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Buy tickets from Berlin to Prague at int.bahn.deBuy direct from Deutsche Bahn, no booking fee, and print your own ticket or show it on your phone. |
Berlin - Prague from €18.99
Comfortable air-conditioned Eurocity trains with restaurant car & free WiFi link Berlin and Prague every two hours, 388 km (241 miles) in 4 hours, centre to centre with great scenery along the scenic Elbe & Vlatava rivers. Most departures now use brand-new Czech Railways ComfortJet carriages. The train ride is an experience in itself!
Trains from Berlin to
other destinations
Trains from Prague to
other destinations
Train times southbound
Train times northbound
Timetable notes
* = Runs most days but not all due to trackwork, check your date at int.bahn.de.
EC = EuroCity Berliner, a CD (Czech Railways) ComfortJet train with air-conditioned 1st & 2nd class and Czech restaurant car.
ECH = EuroCity Hungaria, air-conditioned 1st & 2nd class with Hungarian restaurant car, uses MAV (Hungarian Railways) carriages.
NJ = Nightjet sleeper train to Budapest & Vienna, conveys 2nd class seats cars, but no 1st class or catering.
Times may vary, check times for your date of travel at int.bahn.de.
Berlin to Prague by train is 388 km or 241 miles.
How much does it cost?
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Advance-purchase fares start at €18.99 in 2nd class or €29.99 in 1st class.
Sparpreis (savings) fares are advance-purchase fares with dynamic prices & limited availability at each price level. They are only good for the specific departure you book, limited refunds, no changes to travel plans. A round trip is two one-ways. If you're happy to book ahead and commit to a specific train, this is what you want. Book early & avoid popular days for the cheapest prices.
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The fully-flexible fare is around €80-€95 in 2nd class or €138-€160 in 1st class.
The Flexpreis is what you pay if you want to stay flexible or buy a ticket at the station on the day. Flexpreis tickets are good for any Berlin-Prague train that day, unlimited availability, can't sell out. The price varies by date.
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Children: Children under 6 go free, no ticket required. Children under 15 also go free when accompanied by a parent or grandparent on a Sparpreis fare and added to the booking at int.bahn.de. This offer is not available if you book at www.cd.cz.
How to buy tickets
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking opens up to 6 months ahead, but dates after the mid-December timetable change usually open mid-October. More about when booking opens. I recommend registering when prompted, as you can then log in at any time to check or re-print your tickets. You print your own ticket or can show it on your phone. More tips for using int.bahn.de.
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Buy tickets for the Nightjet (NJ) train at www.thetrainline.com or www.oebb.at.
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Seat reservations
Seat reservation is usually optional (but strongly recommended), for €5.50 2nd class or €6.90 1st class, see travel tips.
Seat reservation is compulsory in summer, 15 June to 31 August 2025.
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Stopover in Dresden?
You can include a stopover at Dresden at no extra cost. Before running the enquiry at int.bahn.de, simply click Stopovers, enter Dresden and a length of stay of up to 48 hours. There are left luggage lockers available at Dresden if you need them.
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Only one passenger name is needed
If you buy one ticket covering several people, only one name is necessary to verify that the print-your-own ticket is yours.
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Or buy from Czech Railways
You can also buy tickets in either direction at the Czech Railways website www.cd.cz, see advice on using it.
It's worth checking www.cd.cz as fares can be cheaper than on int.bahn.de for exactly the same train. Seat reservation is only €3 in both classes instead of €5.50 2nd class or €6.90 1st class.
Tip: If you book at www.cd.cz you can choose your seat from a seat map. On the fixed-formation ComfortJet trains it knows which way round the train will be, so you can pick a forward-facing seat on the left hand side going south or right hand side going north for the Elbe river scenery!
You print your own ticket or you can show it on your phone.
What are the trains like?
The EuroCity trains between Berlin & Prague are run jointly by the German, Czech, Hungarian & Austrian national railways. As of mid-2025, most departures use brand-new Czech Comfortjet trains, one departure uses Hungarian carriages, and one is a sleeper en route to Hungary.
EC 170, 171, 174-179, 378, 379 = CD (Czech Railways) new ComfortJet trains with Czech restaurant car.
EC 172, 173 = EuroCity Hungaria, a Hungarian EuroCity train with Hungarian restaurant car to/from Bratislava & Budapest, see the photos here.
