant car.  Treat yourself to lunch!  Photos courtesy of Ivor & Ines Morgan.

How much does it cost?

Berths are sold individually, so one ticket means one bed.  The other beds in your compartment will be sold to other passengers.

If you want sole occupancy, simply book 1 ticket in a single sleeper or 2 tickets in a 2-berth sleeper or 4 tickets in a 4-berth couchette and so on.

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

** Children under 15 travel free if accompanied by a fare-paying adult, but must pay the berth supplement shown here.

Savings fare = advance-purchase fare, price varies, limited availability, no refunds, no changes to travel plans.

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

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

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

How to buy tickets online...

Anyone from any country can book this way.  Booking for Eurostar opens 120 days ahead, booking for the other trains opens 92 days ahead, but I strongly recommend waiting until 92 days so you can check that the sleeper train times before booking a non-changeable, non-refundable Eurostar connection.  I suggest doing 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, looking for the direct CNL train with 0 changes in the search results.  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 strongly recommend registering when it asks you before completing the purchase, so you can easily make the next booking and retrieve any bookings (or re-print tickets) 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 spezial fares are available.  Tickets can be sent to any address, or in some cases printed out yourself.

• Step 3, go to www.eurostar.com to book your connecting Eurostar tickets between London and Paris.  Remember that Eurostar.com can book you through to Paris from 130 UK towns & cities, not just London. Use the Eurostar times above as a guide, but 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...

A hassle-free option is to get a reliable specialist agency such as Railbookers to arrange your whole trip, with train bookings, hotels and transfers all sorted with one phone call.  Just tell them when and where you want to go, and they'll create the best rail holiday or tour for you.

In the UK, call  020 3327 0761 or see www.railbookers.com.

In the USA & Canada, call toll-free 1-800-408-3280 or www.us.railbookers.com.

In Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526 or see www.railbookers.com.au

In New Zealand call toll-free 0800 002 034 or see website.

Option 3:  London to Prague by daytime trains with hotel stop in Cologne or Berlin

You may prefer to use daytime trains, and although London to Prague is too far to go in one day, you can easily break the journey up with an overnight stop in either Cologne or Berlin.  Indeed, this can be the cheapest option, setting aside the cost of a hotel or hostel for a night. 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.  Take any service you like, for example London depart 15:04, Cologne arrive 20:15.  Or London depart 10:58, Berlin arrive 21:08.

• Stay overnight in a hotel in Cologne or a hotel in Berlin.  In Berlin, The 3-star Menninger Hotel is ideal as it's right next to Berlin Hauptbahnhof and a 10-minute walk from the Reichstag, it's inexpensive and gets good reviews.  If you want to push the boat out, try the famous Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is right next to the Brandenburg Gate.  If you're on a tight budget, see www.hostelbookers.com.

• 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.  For example, Cologne depart 09:48, Prague arrive 19:26, a comfortable journey across Germany on superb ICE trains & EuroCity trains with bistro or restaurant car (treat yourself!), but feel free to take your own food and even a bottle of wine.  Trains link Berlin and Prague regularly, for example Berlin depart 10:46 Prague arrive 15:26, with restaurant car for lunch and a scenic meander along the river Elbe south of Dresden.

How much does it cost?  London to Prague from €88!

• With a London Spezial fare, London to Cologne or Berlin starts at just €59.

• With a Czech Spezial fare, Cologne to Prague starts at €39, Berlin to Prague starts at just €29.

How to buy tickets online, with hotel stop in Cologne...

• Step 1, book from London to Cologne and back.  First, look for a cheap London Spezial fare from €59 each way, using these links.  Book a round trip as two one-ways, and I strongly recommend registering when prompted, so you can log in at any time and check or re-print tickets.

  London to Cologne departing 06:50 Mondays-Fridays London to Cologne departing 08:58 Sundays London to Cologne departing 10:58 Mondays-Saturdays London to Cologne departing 12:58 Saturdays London to Cologne departing 15:04 Mon-Fri & Sundays

  Cologne to London departing 07:43 Mon-Sat Cologne to London departing 07:43 on Sundays Cologne to London departing 11:43 any day Cologne to London departing 15:43 on weekdays Cologne to London departing 15:43 on Saturdays Cologne to London departing 15:43 on Sundays

  Availability of London Spezials is limited as DB only have a small allocation on Eurostar, so if you don't see any cheap fares, or want to use Eurostar and Thalys services rather than Eurostar and ICE, book London to Cologne and back using www.b-europe.com instead.

