My husband I will be leaving Prague on August 30 and need to be in Basel by Sept. 3 to get on a river cruise. We are trying to plan what to do for the days in between. We would like something relaxing. A place or two to wander and do a bit of hiking. We will be museumed out by then so quaint villages and good food would be wonderful. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. We are open to going by train or flying.
Posted by
Green Bay
20145 posts
Is beer part of the picture? There is the "Funf-Seidla-Steig" in the Frankische Schweiz north of Nuremberg.
http://www.vgn.de/en/hiking/seidla
Take the DB bus from Prague to Nuremberg. The train to the region leaves from an isolated station on the north side of Nuremberg, so you need to take the U-bahn No 2 from Nuremberg Hbf, where the bus drops you off to the Nordost station. You can buy VGN day tickets to cover the both of you. You can spend one or two nights there exploring the hills.
Nuremberg to Basel is a 5 hour train ride with one connection. You could also stop in Gengenbach near the Black Forest for a day or two. It is just over 2 hours from Basel and you can get there to Basel Bad Bf with a 28 EUR Baden Wuerttemberg Ticket. Use that station as it is considered a German station for pricing considerations and it is actually a little closer to the places where the cruise boats dock than the big SBB station.
Posted by
Niagara, Ontario
1557 posts
If possible and within your budget, fly to EuroAirport, stay in Staufen for three nights. Close to Freiburg by bus for a good day trip, Staufen is a gorgeous village with good and not overly strenuous hiking within and close by. Bacon and eggs is good food for me, anything more, such as Adelegger cheese on toast, is an added bonus.
Posted by
Green Bay
20145 posts
Easyjet does have an Aug 30 evening flight from Prague to Basel. $35 plus extras.
Posted by
Stuttgart, Germany
3049 posts
What about the Bodensee/Lake Constance? It's a stunning area with lots of opportunities for strolling/cycling/relaxing. Lindau has a great Mediterranean feel, Freidrichshafen has the Zepplin museum and a good public beach on the lake, and Meersburg has a castle and old town as well as good connections to Mainau, an island with a famous and beautiful botanical garden.
Plus side is when you're finished there, you're not very far from Basel at all.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you all for your responses. It has given me a lot to consider. Does anyone have an opinion on flying to Munich from Prague and then training to Garmish Partenkirchen for a couple of days? Then getting to Basel?
Posted by
Green Bay
20145 posts
Munich is close enough you do not need to fly. Figure about 1 hour from central Prague to the airport, 2 hours at the airport checking in, going through security, waiting, boarding. 1 hour in the air to Munich, 1 hour waiting to get off the plane, walking to the luggage carousel, waiting to get luggage, walking to the airport train station. Then 2 1/2 hours by train to Garmisch and since the trains go hourly, if you just miss it, add 1 more hour waiting for the next one. So figure 8 hours from Prague to Garmisch.
You can do it taking the DB bus to Nuremberg, then by train from there to Garmisch in 6 hours and 50 minutes. 60 EUR for 2 using nonrefundable Saver tickets if you buy now. Or by all train with a single connection at Munich Hbf for 169 EUR for 2 in 7 hours and 42 minutes. And there is a clever way to do it for 91 EUR.
Posted by
Augsburg, Bavaria
2335 posts
And there is a clever way to do it for 91 EUR.
You can do it for €50.60 for two travellers by combining a Bayern-Ticket with a single Czech rail ticket Praha - Czeska Kubice (czech border) plus a single ticket Czeska Kubice - Furth im Wald:
€31.00 Bayern -Ticket for two
€ 13.00 (340 Cz korunas) Two single tickets Praha - Ceska Kubice
€ 6.60 (172 Cz korunas) Two single tickets ceska Kubice - Furth im Wald (the "gap" between the last czech and the first german station) *)
All three tickets are bookable online (DB website and Czech rail website, resp.)
You can use the ALEX trains Praha - Munich leaving Praha at 9:12 - 13:12 - 17:12
These trains are classified as EC's from Praha to the Czech / Bavarian border and as simple regional trains within Bavaria.
*) A direct ticket Praha - Furth im Wald would cost €32.40 (846 czk) when booked on the Czech Rail site and €60.60 on trainline.eu
Posted by
Green Bay
20145 posts
I was under the impression (apparently mistaken) that Bayern-Boehmen Ticket was only valid into the immediate area of Bavaria adjacent to Czech R, but if it is valid all over Bavaria, it is even better. Yes, DB gives a price of 60.60 EUR for two from Prague to Furth i Wald. Ceske drahy prices are a lot better. Just like the beer.