Praha to Rothenburg OBT

Have you tried www.flixbus.de?

Yes, but it takes 10hours by going to munich first.

Seems so hard to get to Rothenburg, anyone can give an idea?

I'm traveling from Prague to Munich on DB Bahn bus that leaves 11:15 am arrives in Munich 3:53 pm (4:38). You can buy online (add their app to your phone for ease of use) for advance purchase of 19 euros.
From there you can take the train to Steinach (b Rothenburg ob der Tauber). Make sure you pay attention to where the bus (which train station) drops you and what station you catch the next train. There is also a morning bus at 8:00 am but takes 1/2 longer. Munich's a little out of your way but in the end faster.

It is 4 connections and a bit over 6 hours, but you take a train to Cheb, then change to Nuremberg, then local trains to Rothenburg. www.bahn.com. The SuperCity train from Prague (dep 10:37) to Cheb is particularly nice with 2-1 seating in 2nd class and restaurant service at your seat.

Hi, i checked the train from Praha hl.n to Munchen, on the 4th April 16 and it takes 10hrs. Thats alot of time.

I also checked frim Praha hl.n to Cheb, and that took 6hours with 4 transfers. Im using bahn.com

is there anything that i am missing?

There is an ALX train that leaves Prague station on Apr 4 at 9:14 and runs as EC 354 through the Czech Republic up to Furth im Wald, then as ALX 354 to Schwandorf. in Schwandorf you change to RE 3554 which gets to Nürnberg Hbf at 14:14. Total time 5 hours. There are similar connections at 5:14 and 13:14.

Use the Bahn query webpage.

From Nürnberg there are lots of regional train connections to Rothenburg odT.

Thanks for info.

How do i buy the ticket? Is it necessary to book in advance? Departs from where?

Am interested with 5.14am departure time, could get me to nurnburg earlier.

The train departs from Praha hl.n. (the main station in Prague). Your best price to Nürnberg is probably a Czech ticket bought at the hl.n. No reason to book in advance. In Nürnberg buy a Tages Ticket for travel to Rothenburg.

Or, you could buy a Bayern-Ticket when you are in Munich (but make sure it is for Apr 4, the day you travel from Prague to Rothenburg. The Bayern-Ticket is for a specific date.) Then buy the Czech ticket for Prague to Furth im Wald and use the Bayern-Ticket from there.

The fastest connection to from Prague to Rothenburg: you leave Prague at 10:37 arrive in Rothenburg at 16:49 e.g. 6 hours and 12 minutes of travel time. You will change trains four times: Cheb, Nuremberg, Ausbach, Steinach. Details on Deutsche Bahn website.

Hi, Thank you things are getting a little more easier now, but i am confused with the options given by Lee & Ilja. Which one is the easiest for me?

Easiest? Ilya's route is the same I looked at earlier using the SuperCities train from Prague to Cheb, then local trains to Nuremberg and on to Rothenburg. Lee knows all the ins and outs of scoring cheap tickets, so his suggestion to buy a ticket in Czech currency at Prague main station to Nuremberg, then a separate local ticket (Tages Karte) at Nuremberg station will probably get you the lowest price.

Ok let me see if i understand.

1. Upon arrival to prague, go to prague hl.n and get a train ticket to nurnberg (via cheb). I arrived prague on the 2nd, can i buy 2 days in advance?

2. Once in Nurnberg get a local train to rothenburg, also bought the ticket at the Nurnberg station.

Total about 6hours.

Question is: Where can i check the train schedule for both of this trains.

Once arrived Nurnberg, what type of ticket should i get, tages karte or bayern

Sorry Sam, I read the posts too quickly and overlooked that you came with the same idea before me.

Ok, the ticket with the best connection is an IC train, so you can't use the VGN Tages Karte ticket for that train. So buy on line at www.bahn.com. You can see the schedule on that site as well.

You can get a fully flexible ticket from Nuremberg to Rothenburg ob der Tauber for 20 euro. You can use any trains. You can print the ticket out at home and bring it with you. According to the schedule with the fastest time, you only have 13 minutes at Nuremberg station, so it is good to have your ticket in hand. You will arrive on track 17 and leave on track 7, at least as the schedule is now. Tickets are available for purchase 3 months before you travel date.

Edit- Here is the schedule from the Deutsche Bahn website. Assume you are traveling solo.

Praha hl.n. We, 13.04.16 dep 10:37 SC 512 SuperCity Direction: Frantiskovy Lazne
Subject to compulsory reservation , Bicycles conveyed - subject to reservation , International supplement , Bordbistro , space for wheelchairs , power sockets for laptop , handy/quiet zones , parent-and-children compartment , Wifi available

Cheb We, 13.04.16 arr 13:14

Transfer time 24 min.

Cheb We, 13.04.16 dep 13:38 RE 5286 Regional-Express Direction: Nürnberg Hbf
Number of bicycles conveyed limited , air conditioning

Nürnberg Hbf We, 13.04.16 arr 15:22 17

Transfer time 13 min.

Nürnberg Hbf We, 13.04.16 dep 15:35 7 IC 2064 Intercity Direction: Karlsruhe Hbf
Bicycles conveyed - subject to reservation , Number of bicycles conveyed limited

Ansbach We, 13.04.16 arr 16:06 2

Transfer time 4 min.

