I have an extra day of German rail pass to use for travel from Dresden to Prague (It is the Spring promotion 20% off the 10-day German rail pass ). In Rick's book, he mentioned it is cheaper to buy onboard from a Czech conductor for the portion of Czech rail travel. Has anyone tried this before? Please let me know the procedure. By the way, will I have to pay the Czech conductor in Czk or Euro? Thanks.
Jessica
I remember when our researchers learned that tip several years ago and decided to publish it for anyone who was just as cheap as them. (You might be saving $5, if I remember correctly.) I'm sure they didn't expect you to have Czech currency in hand, but do bring euros, in addition to a credit card.
I haven't tried it that direction. In Sept 2012, I bought I ticket from Prague to Bad Schandau. the first stop in Germany, for 357 Kc, the equivalent today of 12,98€. The Bahn sells a ticket from Bad Schandau to Prague today for 27,60€.
In Prague, they showed the price of the ticket in euro from Prague to Bad Schandau, but I don't know if that meant they would sell it in euro, or if that was just showing the equivalence. A few days earlier, in Zelezna Ruda, I bought a ticket to Prague using Kc that I had brought from Denver.
If you buy a ticket from the Bahn for Dresden to Decin, it's 16,60€. The Czech price from Decin to Prague is 180 Kc, about 7,15€. That's 23,75€. A Bahn ticket from Dresden to Prague is 34,60.
You don't say where you live, but in 2012 I got $40 in Czech Koruna to use for Czech tickets at the border from Wells Fargo for Interbank rate + 14%.
I would like to ask on this thread, rather than answer.
We want to take a day trip from Dresden to Prague. I know it won't give us much time, but it is what it is. The reviews for Euroline buses are horrid and I've seen that Czech.Transport is a consolidator site, not the actual services.
Where can I book a reliable round trip bus ticket with the actual provider?
Alternately, what is the best train option and the best website to arrange train travel?
I need e-ticketing because we leave next weekend, May 11.
We are staying very close to the Dresden HBF on Bayrische Strasse.
Thanks in advance to everyone.
"... what is the best train option and the best website to arrange train travel?"
There are Eurocity express trains (ECs) that go from Dresden to Prague every two hours without any changes; that way you don't have to make changes in Czech stations where you don't know the language. The trip is less than 2½ hrs one way. You can book tickets for that train online on the Bahn website with a credit card and print them out online. As mentioned above, the online fare could be as low as 19€/person one way. You'll need to have the same credit card with you as identification.
