What is the best way to make the loop from Munich to Prague, Prague to Vienna, and then back to Munich? Trains or buses? I'd prefer cheap and fast trips, while my traveling companion (my mother) would prefer an easy and semi comfortable trip.
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
For Munich to Prague, the Bahn sells tickets for Bahn run, non-stop, intercity buses that depart Munich every 2-3 hours and make the trip in just over 4½ hrs. With advance purchase from the German Rail (Bahn) website, prices start at €29/p. On the Austrian Rail website, www.oebb.at, you can get tickets (again, advance purchase), for Prague to Vienna starting at €29/p. Finally, for Vienna to Prague, the Bahn sells advance purchase tickets online, also for as low as €29/p. That for a RailJet, Austrian premier train, that makes the trip in just over 4 hrs. All these tickets prices are in second class and are train-specific with limited refundability, so make sure you can commit. The discount tickets prices are "tiered", so when the least expensive tickets sell out, the price goes up. Buy them as soon as they go on sale, 92 days before the travel date, or as soon as you can.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32353 posts
Megan, The method suggested by Lee is a good one to consider. You could of course also travel Munich > Vienna > Prague and then return to Munich via Bus. Prague is a beautiful city with lots to see (I was there in September) but be sure to remain vigilant regarding "scammers"! The Charles Bridge is always crowded, and there are usually some good entertainers performing. What time of year will you be there? Happy travels!
Posted by
Lakewood, Colorado
19274 posts
That Munich-Prague bus is a recent addition. It's a Europa-Spezial fare, which means the fare is the same for each person (as opposed to Sparpreis where if the first person pays,e.g., €39, each additional person pays €30. So, for two people, the lowest possible fare is €58 (higher if you don't book soon enough). OTOH, There are four regional train connections/day from Munich to Prague, 2 direct, 2 with one change. Bayern-Böhmen-Tickets, which can be used on regional trains in Bavaria and part of the Czech Republic, are always available, purchasable from Bahn automats as late as the day of travel, for €24 single, €34 up to 5 p. No advance purchase required, they don't sell out. The Bayern-Böhmen-Ticket will get you to Pilsen, from where you can purchase a Czech Rail ticket to Prague for about €6. These trains take a little longer, 6 hrs, but there is no advance purchase commitment.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32353 posts
Megan, In line with Lee's last comments, if you decide to travel to Prague via train, be sure that you DON'T deal with the "No Neck Thugs" (Rick's description) that run the Taxi service from the Rail station. There's a good description in the Guidebook on the best Taxi service to use. Also, you might want to familiarize yourself with the Czech currency. I found that at first it was difficult to get a "sense" of how much I was actually paying for things.