Cheapest fares from Berlin to Prague

battersea · 8th August 2012, 08:15

Where can I find the cheapest fares for 2 youths (25 years old) and 2 adults from Berlin to Prague? I would prefer the 8:45 train that arrives in Prague at around 13:30, 2nd class.

I've gone to RailEurope.co.uk but I'm wondering if there is a cheaper option.

I also tried bahn.de but when I try to buy the tickets, the region is greyed out. cd.cz doesn't seem to allow tickets to be bought online.

Any tips?

Thanks very much for your help.

gordonthemoron · 8th August 2012, 08:59

with bahn.de, you need to purchase 2 days in advance online to get any fare and 3 days in advance to get Europa-Spezial Tschechien. There does not appear to be any discount option for the 25 year olds, this may be because such discounts are only available at stations.

stuartmoss · 8th August 2012, 09:42

I've booked Berlin - Dresden and Dresden - Prague before through Bahn.de about two months in advance and it worked fine, It was around 60 Euros for the whole journey I think.

I would very much recommend a night in Dresden en-route (midway point), it's a fantastic city.

battersea · 8th August 2012, 09:51

Thanks for the explanation.

I was able to buy the tickets on bahn.de. I didn't see that I had to fill in our ages.

RailEurope.co.uk quoted me £272 for 2 adults and 2 youths (it's the only site I've seen that has the "youth" option).

I was able to buy Europe-Spezial tickets on bahn.de for £136!

RailEurope must make a killing ripping people off. Even the flexible ticket on bahn.de was significantly cheaper.

Oscar · 9th August 2012, 04:38

In many cases RailEurope can only sell special rates released by railway companies for international sale - it often does not have access to the full fares database. Even when this is not the case, RailEurope is usually more expensive than any other supplier because of the bad exchange rate (i. e. the prices in GBP being higher than those in EUR converted) and the booking fee.

I don't think any Youth discount is available on the tickets you booked.

LNW-GW Joint · 10th August 2012, 16:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by stuartmoss

I would very much recommend a night in Dresden en-route (midway point), it's a fantastic city.

If you stay at the Intercity Hotel (across the road from the station) you get a free 24-hour local transport ticket.
Having visited the place 30 years ago and again last month I can confirm it is a brilliant place/area.
(even overtook a paddle steamer on the Elbe en route Prague-Dresden).

WestCoast · 10th August 2012, 23:57

Dresden is definitely underrated as a city to visit among foreign tourists, it's always been a popular city for domestic tourists to visit and has become more popular among tourists from the Far East in recent years.

The great thing about DB's Sparpreis (that covers Europa-Spezial) is that you can make a stopover along the way of up to 48 hours without being charged a cent extra. You just enter it into the booking engine and it's a great way to save money as you can effectively visit more places for the same price of travel!

As for Rail Europe, avoid is the only word that comes to mind. Book with the (national) operator direct if at all possible.

Oscar · 11th August 2012, 17:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by WestCoast

Dresden is definitely underrated as a city to visit among foreign tourists, it's always been a popular city for domestic tourists to visit and has become more popular among tourists from the Far East in recent years.

The great thing about DB's Sparpreis (that covers Europa-Spezial) is that you can make a stopover along the way of up to 48 hours without being charged a cent extra. You just enter it into the booking engine and it's a great way to save money as you can effectively visit more places for the same price of travel!

As for Rail Europe, avoid is the only word that comes to mind. Book with the (national) operator direct if at all possible.

The only instance I am aware of where RailEurope is cheaper than a national operator is Koeln Hauptbahhnhof - Kobenhavn / Copenhagen H by City Night Line (certain tickets) for non BahnCard holders.

ChiefPlanner · 12th August 2012, 06:08

Another recomendation for Dresden - get the feeling it doesnt get that much tourist trade , (but apart from the events of Feb 1945 - much of which has been superbly restored), it has much to offer in many respects. 2 steam ng lines , paddle steamers , an interesting tram network which carries freight.