NJ 457 = Nightjet sleeper train en route to Vienna and Budapest, has 2nd class seats cars only, no 1st class or catering.
You can check the rolling stock used on your departure and see details of your train formation & car numbers using www.vagonweb.cz/razeni. Look under Germany or Czechia for EC or search by train number.
ComfortJet trains
CD's (Czech Railways) brand-new ComfortJet carriages have now taken over from their older Eurocity cars on most departures. Comfortjets are 9-car fixed-formation trains with 1st & 2nd class and restaurant car, built by Siemens. They have a much-needed extra 2 cars compared to the classic EuroCity trains they have replaced, meaning there are two 1st class cars not just one. ComfortJets are push-pull trains, meaning they have a locomotive at one end and a driving cab at the other, so they can operate in either direction. Seat map for ComfortJet.
A ComfortJet train to Berlin at Prague Hlavni. Click the images below for larger photos.
A couple of departures still use a classic restaurant car: Until Siemens manufacture all the ComfortJet restaurant cars, an older EuroCity restaurant car is attached to a couple of departures, at one end of the train rather than the centre.
Route map
Green = scenic section Map extract by kind permission of the European Rail Timetable people. I recommend buying this map for your European travels with shipping worldwide at www.europeanrailtimetable.eu. |
Travel tips
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1st or 2nd class?
2nd class is absolutely fine, there's no need to go 1st class unless you don't mind the extra cost. But see what prices you get because 1st class sometimes doesn't cost much more. 1st class simply means more leg and elbow room and usually a quieter environment. 1st class also gets you solo seats and tables-for-two on one side of the aisle, as seats are arranged 2+1 across the car width rather than 2+2 as in 2nd class.
On Czech ComfortJet trains, 1st class passengers have food & drink orders taken by a steward and served at your seat, so there's no need to go to the restaurant car. I find this a significant benefit!
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Power sockets, WiFi & toilets
There are power sockets at all seats in both classes on all train types. Each car has at least one toilet, usually two. There's good mobile data reception along most of the route.
The Czech ComfortJet trains have free WiFi with unlimited data whilst in the Czech Republic, Slovakia or Hungary, but data may be limited whilst in Germany. The Hungaria also has free WiFi in all classes.
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Luggage
You can pretty much take any luggage you like, nobody cares how much it weighs or what size it is. You take it with you onto the train and put it on the luggage rack, there's plenty of luggage space in both classes. The racks above your seat take anything up to backpack-size, the larger floor-standing racks will take large suitcases. More about luggage on European trains.
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A seat reservation is recommended, and compulsory in summer
A seat reservation is usually optional on Berlin-Prague trains. If you choose not to reserve you sit in any empty unreserved seat - a small paper label or electronic display above each seat shows whether it is reserved or not.
However, I strongly recommend reserving a seat as these trains get very busy, especially in summer.
Seat reservation is compulsory in summer from15 June to 31 August 2025.
You can add a seat reservation when you book, int.bahn.de charges €5.50 2nd class or €6.90 1st class, www.cd.cz charges €3 in either class.
If you already have a ticket (or Eurail or Interrail pass) you can make a reservation-only booking for €3 at www.cd.cz, see the instructions here.
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Seat selection from a seat map
If you reserve using www.cd.cz you can choose your seat from a seat map. On the fixed-formation ComfortJet trains it knows which way round the train will be, so you can pick a forward-facing seat on the left hand side going south or right hand side going north for the Elbe river scenery! However, on the Hungaria it doesn't know which way round the cars will be so you cannot pick a side or seats facing the direction of travel. If you reserve at int.bahn.de you can only choose basic options such as aisle, window, table.
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Seat maps: Click here for train seat maps.
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Which side for the best scenery?
The best scenery is on the left hand side going south from Berlin to Prague, right hand side going north from Prague to Berlin, that's the side the rivers Elbe & Vlatava are on.
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Saloon or compartment?
If you choose to reserve, the site asks if you prefer an open-plan saloon or a seat in a traditional 6-seater-compartment.
ComfortJet trains are all open-plan, there are no compartments. However, the Hungaria has cars with open-plan saloon seating and classic cars with side-corridor and 6-seat compartments, in both classes. Some people prefer classic 6-seat compartments, especially if they are a family or a group of friends. I personally prefer open-plan seating as it feels more spacious, less confined and you get a better view through multiple windows. But it's your call! On your ticket it may say Abteil for compartment or Grossraumwagen for open-plan car.
