Travel from Prague to Venice

Prague to Venice is not an easy trip. However, you can get a direct regional train from Prague to Munich and an ECs from Munich to Venice. With one more stop in an hour less, you can get the intercity bus from Prague to Nuernberg, ICE to Munich, and an EC to Venice.

I'm sorry, I didn't read my tour books for comprehension. What are ICE/EC? Thank you!

ICE/EC are international abbreviations for types of train: ICE: InterCity Express, the white bullet trains of the DB, Deutsche Bahn, the German railways. Extra fare, extra fast. EC: EuroCity, International trains of IC type which cross borders IC: InterCity - fast, usually express - but not always - trains between major cities. Sometimes modern, sometimes fairly old. RE: Regional Express; despite sounding fast tends to stop more frequently R: Regional; the milk runs Espresso (I think that's the right spelling) Italian for even slower than R. Except for the ICE which has specific equipment, the others are designating speed and stops, not the modernity or completeness of facilities. There are other types of train such as ES (Italian EuroStar bullet trains very fast, very expensive), RB, etc.

There is a direct night train service between Praha hlavni nadrazi and Venezia Santa Lucia Station but only with a couchette car. It takes 14h 52mins... so VERY long. The fastest possibility is to start at Praha Holesovice at 10:26, arrival at Wien Südbhf. at 14:28, departure (same station) at 15:30, arrival at Venice 22:32 (so 12h 06mins). For timetables, have a look at www.idos.cz or http://fahrplan.oebb.at/bin/query.exe/en For fares, contact Czech Railways at www.cd.cz However, I found that if you book a roundtrip, with http://www.skyscanner.com leaving jan.2 and returning jan.4th or 5th, they had an AirFrance flight that only cost 164 EUR and takes 4 hours including the stopover in Lyon. That might be your best and fastest solution. If you just search one way, it will cost over 300 EUR...

To expand on what Nigel said, in Germany, ICE/IC/EC are considered "Express Trains" and are run by the Bahn. Also IR (Interregio), but I haven't seen one in years. Regional trains are IRE (Interregio-Express), RE, RB, and S (S-Bahn) and are run by quasi public companies in each German state (Land). RB stops at every station; RE at only major stations. Example, from Koblenz to Mainz, RE takes 1:06 and stops at Boppard, Oberwesel, Bingen, and Ingelheim. MRB (an RB) takes 1:33 and stops at 19 stations. From Frankfurt Hbf to Munich Hbf you can take an ICE in 3h15m for €91, and IC/EC in just under 4 hours for €73, or regional trains, 6 hr ± for €42 (less using a Bayern-Ticket). There is a difference between express and regional trains. In 2000, I stayed in Freilassing and "commuted" two days to Berchtesgaden on RBs. I came back in 2002 and went from Rothenburg to Berchtesgaden. Instead of the RB, there was an IC (Alpen Express, I think, from Hamburg to Berchtesgaden) from Freilassing to Berchtesgaden. Since it filled the time slot for an RB, it was designaed an RB, with regional fares. Boy, was that a nice train. Smooth and quiet, compared to the RBs two years earlier.

If you are willing to leave Prague at about 5 AM, there is a regional train, ALX 350, which goes with one change (Schwandorf) to Munich where you catch the EC (87) direct to Venice (18:10). With purchase from the Bahn sufficiently in advance, you can get a Europa-Spezial ticket for €39 from Furth im Wald, on the German border, to Venice. The Czech Rail ticket from Prague to Furth im Wald, purchased in Prague, is about €10 (in Kc).

I checked both of the Web sites listed by Bianca plus the German Rail site and couldn't find a direct Prague-Venice night train listed on any of them. Lee has given you the cheapest way. For clarification, the regional train from Prague to Schwandorf stops in Furth im Wald. That's why you would buy a ticket from Czech Rail for Prague-Furth im Wald and a Europa-Spezial ticket from there to Venice (with the connection in Munich listed by Lee). Alternatively, you could take the express bus operated by the Bahn (German Rail) from Prague to Nuernberg which departs at 15:38, connect to an ICE from Nuernberg to Munich, and arrive in Munich in time to catch the direct CNL night train to Venice which departs at 21:03 and arrives at 06:38. That way you'll be asleep for the major share of the trip and you'll save the cost of one night in a hotel. If you want to have dinner in Munich before catching the night train, you could take the express bus from Prague directly to Munich, departing at 13:36 and arriving at 18:15. That would give you over two hours for a leisurely meal. Booked in advance, you can get discount fares for all these routes and legs, including the Munich-Venice night train.