UK to Prague by train from €88...

It's easy to travel from London to Prague by train, and it's both affordable & time-effective when compared to an afternoon of airport buses, airports, flights, taxis and then a hotel.  Take an afternoon Eurostar from London to Brussels and a high-speed train to Cologne, then the excellent Phoenix City Night Line sleeper train to Prague, arriving in the heart of Prague next morning.  The deluxe sleepers on this train even have a private shower & toilet, with breakfast included, served in your compartment.  Or take daytime high-speed trains from London to Berlin on day 1, stay overnight, then take a scenic daytime train with restaurant car from Berlin to Prague on day 2.  Or you can stop overnight in Cologne or Munich - indeed, the route via Munich can be the cheapest option, London to Prague from just €78, excluding hotel.  The choice is yours...

Train times, fares & tickets...

On this page you'll find a step-by-step guide to arranging train travel from the UK to Prague, with train times, fares & how to buy tickets:

  London to Prague via the Cologne-Prague sleeper  The most time-effective option.

  London to Prague by day trains with overnight stop in Cologne or Berlin, a leisurely option.

  London to Prague by day trains with overnight stop in Paris or Munich, the cheapest option.

Prague's historic old town square is just 15 minutes walk from Prague Hlavni station where you arrive by train from London.  More photos...

  London & East Anglia to Prague via the Harwich-Hoek ferry with a day in Amsterdam.

  London to other Czech destinations:  Brno, Ostrava, Karlovy Vary, Cesky Krumlov, Plzen...

  London to Krakow & Prague in one trip

  Scotland & the North of England to Prague by ferry from Hull or Newcastle.

  Buying connecting train tickets from other UK towns & cities    

International train travel to or from Prague...

  Trains to Prague from other European cities

  Trains from Prague to other European cities

Other useful information...

  Useful country information: Currency, tourist information, time zone...

  Prague Hlavni station information   Prague map, metro & tourist info

  Suggested hotels in Prague    Prague Open Top Bus Tour

  Travel insurance, EU Health Card & SIM cards  

  Holidays  & tours to Prague by train

  Luggage on trains   Left luggage at stations    Send your luggage in advance    

  Taking your bike     Taking your dog

  General European train travel information

  Amsterdam to Prague by sleeper train from €79

  Munich to Prague by train from €15

Sponsored links...

Useful country information

London to Prague

Option 1 until 10 Dec 2016:  London to Prague using the Cologne-Prague sleeper...

Lunch in London, breakfast in Prague...  This is the most time-effective and comfortable option, leaving central London mid-afternoon and arriving in central Prague in time for a late breakfast next morning.  It may even save you a hotel bill or two compared to flying. 

Only runs until 10 December 2016, after that travel via Zurich as shown below...

London ► Prague

• Travel from London to Brussels by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras daily except Saturdays at 15:04, arriving Brussels Midi at 18:05.  On Saturdays, depart London at 12:58 arriving Brussels Midi at 16:08.  Advice on connections in Brussels or watch the video.

• Travel from Brussels to Cologne by ICE high-speed train leaving Brussels Midi at 18:25 and arriving Cologne at 20:15.  On Saturdays you can also take the earlier 17:28 Thalys train arriving Cologne at 19:15.  You've time for dinner in Cologne.

• Travel from Cologne to Prague by City Night Line sleeper train, leaving Cologne daily at 23:13 and arriving in Prague Hlavni station at 11:28 next morning.  This train is the excellent City Night Line Phoenix with modern Czech sleeping-car, couchettes & seats, see the photos & information below.  There's no restaurant car, so feel free to take you own picnic and bottle of wine aboard.  Next morning south of Dresden (reached at 08:58) the train starts winding along the scenic River Elbe.  The train arrives at Prague Hlavni station, just 15 minutes walk from Prague's historic old town.  Click for map of Prague showing stations.  Prague Hlavni station information.

Prague ► London

• Travel from Prague to Cologne by City Night Line sleeper train, leaving Prague Hlavni station at 18:27 and arriving in Cologne at 06:56 next morning.  This train is the Phoenix, with sleeping-car, couchettes & seats, see the photos & information below.  In summer when it's light, sit back in your compartment with a glass of red and enjoy the scenic trip along the Elbe river valley towards Dresden.

• Travel from Cologne to Brussels by ICE high-speed train, leaving Cologne daily at 07:43, arriving Brussels Midi at 09:35.

• Travel from Brussels to London by Eurostar.  On Mondays to Fridays, a Eurostar leaves Brussels Midi at 10:56 and arrives London St Pancras at 11:57.  On Sundays, a Eurostar leaves Brussels Midi at 11:56 and arrives London St Pancras at 12:57.  On Saturdays a Eurostar leaves Brussels Midi at 12:52 and arrives London St Pancras at 14:05.

By Eurostar to Brussels, then an ICE high-speed train to Cologne:  Watch the video.

An ICE to Cologne & Frankfurt waiting to leave Brussels Midi.  More ICE information.		ICE3 2nd class.   ICEs are perhaps the most comfortable daytime trains in Europe...		ICE3 1st class , with real leather seats.  All seats in both classes have power sockets.

Introducing the City Night Line sleeper train Phoenix from Cologne to Prague...

The City Night Line sleeper train Phoenix has a modern air-conditioned Czech sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3-berth deluxe compartments with private shower & toilet, and 1, 2 & 3-berth economy compartments with washbasin.  There is a shower at the end of the corridor for passengers in economy sleepers, all sleepers have vingcard locks & power sockets for laptop computers & mobiles, and sleeper fares include a light breakfast.  The train also has air-conditioned German couchette cars (simple but comfortable flat berths with rug & pillow in 5-berth compartments and ordinary seats (not recommended).  There's no restaurant or buffet car, but feel free to take your own bottle of wine or picnic on board.  More pictures & information about this train.

Dinner in Cologne before you board?  For a traditional German meal before boarding the sleeper to Prague, try the excellent Brauhaus Sion (www.brauhaus-sion.de), 5 minutes walk from Cologne Hauptbahnhof, or the Malzmuehle restaurant (www.muehlenkoelsch.de), 10-15 minutes walk from Cologne Hauptbahnhof.  Alternatively, there's a restaurant inside Cologne Hauptbahnhof itself in the catering passageway, the Schweinske, www.schweinske.de.

1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper: The most civilised option, economy with washbasin or deluxe with shower & toilet.

Couchettes:  For sole occupancy of a 5-berth couchette, simply book 5 tickets.

5-berth couchettes:  There are 6 berths, but all CNL couchettes are now sold as 5-berth.

The Phoenix rises...  At Prague Hlavni, the sleeping-car attendant on the Phoenix greets passengers for Cologne. More pictures & information about the Amsterdam to Prague sleeper train.

How much does it cost?

Berths are sold individually, so one ticket means one bed.  The other beds in your compartment will be sold to other passengers.

If you want sole occupancy, simply book 1 ticket in a 1-bed sleeper or 2 tickets in 2-berth sleeper or 4 tickets in 5-berth couchettes, etc.

* This is the supplement you pay if you have a railpass, a 1st class pass is required for deluxe sleepers.

