Night Train Prague to Venice (or vice versa)

I know you are asking about a night train, but have you considered flying instead? SkyEurope is a dirt cheap, no frills airline with all new planes and the flight only takes 1 hr 10 mins. I did it earlier this month (total cost of the flight with tax was almost $65 for the ticket) and glad I didn't take the train.

I did do a search and find some folks who used or are using SkyEurope so it's definitely an option. My only worry on that is whether they will exist. It appears Click-4-Sky also works as well. Thanks!

I can see it ... on www.bahn.de, Trenitalia and EuroAide [Euraide] but nothing from RailEurope.

Ali, understand the most trains in Europe are not shown on RailEurope, only the ones for which they sell tickets, which would be the most popular, expensive ones. RE normally doesn't sell tickets for regional trains. I've seen routes in Germany with both ICEs and ICs but RE only sells tickets for the ICEs (which cost more). I've also seen routes with a train almost every hour but only a couple a day shown on RE.

Thanks for correcting me on Euraide....I can't tell you how long I googled and couldn't find "Euroaide". It's one of those mornings. :)

I guess it's always a risk and if we have to fly between we'll do that. Good to know RE isn't an indication of anything but what they sell. Thanks!

It's www.euraide.com.

I think it has changed, but at one time, none of the night trains (Allegro?) from Munich to Italy over Brenner Pass could be sold online by RE.

That's the other thing. I think sometimes they can sell tickets for a route, but they just don't show them online. If you really want to buy the tickets for them you might call them.

Another thought would be to take the regional trains from Prague to Munich, then catch the CNL night train train for Munich to Venice. That route take 17 hours, including almost 2 hrs to change trains in Munich.

You should be able to book the CNL train through the Bahn. I don't know if you can book the Prague to Munich regional trains online, but tickets are always available and reservations are not possible, or needed.

According to the Bahn newsletter, the winter schedule (after Dec 13), was added on Oct 16. I can see fares and schedule for early Jan. They should now show the schedules into June, but they might not book more than 3 mo in advance.

Thanks Lee. I hadn't tried because I assumed that route wasn't going to show.

Bummed. It doesn't show a direct EuroNight any longer. It leaves around the same time but stops in Salzburg to switch to the sleeper train just after midnight. Back to the drawing board!

What website are you using, and for what date? I had no problem finding the CNL train (leaves Munich at 21:03) for a month from now on both the Bahn and RE websites. If using the Bahn, use "Venezia Santa Lucia" for Venice.

I'm using Bahn for May 23,2009 Prague to Venice. That is what I wanted to begin with - not Munich.

If we throw Munich in the mix we'll need to take the 6 hour train Prague to Munich and then either wait or stay overnight there to get the Munich to Venice Night train. It's good to know it exists but we had no plans of going to Munich.

Ali, May, 2009. I don't think you are going to find anyone online that will allow you to book that far ahead. I have confidence that the schedules for German based trains, Prague to Munich and Munich to Venice, are already set and won't change before than, but I am not sure of trains through other countries.

As far as the time, your opening post said the train from Prague to Venice through Austria was 15 hours. You can take the trains from Prague to Munich and the night train from Munich to Venice in only about 17 hour; the wait in Munich is 1¾ hr. It's not like it is a hugh difference, and you can book it all through DB. As for you other route, good luck. Maybe Trenitalia and RailEurope will show it by mid winter, but not now.

Thanks Lee. I'm actually not trying to book trains right now but just trying to figure out our itinerary overall.

The train from Prague to Venice was a direct night train so even though we were on it for a long time (I think it was 3:30pm depart, arrive 8:45am) it was direct.

The Prague, Munich to Venice is an option but not as ideal given the train out of Munich leaves 1:11pm and we'd have a wait as you note and get on a night train that arrives very early into Venice (I think 6:38am). So, I guess I have a couple options afterall - thanks for pointing it out. I hadn't realize Munich could work if it had to.

Personally, now that I have done the train thing in Europe it's what I prefer but I need to check with everyone else. (Bringing the boyfriend's parents...)

Understand.

I would say, in my experience, that schedules will not vary significantly between now and then. There might be minor adjustments, but no major changes. And the German Rail part of the schedules are probably not going to change at all from end of December to May.

Thank you so much for your help!

I noticed something odd today with the Bahn website. I went to check train schedules for Venice to Verona and it was showing me only 3 in a day and late afternoon which was odd. The last time I checked they were pretty frequent. I then started to get some weird timeout errors. Do you have any idea if it's because they are loading the new schedules or something?

I think Trenitalia loads their schedules later than the Bahn. Perhaps their schedule is incomplete right now. For Verona to Venice, I would look at Trenitalia.

Until Trenitalia uploads its new timetables, they won't appear on the DB site. Enter a date before 14 December on the DB site and you'll get the full current timetables. The new ones, which will take effect on 14 December, won't vary much, if at all.

I too am looking at the same trip. However we were hoping to stop in Vienna. I know the train runs through Vienna, but does anyone know where the majority of the trips time is, before or after Vienna?

Also, looking at the Sky Europe website, is there any hope for them to adding destinations? (Paris - Rome)

We are now flying Venice to Budapest and Budapest to Prague. We have the time and since there aren't any deluxe trains on the overnight we don't want to risk poor sleep.