Dears,
i have a train at 8:30 Am to berlin HBF , our hotel in the old town ( 12-15 mins walk ) or 15 mins by tram
we are as family with my two childrens, im afraid that i cant catch train in the morning , i got confused about train lines-tracks
( up or undergound ) the station !! if we were at 8AM in the station is it easy to access train within time
Posted by
Citizen of the World
3799 posts
The Prague to Berlin trains depart from platforms ( tracks) 1 through 7 at the Praha hl.n train station. These are located on the main level ( level 0) of the station. On the boards listing the trains, you will see trains departing, for example, from platform “2S” or “2J”. The 2S means the train is leaving from the NORTHERN end of track 2, with 2J meaning the train will be leaving from the SOUTHERN end of track 2. Trains leaving from 3S will be at the northern end of track 3 and trains at 3J will leave from the southern end of track 3, and so forth.
If you already have your train tickets, arriving at the station 30 minutes prior to your train’s departure should be plenty of time.
The train will pass near the “Bohemian Switzerland National Park” and pass through some beautiful riverside forests with castles between Usti nad Labem and Decin in western Czechia.
Have a great trip!
Posted by
Republic of Texas / U.S.A. / Magyarország / Budapest
24985 posts
Sounds like you don’t ride a lot of trains in Europe. New experiences and stations can be a bit intimidating, especially if you have a schedule to meet. This is where you are going https://youtu.be/bpAaLrjoMGA?si=Z9Rn8cYPhnaCQv8D and its no less a seemingly complicated a mess than any of them are. "Seemingly" but rarely in reality after you face it and conquer it.
Give yourself time. If Google Maps says it’s a 15-minute walk from your hotel, well, that’s to the front door, so give yourself 30 minutes. Forget that the locals tell you that you only need 5 minutes to find your track and get on a train, give yourself 30 minutes. In other words leave your hotel an hour before train time. Besides, parts of the station are beautiful, parts are interesting and parts are not immediately obvious as to which way to go. The platforms are only 40 feet apart, but to go from one to the other requires going down stairs/escalators/elevators, through a tunnel and back up. So, that’s “fun” and you have kids in tow.
Good news, all the signs are in English as well as Czech and with 30+ minutes you will be relaxed enough to read and stroll and maybe enjoy the experience.
Read the boards to see which platform and north or south track. Double check when you get to the platform, double check the carriage number before you get on and double check your seat numbers. Then relax for the ride.
Most of all, relax and enjoy. Its only a 4+ hour ride, what can possibly go wrong? (oh, bring food and water)