** Children under 15 travel free if accompanied by a fare-paying adult, but must pay the berth supplement shown here.

Saver fare = advance-purchase fare, price varies, limited availability, no refunds, no changes to travel plans.

Full price = fully flexible, refundable, buy any time.

How to buy tickets online...

Anyone from any country can buy tickets this way, at the cheapest prices bought direct from the train operators.  Booking for Eurostar opens 120 days ahead and at times up to 180 days ahead, booking for the other trains opens 92 days ahead, but I strongly recommend waiting and buying all tickets together, doing a dry run first on all websites to check prices & availability before booking for real.  Hotel accommodation can be booked before booking your trains risk-free if you use a site such as www.booking.com with free cancellation.

• Step 1, book the City Night Line sleeper train from Cologne to Prague & back at www.bahn.de...

  Simply look for the direct CNL train with 0 changes and click to check availability of the cheap saver fares.  www.bahn.de is the excellent German Railways website, it will book all types of couchette and sleeper on this train, it can be used by residents of any country, prices are in euros for all passengers selected (not per person) and you simply print out your own ticket.

  I strongly recommend registering on bahn.de when prompted, so you can log in at any time to see all your bookings and re-print tickets at any time from any PC.

  Money-saving tip:  Westbound, see if booking from Prague to Amsterdam is cheaper than booking from Prague to Cologne, as it often is.  If it's cheaper, nothing stops you booking the cheaper ticket from Prague to Amsterdam and getting off in Cologne.  This doesn't work eastbound, though, as berths not claimed at Amsterdam may be resold.  Naturally, if you were making a round trip, you'd book Cologne-Prague as a one-way, then Prague to Amsterdam as a one-way.

• Step 2, book your trains from London to Cologne & back.  I recommend comparing prices on two sites.

  First, check prices from London to Cologne at the German Railways website using the special links I'm about to give you.  I recommend booking a round trip as two one-ways, as it's easier to see where the availability is.  You simply print your own ticket.  Here are the links I've set up with all the details necessary to bring up the cheap fares, just enter your departure date, remembering that on the inward journey, departure from Cologne will be the day after departure from Prague:

  Buy an outward ticket from London to Cologne leaving London at 12:58 on Saturdays or leaving London at 15:04 Mondays-Fridays & Sundays.

  Buy an inward ticket from Cologne to London leaving Cologne at 07:43 Monday-Saturday or leaving Cologne at 07:43 on Sundays.

  Now check prices from London to Cologne at the Belgian Railways international website www.b-europe.com.  This can sell London to Cologne tickets using Eurostar and ICE or Eurostar and Thalys, and it allows you to print your own ticket.  It may or may not be cheaper than bahn.de, just buy from whichever site has the cheaper fare!

• Alternatively, you can always book London to Cologne in two stages direct with the relevant operators.  First, book from London to Brussels and back at www.eurostar.com.  You print your own ticket, and can buy tickets to Brussels starting not just in London, but from 130 UK towns and cities.  At the end of the booking, look for the link allowing you to book a specific seat.  Tips on choosing the best Eurostar seats.

• Then book the ICE train from Brussels to Cologne and back at www.bahn.de.  You print your own ticket.  I strongly recommend registering, so you can log in and re-print or change bookings at any time.  The best connections for this particular journey are by ICE, as shown in the train times above, but if you want to stop off in Brussels or Cologne so want to book one of the Thalys trains between Brussels & Cologne instead, you can do this at www.thalys.com, also with self-print tickets.

• Starting your journey from other UK towns & cities:  You can buy a special add-on ticket to connect with Eurostar from almost any station in Britain, with better terms and conditions than buying a regular domestic UK train ticket to London, see the advice here.

How to buy tickets by email...

• If you'd like someone book it all for you, just click here and a booking form will appear which lists all the trains you need to book for any of the options on this page.  Fill it in & email it to sales@traintours4u.co.uk.  Traintours4u will make the reservations and call you back to confirm the cost.  If you're okay with the price you can give them your credit card details and they will send you the tickets.  They charge a £35 booking fee which includes postage to any UK address, or they can send to any address worldwide if you pay the courier fee.

How to buy tickets by phone...

• To buy tickets by phone, call International Rail on 0844 248 248 3, lines open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday.  Overseas callers call +44 844 2482483.  International Rail are equipped with both the French and German rail ticketing systems, so can offer the best prices all the trains between London and Prague.  They charge a £10 booking fee for bookings under £100, £20 for £100-£300, £30 above £300.  In many cases tickets can be emailed to you as e-tickets, so there's no postage fee or delay.

• Alternatively, you can call Deutsche Bahn's UK phone line on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card charge), or www.traintours4u.co.uk on 020 7619 1080 (lines open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, £35 booking fee but may have more time to help).  Click here for more information on how to buy European train tickets.

Option 1 from 11 Dec 2016:  London to Prague using the Zurich-Prague sleeper...

From 11 December when the Cologne-Prague City Night Line sleeper is discontinued, a new Zurich-Prague sleeper means it's still possible to travel to Prague without an overnight stop.  This is the most time-effective way to reach Prague, though not the fastest...

London ► Prague

• Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 10:24 Monday-Friday, 11:22 on Saturdays or 11:31 on Sundays, arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 13:47 on weekdays or 14:47 at weekends.  By all means book an earlier Eurostar and have a late lunch in Paris, perhaps at the famous Train Bleu restaurant at the Gare de Lyon.  Transfer from Paris Nord to Paris Gare de Lyon by taxi or metro, it's just 2 stops on RER line D.

• Travel from Paris to Zurich by TGV-Lyria high-speed train, leaving Paris Gare de Lyon at 16:23 and arriving Zurich at 20:26.  A cafe-bar is available on board.  You've time for dinner in one of the many restaurants at Zurich's main station - I can recommend a beer and steak-frites at the Brasserie Federal on the main station concourse.

• Travel from Zurich to Prague by EuroNight sleeper train, leaving Zurich daily at 21:40 and arriving in Prague Hlavni station at 10:04 next morning.  This train has an excellent modern Czech sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartment (choice of standard with washbasin or deluxe with shower & toilet), couchettes in a choice of 4-berth or 6-berth compartments & ordinary seats.  There's no restaurant car, so feel free to take you own picnic and bottle of wine aboard.  The train arrives at Prague Hlavni station, just 15 minutes walk from Prague's historic old town.  Click for map of Prague showing stations.  Prague Hlavni station information.

Prague ► London

• Travel from Prague to Zurich by EuroNight sleeper train, leaving Prague Hlavni station daily at 18:02 and arriving at Zurich at 08:20 next morning.  This train has an excellent modern Czech sleeping-car with 1, 2 & 3 bed compartment (choice of standard with washbasin or deluxe with shower & toilet), couchettes in a choice of 4-berth or 6-berth compartments & ordinary seats.  There's no restaurant car, but feel free to take you own picnic and bottle of wine aboard.

• Travel from Zurich to Paris by TGV-Lyria high-speed train, leaving Zurich daily at 09:34, arriving Paris Gare de Lyon at 13:37.  A cafe-bar is available on board.  Transfer from Paris Gare de Lyon to Paris Nord by taxi or metro, it's just 2 stops on RER line D

• Travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 15:13 and arriving London St Pancras at 16:30.

