Zurich to Prague 2-bed sleeper
 

Cosy 2-berth sleeper in the Zurich-Prague sleeping-car.

Zurich to Prague from €45

Every night, two sleeper trains link Zurich and Prague.  One consists of a single Czech sleeping-car attached to the Zurich-Budapest sleeper train.  It gets uncoupled at Linz and attached to a Linz-Prague express, it also calls at Ceské Budejovice for the branch line to Ceský Krumlov.  The other is the Canopus with a sleeping-car, couchette car and seats car, reintroduced in 2022 and running through Germany via Basel, Karlsruhe and Dresden.

The sleeping-car on both trains is an excellent Czech Railways Comfortline car, with 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with washbasin, and deluxe 1, 2 & 3 berth compartments with en suite shower & toilet.  A light breakfast is included.  A great way to go!

small bullet point  Train times

small bullet point  What's the sleeping-car like?

small bullet point  What's the couchette car like?

small bullet point  Bistro or restaurant car

small bullet point  Travel tips

small bullet point  Route map

small bullet point  How much does it cost?

small bullet point  How to buy tickets

small bullet point  Zurich HB station guide

small bullet point  Prague Hlavni station guide

small bullet point  Trains from Prague to other cities & daytime trains Prague-Zurich

small bullet point  Trains from Zurich to other cities & daytime trains Zurich-Prague

Train times 2025

 Zurich ► Prague

 

 Prague ► Zurich

 Days of running:

every

day

every

day

every

day

 Days of running:

every

day

every

day

every

day

Accommodation:

Sleepers &

couchettes

Sleeping-

car only

Local

train

Accommodation:

Local

train

Sleeping-

car only

Sleepers &

couchettes

Train number:

EN40459

EN50467

-

 

-

EN50466

EN40458

 Zurich HB depart:

19:59

21:40

-

 Prague Hlavni depart:

-

18:20

18:28

 Basel SBB depart:

21:13

|

-

 Dresden Hbf depart:

-

|

21:02

 Karlsruhe depart:

23:07

|

-

 Ceský Krumlov depart:

17:00

|

|

 Ceské Budejovice arrive

|

08:52

-

 Ceské Budejovice arrive:

17:46

|

|

 Ceské Budejovice depart

|

|

10:18

 Ceské Budejovice depart:

-

20:05

|

 Ceský Krumlov arrive:

|

|

11:05

 Karlsruhe arrive:

-

|

05:07

 Dresden Hbf

07:06

|

-

 Basel SBB arrive:

-

|

07:20

 Prague Hlavni arrive:

09:23

10:39

-

 Zurich HB arrive:

-

08:20

09:04

Always check times for your specific date of travel at www.cd.cz as times may vary due to trackwork.

Train EN50466/7 consists of one direct Czech Railways sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments, some with en suite toilet & shower.  There are no couchettes.  The sleeper is attached to the Zurich-Vienna/Budapest Nightjet between Zurich & Linz, and to an Intercity train with bistro car between Linz & Prague.

Train EN40458/9 is the Canopus, it consists of a Czech Railways sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartments, some with toilet & shower, a couchette car with 4 & 6 berth compartments and ordinary seats.  It leaves Zurich combined with the sleeper to Berlin.  It starts running from 11 December 2022.

Local train = local train run by GWTR, separate ticket required, €1.55, buy at the station or from the self-service machine on board the train.  Westbound, a later 19:00 connection is theoretically possible from Ceský Krumlov, but I'd play safe and take the 17:00 as shown, and have dinner in Ceské Budejovice, formerly known by its Germanic name, Budweis.  That's right, where the name of the beer comes from!  You can check train times to/from Ceský Krumlov using idos.idnes.cz.

Sleeping-car (both trains)

The sleeping car on both trains is a Czech Railways Comfortline sleeping-car, built by Siemens in Germany in 2006-2007.  It has 9 standard compartments with washbasin & 3 deluxe compartments with toilet & shower, see the photos below.  Inside the sleeping-car it's carpeted, air-conditioned, quiet and civilised.  Each compartment can be sold as a 1, 2 or 3 bed room.  There's clean bedding, soap, towel, bottled water, and a power socket for mobiles & laptops below the head-end of the bed.  Morning tea or coffee is included.  The compartments have a card-key locks like a hotel and there's a toilet & shower at the end of the corridor for sleeper passengers in the standard compartments (take your key-card, you'll need it to open it).  Sleeper berths are sold individually, you can book one bed in a 2 or 3 berth and share with another passenger of the same gender.  Compartments are single-sex unless your party occupies the whole compartment.  An excellent way to travel.

Beds are 190cm x 75cm (approx 6'3" x 2'6"), but pillow or toes can project into a 2.5cm (1") gap either end between bed & wall, so no problem for anyone up to 6'5".

The Prague to Zuirch sleeping car boarding in Prague

The Zurich-Prague sleeping-car on train EN50466/7 at Zurich HB.  Just one sleeping-car goes to Prague on this train, attached to the sleeper to Vienna & Budapest.  At Linz it's attached to a Linz-Prague express.