Pubs that serve organic local beer.......

gordonthemoron · 12th August 2012, 14:15

and the most beautiful dairy shop in the world in Dresdner Neustadt

D6700 · 12th August 2012, 22:41

Whilst acknowledging that Battersea has already purchased the required tickets, I will just add the following information, as it may be of use to others.

I travelled from Berlin to Prague the week before last using a train-specific advance purchase ticket bought from the DB site. It cost about £31.

I returned north last Monday, but purchased that ticket from the CD website, as the price was around £24 for the same type of ticket. Unfortunately, the CD site can only sell tickets originating from the Czech Republic.

Tickets from both sites were purchased using a standard British Visa debit card - which was required to be shown along with the DB home-printed ticket. My passport was the required ID for the CD ticket.

Trains run every couple of hours and the journey takes about four and three quarter hours, with plenty of slack. The journey between Berlin and Dresden is quite dull and feels like a stagger, but south of Dresden the line is lovely and feels quicker. Try to sit on the left hand side leaving Berlin for the best views of the river valley south of Dresden.

The trains are hauled by DB Class 101 loco's between Berlin and Dresden and CD Class 371 loco's south thereof. Air-conditioned CD second class compartments on the route tend to have six wide reclining seats, curtains, adjustable temperature, lighting and PA volume, along with power sockets, which are hidden behind the curtains. However, I think the 08:45 from Berlin uses Austrian stock and cannot advise on the features found on the train.

WestCoast · 12th August 2012, 22:51

The 08.45 service departing Berlin (EC 173) does indeed use air-conditioned Austrian (ÖBB) coaches and the interiors actually feel slightly more modern than their Czech counterparts. The main difference is that it's mostly open seating as opposed to compartments on these trains (although there is usually 2 coaches of 2nd class compartments, with the rest being open).

ChiefPlanner · 13th August 2012, 19:40

If is CZD stock - do use the diner , absolute superb service of the highest order and very good value for money (we had breakfasted , and wished we hadn't when we saw the offer and the prices - coffee service comes with a tray of monogrammed pots , china etc)

OBB stock is generally very comfortable ....

8th August 2012, 08:15	#1
battersea Battersea Member Join Date: 29 May 2011 Location: London Posts: 20	Cheapest fares from Berlin to Prague Where can I find the cheapest fares for 2 youths (25 years old) and 2 adults from Berlin to Prague? I would prefer the 8:45 train that arrives in Prague at around 13:30, 2nd class. I've gone to RailEurope.co.uk but I'm wondering if there is a cheaper option. I also tried bahn.de but when I try to buy the tickets, the region is greyed out. cd.cz doesn't seem to allow tickets to be bought online. Any tips? Thanks very much for your help.

8th August 2012, 08:59	#2
gordonthemoron Established Member Join Date: 4 Sep 2006 Location: Leighton Buzzard Posts: 2,767	with bahn.de, you need to purchase 2 days in advance online to get any fare and 3 days in advance to get Europa-Spezial Tschechien. There does not appear to be any discount option for the 25 year olds, this may be because such discounts are only available at stations. __________________ Operators travelled with in 2013: Virgin, LM, XC, ST, LOROL, TPX, ME, SET

8th August 2012, 09:42	#3
stuartmoss Film-maker Member Join Date: 2 Feb 2010 Location: Leeds Posts: 586	I've booked Berlin - Dresden and Dresden - Prague before through Bahn.de about two months in advance and it worked fine, It was around 60 Euros for the whole journey I think. I would very much recommend a night in Dresden en-route (midway point), it's a fantastic city. __________________ See my train and travel videos at: http://www.mosstravel.tv Facebook: Moss Travelogue \| Twitter: @mosstraveltv

12th August 2012, 14:15	#10
gordonthemoron Established Member Join Date: 4 Sep 2006 Location: Leighton Buzzard Posts: 2,767	and the most beautiful dairy shop in the world in Dresdner Neustadt __________________ Operators travelled with in 2013: Virgin, LM, XC, ST, LOROL, TPX, ME, SET

8th August 2012, 09:51	#4
battersea Battersea Member Join Date: 29 May 2011 Location: London Posts: 20	Thanks for the explanation. I was able to buy the tickets on bahn.de. I didn't see that I had to fill in our ages. RailEurope.co.uk quoted me £272 for 2 adults and 2 youths (it's the only site I've seen that has the "youth" option). I was able to buy Europe-Spezial tickets on bahn.de for £136! RailEurope must make a killing ripping people off. Even the flexible ticket on bahn.de was significantly cheaper.