How to much does it cost?

• London to Paris by Eurostar starts at £45 one-way or £69 return in 2nd class,  £112 one-way or £169 return in 1st class.

• Paris to Zurich by TGV-Lyria starts at €25 each way in 2nd class, €82 each way in 1st class.

• Zurich to Prague by sleeper train starts at €59 each way with a couchette, €99 each way with a bed in a cosy 2-bed sleeper, €129 with a bed in a single-bed sleeper.

How to buy tickets online...

• Step 1, book London to Zurich at www.loco2.com.  You can book as one easy transaction from London or any station in Britain to Zurich, or to give you more control and perhaps allow time for lunch in Paris, book from London or your local station to Paris, add to basket, then book Paris to Zurich and add that to you basket, then check out.

  Alternatively, you can of course book the Eurostar at www.eurostar.com then book the Paris-Zurich TGV-Lyria at www.trainline.eu, although prices should be exactly the same.

• Step 2, book the Zurich-Prague sleeper.  This is where it gets interesting.  Subject to more research when the train actually starts running and becomes bookable, this journey cannot be booked online at the Austrian Railways website www.oebb.at because neither end is in Austria, nor at the Czech Railways site www.cd.cz/eshop as this is incapable of booking inward journeys starting in Switzerland, and I suspect it will be ignored by the Swiss at www.sbb.ch just as the Zurich-Budapest sleepers on the same departure are ignored and unbookable online.  Picking up the phone to an agency is unlikely to help, as the cheap advance fares offered by the Swiss/Austrian/Czech railways are not available through western agencies who almost always use the French or German ticketing systems.  The best bet is probably an online order request made through the journey planner at Swiss Railways www.sbb.ch.

How to buy tickets by phone...

• To buy tickets by phone, call International Rail on 0844 248 248 3, lines open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday.  Overseas callers call +44 844 2482483.  International Rail charge a £10 booking fee for bookings under £100, £20 for £100-£300, £30 above £300. 

• Alternatively, you can call Deutsche Bahn's UK phone line on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card charge), or www.traintours4u.co.uk on 020 7619 1080 (lines open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, £35 booking fee but may have more time to help).  Click here for more information on how to buy European train tickets.

• Important:  Note that as far as I know, none of these phone lines can sell the cheap advance fares for the Zurich-Prague sleeper as they all use the French, German, Belgian or Italian systems so cannot access the cheap fares held on the Swiss, Austrian or Czech systems for this particular fare.  They should be able to book this train, but possibly only at a relatively expensive full-flex rate, not at the cheap limited-availability advance-purchase rates offered by the Swiss, Austrian or Czech railways.

Have your trip professionally arranged...

• Custom-made travel arrangements:  A hassle-free option is to get a train tour specialist such as Railbookers to arrange your whole trip, with train tickets, hotels and transfers all sorted with one phone call.  As you're then in effect booking a package, they'll take care of you if there's a strike or major delay, for example.  Just tell them when and where you want to go, and they'll create the best rail-based tour or holiday for you.

    UK call 020 3327 0761, www.railbookers.co.uk. 

    US call free 1-888-829-4775, see website.

    Canada call free 1-855-882-2910, see website.

    Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526, see website. 

    New Zealand call toll-free 0800 000 554 or see website.

• Escorted tours:  If you'd like to travel with a convivial group of travellers escorted by a professional tour guide, the operators to check are Great Rail Journeys (www.greatrail.com, in the UK call 01904 527 120) and Rail Discoveries, www.raildiscoveries.com, 01904 730 727.  Both have various escorted tours from the UK to Prague by train, with departures on a variety of dates.

Option 2:  London to Prague by daytime trains with hotel stop in Cologne or Berlin

You may prefer to use daytime trains, and although London to Prague is too far to go in one day, you can easily break the journey up with an overnight stop in either Cologne or Berlin.  Indeed, this can be the cheapest option, setting aside the cost of a hotel or hostel for a night. By all means go one way by sleeper, the other by day trains with a stopover.  Or one way with stopover in Cologne, the other with stopover in Berlin.

London ► Prague

• Day 1, travel by train from London to Cologne or Berlin by Eurostar & ICE:  See the Germany page for train times between London & Cologne or between London & Berlin.  Take any service you like, for example London depart 15:04 (16:04 on Saturdays), Cologne arrive 20:15 (21:15 on Saturdays).  Or London depart 10:58, Berlin arrive 21:06.

• Stay overnight in a hotel in Cologne or a hotel in Berlin.  In Berlin, The 3-star Menninger Hotel is ideal as it's right next to Berlin Hauptbahnhof and a 10-minute walk from the Reichstag, it's inexpensive and gets good reviews.  If you want to push the boat out, try the famous Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is right next to the Brandenburg Gate.  If you're on a tight budget, see www.hostelbookers.com.

• Day 2, travel by train from Cologne or Berlin to Prague:  Use the German Railways website www.bahn.de to find train times between Cologne or Berlin & Prague & back.  Important tip:  To avoid seeing endless options involving a rail replacement bus between Nuremburg & Prague, simply click Add intermediate stops and enter Berlin in the via box. 

  For example, you can leave Cologne Hbf at 09:48 and arrive at Prague Hlavni station at 19:28, a comfortable journey across Germany on superb ICE trains & EuroCity trains with bistro or restaurant car, no buses.  

  Treat yourself to lunch in the diner, or feel free to take your own food and a bottle of wine.  Trains link Berlin and Prague every two hours, for example Berlin depart 09:00 Prague arrive 13:28, with restaurant car for lunch and a lovely scenic meander along the river Elbe south of Dresden - have your camera ready!  See more photos, tips & info for the Berlin to Prague train ride.

Prague ► London

• Day 1, travel from Prague to Berlin or Cologne.  Prague to Berlin takes just 4h31 with a train every two hours through the day.  Berlin to Cologne takes 4h45.  See more photos, tips & info for the Prague to Berlin train ride.

• Stay overnight in a hotel in Cologne or a hotel in Berlin.  In Berlin, The 3-star Menninger Hotel is ideal as it's right next to Berlin Hauptbahnhof and a 10-minute walk from the Reichstag, it's inexpensive and gets good reviews.  If you want to push the boat out, try the famous Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin is right next to the Brandenburg Gate.  If you're on a tight budget, see www.hostelbookers.com.

• Day 2, travel from Berlin or Cologne to London by ICE and Eurostar.  See the Germany page for train times between Cologne & London or between Berlin & London.  Take any service you like.

How much does it cost?  London to Prague from €88!

• With a Sparpreis London fare, London to Cologne or Berlin starts at just €59 (£46).

• With a Sparpreis Czech fare, Cologne to Prague starts at €39 (£30), Berlin to Prague starts at just €29 (£23).

How to buy tickets online, with hotel stop in Cologne...

• Step 1, book from London to Cologne and back.  First, look for a cheap Sparpreis London fare from €59 each way, using these links.  Book a round trip as two one-ways, and I strongly recommend registering when prompted, so you can log in at any time and check or re-print tickets.