Standard (economy) sleeper   Standard (economy) sleeper in day mode   Deluxe sleeper, private toilet & shower   Comfortline sleeper corridor

Standard sleeper set up as a 2-berth, with washstand open.  Each room can be used with 1, 2 or 3 beds.  Larger photo.

 

Same sleeper with beds folded away, washstand closed.  Similar to a deluxe, but without shower & toilet.  Larger photo.

 

Deluxe sleepers are almost identical to standard ones but with shower & toilet instead of washstand.  Larger photo.

 

Just like a hotel, the corridor in a Comfortline sleeping-car.  There's a shower at end of the corridor for standard sleeper passengers.

Standard (economy) sleeper as 1-berth   Standard (economy) sleeper as 1-berth  

Czech sleeper toiletries kit

Czech sleeper breakfast

Standard sleeper set up as a 3-berth.  Larger photo.

 

Standard sleeper set up as a single-berth.  Larger photo.

 

Toiletries & water supplied.  Breakfast box with tea or coffee included. Courtesy Ivor Morgan, @AufGleis13

Czech sleeper from Zurich to Prague, at Zurich HB   Shower cublicle in a CD sleeping-car from Zurich to Prague

Shower compartment at the end of the corridor (above right) for passengers in standard sleepers.  It's a good shower, I use it in the evening when it's always free and there's plenty of hot water.  It also has a WC.  You'll need your room key to unlock the shower room.  Larger photo.

Comfortline sleeper layout.  All compartments can be sold as a single, double or triple.  Last digit of berth number 1 or 2 = lower berth, 3 or 4 = middle berth, 5 or 6 upper berth.  Adjacent compartments with berths with the same first digit have an inter-connecting door which can be opened if your party occupies both compartments.  Click the image for larger version.

Nightjet sleeper bed numbering - Comforrtline type

Couchette car (Canopus only)

The Canopus has a couchette car leased from RDC as Czech Railways don't have enough 200km/h couchette cars of their own.  The couchette car has a side corridor and 9 compartments, each of which can be used as 4-berth or 6-berth.  Clean sheets and a pillow are provided, the doors have a normal lock and security lock or chain, there are several European-type 2-pin 240v power outlets in each compartment.  Toilets and washrooms at the end of the corridor.  Couchette compartments are not segregated by gender, as you do not normally get fully undressed, but women can book a berth in a women-only compartment.

Couchette car 6-berth   RDC couchette car

6-berth couchettes.  There are also 4-berths.  Larger photo.

 

Couchette car on the inaugural departure from Prague, leased from RDC as CD don't have enough 200km/h couchette cars of their own.  Photos courtesy of @_wrzlbrnft_

Bistro or restaurant car (both trains)

The sleeping-car attendant can serve snacks & drinks from a limited menu from his small galley and a light breakfast is included in the fare.

However, a Czech bistro car is attached to train EN50466/7 between Linz & Prague, and a Czech restaurant car is attached to train EN40458/9 Canopus between Leipzig & Prague.  So on both trains, travelling eastbound towards Prague you can go to the bistro or restaurant car for a cooked breakfast, and when travelling westbound from Prague you can enjoy an inexpensive dinner with wine or excellent Czech draught beer.

Eastbound on EN50467 the bistro car is normally attached right next to the Zurich-Prague sleeping-car.  Westbound on EN50466, the Prague-Zurich sleeping-car is normally at the front of the train with the bistro car at the rear, but there are only 3 or so cars in between. 

On train EN40458/9 Canopus the restaurant car is normally 4 seats cars away from the sleeping-car & couchette car.

Czech bistro car

The bistro car on train EN50467, seen at Ceské Budejovice.  The Zurich-Prague sleeping car is immediately behind it...

Dinner in the bristro   Dinner in the bristro

Dinner in the bistro westbound from Prague to Zurich, with wine, or there's draught beer on tap.

Breakfast in the bristro when travelling Zurich to Prague   Czech bistro car

A cooked breakfast in the bistro car eastbound on the way into Prague.  Courtesy of Dominik Brühwiler.

 

Bistro car between Linz & Prague.  This 12-seat area in half of the car is free for 2nd class passengers to use if dining...

Travel tips

Route map

Zurich to Prague train route map

 

Click for larger map

Highlighted = Zurich to Prague sleeper route.

Green = scenic sections of line

Reproduced from the excellent European Rail Map with kind permission of the European Rail Timetable people.

I recommend buying a copy of the European Rail Map for your travels, www.europeanrailtimetable.eu with shipping worldwide.

Between Zurich & Salzburg, the Zurich-Prague sleeping-car is attached to the Zurich-Vienna & Zurich-Budapest sleeper train. It remains attached to the Zurich-Budapest cars between Salzburg & Linz.  It is then attached to a Linz-Prague express.

How much does it cost?

How to buy tickets

The Prague to Zuirch sleeping car boarding in Prague

The sleeping-car from Prague to Zurich, boarding at Prague Hlavni platform 6.  It's at the front of the train, behind the locomotive.  The rest of the train goes to Linz.


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