Need help with train tickets

Go to www.seat61.com for all you'll need to know about train tickets across Europe.

Thank you so much! I was going crazy trying to figure the trains out. I checked out the website you gave me and it answers all my question!

On the Rick Steves' website it looks like ...

What do you mean by "on the Rick Steves website"? I think this website has a map with estimated fares, but it is for full fare on the fastest, most expensive trains. It also shows the price in US dollars based on the fare in foreign currency and the exchange rate at the time the map was created. If the exchange rate has changed since the map was created (always has), the map is not accurate. Neither does it take into account lower, advance purchase fares. With advance purchase, much lower fares are possible. Likewise with fares on RailEurope, to which Rick's website links you for fares. Your best option is to go directly to the website for the rail lines from which you will be buying your tickets, in this case Czech and Austrian Rail. And look for online, advance purchase tickets.

For fares for cross-border trains, you might find fares on the Trainline website (www.trainline.eu).

My experience is that usually Czech railroad website has the lowest price. http://www.idos.cz You can switch it to English. You can already buy tickets for this month, February and March. I tried random date in March. Here are Prague to Vienna ticket prices: Early morning train railjet cost 370 czk in todays exchange equals $16.45. Later train 502 czk = $22.32, private company Regiojet 375 - 799 czk = $16.68 - $35.64 depending on class. When you find your train and click on buy the website automatically changes to cd.cz . You won't have problem. Easy to buy. You cannot buy for October yet. From Vienna to Budapest try Austrian and Hungarian websites. My educated guess would be that Hungarians are cheaper.

I did a trip Vienna to Budapest to Prague. In fact, it was my first trip to Europe. I purchased the tickets from each country's train site. I remember how complicated and overwhelming it felt. Unless Hungary and Czech Republic have improved their websites, I would look at purchasing those tickets from trainline.eu or loco2. Those websites are easier to navigate and they do not charge a fee or anything. I do continue to use the Austrian train site. OBB. It is easy to use. You will probably want to purchase all these tickets in advance for a price savings. For budget purposes, what I do is to go on loco2 and go two months out and pick some day, preferable the day of the week I will travel and get an estimate of what the ticket will cost.
Another point would be to determine how far in advance tickets go up for sale. Often its about two months. Sometimes there seems to be no rhyme or reason to what they do. If you find out its typically 2 months, I'd start looking at 3 months. Sometimes the entire month's tickets are released at the beginning of the month.
Those are great cities and you will have a wonderful time.

Lee - What I meant about "On the Rick Steve's website ...." is that under Travel Tips and Transportation there is information on train travel and the pass versus a ticket. It has a link to purchase tickets. The ticket price for Prague to Vienna was $104 for second class versus 18€ on other sites which is why I was so confused. The information I'm getting here is that I can get a lower price ticket if I purchase in advance elsewhere.

Thanks to everyone for your responses! I have the Rick Steves' travel books but the contributors on the Rick Steves' Travel Forum have always given me invaluable advice for planning trips that would be overwhelming without your knowledge and help!

Go to Ceske Drahy and you can get information on prices and travel times. The system is great and they run on time.
I just get my tickets when I'm there. They are very reasonable and trains coordinate with the buses, etc. It's very efficient

http://www.ceskedrahy.cz/en/

Jeanne

Our US supplier doesn't (yet) have contracts to sell the advance-discount rates for Austrian trains that you're likely to use; only regular, full fare tickets. For your budget, you know they'll never cost more than that. However, on our Austrian rail page, you find links to buy those directly through the OEBB. There's no requirement to book these trains ahead, except to get the discounts, for which 6 months in advance is the earliest availability.

Hi,
You may already be there. Go to cd.cz that's it. The official national site for train tickets CHEAP. I am betting that mzpurple's response is the same site.

wayne iNWI

Thank you everyone for your responses! I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help! You took the worry away about purchasing my train tickets. I'll probably be back asking your opinions about what not to miss in Prague after I read my Rick Steves' Prague book!