  London to Cologne departing 06:13 Mondays London to Cologne departing 06:50 Tuesdays-Saturdays London to Cologne departing 08:58 Sundays London to Cologne departing 10:58 Mondays-Saturdays London to Cologne departing 12:58 Saturdays London to Cologne departing 15:04 Mon-Fri & Sundays

  Cologne to London departing 07:43 Mon-Sat Cologne to London departing 07:43 on Sundays Cologne to London departing 11:43 any day Cologne to London departing 15:43 on weekdays Cologne to London departing 15:43 on Saturdays Cologne to London departing 15:43 on Sundays

  Availability of Sparpreis London fares is limited as DB only have a small allocation on Eurostar, so if you don't see any cheap fares, or want to use Eurostar and Thalys services rather than Eurostar and ICE, book London to Cologne and back using www.b-europe.com instead.

• Step 2, book from Cologne to Prague and back using these links.  Again, book a round trip as two one-ways, and I strongly recommend registering when prompted, so you can log in at any time and check or re-print tickets.  I also recommend adding an optional seat reservation for a few extra euros, as the Berlin to Prague route is very popular, especially in the summer.

  Cologne to Prague    Prague to Cologne

  You'll notice that these Cologne-Prague links automatically put 'Berlin' in the 'via' box on www.bahn.de.  This forces it to find train services via Berlin, as the best Cologne-Prague services involve just one change of train in Berlin with civilised and comfortable trains all the way.  If you don't do this the system has an annoying habit of only suggesting the awful railway-run bus connection from Nuremberg to Prague, and you don't want a bus!

How to buy tickets online, with hotel stop in Berlin...

• Step 1, book from London to Berlin and back.  First, look for a cheap Sparpreis London fare from €59 each way, using these links.  Book a round trip as two one-ways, and I strongly recommend registering when prompted, so you can log in at any time and check or re-print tickets.

  Departing London at 06:13 Mondays Departing London at 06:50 Tuesdays-Saturdays Departing London at 08:58 Sundays Departing London at 10:58 Mondays-Saturdays

  Departing Berlin at 06:49 any day Departing Berlin at 10:49 on weekdays Departing Berlin at 10:49 on Saturdays Departing Berlin at 10:49 on Sundays

  Availability of Sparpreis London fares is limited as DB only have a small allocation on Eurostar, so if you don't see any cheap fares, or want to use Eurostar and Thalys services rather than Eurostar and ICE, book London to Cologne and back using www.b-europe.com instead, then book Cologne to Berlin using www.bahn.de.

• Step 2, book from Berlin to Prague and back using these links.  Again, book a round trip as two one-ways, and I strongly recommend registering when prompted, so you can log in at any time and check or re-print tickets:

  Berlin to Prague    Prague to Berlin

• Would you like a stopover in Dresden?  If you'd like to stop off for a few hours (or even overnight) to see a bit of Dresden, simply use the Berlin-Prague links above, but type 'Dresden' in the 'via' box and enter the number of hours stopover you'd like, and the system will give you a cheap fare between Berlin and Prague with a stopover in Dresden.  Left luggage lockers are available at Dresden station.

How to buy tickets by phone...

• To buy tickets by phone, call International Rail on 0844 248 248 3, lines open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday.  Overseas callers call +44 844 2482483.  International Rail are equipped with both the French and German rail ticketing systems, so can offer the best prices all the trains between London and Hungary.  They charge a £10 booking fee for bookings under £100, £20 for £100-£300, £30 above £300.  In many cases tickets can be emailed to you as e-tickets, so there's no postage fee or delay.

• Alternatively, you can call Deutsche Bahn's UK phone line on 08718 80 80 66 (lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card charge), or www.traintours4u.co.uk on 020 7619 1080 (lines open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday, £35 booking fee but may have more time to help).  Click here for more information on how to buy European train tickets.

Have your trip professionally arranged...

• Custom-made travel arrangements:  A hassle-free option is to get a train tour specialist such as Railbookers to arrange your whole trip, with train tickets, hotels and transfers all sorted out to your own specification with one phone call.  As you're then in effect booking a tour package rather than travelling independently, they'll take care of you if your trip is affected by a strike or major delay, for example.  Just tell them when and where you want to go, and they'll create the best rail-based tour or holiday for you.  They get positive reviews and look after their customers very well.

    UK call 020 3327 0761, www.railbookers.co.uk. 

    US call free 1-888-829-4775, see website.

    Canada call free 1-855-882-2910, see website.

    Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526, see website. 

    New Zealand call toll-free 0800 000 554 or see website.

• Escorted tours:  If you'd like to travel with a convivial group of travellers escorted by a professional tour guide, contact Great Rail Journeys at www.greatrail.com, in the UK call 01904 527 120.  They have regular escorted tours from the UK to Prague, Budapest & Vienna by train.

What's the journey like?

By high-speed ICE to Berlin...

ICE2 1st class.		ICE2 2nd class.		ICE2 at Berlin.  More info about ICE

Treat yourself to lunch!		ICE2's elegant restaurant car...		ICE2's convivial bistro-bar car...

By EuroCity train from Berlin to Prague...

So civilised!  A meal in the Czech restaurant car as the Berlin-Prague express snakes along the beautiful Elbe river south of Dresden.  Most Berlin-Prague trains use Czech carriages like this, a few use Hungarian air-conditioned carriages.  Photo courtesy of Philip Dyer-Perry.

Option 3  London to Prague by day trains with hotel stop in Paris or Munich...

This is potentially the cheapest option, London to Prague from as little as €74.  It's too far to go in one day, so choose between an evening departure from London with overnight stop in Paris, or a morning departure from London with an overnight stop in Munich.

London ► Prague with overnight stop in Paris

• Day 1, travel from London to Paris on any evening Eurostar you like.  Book this at www.eurostar.com from £45 one-way or £69 return and print your own ticket.

• Stay overnight in Paris - see suggested hotels near Paris Nord or Paris Est stations.

• Day 2 morning, travel from Paris to Munich.  You'll usually find a departure from Paris Gare de l'Est around 09:06 by 200mph TGV Duplex to Mannheim then luxurious German ICE train on to Munich arriving around 15:28.  Check times and buy tickets online at www.bahn.de from €39 and print your own ticket.

• Day 2 evening, travel from Munich to Prague by classic train, leaving Munich at 17:02 and arriving Prague Hlavni at 22:41.  You'll find more details & photos of these Munich-Prague trains here.  Buy the ticket for this train from just €15 (or go 1st class from €35) at the Czech railways website www.cd.cz/eshop and print your own ticket.

London ► Prague with overnight stop in Munich

• Day 1, travel from London to Munich using any of the morning departures shown in detail on the London to Germany page.  You can go via Paris or via Brussels.  You can try for a Sparpreis London fare on the Brussels route from just €59 upwards at bahn.de, use the special links on the London to Germany page.

• Stay overnight in Munich, search here for hotels.  Try the Sofitel Munich Beyerpost, Eden Hotel Wolff, InterCity Hotel or (budget) the Pension Locarno, all right next to the station with great reviews.

