Europe Tour Routing/Transportation

opsopcopolis

Hey all,
Didn't see a centralized thread for this, but I'm trying to plan out my Prague > Krakow > Berlin run and it seems that those legs are particularly annoying (really long train rides and no convenient flights.) Anybody looked into them at all or have any recommendations? Also open to discussing splitting a rental (or paying some gas money...) with somebody if anybody has similar problems.

Feel free to use this thread for general Euro Tour routing stuff too!

SpinTheLastExit

I'm quite happy with the length of the train journey. Just take the day off out and listen to a couple of bootlegs. What I'm doing for the Prague and Krakow journey is booking first class - still pretty cheap - where you can charge your phone and get a jug of Staropramen for the trip! Understandable that everyone is different and doesn't want their butt to fall asleep during a near seven hour train journey.

PJNB

SpinTheLastExit said:

I'm quite happy with the length of the train journey. Just take the day off out and listen to a couple of bootlegs. What I'm doing for the Prague and Krakow journey is booking first class - still pretty cheap - where you can charge your phone and get a jug of Staropramen for the trip! Understandable that everyone is different and doesn't want their butt to fall asleep during a near seven hour train journey.

When do you think we can expect the train schedule to update?

SpinTheLastExit

PJNB said:

SpinTheLastExit said:

I'm quite happy with the length of the train journey. Just take the day off out and listen to a couple of bootlegs. What I'm doing for the Prague and Krakow journey is booking first class - still pretty cheap - where you can charge your phone and get a jug of Staropramen for the trip! Understandable that everyone is different and doesn't want their butt to fall asleep during a near seven hour train journey.

When do you think we can expect the train schedule to update?

I don't know, I think it sticks to a strict schedule of two trains a day to each city. So I believe there's a train that leaves Prague at 10.30am and arrives in Krakow at 5pm. I don't know about you, but I'm struggling to find a reputable looking website that provides the train tickets? Obviously, Italy has Trenitalia, but what does Prague to Krakow and Krakow to Berlin have?

Micheyb21

Try www.raileurope-world.com - train tickets are usually released 3 months in advance so may still be a little early to book. For generic details about all things trains check out www.seat61.com. 

vest71

check out czech-transport.com 

vest71

and polrail.com

23scidoo

SpinTheLastExit said:

PJNB said:

SpinTheLastExit said:

I'm quite happy with the length of the train journey. Just take the day off out and listen to a couple of bootlegs. What I'm doing for the Prague and Krakow journey is booking first class - still pretty cheap - where you can charge your phone and get a jug of Staropramen for the trip! Understandable that everyone is different and doesn't want their butt to fall asleep during a near seven hour train journey.

When do you think we can expect the train schedule to update?

I don't know, I think it sticks to a strict schedule of two trains a day to each city. So I believe there's a train that leaves Prague at 10.30am and arrives in Krakow at 5pm. I don't know about you, but I'm struggling to find a reputable looking website that provides the train tickets? Obviously, Italy has Trenitalia, but what does Prague to Krakow and Krakow to Berlin have?

You are right about the train..this is the site..i think we are able to take tickets at early April..
https://www.cd.cz/en/nase-vlaky/default.htm

nippleholic

Me and 2 friends are planning on renting a car for Prague-Krakow-Berlin and might have room for one or two more people.
Does anyone have any advice on a good rental company in Prague that won't charge us too exorbitantly to drop the car off in Berlin?

SpinTheLastExit

Micheyb21 said:

Try www.raileurope-world.com - train tickets are usually released 3 months in advance so may still be a little early to book. For generic details about all things trains check out www.seat61.com. 

Many thanks to you and vest71! I'll check them out.

Cal.PJ.C

I'm hoping to do the over night train

Gingerlou77

Im planning the train from Prague around 1.40pm i think, giving me the chance to see a few sights in the morning. Still gets me in before 10pm. Krakow to Berlin I'm getting the arranged bus!

Miss.Snowdrop

There are a bunch of people hiring two buses for the Prague-Krakow-Berlin leg
 https://www.facebook.com/groups/543256526035097/
It's about 100 Euros for the whole thing. I am not sure how full the buses are yet, though. 

eddiec

nippleholic said:

Me and 2 friends are planning on renting a car for Prague-Krakow-Berlin and might have room for one or two more people.
Does anyone have any advice on a good rental company in Prague that won't charge us too exorbitantly to drop the car off in Berlin?

That's a tough one. For insurance purposes you will probably have to tell them you're taking the car into Poland as well. Regardless, that one-way fee will be hard to avoid. If you can get 3/4 people it might help to split the cost. I did Berlin-Gdynia in 2010 and it was a pretty hefty fee if I recall.

nippleholic

eddiec said:

nippleholic said:

Me and 2 friends are planning on renting a car for Prague-Krakow-Berlin and might have room for one or two more people.
Does anyone have any advice on a good rental company in Prague that won't charge us too exorbitantly to drop the car off in Berlin?

That's a tough one. For insurance purposes you will probably have to tell them you're taking the car into Poland as well. Regardless, that one-way fee will be hard to avoid. If you can get 3/4 people it might help to split the cost. I did Berlin-Gdynia in 2010 and it was a pretty hefty fee if I recall.

Yeah, we priced it out with a couple companies (Hertz, Budget) and the drop-off fee alone is over $400 CAD. After you include the rental fee itself, insurance, fuel and international driving permits (for PL and CZ), we're looking at around $550-600 CAD for a two-day rental. I think we're just going to take the train instead. 

IZI

Train from Cracow to Berlin about 250-300 zl per person
If you will have 4 people  - car rental will be in the same price about 1200 zloty  I think
But if you will have more people the cheaper options will be micorbus with driver 
A trip from Cracow to Berlin takes you about 7 hours all via highway 
In Poland you will pay less than 40 zł for a highway in Germany it's free of charge.

Y. VAN

Hello,
Do you know a reputable website for trains from Krakow to Berlin? Thank you

PJNB

Y. VAN said:

Hello,
Do you know a reputable website for trains from Krakow to Berlin? Thank you

The train schedule is not out yet for July 4th. I was told you need to wait May 5th since it will update 60 days before the day you want to travel. The sites that I have been using are these. The second one actually has trains you can book on that date but being from Canada I have had no luck with it. Let me know if you find anything out that I have not listed as I still need to book Prague --> Krakow and Krakow --> Berlin.


https://www.goeuro.com/travel-search2/results/786663844/train?v=wa_dw_bwg:on

https://www.bahn.com/en/view/offers/index.shtml

IcemanDorval

My brother and I are renting a car with Budget at the Prague airport.  We find it pretty cheap and convenient.  We’ll have a small car and may have 1-2 seats available.  We’ll figure this out more clearly in the coming weeks.

BTW, we are still looking for a pair of tickets for Prague (could be two single GA tickets) and one 10C ticket for Berlin. 

IZI

website polish railway 
http://rozklad-pkp.pl/en

Y. VAN

Thank you. It seems to me that for the moment it is the bus reservations. For trains, it looks complicated. 

PJNB said:

The train schedule is not out yet for July 4th. I was told you need to wait May 5th since it will update 60 days before the day you want to travel. The sites that I have been using are these. The second one actually has trains you can book on that date but being from Canada I have had no luck with it. Let me know if you find anything out that I have not listed as I still need to book Prague --> Krakow and Krakow --> Berlin.
https://www.goeuro.com/travel-search2/results/786663844/train?v=wa_dw_bwg:on

https://www.bahn.com/en/view/offers/index.shtml