IC Bus Prague-Nuremberg-Heidelberg-Mannheim-Strassbourg (Alsace)

The Bahn IC bus network continues to grow.

Up till now, it's been a trade-off between faster (bus) and more comfortable (train). The bus makes far fewer stops than the train so is faster. For instance, the EC between Munich and Zürich takes about 4:11, whereas the non-stop bus makes the trip in just under 4 hours. But you have more room to get up and walk around on the train.

In the case of Nürnberg to Prag, there are no express (ICE/IC/EC) trains, so the non-stop bus is faster.

This new bus route, Strasbourg-Manheim-Nürnberg-Prague, although still faster between Nürnberg and Prag, takes longer between Strasbourg and Nürnberg (5¼ hr for the bus vs 4½ hr for the TGV to Stuttgart, then an IC to Nürnberg). And, whereas the bus goes directly between Mannheim and Nürnberg, the train makes more stops. For instance, with the TGV/IC route, if you were going to Rothenburg, you could get off in Ansbach and and take regional trains to Rothenburg in only 5 hours vs the bus to Nürnberg, then backtracking to Rothenburg, which takes more than 6½ hours.

So, each has it's advantages. It pays to look at both.

Thanks for the information. Good to know, in particular the Mannheim-Straßburg/Elsaß connection and that of Nürnberg-Pilsen.