• Day 2 morning, travel from Munich to Prague by train.  There's a 04:55 train from Munich (the Jan Hus) arriving Prague Hlavni at 10:43, but you may prefer to have a leisurely breakfast then take the 09:01 train from Munich (the Albert Einstein) arriving Prague Hlavni at 14:41.  You'll find more details & photos of these Munich-Prague trains here.  Buy the ticket for this train from just €15 (or 1st class from €35) at the Czech railways website www.cd.cz/eshop and print your own ticket.

Prague ► London with overnight stop in Paris

• Day 1 morning, travel from Prague to Munich by train, leaving Prague Hlavni at 05:12 arriving Munich 11:18, or at 09:12 arriving Munich at 15:05.  You'll find more details & photos of these Prague-Munich trains here.  Buy the ticket for this train from just €15 (or 1st class from €35) at the Czech railways website www.cd.cz/eshop and print your own ticket.  Stay overnight in Munich.

• Day 1 evening, travel from Munich to Paris by high-speed train.  If you left Prague at 05:12, you'll usually find a 14:28 from Munich to Paris every day with a change Mannheim, arriving Paris Est around 20:54.  If you left Prague at 09:15, daily except Saturdays you'll usually find a departure from Munich at 16:28, change at Stuttgart, arriving Paris around 22:24.  Check times and buy tickets online at www.bahn.de from €39 and print your own ticket.  Times will change from 3 July 2016 when the final section of TGV-Est high-speed line opens knocking another 30 minutes off the journey time, so check times online.

• Stay overnight in Paris - see suggested hotels near Paris Nord or Paris Est stations.

• Day 2, travel from Paris to London on any morning Eurostar you like.  Book this at www.eurostar.com from £45 one-way or £69 return and print your own ticket.

Prague ► London with overnight stop in Munich

• Day 1, travel from Prague to Munich by train, leaving Prague Hlavni at 13:12 and arriving Munich Hbf at 19:15, or at 17:12 arriving Munich Hbf at 23:05.  You'll find more details & photos of these Prague-Munich trains here.  Buy the ticket for this train from just €15 (1st class from €35) at the Czech railways website www.cd.cz/eshop and print your own ticket. 

• Stay overnight in Munich, search here for hotels.  Try the Sofitel Munich Beyerpost, Eden Hotel Wolff, InterCity Hotel or (budget) the Pension Locarno, all right next to the station with great reviews.

• Day 2, travel from Munich to London, either via Paris or via Brussels, as shown on the London to Germany page.  Book this as shown on the London to Germany page, if you're lucky and book well ahead you can find Sparpreis London fares from as little as €59.

  If you don't mind an early start, you can leave Munich at 06:25 weekdays or 06:29 at weekends on a direct TGV to Paris, change there for a Eurostar which will get you to London as early as 14:39 - but later departures are also possible if you'd prefer to linger over your cornflakes.

What's the journey like?

From London to Paris by Eurostar: See the Eurostar page for photos & information about Eurostar. From Paris to Munich by TGV Duplex...         Click for video guide Sit back with a glass of red and enjoy the ride - book an upper deck seat for the best views.  The train is equipped with power sockets for laptops & mobiles at all seats in both classes, and a cafe-bar serves drinks, snacks & microwaved hot dishes.  First class passengers on this route are given a simple but tasty meal box with a small bottle of beer or wine served at their seat, included in the fare.  The train soon leaves the Paris suburbs behind and speeds across a vast wide open plateau of woods & farmland at up to 200mph, past picturesque French villages of the Champagne region.  An hour or two later, the train leaves the high-speed line and slowly meanders through pretty wooded hills, the countryside eventually flattening out towards Strasbourg.  On leaving Strasbourg, look out for Strasbourg cathedral on the left with its famously missing second tower.  Minutes afterwards you rumble across the river Rhine into Germany, before heading on to Stuttgart & Munich.
TGV Duplex at Paris Est. These impressive 200 mph double-deck trains link Paris with Nice, Marseille, Munich, Barcelona & Switzerland...		2nd class table for 4 on TGV Duplex upper deck...

The cafe-bar on the upper deck in car 4, serving tea, coffee, soft drinks, wine, beer, snacks & microwaved hot dishes....		2nd class seats, this is upper deck seating.  There's a mix or tables for 4 and unidirectional seating.

1st class seats on the upper deck, with a club duo on the left, a club quatre on the right.		A TGV Duplex.  The red near the door indicates 1st class, pale green indicates 2nd class.

From Munich to Prague by direct ALEX train...  More information about trains from Munich to Prague

An ALEX train to Prague about to leave Munich...		Some trains have a bistro

	London to the Netherlands by Dutch Flyer train & ferry...  Take a train from London's Liverpool Street station directly to the ferry terminal at Harwich.  You walk off the train, into the terminal, get your boarding card & cabin key at the Stena Line check-in desk and walk straight onto the overnight ferry to Hoek van Holland.  The new superferry Stena Hollandica is the largest ferry of its kind in the world.  See the Netherlands page and see the video...
	Cosy cabins:  The overnight Harwich-Hoek ferry is a floating hotel.  All passengers travel in a cosy private cabin with en suite shower & toilet and satellite TV.  This is the cheapest 2-berth cabin...
	... and this is a Captain's Class cabin with double bed & complimentary bubbly in the minibar.

The comfortable ferry alternative to Eurostar...

You might prefer to travel by train & ferry to reach Prague, for example to avoid the Channel Tunnel if problems affect the Eurostar service or if you suffer from claustrophobia.  It's also cheaper at short notice when Eurostar can be expensive.  This route is handy if you live in East Anglia as you can travel direct to Harwich avoiding London.  Indeed, you may simply prefer a relaxing journey, cruising overnight on the Stena Line superferry in a luxury en suite cabin with shower, toilet, satellite TV and free WiFi (see the video!), spending a day at leisure exploring Amsterdam, then travelling by late afternoon ICE train to Cologne for dinner, before boarding the overnight City Night Line sleeper train to Prague.  It's a great way to reach Prague and see Amsterdam on the way!

London, East Anglia & Harwich ► Prague

• Day 1, evening:  Travel from London to Amsterdam overnight by Dutch Flyer train & ferry service.  You leave London's Liverpool Street station daily at 19:32 by train to Harwich International.  At Harwich, the station is right next to the ferry terminal and you walk off the train into the terminal, check in at the Stena Line desk and walk straight onto the Stena Line ferry to Hoek van Holland.  All passengers travel in cosy private cabins with en suite toilet, shower & satellite TV.  Deluxe Comfort class & Captains class cabins are also available, and there's free WiFi in the lounges, bars & restaurants on 9 deck.  You can get on board the ferry before 9pm, have a late dinner in the restaurant and settle into your cabin.  The ferry sails at 23:00 and arrives at Hoek van Holland at 08:00 Dutch time next morning.  At Hoek, the station is right next to the ferry terminal.  You hop on the frequent local train to Schiedam and change for an InterCity train to Amsterdam Centraal, arriving 10:01.  See the Netherlands page for full details.  Dutch Flyer tickets are valid not just from London but from any Abellio Greater Anglia railway station, for example, Cambridge, Norwich or Chelmsford.