• Step 2, book from Cologne to Prague and back using these links.  Again, book a round trip as two one-ways, and I strongly recommend registering when prompted, so you can log in at any time and check or re-print tickets:

  Cologne to Prague    Prague to Cologne

  You'll notice that these Cologne-Prague links automatically put 'Berlin' in the 'via' box on www.bahn.de.  This forces it to find train services via Berlin, as the best Cologne-Prague services involve just one change of train in Berlin with civilised and comfortable trains all the way.  If you don't do this the system has an annoying habit of only suggesting the awful railway-run bus connection from Nuremberg to Prague, and you don't want a bus!

How to buy tickets online, with hotel stop in Berlin...

• Step 1, book from London to Berlin and back.  First, look for a cheap London Spezial fare from €59 each way, using these links.  Book a round trip as two one-ways, and I strongly recommend registering when prompted, so you can log in at any time and check or re-print tickets.

  Departing London at 06:50 Mondays-Fridays Departing London at 08:58 Sundays Departing London at 10:58 Mondays-Saturdays

  Departing Berlin at 06:49 any day Departing Berlin at 10:49 on weekdays Departing Berlin at 10:49 on Saturdays Departing Berlin at 10:49 on Sundays

  Availability of London Spezials is limited as DB only have a small allocation on Eurostar, so if you don't see any cheap fares, or want to use Eurostar and Thalys services rather than Eurostar and ICE, book London to Cologne and back using www.b-europe.com instead, then book Cologne to Berlin using www.bahn.de.

• Step 2, book from Berlin to Prague and back using these links.  Again, book a round trip as two one-ways, and I strongly recommend registering when prompted, so you can log in at any time and check or re-print tickets:

  Berlin to Prague    Prague to Berlin

• Would you like a stopover in Dresden?  If you'd like to stop off for a few hours (or even overnight) to see a bit of Dresden, simply use the Berlin-Prague links above, but type 'Dresden' in the 'via' box and enter the number of hours stopover you'd like, and the system will give you a cheap fare between Berlin and Prague with a stopover in Dresden.  Left luggage lockers are available at Dresden station.

How to buy tickets by phone...

• 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.  US & Canadian residents can call them toll-free on 1-800-408-3280 or see website.  Australian residents can call their Sydney office toll-free on 1300 971 526 or see www.railbookers.com.au.  New Zealand residents call toll-free on 0800 002 034 or see website.  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.

Prague old town square with the old town hall & cathedral...		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!

	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 and see the video...
	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...
	... 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 (see the video!), 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 & 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 station.  Prague Hlavni station information.

• Important alterations 19 July to 1 September 2013:  Due to engineering work, between 20 July & 1 September this City Night Line will leave Amsterdam earlier, at 17:41.  Please check times for your date of travel at www.bahn.de.

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 21:30 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 £45 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 one-way with a couchette in a 6-berth compartment, €69 with a couchette in a 4-berth, €104 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper, or €144 with a bed in a single-bed sleeper.

How to buy tickets online...

• 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.

How to buy tickets by phone:  Special booking form

• To buy tickets for the Dutch Flyer from London to Hoek van Holland plus onward train tickets to Prague or almost anywhere in Europe, fill in the special booking form and email it to European Rail.  They will call you back with a price, usually within 24 hours.  Using the booking form can save a long phone call while they take details and work out trains & prices.  If you'd rather call them, phone 020 7619 1083, but please say you're calling about 'Dutch Flyer' & onward train tickets to Prague as shown on 'Seat61'.  Their lines are 08:30-18:00 Monday to Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday.  Note that there's a £35 fee for phone or email bookings, but this is for the whole booking, not per person or per ticket.  European Rail are one of the few agencies (if not the only agency) who can sell both the Dutch Flyer and onward European train tickets.

 Scotland & North of England to Prague via ferry   

	DFDS Seaways Princess of Norway about to sail overnight from Newcastle to Amsterdam...
	A Commodore deluxe cabin with minibar, satellite TV, shower & toilet.  See the video...
	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.

• Important alterations 19 July to 1 September 2013:  Due to engineering work, between 20 July & 1 September this City Night Line will only run between Cologne & Prague, and will not start in Amsterdam.  But no problem, you can leave Amsterdam at 16:44 by ICE train arriving Cologne at 20:22, to connect with the sleeper to Prague, which at this time will leave Cologne at 21:25.  Please check times for your date of travel at www.bahn.de.

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.

• Important alterations 19 July to 1 September 2013:  Due to engineering work, between 20 July & 1 September the City Night Line sleeper trainwill only run between Prague & Cologne, it will not extend to Amsterdam.  But no problem, simply change in Cologne for the 06:46 ICE to Amsterdam arriving 09:26.  Please check times for your date of travel at www.bahn.de.

