Please sign in to post.

From Vienna to Prague

Hi, On one of the thread , I thought I read that from Vienna to Prague, we can either take a train or a bus. I think it mentioned SA ( student Agency) bus. Sorry to ask this question but do you have to be a student to take this bus? If no, do we need to prebook before we leave San Francisco? Is a bus better than a train? I am not sure if I need to post this question on the Prague or Vienna sites. Thanks.

Posted by
8091 posts

Sally:

There's not much time difference between the bus and the train on the Vienna-Prague route. And some of those buses are pretty deluxe. Anyone can ride the Studentbus.

Many prefer the train as it's more roomy and easier to get up and stretch your legs, etc. And there are many trains on that popular route. We've decided to go the train between those cities in 4 weeks.

Posted by
5362 posts

Yes, there are trains and busses for this route.

Trains: Use the OeBB website (www.oebb.at) and select English; this is the national rail carrier of Austria. Train takes about 4.5-5 hours depending on your departure station. Tickets bought in advance online will be from 29 Euro.

Busses: Many argue that the busses are not only faster, but also nicer than the train. There are several options of companies - Student Agency (no you don't have to be a student; free wifi, movies, luxury bus; 30 min stop in Brno, www.studentagency.eu, leaves from Wien Praterstern), and Westbus (direct, express bus, doesn't have the amenities as Student Agency, www.westbus.at, leaves from Wien Erdberg Bus Terminal).

Always best to pre-book for busses to ensure you have a seat as there is no standing allowed; For trains, you should pre-book if you want to save money, but you can also buy tickets on the day for 2X-3X online fare. On trains you can always stand if there isn't a seat.

Posted by
4637 posts

Train is better and faster. It won't get stuck in traffic jam. Fridays and Sundays afternoons are the worst. Student Agency Bus sometimes called Yellow Bus (yes, it's yellow) has one advantage: it goes from the Vienna Airport in Schwechat, stops in Vienna Praterstern. It is good for people who land in Vienna and go immediately to Brno or Prague. For going from downtown Vienna I would personally use train. As it was already said to use Student Agency Bus you don't have to be student. There are many buses (and trains) going from Vienna to Prague. I would not bother with prebooking ticket from S.F. unless you want bus at particular time. There would be always some with available seats if you buy it few days ahead in Vienna. But as I said IMHO train is better.