9th August 2012, 04:38	#5
Oscar Member Join Date: 11 Feb 2010 Location: Italy Posts: 702	In many cases RailEurope can only sell special rates released by railway companies for international sale - it often does not have access to the full fares database. Even when this is not the case, RailEurope is usually more expensive than any other supplier because of the bad exchange rate (i. e. the prices in GBP being higher than those in EUR converted) and the booking fee. I don't think any Youth discount is available on the tickets you booked.

10th August 2012, 23:57	#7
WestCoast Established Member Join Date: 19 Jun 2010 Location: West Midlands Posts: 4,521	Dresden is definitely underrated as a city to visit among foreign tourists, it's always been a popular city for domestic tourists to visit and has become more popular among tourists from the Far East in recent years. The great thing about DB's Sparpreis (that covers Europa-Spezial) is that you can make a stopover along the way of up to 48 hours without being charged a cent extra. You just enter it into the booking engine and it's a great way to save money as you can effectively visit more places for the same price of travel! As for Rail Europe, avoid is the only word that comes to mind. Book with the (national) operator direct if at all possible.

12th August 2012, 06:08	#9
ChiefPlanner Member Join Date: 6 Sep 2011 Location: Herts Posts: 830	Another recomendation for Dresden - get the feeling it doesnt get that much tourist trade , (but apart from the events of Feb 1945 - much of which has been superbly restored), it has much to offer in many respects. 2 steam ng lines , paddle steamers , an interesting tram network which carries freight. Pubs that serve organic local beer.......

12th August 2012, 22:41	#11
D6700 Member Join Date: 13 Mar 2010 Posts: 63	Whilst acknowledging that Battersea has already purchased the required tickets, I will just add the following information, as it may be of use to others. I travelled from Berlin to Prague the week before last using a train-specific advance purchase ticket bought from the DB site. It cost about £31. I returned north last Monday, but purchased that ticket from the CD website, as the price was around £24 for the same type of ticket. Unfortunately, the CD site can only sell tickets originating from the Czech Republic. Tickets from both sites were purchased using a standard British Visa debit card - which was required to be shown along with the DB home-printed ticket. My passport was the required ID for the CD ticket. Trains run every couple of hours and the journey takes about four and three quarter hours, with plenty of slack. The journey between Berlin and Dresden is quite dull and feels like a stagger, but south of Dresden the line is lovely and feels quicker. Try to sit on the left hand side leaving Berlin for the best views of the river valley south of Dresden. The trains are hauled by DB Class 101 loco's between Berlin and Dresden and CD Class 371 loco's south thereof. Air-conditioned CD second class compartments on the route tend to have six wide reclining seats, curtains, adjustable temperature, lighting and PA volume, along with power sockets, which are hidden behind the curtains. However, I think the 08:45 from Berlin uses Austrian stock and cannot advise on the features found on the train.

12th August 2012, 22:51	#12
WestCoast Established Member Join Date: 19 Jun 2010 Location: West Midlands Posts: 4,521	The 08.45 service departing Berlin (EC 173) does indeed use air-conditioned Austrian (ÖBB) coaches and the interiors actually feel slightly more modern than their Czech counterparts. The main difference is that it's mostly open seating as opposed to compartments on these trains (although there is usually 2 coaches of 2nd class compartments, with the rest being open).

13th August 2012, 19:40	#13
ChiefPlanner Member Join Date: 6 Sep 2011 Location: Herts Posts: 830	If is CZD stock - do use the diner , absolute superb service of the highest order and very good value for money (we had breakfasted , and wished we hadn't when we saw the offer and the prices - coffee service comes with a tray of monogrammed pots , china etc) OBB stock is generally very comfortable ....