Ansbach We, 13.04.16 dep 16:10 3 RB 58122 Regionalbahn Direction: Würzburg Hbf
Number of bicycles conveyed limited , vehicle-mounted accessaid , air conditioning

Steinach(b Rothenburg ob der Tauber) We, 13.04.16 arr 16:31 2

Transfer time 4 min.

Steinach(b Rothenburg ob der Tauber) We, 13.04.16 dep 16:35 5 RB 58903 Regionalbahn Direction: Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Number of bicycles conveyed limited , 2nd class only , vehicle-mounted accessaid, notification: 01806-512512 * , (*20 ct/call from German landline, mobile phone max. 60 ct/call)

Rothenburg ob der Tauber We, 13.04.16 arr 16:49 1

Mr Sam, thank you so much for the details, and my apologies to that i missed your post earlier, yeah your post are the same with Ilya.

Now things getting clear to me,

IC Train from Praha hl.n to Nurnberg via Cheb.

From Nurnberg take regional train with 3 changes for Rothenburg ODT

Actually, it is SC train Prague to Cheb, RE train to Nuremberg, IC train to Ansbach, RB to Steinach, RB to Rothenburg.

Understood Sam, i got it. However the SC train did not display the price in the website and the train from Cheb to Nurnberg (RE5286) cost 31.60Euro for 2 person.

Perhaps the reason you don't see anything past April 3 is that they don't post the schedule that far in advance. The bus from Prague to Nuremburg takes approx. 3-4 hours. Runs a few times a day. I took it last May. http://czech-transport.com

There is no problem getting a train to Rothenburg after that. Takes approx. 1 1/2 hrs. http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de

You can find the price at the Czech rail site. for International journeys, use this:
http://www.cd.cz/mezinarodni-cestovani/vlakem-do-zahranici/druhy-vlaku-v-zahranici/-8757/
Current price for Prague to Nuremberg on the itinerary we mentioned shows 304 CZK, which is $12.16 at current exchange rates.

Hi Charlotte, thanks for the input, according to website, direct bus from praha to nurnberg only run until 3rd of April. Im a day late so it left me with no choice but to use what Sam has suggested.

Hi, after much thinking, i need you guys advise on this.

What if i travel to Munich straight from Praha and get to rothenburg the next day for a day trip?

You could do a day trip, but it will take 3 1/2 -4 hours each way. Doesn't leave you much time in Rothenburg. You are still better off taking the bus to Nuremburg (trust me there is one, the calendar just doesn't show it yet because it is too far in advance). Then train to Rothenburg.

I would not rely on Deutsche Bahn bus from Prague to Nuremberg. It really looks like it was canceled. The same with bus to Munich.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/transportation/does-anyone-know-whats-happening-to-the-ic-bus

The advance purchase, Savings Fare tickets from the Bahn require that at least one leg of the ticket is by a train (express) of the Bahn (ICE/IC/EC). The trip from Prague to Rothenburg via Cheb uses an IC from Nürnberg to Ansbach, thus qualifying for the Sparpreis Europa Tschechien Fare. The lowest such fare I see is 34,00€. That's a pretty good fare if you can get it (book early; fares go up as the cheapest one sell out).

BTW, the 304 Kc fare from Prague to Nürnberg is only for specific connections. I see others for as much as 1400 Kc.

Nearly as good would be the ALX from Prague to Schwandorf, then the regional train to Nürnberg and regional trains to Rothenburg via Ansbach and Steinach. If you purchased a Bayern-Ticket at the Munich airport when you landed (for 23€ single. Make sure it is for the correct day.), then in Prague you could purchase a ticket for the 5:12 EC to Furth im Wald (331 Kc = 12,26€). In Furth the Bayern-Ticket becomes valid; stay on the train to Schwandorf, then transfer to the RE to Nürnberg and take regional trains to Rothenburg. The total fare, 35,26€, is a little higher, but will never go up (except maybe the Czech fare part due to the exchange rate), and no advance purchase is required (except getting the Bayern-Ticket in Munich because I don't think it is sold in Prague). I think it is also possible to purchase the Bayern-Ticket on the train from a conductor for 2,50€ more.

The direct train between Prague and Munich is designated in Germany as a regional ALX, but for some reason some of the ALXs become ECs in the Czech Republic, others are designated EXs in the CR. Supposedly the Bayern-Böhmen-Ticket (like the Bayern-Ticket except includes part of the CR up to Pilsen) is only valid for an EX, not an EC. When the ALX train runs in the CR as an EX (13:12 and 17:12), you can purchase a 3,90€ (105 Kc) Czech ticket from Prague to Pilsen and a 26€ (single) Bayern-Böhmen-Ticket will cover you from Pilsen to anywhere in Bavaria. But the ALX trains that leave Prague at 5:12 and 9:12 are designated as ECs. The Czech Rail fare for both the EC and EX is the same, 331 Kc.

The Bahn website is now showing that direct IC bus from April 3rd onward.

Ouh. Too late now because i already book a direct night train from prague to zurich, ill be going lauterbrunnen instead.

Thanks guys for the help, much appreciated.