• Day 2:  Spend the day at leisure exploring Amsterdam.  Left luggage lockers are available at Amsterdam Centraal.

• Day 2, evening:  Take the 18:35 ICE train from Amsterdam to Cologne arriving 21:12, with a bistro-restaurant car available on board.  Alternatively, you can book the earlier 16:35 ICE train from Amsterdam to Cologne arriving 19:12 and have dinner in Cologne before joining your sleeper.

• Day 2 evening, travel from Cologne to Prague on the City Night Line sleeper Phoenix leaving Cologne at 23:13 and arriving Prague Hlavni at 11:28.

  The Phoenix has a modern Czech sleeping-car, couchettes & seats, see the photos & information here.  There's no restaurant car, so feel free to take you own picnic and bottle of wine aboard.  Next morning south of Dresden (around 09:00) the train starts winding along the scenic River Elbe, well worth putting the blind up for!  The train arrives at Prague Hlavni station, just 15 minutes walk from Prague's historic old town. 

  Click for map of Prague showing stations.  Prague Hlavni station information.

Prague ► Harwich, East Anglia & London

• Day 1, evening:  Travel from Prague to Cologne by City Night Line sleeper train Phoenix, leaving Prague Hlavni station at 18:27 and arriving in Cologne at 06:56 next morning.  Have breakfast in Cologne. 

  The Phoenix has a modern Czech sleeping-car, couchettes & seats, see the photos & information here.  In summer when it's light, sit back in your compartment with a glass of red and enjoy the scenic trip along the Elbe river valley towards Dresden.

• Day 2, morning, take the 08:42 ICE train to Amsterdam Centraal, arriving 11:27.

• Day 2:  Spend the day at leisure in Amsterdam.  Left luggage lockers are available.

• Day 2, evening:  Travel from Amsterdam to London overnight by Dutch Flyer train & ferry service.  You take the 18:42 train from Amsterdam to Rotterdam and change onto the local sprinter train to Hoek van Holland.  The ferry terminal is right next to the station.  Walk onto the ferry and sail overnight in a snug private cabin with shower, toilet & satellite TV to Harwich.  The ferry sails at 22:00 and arrives at Harwich International at 06:30 next morning, UK time.  Take a train on to London next morning (day 2) arriving 08:48-08:59.  See the Netherlands page for full details.

How much does it cost?

• London to Amsterdam starts at £49 per person each way, plus the cost of a cabin.  Cabins start at £30 for a single berth cabin or £43 per cabin for a 2-berth, and are compulsory on the night sailing.  The fare covers the train from London to Harwich, the ferry, and onward Dutch trains from Hoek van Holland Haven to any station in the Netherlands, see the Netherlands page for full details of fares and cabin types and costs.

• Amsterdam to Cologne by ICE starts at €19 each way in 2nd class, €39 each way in 1st class.

• Cologne to Prague by City Night Line sleeper train starts at €60 one-way with a couchette in a 5-berth compartment, €105 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper, or €144 with a bed in a single-bed sleeper.

How to buy tickets online...

• Step 1, buy a Dutch Flyer train & ferry ticket from London to Amsterdam as shown on the Netherlands page.

• Step 2, now book the sleeper train from Cologne to Prague.  To buy tickets online, simply go to www.bahn.de - I've set this link up for you to book this train easily, just enter your dates of travel and look for the direct CNL train with 0 changes in the search results.

• Now add an Amsterdam to Cologne ticket, using this link:  www.bahn.de.

How to buy tickets by` phone:  Special booking form

• To buy tickets for the Dutch Flyer from London to Hoek van Holland plus onward train tickets to Prague or almost anywhere in Europe, fill in the special booking form and email it to sales@traintours4u.co.uk.  They will call you back with a price, usually within 24 hours.  Using the booking form can save a long phone call while they take details and work out trains & prices.  If you'd rather call them, phone 020 7619 1080, but please say you're calling about 'Dutch Flyer' & onward train tickets to Prague as shown on 'Seat61'.  Their lines are 08:30-18:00 Monday to Friday, 09:00-13:00 Saturday.  Note that there's a £35 fee for phone or email bookings, but this is for the whole booking, not per person or per ticket.  Traintours4u are one of the few agencies (if not the only agency) who can sell both the Dutch Flyer and onward European train tickets.

 Scotland & North of England to Prague via ferry   

	DFDS Seaways Princess of Norway about to sail overnight from Newcastle to Amsterdam...
	A Commodore deluxe cabin with minibar, satellite TV, shower & toilet.  See the video...
	A standard Seaways class cabin with shower & toilet on DFDS Princess of Norway...

If you live in the North of England or Scotland, the fastest option is to take a train up to London and travel from London to Prague using Eurostar, as described above.  If you choose this option, see this advice on buying cheap connecting train tickets to London.  But there are some useful ferry alternatives which allow you to by-pass London, and spend a day in Amsterdam on the way.  DFDS Seaways run an excellent daily overnight cruise ferry from Newcastle to Amsterdam, and P&O Ferries run a daily overnight cruise ferry from Hull to Rotterdam.  So take the overnight ferry to Holland, spend a day exploring Amsterdam, then take a fast ICE train to Cologne and the excellent City Night Line overnight sleeper from Cologne to Prague.  A wonderful combination!

Scotland & North of England ► Prague

• Day 1, take a train to either Hull or Newcastle, whichever is most convenient for where you live.  Transfer to the P&O overnight cruise ferry from Hull to Rotterdam or the DFDS Seaways cruise ferry from Newcastle to IJmuiden, the port of Amsterdam.  Both ferries have bars, restaurants & comfortable en suite cabins, arriving next morning.  For details of timetables, fares & how to buy tickets for travel to Amsterdam via each of these ferry routes, see the Netherlands page.

• Day 2, spend some time in Amsterdam, all the sights are easy walking distance from Centraal station.  Left luggage lockers are available.

• Day 2 evening, take the 18:35 ICE train from Amsterdam to Cologne arriving 21:12.  Alternatively, you can book the earlier 16:35 ICE train from Amsterdam to Cologne arriving 19:12 and have dinner in Cologne before joining your sleeper.

• Day 2 evening, take the City Night Line sleeper train Phoenix leaving Cologne at 23:13 and arriving Prague Hlavni at 11:28.

  The Phoenix has a modern Czech sleeping-car, couchettes & seats, see the photos & information here.  There's no restaurant car, so feel free to take you own picnic and bottle of wine aboard.  Next morning south of Dresden (around 07:00) the train starts winding along the scenic River Elbe, well worth putting the blind up for!  The train arrives at Prague Hlavni station, just 15 minutes walk from Prague's historic old town. 

Prague ► Scotland & North of England

• Day 1 evening:  Travel from Prague to Cologne by City Night Line sleeper train Phoenix, leaving Prague Hlavni station at 18:27 and arriving in Cologne at 06:56 next morning.  Have breakfast in Cologne.

  The Phoenix has a modern Czech sleeping-car, couchettes & seats, see the photos & information here.  There's no restaurant car, so feel free to take you own picnic and bottle of wine aboard, in summer when it's light you'll enjoy the scenic run up down the Elbe River valley between Prague and Dresden. 

