Prague - Berlin/Nuremberg

[daniel3982]

Looking to travel to Prague and then eventually Berlin in a few months, have made the journey between Berlin and Prague before and know it's really beautiful following the Elbe a long way through Swiss Saxony, and passes through Dresden. And that the stock is a mixture of Hungarian junk, Czech and German.

I have a friend in Nuremberg though so thinking of going via there this time. Is the journey from Prague to Nuremberg attractive at all and what sort of trains run it? Of course I know any train onward from Nuremberg to Berlin is going to be an ICE set so that should be good too.

 

[Oscar]

DB will try to push you onto a bus for a trip to Nürnberg, as the DB buses are more frequent than the ALEX trains (owned by Trenitalia) and the bus journey takes 3h40 compared the the 5h train journey.
ALEX website: http://www.alex.info/de/
I think the trains are generally Baureihe 223 locos and quite old coaches.
There are no Sparpreise (like Advances) for the train either, only for the bus, although there is a return for 52€ and the return portion is valid for a month.
Nürnberg - Berlin also takes around 5h so going via Nürnberg would roughly double your journey time.

 

[gordonthemoron]

ALEX traıns are very uncomfortable and you won't get a buffet car

 

[Zamracene749]

As far as scenery goes, apart from the flatter bits around Pilsen and the last hour or so into Nuremburg I would say it is quite a pretty ride.

Probably worth paying a few crowns extra and going in the more comfy 1st class, 2nd can be packed and as Gordon and Oscar stated the stock is rather ancient fresh air compartment stuff. (Although being something of an old train masochist I quite liked that myself ).

 

[daniel3982]

According to Czech Railways there is an early morning 05:07 service that is direct, then connections at Cheb (some with Pendolino), has anyone travelled via this route before?