Train tickets from Augsberg to Prague

Try going through nearby Munich first. That should be a direct train route. Unless...

... on one trip I took going from Prague to Munich, there was maintenance work on the main line. We had to get off the train in some Czech village, take a bus to another train station, get on a local commuter train to cross the German-Czech border, than switch to another ICE to Munich. It could be that they are projecting scheduled maintenance for June.

There is a little symbol, > in a box, on the LH end of a connection on the Bahn site. If you click that, the connection will expand, and you can see the actual legs. That ICE,Bus connection is an ICE to Nürnberg and a bus to Prague.

There is non-stop bus service from Nürnberg to Praque which can be used along with a Europa-Spezial Tschechien fare. This is an advance purchase, limited refundability fare. It requires a 3 day advance purchase, but tickets are limited and purchasing far ahead, like 3 months, is advisable. Tickets start at €29 and go up in €10 increments as lower priced tickets sell out. If the children are under 15, they travel free with that ticket; if over 15, they need an adult ticket. So, if one of your children is over 14, it will cost you at least €87 with this offer.

There are also direct or one change connections, three per day, by regional train from Munich to Prague. If you purchase a Bayern-Böhmen ticket for €33 from an automat in Augsburg, it is valid for your entire family from there all the way to Plzen, in the Czech Republic. From there, you will need Czech Rail tickets to Prague. They are about €5,70 for an adult; I'm not sure what the fare is for children. This would be only about an hour longer than the ICE/Bus connection through Nürnberg, and all the tickets can be purchased the day of travel - no commitment, the tickets don't sell out.

What are the ages of your teenagers?

Update: It looks like Czech Rail charges children less than 15 (students less than 26) half the adult fare.

BTW, it might be easier to find connections it you spell it Augsburg.

Thank you for the advice! I think the the regional ticket Lee mentions with change in Plzen would be a great option with no need to pre-purchase or ride a bus! This information is very helpful-thank you again! BTW my teens will be 12 and 14 when we travel.

I'm not sure I would worry about riding that bus. On the Bahn website, in the detailed description of the connection, it says, "Seat reservation included in price when purchased together with ticket, Snacks and beverages available, Low-floor coach, Toilette an Bord". I think it is a pretty nice bus.

But for two adults with 2 under 15 children, it would still be €58. Using the trains all the way with the Bayern-Böhmen-Ticket should be €50, with no specific train or bus commitment.

Sometimes I think the Bahn is playing with my head. Some days I can put in Munich to Prague and easily see the 6 hr connections via Plzen (Pilsen). Today, those connections don't show up with the a Bahn search, but they are still there. The Bahn is recommending a connection to Domazlice, CR, with a change of trains in Schwandorf, Germany, then a wait in Domazlice, another train to Plzen, arriving much later, with a chain of regional trains from Plzen to Praque. But they also show that train from Schwandorf to Domazlice (ALX 353) going directly on to Prague at 18:58, with a 13 minute stop in Plzen. So that's the connection you should take, leaving Munich at 12:44 on ALX 87008, changing at Schwandorf (14:46 - 15:08) to ALX 353, stopping at Plzen from 16:57 - 17:10, arriving in Prague at 18:58.

There are regular regional trains from Augsburg to Munich. RE 4167 leaves Augsburg at 11:39, arriving Munich Hbf at 12:22. That gives you 22 minutes to make a 5 platform change (16-26) in Munich; just try to be at the front of the train. There is also another connection from Augsburg about ½ hr earlier if you are concerned about the change in Munich.

That entire trip to Plzen can be made with a €33 Bayern-Böhmen-Ticket from an automat in Augsburg.

If you go on a weekend day, you can leave Augsburg at anytime, so you could take the 9:01 train (ALX 355) direct from Munich to Prague.

continued

As for the Czech part of the fare (147 Kc adult, ~€5,70, half for kids), I am told you can get them on the train in the Czech Republic. If not you would have 13 minutes in Plzen. There are also faster, less expensive buses from Plzen to Prague.

Don't try to get them in Germany; they'll be much more expensive there.

Thank you Lee. I will keep checking the Bahn sight for those elusive trains that claimed only 5 1/2hrs from Munich to Prague. Otherwise we will likely get the regional ticket you suggested Bohmen-Bayern, as my husband would like to stop in Plzen long enough to visit the brewery there, any thoughts on that?

Thanks

"Elusive" connections? It seems if you put in Munich (or Augsburg) to Prague, they literally throw that ICE/bus connection at you.

If you leave Munich on the 12:44 train, you will get to Plzen too late to tour a brewery. The 9:01 train from Munich will get you there with plenty of time to see the brewery (I don't know where it is), but, unless this is a weekend, you will have to buy your tickets from Augsburg to Munich at full fare (the Bayern-Böhmen-Ticket is only valid after 9 AM weekdays.)