• Day 2, morning:  Take the 08:42 ICE train to Amsterdam Centraal, arriving 11:27.

• Day 2:  Spend the day in Amsterdam.  Left luggage lockers are available.

• Day 2, travel overnight by cruise ferry either with P&O Ferries from Rotterdam to Hull or with DFDS Seaways from IJmuiden (near Amsterdam) to Newcastle, whichever is most convenient for where you live.  Next morning (day 4) transfer to the station and take a train home.  For full details of train & ferry times and how to buy tickets for each of these routes, see the UK-Netherlands page.

Fares & how to buy tickets...

• For journeys via P&O Hull-Rotterdam or DFDS Seaways Newcastle-Amsterdam, first check the ferry times and buy tickets online at www.dfds.co.uk (Newcastle-Amsterdam) or www.poferries.com (Hull-Rotterdam).  Then check train fares and buy train tickets to Hull or Newcastle using www.thetrainline.com or www.nationalrail.co.uk;

• Amsterdam to Cologne by ICE train starts at €19 each way in 2nd class or from €39 in 1st class.

• Cologne to Prague by City Night Line sleeper train starts at €60 one-way with a couchette in a 5-berth compartment, €105 with a bed in a 2-bed sleeper, or €145 with a bed in a single-bed sleeper.

• To buy tickets for the Cologne-Prague sleeper train online, simply go to www.bahn.de (I've set this link up for you to book this train easily, just enter your dates of travel and look for the direct train with 0 changes in the search results). 

• Now add an Amsterdam to Cologne ticket, using this link:  www.bahn.de.

• Alternatively, you can book trains between Amsterdam and Prague by phone on DB's UK phone line, 08718 80 80 66.

Czech Railways (CD) link all main towns & cities in the Czech republic...

Train travel in the Czech Republic...

• You can easily reach anywhere in the Czech Republic by train, travelling from London to Prague as shown above, then using domestic Czech trains onwards from Prague.

• www.bahn.de will give you train times within the Czech Republic, and www.cd.cz/eshop (click EN for English top right) will also give you fares and sell you tickets.

• There is one main station in Prague, Praha Hlavni (= central) near the city centre, see the Prague station section below.

• Trains run regularly, at least every hour or two, from Prague to all the places shown in the Key Destinations section below.  You don't have to buy a ticket in advance, just book as far as Prague then buy an onwards ticket at the station when you get to Prague, this is easy - you can pay on board the train if you find the conductor immediately, and don't mind paying an extra CZK 40 (about €1.50).  Or you can buy online at www.cd.cz/eshop. 

• Seat reservation is compulsory for the front-rank SuperCity Pendolino trains between Prague and Ostrava, but reservation is unnecessary on almost all other Czech Railways trains, so they cannot 'sell out', just turn up, buy a ticket and hop on.

Key destinations...

• Ostrava: Prague to Ostrava by train takes about 3 hours 10 minutes, the fare is about 489 Kc (£16).  The best services are the tilting pendolino SuperCity trains, which are air-conditioned with bar car, see the photos below.  In addition to the regular Czech Railways (CD) trains, two private operators now link Prague and Ostrava, RegioJet (www.regiojet.cz) and Leo Express (www.le.cz).  Unlike CD's tickets, tickets for both Regiojet & Leo Express automatically include a reservation but are only valid on the specific train you book.

• Plzen: Prague to Plzen by train takes about 1 hour 35 minutes, fare about 130 Kc (£4).

• Brno: Prague to Brno by train takes about 2 hours 40 minutes, fare about 250 Kc (£7).

• Cesky Krumlov:  Prague to Cesky Krumlov takes about 3 hours 40 minutes by train with one change of train at Ceske Budejovice.  The fare is about 250 Kc (£7).  Alternatively, you can travel from London to Linz in Austria (see the London to Austria page) then travel by local trains from Linz to Ceskύ Krumlov with one easy change at Ceske Budejovice.  Use www.cd.cz/eshop to find train times & tickets from Linz to Ceskύ Krumlov.

• Karlovy Vary: Prague to Karlovy Vary takes about 3 hours 20 minutes by train, the  fare is about 250 Kc (£7).  However, if you're travelling from London, Paris or Amsterdam, change trains at Usti nad Labem, an hour before arriving in Prague, for a local train to Karlovy vary.  This will save time over going into Prague and out again.  Use http://bahn.hafas.de to find train times.  You'll find it easier to book to Usti nad Labem, then buy a local ticket to Karlovy Vary when you get to Usti.  Similarly, on your return journey, travel from Karlovy Vary to Usti nad Labem and pick up the sleeper to Cologne & Amsterdam, or the EuroCity to Berlin, there.

Buying tickets for trains within the Czech Republic:  www.cd.cz/eshop...

You can buy tickets for train journeys wholly within the Czech Republic online at www.cd.cz/eshop, complete with seat reservation, at cheap Czech prices with no booking fees.  You sign up and are sent a activation email, you pay online and print out your own ticket.  Feedback from anyone who uses this system would be welcome.  www.cd.cz/eshop will also book daytime international trains (but not overnight sleeper trains) from Prague to neighbouring countries, including Krakow & Warsaw, Vienna, Budapest, Bratislava, Dresden & Berlin, also at cheap prices.  However, don't try and use the e-shop for journeys in the other direction (from countries outside the Czech Republic to Prague, except from Germany or Austria), as these tickets aren't valid unless stamped by the conductor on an outward journey from Prague.  Tickets to or from Germany or Austria can safely be booked at www.cd.cz/eshop in either direction.

SuperCity pendolino trains...  The pride of the Czech Railways, these modern 'pendolino' units operate the premium 'SuperCity' trains linking Prague & Ostrava (the Czech Republic's second city).  Left-hand picture = 2nd class, centre picture = 1st class, with similar seating, but carpeted.

Visiting Prague

Click for map of Prague     Click for Prague Hlavni station info

It's an easy walk from Prague's main Hlavni station to the old town and the famous Charles Bridge, as you can see from the map.  For Prague bus & metro information see www.dpp.cz or see this link.  For Prague tourist information see www.praguewelcome.cz.

Prague old town square with the old town hall & cathedral...		Old town hall clock.		Crossing the King Charles Bridge...
No flights were involved in the taking of these pictures - Prague is just a train ride away from the UK!

Holidays & tours to Prague by train

	020 3327 0761 (UK) 1-888-829-4775 (USA) 1-855-882-2910 (Canada) 1300 971 526 (Aus) 0800 000 554 (NZ)
	01904 730 727 (UK)
	01904 527120 (UK)

If you want a holiday to Prague by train not plane, but would like someone else to organise all the train tickets and hotels for you, several specialist companies do just that, for a holiday with no airport hassles or whole days in cramped coach seats on motorways.  Railbookers offer tailor-made individual holidays with departure on any date you like, Rail Discoveries & Great Rail Journeys both offer escorted tours with specific departure dates.

Railbookers custom-made holidays & breaks to Prague by train...

