Trains to Prague from Munich

If you go on the DB site the standard price they quote Munich - Prague (No bahncard etc etc) is EUR 49.
You CAN go Inter City with a change in Nürnberg but that is more expensive.
The EUR 49 is the price on the 2 daytime trains direct Munich-Prague.

They both count as "local trains" in Germany even though they do have catering so you can use the Bayern Ticket.

The 1644 departure (arrive Prague 2245) would cost you EUR 15 (Bayern) and EUR 7 (guestimate, Czech Republic) giving you a price of EUR 22

The morning departure is really crap to use weekdays as its at 0644 and you can't use a Bayern Ticket before 0900 Monday-Friday.
Standard price (no Bahncard etc) to Furth in Wald and then the Czech section would be about EUR 39
Of course Saturday and Sunday and public holidays you can travel on that 0644 departure, arrives Prague 1245.

There are other departures of course during the day on local trains that you might use during the week to get the EUR 22 price but these will require changes in

A ) Regensburg / Furth-i-Wald / Domazlice / Plzen.

or

B ) Plattling / Bayerisch Eisenstein / Klatovy (possibly) / Plzen.

and the time taken would be 7 to 7 and a half hours.

Both the 2 daytime return trains don't reach Bavaria until after 0900 so can always use a Bayern Ticket (ones purchased in advance from MVV ticket machines as they aren't dated)

If there is more than 1 person travelling of course it gets cheaper cos you can use the group Bayern Ticket.

Anorak City or WHAT !

You make a good point about the time spent for a flight. However, I hear the trains in the CR are not the safest. Anyone else hear anything like that?

I've never experienced any trouble with them and have travelled late at night as a single female. Keep your wits about you and take your valuables with you if you go for a stretch.

take the train, its nicer. i've not heard of anybody having any problems. and prauge isn't really the "wild east" any more.

I travelled quite a bit around CR on trains and had absoloutely no problems, they were comfortable, cheap and i felt safe. as a 19 yr old girl i was fine so i'm sure you will be. I just felt sorry for the cute soldier me and my mate accosted!

Prague is in the top 3 of popular Euro destinations with Paris and Venice and nothing what you'll see is not representative of the rest of Czech Republic or Slovakia.

In MANY MANY MANY trips by train to and through Czech Republic and Slovakia I have never known anyone to be robbed on a train.

I am tight as ducks whatnot but when I used to werite a lot for a tavel site I offrered a pint for the 1st person who could tell me about being significantly robbed on a European night train after the most basic precautions. And guess what... it's an urban myth!

Are there sometimes slightly dodgy charachters in the stations?
Yup, just like Munich Hauptbahnhof, let alone London Kings X!

Katrina, all the routes I mentioned are not through Cheb.
That's the Inter City via Nürnburg or the overnight train.

Cheb is in itself not bad. Great transport connection, castle, couple of good museums, nice town square and easy access to the spa towns of NW Bohemia.

The station can be a bit hustly if you hang around with a sign saying "I'm rich, try and get money off me" , but nothing you can't handle.

Cheb, like most border towns however, has a significant problem with prostitution aimed at visitors from Germany. Depending on who you listen to, child prostitution too.

It's Easy...

Plane = Faster travel time
Train = Slow

It's not the trains that make the travel to CZ slow it's the tracks that haven't been upgraded/replaced since the cold war... Once you hit the border your 120mph train has to slow to 60-80kph all the way to Prague.

Trains, like any other foreign/Tourist trap are security nightmares. Treat them like so and you won't have probs. Keep your eye on your stuff and don't fall asleep, or if you do make sure your valibalies are close to you or/and are under lock/key.

My daughter and a friend took the train to CZ a few years ago and said they had a particularly rickety, old style of train that was not very comfortable. An example would be when flushing the toilet it opened to the tracks below . I'll be travelling with my entire (5) family and want the safest, easiest way possible. I know for sure a seven hour train ride would not be a good thing. If it were me alone I'd do it.

Another alternative might be Venice? Anyone have info on that route?

It's a six hour train ride, 5 hour plane ride. The train goes city centre to city centre and there is no changing needed!

If the train is composed of Czech carriages they'll probably be some of the more modern domectic cars, open planned in groups of 4 seats facing each other or possibly old standard compartment cars with 6-8 seats to a compartment.

If they are German carriages they are more likely to be like the Czech compartment cars but to a slightly higher standard but also likely are the standard carriahes you see operating Regional Express trains all over Bavaria.

Like most regional trains in Bavaria, the toilets still essentailly drain to the track.
That is why you shouldn't use them in stations.
Arguably a natural waste hitting the ground at 70 kph + is quickly dispersed by nature and does not rely on tanks full of chemicals. All the carriages are cleaned before the start of the tour of duty.

With books and games and plenty to see out of the window I don't see why your family shouldn't enjoy it. And espeically with children, the train will be a LOT cheaper!

Edit: Maybe your children are grown up; well anyway with using the multi rider Bayern Ticket you can really get the price down.

I'm a train fan but I still say fly when it makes sense; to Prague, it just doesn't.

i'd take the train... i've been to prague a few times and NEVER had any major problems. the frist time i went with a friend (also female) and the only scary thing was when the train stopped int he middle of nowhere and people were saying things inc heck and everyone started getting off the train.. turned out that we had to walk thru some decontamination thingie cuz of that hoof and mouth disease or sumfin i think. another time i went the train broke down or something and we had to take a bus part of the way.
and another time there was some guy with no teeth who tried talking to us in chech even though we didn't knwo what he was saying.. but we did understand that he was saying my mom talked too much and was loud o and that he knew the nj devils. but yea...no robberies, no murders, no accidents.

and don't count on a flight to be quicker.. as someone already mentioned actual flying time might be but dont forget getting to and froma irport and checking in, etc. and the flight may also be late for whatever reason. i flew to munich from vienna once and it sucked.. by the time i got to the flughafen and checked in and stuff and then the flight was like an hour late atleast...definately wasn't worth it, only did it cuz was the same price as train ticket and ÖBB was on strike.

with 5 people - wouldnt it be cheapest to rent a car??? It is only 4-5 hours (depending on which route and how fast you drive) to Prague from Munich.
Babs

Course they speak Czech on the trains as a priority, it's the national language.
Many train staff on the major routes will speak some English or German but it is a bit of a thorny issue, a polite greeting in Czech and then asking if they speak English, THEN asking if they speak German will get you brownie points.

I took the night train last fall with my parents- my mother is a clean freak, and a snob, and she was okay with the train. Its cheap and safe. I have taken that train tons by myself (a women) and never had problems. Actually common sense should prevail. I usually use a moneybelt when I travel, and keep keys to my luggage pinned to my bra.

Hey Charm... Do you also carry the current "Fromers Travel Guide"..