Hello,
I'm trying to find out how much it would be to get to Rome from Prague the last week of August. I have problems getting the info from Bahn and Trenitalia website.
From what I can tell, there's a train from Prague to Vienna and an overnighter from Vienna to Rome. Would someone be able to help me with train times plus cost of a private couchette for 2 people? We're looking at leaving Prague on Aug. 27 or 28.
What's best route to take?
Thanks for all the help.
New train timetables will go into effect in the second week of June so entering your actual travel date won't work. However, schedules are likely to change by only a few minutes here or there, if at all. On the Bahn site enter a near future abitrary date for the day of the week you wish to travel and you'll get complete timetables for your entire route. The Trenitalia site shows timetables and fares up to 90 days in advance for international routes and up to 60 days for domestic routes, but it won't show Praha-Wien because none of that route is in Italy.
If you book both Praha-Wien and Wien-Roma through Austrian Rail, you should be able to get SparSchiene fares on both legs. See the SparSchiene link on the home page for fares and phone the call center to book. Just to clarify terms, four- or six-person couchettes have bunks. Sleepers have either one, two, or three beds.
I willl check out Austrian Rail. Thanks so much for your help!
For such a long journey have you considered flying - it may even be cheaper than the train. Or is your heart set on the train journey?
Since Arnold suggested flying, I checked the SkyEurope site. Fares are as low as €49. Even better, if you book by 15 February, you can get a two-for-one deal.
I highly recommend flying that leg. The concept of a train ride from Prague to Rome sounds romantic, but I can assure you that you will have better spent the day or so it will take in either Prague or Rome, especially for the cost of the flight.
SkyEurope is great. We flew from Prague to Venice with them and it cost us 150kcz all in. It was under an hour, got a beautiful view of the Italian Alps and were checked in our hotel in Venice before noon. The Prague airport is a very nice airport and the airline is safe, clean and a good deal.
Hello,
Flying was my first option. With SkyEurope. The fares were incredibly inexpensive. But someone brought to my attention that SkyEurope's having financial problems. Some of its fleets were taken. I'm concerned that by August, it might not be around or it'll leave us stranded.
The other airlines that fly from Prague to Rome are charging at least $500+ for two people.
I thought that if we took a train overnight, it might save us on a hotel and overall, the price would difference would be worth it.
Thanks.
That is a very long overnight train, and if you are in a cochette, you won't sleep much or well.
Even with the uncertainty of the airline industry and the economy in general I would still buy the SkyEurope tickets as I suspect they will be around for a while. Use your credit card just in case they go in receivership and you will get your money back. Worst case scenario, you loose $150 or so (but you won't as you will be protected by your credit card company).
If for whatever reason they are not there when you go to travel, buy the train tickets when you are in Europe.
Other than that, check out one of the other multitude of Euro discount airlines. You might not be able to get a direct flight, but there are many with connections.
Wikitravel: Discount Airlines in Europe
