Berlin to Praha / Prague / Prag by train

How to travel from Berlin to Prague by train

Not only is the train journey from Berlin to Praha / Prague very straightforward the second half of the train ride is wonderfully scenic.

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Routes

From Berlin Hbf to Praha hl.n.

Travel Information

Final Destination: Budapest or Praha/Prag (German spelling) or Graz

These trains normally depart from the lower level (tief) in Berlin Hbf.

These trains also call at: Berlin Südkreuz; Bad Schandau and Decin

Arriving in Praha /Prague

Don't assume that you have to leave the train at Praha hl.n. - the main station in the city.

These trains first call at Praha-Holešovice and this station has easier connections (by tram) to some parts of the city, particularly by the river; including The King Charles Bridge.

Like Praha hl.n. it is also served by Line C of the Prague Metro and if your final destination in the city is along Line C, you'll have a quicker journey if you leave the train at Praha-Holešovice.

It takes more than 10 minutes for the trains to travel on to Praha hl.n so you can be on your way to your destination before these trains will have arrived there.

7   x trains per day

Tickets

Book early and save: Yes

Online bookings open: 3 months ahead of the travel date

When making an online booking, check that you’re looking at booking info for the direct trains.

On the DB booking site look for journeys that have:
0 in the Chg. column
EC (and only EC) in the Products column.

Trains departing at different times can be cheaper than others leaving on the same day, so you may need to look through the day's departures to find the cheapest fares.

Book 1st class ticket journey tickets on DB and your seat reservation is included, but they're optional when booking 2nd class tickets, or if you will be travelling with a 1st or 2nd class rail pass.

Reservations are highly recommended for this journey, particularly if you WON'T be taking the first or last trains of the day.

Where to book
Ticket Provider Approximate Cost
DB Bahn from €27.90

DB Bahn Guide

DB is the national railway operator in Germany, so its website can be used for booking journeys by German express trains; the ICE and IC trains and it doesn't charge booking fees.
It also sells tickets for journeys by direct trains on all international routes from Germany regardless of whether DB is operating the train service.

It also sells an extensive range of end-to-end journeys which involve making connections both within Germany and in neighboring countries, but journeys between Germany and Britain cannot be booked on DB.

A key feature of DB website worth keeping mind is that it offers 1st class ticket purchasers complimentary seat reservations on journeys both within and to/from Germany.

Seat reservations for daytime in both 1st and 2nd class can also be booked separately from tickets.

cd.cz from €27.90

cd.cz Guide

CD is the national rail operator in Czechia and its very smart online booking service sells tickets for all express train services which it operates within Czechia, as well international journeys by EC, Railjet, SuperCity and overnight trains.
Some express trains, both within and to/from Czechia are operated by LeoExpress and Regiojet and these cannot be booked with CD.

CD also sells international tickets involving changes of train outside of Czechia for end-to-end journeys:

  • to Belgium
  • destinations in Germany not served by direct trains
  • to Paris
  • to Arhus, Copenhagen and Odense in Denmark
  • to destinations in Italy served by the overnight trains from Austria
  • to Luxembourg
  • to destinations in the The Netherlands, including Amsterdam, which are on the route of the direct trains from Berlin
  • to destinations in Romania, including Bucuresti served by the direct day and night trains from Budapest.

In addition to tickets, seat reservations, reservations for bicycles, plus reservations for couchettes and sleeping cabins, can also be booked online with CD, with no booking fees.

Omio from €27.90

Omio Guide

Omio is an online ticket agency which offers tickets for rail journeys in France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Spain.

The three key advantages of using Omio are

  • it offers prices in multiple currencies
  • it usually offers price comparison with other modes of travel including flights and buses
  • when visiting Europe, you can book journeys in multiple countries in one transaction.

The disadvantage of booking with Omio is that it often adds a booking fee to the final price; therefore when it does so without offering a price advantage, SMTJ doesn't tend to offer Omio as a booking option.

Happyrail from €27.90

Happyrail Guide

Happy Rail is a Netherlands rail ticket agency which sells tickets for both national and international journeys within a range of countries including Belgium France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland.

HappyRail doesn't charge booking fees in the conventional sense, but if you're not Dutch you can expect to pay additional transaction fees, which will be added to the total cost.
That's because the most common form of online payment used in The Netherlands is 'iDEAL' and HappyRail doesn't charge a transaction fee for 'iDEAL' payments, but only Dutch residents can sign up to 'iDEAL'.
Other forms of payment include Visa debit cards will incur a fee.

Saveatrain from €27.90

Saveatrain Guide

On this journey

Journey Features

Not High SpeedScenic - Yes

Good to Know

The first departure of the day is now a new Railjet service which will be heading to Graz in Austria.

Depart Berlin on the that will be heading to Budapest and you will be travelling on a train provided by Hungarian state railways (MAV).

Recently updated Czech trains are used on the other departures.

Between Bad Schandau and Prague #1 Between Bad Schandau and Prague #1
Between Bad Schandau and Prague #2 Between Bad Schandau and Prague #2
Between Bad Schandau and Prague #3 Between Bad Schandau and Prague #3
Between Bad Schandau and Prague #4 Between Bad Schandau and Prague #4

Between Dresden and Prague, the train travels through the beautiful Elbe River valley, but sit on the left of the train (when facing the direction of travel) for the best views.

This part of the journey between Dresden and Prague/Praha is so fabulous that it's featured on the Daily Telegraph's list of Best Train Journeys that can be completed in a day.

Take the stress out of your journey Everything planned to your specification, so sit back and relax… Try Concierge

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