Final Destination: Budapest or Praha / Prag (German spelling)
All trains also call at: Dresden, Bad Schandau and Decin
3 x trains per day
Book early and save: Yes
Online bookings usually open: up to 3 months ahead of the travel date
A choice of tickets
Three types of tickets are available:
Two types of discounted tickets, which will be cheaper the further ahead you book - Sparpreis and Super Sparpreis
One type of non-discounted ticket - Flexpreis,
A key difference between these types of tickets is refunds:
The other key difference is that both types of Sparpreis tickets are only valid on the specific departures selected when booking, but Flexpreis tickets live up to their name, as they can be used on any departure on your travel date.
Note that none of the tickets can be exchanged to a different departure.
There's no need for this to be available for Flexpreis tickets, as they aren't train departure specific.
If you book a Sparpreis ticket and want to travel by a different departure you can refund it and then use the travel voucher towards the cost of the new booking.
Super Sparpreis tickets can't be exchanged or refunded.
The Sparpreis and Flexpreis tickets also include 'City tickets' for Hamburg which can be used on public transport between locations in the city centre and Hamburg hbf.
Seat reservations
Seat reservations are optional on this route - take note if you will be using a rail pass.
They cost €4.90 when travelling in 2nd Class and €5.90 when travelling in 1st class.
Specific seats can be selected from seating plans - you don't have to accept the seat(s) that you will be automatically offered.
They are included within the cost of booking 1st class Flexpreis tickets.
When booking Super Sparpreis, Sparpreis and 2nd class Flexpreis tickets, you have the option of purchasing seat reservations later.
It can be worth re-looking up a journey a week or two ahead of travel, because the DB website will indicate how busy a departure will be..
Booking on the DB website
Trains departing at different times can be cheaper than others leaving on the same day, so if you can be flexible with your departure time use the 'best prices' tool - at the top right on the list of journey options.
Ticket Provider | Approximate Cost | |
---|---|---|
DB Bahn | from €27.90 | |
Omio | from €27.90 | |
Trainline | from €29 | |
cd.cz | from 938 CZK |
Don't assume that you have to leave the train at Praha hl.n. which is the main station in the Czech capital
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. station it is also served by Line C of the Prague Metro, so if your final destination in the city is located along Line C, you'll have a quicker journey if you leave the train at Praha-Holešovice.
The first departure of the day from Hamburg now typically makes its only station call in the Czech capital at Praha-Holešovice and it doesn't serve Prah hl.n.
The majority of the journey by this EC train from Hamburg to Prague isn't particularly scintillating.
Between Berlin and Dresden you will be travelling across flat farm land, but try to stay awake!
The highlight of the journey is the final 90 mins 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 second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.
We’re striving not to let anything get in the way of providing the most useful service possible, hence a facility has been set up with DonorBox which can be used to support the running costs and make improvements.
Instead of advertising or paywalls, your financial support will make a positive difference to delivering an enhanced service, as there’s a lot of ideas which we want to make happen.
So if you have found the info provided here to be useful, please go here to say thank you.
This second version of ShowMeTheJourney is exciting and new, so we are genuinely thrilled that you are here and reading this, but we also need your help.
We’re striving not to let anything get in the way of providing the most useful service possible, hence a facility has been set up with DonorBox which can be used to support the running costs and make improvements.
Instead of advertising or paywalls, your financial support will make a positive difference to delivering an enhanced service, as there’s a lot of ideas which we want to make happen.
So if you have found the info provided here to be useful, please consider saying thank you.
This is one of more than 100 train travel guides available on ShowMeTheJourney, which will make it easier to take the train journeys you want or need to make. As always, all images were captured on trips taken by ShowMeTheJourney.