Hi all,
I am going to have a few free days from Munich this summer (leave Sat and need to be back Mon eve or Tuesday late morning latest).
Prague has been on my want to see list, but will it be a zoo in late July?
I wouldn't mind a day in Dresden on the way if not too far off the path.
Thanks!
Todd
Los Angeles
Dresden is not on the way between Munich and Prague. If taking a train, Pilsen might be worth a few hours stop.
Will it be a zoo? Possibly, but that is the price we pay for living in a world of well-off people who enjoy travel. Being that the price of its very excellent beer is about 1/3 that of Germany, expect lots of young people.
Salzburg and/or Vienna would be my pick with direct trains from Munich. Budapest is another option and my favorite.
Thanks David.
Vienna and Budapest were my choices for similar gaps the previous two seasons! Loved them both. I have also been to Salzburg.
Prague will be no more zoo than center of Munich. As Sam says too many well off people who have nothing else to do than travel. I remember days when Prague was less touristy than most big cities and people lived in Old Town and Little Quarters and you heard Czech language everywhere and now and then German. This is the price we pay for progress (or "progress").
From Munich to Prague is a direct train connection via Pilsen. That return train arrives in Munich ca 23:30. Chances are it would be a zoo in July but go anyway, zoo or no zoo....I would.
Be advised too that between Munich and Budapest is the night train connection, via Wien Hbf, very convenient, very doable since it's a decent arrival time in Wien Hbf.
Actually, there are direct ALX trains between Munich and Prag every two hours, starting from Munich at 4:43 and from Prag at 5:33 - eight per day in each direction. They each take just under 6 hours. After 9 AM workdays or anytime on weekend days, you can use a 28€ Bayern-Böhmen-Ticket for one person between Munich and Pilsen, but you will need a Czech Rail ticket between Pilsen and Prague for 105 Kc (about 4 euro) each way.
You can also purchase just a Prag-Spezial round trip ticket from the Bahn for 65 euro per person (from Munich to Prague).
And, there is a non-stop Bahn Fernbus between Munich ZOB (at Hackerbrücke) and Prague. It's about an hour faster, but the full fare is almost 70 euro, one way. Advance purchase discounted tickets are available for as low as 20 euro, but you must commit early to a specific (date & time) bus.
The cheapest tickets for that train connection are usually available at the CD webshop ("Europa first" train specific tickets start at approx. €15, print at home). "Prag Spezial" tickets are available aboard the ALEX train without surcharge - no need to queue up at a ticket window or a vending machine. the only import thing is - never buy a ticket from Munich to Prague from the DB website. They will charge you the international standard fare (€74). After all, DB withdrew it's Praha trains a couple of years ago in favour of it's busses and the DB people are not amused to see that counteracted by the joint venture of CD and the Laenderbahn (ultimately a subsidiary of the Italian Ferrovie dello stato).
