Hello! I will be traveling to Europe soon and have some confusion about train tickets. We will be going to Germany, Czech Republic, and then Croatia. A couple of questions: 1) Within country travel- mainly Czech Republic. I heard you purchase a ticket and then get off and on at stops along the way without having to get a new one. Is this true? Are there any lmitations here? For example, could I purchase a ticket from Prague to Olomouc but detour to Pernstjn as long as I still make it to Olomouc the same day? Or would I need two seperate tickets for that? 2) We will be making the journey from Olomouc to Zagreb via Vienna (in one day, not planning on a stopover in Vienna). How do tickets work for a journey like this when you pass through several countries? Do I just purchase a ticket to Vienna in Olomouc and then the Vienna-Zagreb portion once I arrive in Vienna? Or is there a way to purchase tickets for the whole journey while still in Czech Republic? Thanks in advavce.
Posted by
Kansas
1175 posts
Go to www.seat61.com for all issues about train tickets.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23626 posts
My experience with Czech Republic is limited. In general you have two types of trains - those that require a seat reservation and those that don't. If a reservation is required that you need a reservation for each leg. You cannot get off and just get back on. If it is a regional train and doesn't required a reservation then as long as you have a ticket to the final destination then you can get on and off at will. You buy one ticket for the whole trip from the first station. Do not get caught on a train requiring a reservation without a reservation.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
I can't speak for Czech Rail, but if you were in Germany, No. In Germany, if you buy a ticket from, say, Frankfurt to Munich, the lowest fares will be via Stuttgart and Ulm, and you can stop in those cities along the route as long as you finish by that night, maybe even the second night. But, you cannot go through somewhere not on the specified route, say Freiburg. I imagine the Czech Republic has similar rules. If you want to stop in Pernstjnm you have to buy a ticket from Praque to Olomouc on a route that goes through Pernstjnm.
Posted by
Chicago/Rural WI
811 posts
Regarding your second question, my first thought was that you should be able to purchase tickets all the way through from Olomouc to Zagreb, but then I looked at the routing and now I'm not certain (I'm not sure how international journeys work when you need to transfer in another country? Anyone know whether they'd be able to sell routing for an Austrian/Croatian train in the CR?). However, I just wanted to make sure that you are aware that it will be a very loooong travel day. According to www.IDOS.cz (the official Czech Republic train website), it seems the journey will take anywhere between 10 1/2 to 12 1/2 hours and involve a minimum of 2 train transfers. With that in mind, are you sure you don't want to break the trip up and overnight in Vienna along the way?
Posted by
OP
Washington DC
55 posts
Thanks for the replies. Angela- yeah, that is what confuses me too! I don't understand how international journeys work when you switch trains in a country in between. If anyone else knows please do chime in! We did consider spending a night in Vienna but would rather just get to Croatia. The direct Vienna-Zagreb train doesn't leave until late afternoon anyway, so we'll probably head down from Olomouc in the morning and get some lunch/stretch our legs in Vienna for a bit.