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Prague Hlavni or Prague Holesovice?
Normally, all trains use Prague Hlavni, which is the main station in the centre, walking distance from Prague's old town and most hotels. They also call at Prague's secondary station, Prague Holesovice, further from the centre. It's easy enough to transfer by local train, metro or taxi between Prague Holesovice and the city centre, but Prague Hlavni is far better located.
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First class lounges
In Berlin, 1st class passengers with a Flexpreis fare (but not a 1st class railpass or advance-purchase Sparpreis or Super Sparpreis fare) can use the DB lounge at Berlin Hbf, with complimentary tea, coffee, juice, wine & beer, see details here.
In Prague, there is a more basic Czech Railways CD lounge at Prague Hlavni, but I suggest waiting in the excellent Fantova Kavárna (Cafe Fanta) or upmarket Foyer Cafe, both located upstairs in the historic station building. The Fantova Kavárna is located in what was once the station's main entrance hall.
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Boarding your train
As with virtually all European trains, there's no check-in. Just stroll into the station, find your train and get on, any time before it leaves. The doors may be closed a minute before departure. At Berlin Hbf, trains to Prague use the north-south platforms 1-8 down the escalators below ground level, as opposed to the east-west lines above ground level. See Berlin Hbf station guide. See Prague Hlavni station guide.
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Bicycles
Bicycles can be taken on Berlin-Prague trains, bike spaces must be booked in advance, you can add a bike to your booking at int.bahn.de.
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Restaurant car
The restaurant car is open to everyone, and having a sit-down waiter-served meal on proper china as the scenery glides by is a real treat. There are no table reservations, just go along and sit down. You can use the counter if you want to buy snacks or drinks to take back to your seat.
On the Hungaria it's a Hungarian restaurant car with service provided by Utasellátó, with real food cooked from fresh by a chef in the kitchen
On ComfortJet trains it's a Czech restaurant car run by catering subsidiary JLV. The new ComfortJet restaurant cars rely on a microwave, you can see current menus by route at www.jidelnivozy.cz if you use Google translate and hunt around a bit. Cash (euros & Koruna) and cards are accepted, but a good idea to have cash on you as the credit card machine relies on mobile phone reception. At designated times happy hour applies and the prices are lower.
In 1st class on ComfortJet trains a steward takes food & drink orders and serves you at your seat, no need to go to the restaurant car.
Useful links
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Map of Berlin showing station - Map of Prague showing station.
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Left luggage lockers in Berlin & Prague - General advice & tips for European train travel.
Berlin to Prague by train, in pictures
Berlin's impressive Hauptbahnhof, opened in 2006. It's just 17 minutes walk past the Reichstag to the Brandenburg Gate. See Berlin Hbf station guide.
The historic Dresden Hauptbahnhof was built in 1898. The station has a unique layout, a terminus in the centre at ground level, flanked by through tracks on either side raised up on viaducts.
South of Dresden the train starts running along the pretty river Elbe, or Labe in Czech. One of Europe's major rivers, the Elbe eventually flows into the North Sea at Cuxhaven near Hamburg. Watch for river boats, even the occasional paddle steamer.
Last stop in Germany is the pretty spa town of Bad Schandau, pictured above on the far bank of the Elbe. Soon afterwards the train crosses into the Czech Republic. Spot checks are possible, but usually there are no border formalities to speak of.
First stop in the Czech Republic is Decin, where the imposing Decin Castle (pictured above) overlooks the river and railway. Once home to the Bohemian kings, the castle was used by the Soviet army from 1968 until 1991.
More picturesque scenery along the river Elbe. The river views are all on the left hand side going south from Berlin to Prague, or on the right hand side going north from Prague to Berlin.
Above left, the 14th century Strekov Castle towers over the 1935 Strekov Dam, just south of Usti Nad Labem. The train leaves the Elbe and starts running along the river Vlatava. Above right, the train finally crosses the broad Vlatava as it approaches Prague. Passengers with sharp eyes can spot Prague's old town cathedral towers in the far distance on the right of the train.
Arrival at Prague Hlavni (main station), right in Prague city centre.
The station is just 15 minutes walk from the old town square, and 20 minutes from the famous Charles Bridge.
Video: Berlin to Prague by train
The video shows a classic Eurocity train, now replaced by modern Comfortjet carriages, but the scenery is the same.