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 one-way with a couchette in a 6-berth compartment, €69 with a couchette in 4-berth, €104 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper, or €144 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.

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/eshop (click EN for English top right) will also give you fares and sell you tickets.  On all these routes, trains run regularly, at least every hour or two.  You don't have to buy 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 you can 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 10 minutes, the fare is about 489 Kc (£16).  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 35 minutes, fare about 95 Kc (£3).

• Brno: Prague to Brno by train takes about 2 hours 35 minutes, fare about 200 Kc (£7).

• Cesky Krumlov:  Prague to Cesky Krumlov takes about 4 hours 40 minutes by train with one change of train at Ceske Budejovice.  The fare is about 200 (£7).  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 20 minutes by train, the  fare is about 170 Kc (£6).  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.

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).  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...

Prague's main Hlavni station is 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) 1-800-408-3280 (USA) 1300 971 526 (Aus) 0800 002 034 (NZ)
	01904 730 727 (UK)
	01904 527120 (UK)

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 tailor-made holidays & breaks to Prague by train...

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, they offer a 6-night holiday to Prague, Vienna & Budapest with daytime train travel by Eurostar & TGV.  See the Railbookers Prague page for suggested itineraries & prices.  Indeed, they can arrange trains and hotels for a tour of eastern Europe to your own specification.  They take good care of their clients, and I have no hesitation in recommending them.

  UK call 020 3327 0761, www.railbookers.com. 

Call toll-free 1-800-408-3280 or www.us.railbookers.com.

Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526, www.railbookers.com.au. 

  New Zealand call toll-free 0800 002 034 or see website.

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

Treyn Holidays offers a 10-day escorted tour to Vienna, Prague and Berlin with 3* hotels and overland travel by Eurostar, sleeper train and EuroCity trains.  Check prices 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 escorted tour to Vienna, Budapest & Prague or a 12-day escorted tour to Berlin, Dresden & Prague, 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 & prices online, then call 01904 527120 to book or use their online booking form.

Send your luggage in advance

Enjoy your journey without heavy luggage... 

Let www.carrymyluggage.com deliver your bags door to door.

If you'd like to enjoy your train journey free of heavy luggage, making it easy to get on and off trains with nothing more than a lightweight daypack or handbag, www.carrymyluggage.com will collect your luggage at your home address a few days before you leave, and will deliver it to addresses all over the EU, so it will be waiting at your hotel when you arrive.  It's not cheap, you can reckon on around £78 per case each way, but this is door to door, covering collection from your home in the UK or other EU country and delivery to an address in another EU country.  I've also arranged a 10% discount if you use the Promo code 'seat61' when booking your bags online.  www.carrymyluggage.com are a reliable company, they also work with companies such as Great Rail Journeys, Virgin Trains, First Great Western, Hull Trains, and South West Trains.

The Thomas Cook European Timetable

The Thomas Cook European timetable has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus currency & climate information.  Published since 1873, it costs £14.99.  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.thomascookpublishing.com with worldwide delivery or buy it in person from selected UK branches of Thomas Cook (ask at the bureau de change), or from W H Smiths in Victoria station in London.  Or buy the twice-yearly independent traveller's edition with laminated cover from Amazon.co.uk:  Winter/Spring 2012/13 edition (Dec 2012 to June 2013) or (when available) Summer/Autumn 2013 edition (June to Dec 2013)

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

Prague Open Top Bus Tour

Buy a ticket for Prague's hop-on, hop-off Open Top Bus...

City Sightseeing's red-and-yellow open top tour buses are now a familiar site in 100 major cities on 6 continents.  They do a hop-on, hop-off tour bus ticket for Prague and you can buy a ticket online before you go, redeemable on any day you like within 3 months of buying it, see www.city-sightseeing.com.

Find hotels in Prague

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

Get travel insurance, it's essential...

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) & belongings, and cancellation. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheapest 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, though, see the advice on missed connections here.  Here are some suggested insurers, Seat61 gets a little commission if you buy through these links, and feedback from using insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome.

In the UK, use www.confused.com to compare prices & policy features across major insurance companies.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65 (no age limit), see www.JustTravelCover.com.

        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, designed for foreign travel with no currency exchange loading & low/no ATM fees

Taking out an extra credit card costs nothing, but if you keep it in a different part of your luggage you won't be left stranded if your wallet gets stolen.  In addition, some credit cards are 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.

You can avoid ATM charges and expensive exchange rates with a Caxton FX euro currency Visa Card, or their multi-currency 'Global Traveller' Visa Card, see www.caxtonfx.com for info.

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 a huge bill.  Consider buying a global pre-paid SIM card for your mobile phone from www.Go-Sim.com, which can slash costs by up to 85%.  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.