Railbookers can custom-make a flight-free holiday to Prague for you, with train travel, transfers & hotels included, for however long you like, leaving on any date you like.  For example, they offer a 6-night holiday to Prague, Vienna & Budapest with daytime train travel by Eurostar & TGV.  See the Railbookers Prague page for suggested itineraries & prices.  Indeed, they can arrange trains and hotels for a tour of eastern Europe to your own specification.  They take good care of their clients, and I have no hesitation in recommending them.

  UK call 020 3327 0761, www.railbookers.co.uk. 

  US call free 1-888-829-4775, see website.

  Canada call free 1-855-882-2910, see website.

  Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526, see website. 

  New Zealand call toll-free 0800 000 554 or see website.

Rail Discoveries, www.raildiscoveries.com, 01904 730 727...

Rail Discoveries offers a 10-day escorted tour to Vienna, Prague and Berlin with 3* hotels and overland travel by Eurostar, sleeper train and EuroCity trains.  Check prices at www.raildiscoveries.com, then book online or call 01904 730 727.

Great Rail Journeys, www.greatrail.com, 01904 527120...

GRJ offers a 13-day escorted tour to Vienna, Budapest & Prague or a 12-day escorted tour to Berlin, Dresden & Prague, with 1st class train travel and 5* or 4* hotels.  Great Rail Journeys also offer holidays by train to other European countries.  Check the tour details & prices online, then call 01904 527120 to book or use their online booking form.

Send your luggage in advance

Ride the trains without heavy luggage... 

Send your suitcase ahead by Luggage Mule from around £30 each way.

• Enjoy the train ride without heavy luggage - send it to your destination with Luggage Mule, www.luggagemule.co.uk.

• Luggage Mule collects your suitcase from your home or office in the UK around 5 working days before you leave.  Your suitcase will be waiting at your hotel when you get to your destination.  They send bags to destinations all over Europe.

• After your stay, leave your suitcase at your hotel reception when you check out, suitably labelled-up.  Luggage Mule will collect & deliver it to your home within 5 working days or so.

• Online reviews of Luggage Mule rate them very highly indeed, though I have yet to have feedback myself.  If you use them, please let me known how they performed.

• Example prices:  20 Kg bag from any UK address one-way to any address in:  Avignon or Nice £28.99;  Barcelona or Alicante £29.99;  Florence, Rome or Vienna £31.99;  Munich or Berlin £34.99;  Prague or Venice £49.99;  Athens or Corfu £54.99.  Check current prices to any destination at www.luggagemule.co.uk.

The European Rail Timetable & maps

The European Rail Timetable (formerly the Thomas Cook European Timetable) has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus currency & climate information.  It is essential for regular European train travellers and an inspiration for armchair travellers.  Published since 1873, it had just celebrated 140 years of publication when Thomas Cook decided to pull the plug on their entire publishing department, but the dedicated ex-Thomas Cook team have set up a private venture and published the first edition of a reborn European Rail Timetable in March 2014.  You can buy it online with worldwide shipping at either www.stanfords.co.uk or www.europeanrailtimetable.eu.  More information on what the European Rail Timetable contains.

A Traveller's Railway Map of Europe covers the whole of Europe from Portugal in the west to Moscow & Istanbul in the east, Finland in the north to Sicily & Athens in the south.  On the back are detailed maps of Switzerland, Benelux & Germany, plus city plans showing stations in major cities.  Scenic & high-speed routes highlighted.  Buy it online for £14.50 + postage worldwide (UK addresses £2.80) at www.stanfords.co.uk/Continents/Europe-A-Travellers-Railway-Map_9789077899090.htm or (in the Netherlands) for €13 + €5.50 postage from www.treinreiswinkel.nl.

Guidebooks

Paying for a guidebook may seem an unnecessary expense, but it's probably only a tiny fraction of what you're spending on your whole trip.  You will see so much more, and know so much more about what you're looking at, if you have a decent guidebook.  The Lonely Planets and Rough Guides are about the best out there for independent travellers.  Both have everything you need - lots of background historical and cultural information, lots of practical information.  You won't regret buying one!  My own book, an essential handbook for train travel to Europe based on this website called "The Man in Seat 61", is due to be published in June 2008, and Amazon will let you pre-order now.

Click the images to buy at Amazon.co.uk

Prague Open Top Bus Tour

Buy a ticket for Prague's hop-on, hop-off Open Top Bus...

City Sightseeing's red-and-yellow open top tour buses are now a familiar site in 100 major cities on 6 continents.  They do a hop-on, hop-off tour bus ticket for Prague and you can buy a ticket online before you go, redeemable on any day you like within 3 months of buying it, see www.city-sightseeing.com.

Find hotels in Prague

Suggested hotels in Prague near station & near the old town square....

• Apart from review score and price, I think the three key factors in choosing a hotel are location, location, and, erm, location.  For a longish stay, I'd book a hotel right in the heart of the old town on or near the Old Town Square where the action is.  For a shorter stay, especially if you are leaving on an early train, I'd go for a hotel near the station, so there's no time wasted in taxis, you can walk across the road and leave your bags, and it's an easy stroll across the road to the station when it's time to leave - but that's still easy walking distance to the old town and all the sights.

• Hotels with great reviews on or close to the old town square:  Ventana Hotel or Old Town Square Hotel (both 5-star), Grand Hotel Prague, Hotel Rott (both 4-star), Zlatύ kůň Golden Horse (3-star).

• Hotels with great reviews across the road from Prague Hlavni station:  Esplanade Hotel (5-star, a good choice which I have used myself), Falkensteiner Hotel Maria (4-star), Chopin Hotel (3-star),

Other hotel sites worth trying...

• www.tripadvisor.com is the place to find independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.

Backpacker hostels: www.hostelbookers.com...

• www.hostelbookers.com:  If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels.  Hostelbookers offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in Paris and most other European cities at rock-bottom prices.

Travel insurance & health card

Take out decent travel insurance, it's essential...

Never travel without proper travel insurance from a reliable insurer with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover.  It should also cover loss of cash & belongings (up to a limit), and trip cancellation.  An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheapest even for just 2 or 3 trips a year - I have an annual policy myself.  However, don't expect travel insurance to bail you out of every missed connection, see the advice on missed connections here.  Here are some suggested insurers, Seat61 gets a little commission if you buy through these links, and feedback from using insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome.

In the UK, use www.confused.com to compare prices & policy features across major insurance companies.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65, see www.JustTravelCover.com - 10% discount with code seat61.

        If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct's other websites.

  If you live in the USA try Travel Guard USA.

Get an EU health card, it's free...

If you're a UK citizen travelling in Europe, you should apply for a free European Health Insurance Card, which entitles you to free or reduced rate health care if you become ill or get injured in many European countries, under a reciprocal arrangement with the NHS.  This replaced the old E111 forms as from January 2006.  The EHIC card is available from www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcareabroad/EHIC/Pages/about-the-ehic.aspx.  It doesn't remove the need for travel insurance, though.

Carry a spare credit card, designed for travel with no currency exchange loading & low/no ATM fees

Taking out an extra credit card costs nothing, but if you keep it in a different part of your luggage you won't be left stranded if your wallet gets stolen.  In addition, some credit cards are better for overseas travel than others.  Martin Lewis's www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which UK credit cards have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use an ATM abroad.