Austria-Czech Republic Train

The best train fare I found was 58.60€ on a route that requires two changes and takes 7 1/2 hours. For timetables go to www.bahn.de and click on the drop-down menu in the upper right-hand corner for English. Enter Salzburg and Praha (not Prague). After you get summary timetables, click on "Details for all" to see the connecting points. Fares are shown on some, but not all, routes.

I also went to www.eurolines.com, but I didn't find any coach service listed for Salzburg-Prague.

I found that the cheapest way would be probably by bus. It doesn't go every day but several times a week. The quoted cost is in Czech crowns: 630 under 26 years. Estimated 25 to 30 Euro.

how would i go about purchasing a bus ticket for this trip?

When you get to Salzburg, go to the bus station, find out which day and when exactly bus goes and buy the ticket for the day you want to go.

Try Eurolines for buses in Europe (google it)

Based on the recent notes on this thread, I need to repeat some information from my previous post. According to the Eurolines Web site, there is no service between Salzburg and Prague. (Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.)

Not all buses are on Eurolines. http://jizdni-rady.ashop.cz
Bus leaves Salzburg at 23:10, arrives in Prague at 5:00. Price: 630 Kc, appr. 25 Euro. Over 26 years 700 Kc. Bus doesn't go every day. In May it goes on Sundays and Thursdays. I didn't check other months. This is a Czech company bus. I think I can safely assume there will be some Austrian, too. Unfortunately I don't know the website for Austria.

One way, not the absolute cheapest, maybe, but pretty inexpensive, is to buy a German Rail Bayern-Ticket at the station in Salzburg. There should be German Rail automats there that sell them. Since Salzburg is a very short distance from the border, German Rail runs the trains from Salzburg to Germany, and the Bayern-Ticket valid from Salzburg. For a single person it cost €19, and is good on all regional trains after 9 AM weekdays (all day Sat/Sun). Also buy from German Rail an "Anschluss" ticket from the German border at Furth im Wald to Prague, about €20.

If you take the 9:18 Regianal Express from Salzburg you will get into Munich Hbf at about 11:12. That will give you time for lunch before catching the train to Schwandorf at 12:44. At Schwandorf you change for a train going to Furth i. Wald. That train used to go straight through to Prague, but I don't see that on the schedule anymore. You might have to change trains a few times in the Czech Republic.

You can save a little money by only buying the Anschluss Ticket from Furth im Wald to Domazlice, the first stop in CR. That's €4,40. Then get off in Domazlice, but a ticket to Prague for 216 Kc (€8.60). With a Bayern-Ticket-Single, the total cost of the trip is €32.

A somewhat faster, albeit a little more expensive way would be to purchase an Austria Rail ticket to Prague via Linz. From Salzburg to Summerau, just before the border is €29. The cost for a ticket from Czech Rail from Horni Dvoriste to Prague is €11.13 (280 Kc). So, an Austrian Rail ticket for the whole way would cost something over €40, or you could buy the Austrian Rail ticket to Horni Dvoriste, for just over €29, get off and buy the Czech Rail ticket the rest of the way on the next train for 280 Kc.

dearest Becca,
I would recommend that you look for the cheapest and directest connection from Salzburg to Linz,
then travel from Linz to Prague.
a bit sketchy by train, but excellent bus connections!
West-East connections (Autobahn or rail) are still being build and developed,
keep in mind that we were politically separated for 50 years, and just now reconnecting.

I WOULD NOT recommend to travel from Nürnberg to Prague by train on the Bavaria-Bohemian Express!
It is truly faster, cheaper and FASTER to go by bus from Linz to Prague!!!!!!!!!!!