Munich to Prague train; Prague to Passau

If you take the bus from Munich to Prague the trip lasts about 5 hours with no transfers. Travel by train will usually take longer and involve at least one transfer. Direct bus service is offered by Flixbus; for October 2 prices range from $37 to $53. You could take the train to Nuremberg, then a RegioJet bus onward to Prague. I used the Rome2Rio website for schedule ideas, then went directly to the train or bus websites for specific ticket info. You should be able to purchase tickets now; prices will increase as the bus fills. I have no experience with the Prague-Passau route but would guess it is similar. For train travel, the Seat 61 website can't be beat!

I traveled by bus/train from Prague to Munich pre-pandemic and was pleasantly surprised by the bus portion of the trip. It was very comfortable, felt safe, and departed/arrived right on time.

The train route is a minimum of 6 hours with at least 2 changes. There's one route with only one change in Linz, but the total trip time there is over 8 hours. And Den is right - the Flixbus routes range from $37 to $53. I traveled using Flixbus and found it very comfortable and convenient.

I don't know what time you want to leave Munich, but the earlier buses look to be selling out so you may want to book as soon as possible. Here's a link to Flixbus - https://www.flixbus.com - just plug in your date, departure and arrival cities and see what looks best. If you do purchase a ticket, make sure you download the app - it will keep your tickets handy on it, and if you have Apple Wallet, you can save them there.

Are you sure it's worth it to go to Prague? That's a lot of travel to visit for only 2 nights. I loved Prague but I would think twice about this - there are many worthwhile options near Munich to see.

I just looked at the Czech rail website. It shows track work is being done on the Munich-Prague route. So, taking the train from Munich involves a transfer to a bus and then back to a train. I'd keep it simple and just take the FlixBus!

All of this information was extremely helpful.
Thank you very much!!
This is such a great website and forum. Just love it.

In addition to Flixbus, there is also the Czech RegioJet, which is usually more a bit comfortable than the Flixbus. However, on October 2, there are only free seats for the bus at 9:30 and at a rather high price, apparently a consequence of the train cancellation.

Mardee, It seemed you had some ideas if we skipped Prague. I agree that's a lot of time on a train for only two nights there. What would be your top suggestions of places to explore near Munich for two days before boarding a river boat in Passau?

I was able to take the train from Munich to Prague. Original train reservation for the 1030 am train was cancelled but I was able to get new reservations at the train station the day of for the 1230 pm train to Prague. Train was a direct route no transfers involved and we arrived at 630 pm.

What would be your top suggestions of places to explore near Munich for two days before boarding a river boat in Passau?

There are many options that are good (that whole area is worth visiting), but Salzburg would probably be my first choice. It's not exactly on the way but it is an easy and relatively quick train trip from Munich and then to Passau. Salzburg is very beautiful and there are loads of things to see. I was there for 3 nights and absolutely loved it. The scenery is lovely and the the city itself quite charming.

It certainly beats spending 10+ hours on a bus, imo. :)

That is amazing that you suggested Saltzburg b/c after re-evaluating time on the trains and our need to get to Passau to catch a cruise, we looked for someplace closer to Munich. Studied the maps and read the forums and thought Saltzburg would be a good compromise. Everyone seems to love it. And now you suggested it too. Cool! Thanks again!