Berlin and Prague are relatively close to each other, considering that they are different countries: the distance between cities is 348 km. When planning your trip on your own, you will surely come across the question of how to get from Berlin to Prague. Many criteria play a role here: price, travel time, personal preference. There are different ways of how to get along this route: take a train or bus, fly by plane, and also a transfer, rented or private car.
By train
Railways in Germany are popular with tourists and locals alike. It is a reliable and relatively quick way to get anywhere in the country, as well as outside of it.
Trains to Prague leave from Berlin's Hauptbahnhof, the largest railway station in Germany and throughout Europe. It is located in the central part of Berlin, from other parts of the city you can get to it by various public transport: metro U55, S-bahn trains S5, S7, S75, S9 and buses 120, 123, 147, 240, 245.
On the Berlin-Prague route, 6 direct EuroCity trains run daily, they are distinguished by increased comfort and high-speed mode.
To get to Prague by train, you need to take the EC train from the Deutsche Bahn at the Berlin Hbf (tief) station. These trains run approximately every 4 hours.
Travel time will take about 4 hours 25 minutes, ticket price 45-90 €, depending on the time of the train departure.
You need to get to the final station Praha hl.n. The train station in Prague is located near the city center, near Wenceslas Square. From this station it is easy to get to anywhere in the city, as there is an excellent transport interchange nearby. It is best to buy a train ticket in 2-3 weeks, which will give you the opportunity to receive significant discounts.
You can buy a travel document at the ticket office of the station, but you need to pay a service fee of 2-3 €, the discount rate for earlier booking is not valid here.
When planning your trip, please note that the price varies depending on the departure time and the class of the train.
Train timetables, a detailed description of the route and fares can be found on the carrier's website.
By bus
Buses in Germany are a common mode of transport and the most affordable of all possible options. The bus cabins are equipped with everything necessary for a comfortable ride: Wi-Fi, comfortable chairs, toilet, drinks and food.
This direction is served by several carriers, the price depends on many factors. Therefore, after you have decided on which company bus you will go, we recommend that you go to the official website of the operator and familiarize yourself with the schedule, prices and conditions in advance.
A bus from the RegioJet carrier starts from the Berlín station, Südkreuz Bf and arrives at the Praha station, ÚAN Florenc. Travel time will take 4 hours 15 minutes, the ticket price is from 18.90 to 22.90 €.
Buses run every two hours, starting at 7.00 am and ending at 19.00 pm. For a detailed timetable, visit regiojet.com.
You can get to the point of departure from Berlin by bus No. 248, flights to Südkreuz Bf leave every 15 minutes, the journey will take 29 minutes, and the ticket will cost 2-4 €.
A bus from the operator Eurolines DE departs four times a day from the central bus station in Berlin to the final stop in Prague, the journey takes approximately 4 hours 30 minutes.
There is a morning flight at 7.30, 2 daytime at 12.30 and an evening one at 17.30. The approximate cost of the ticket will be from 21 to 44 €; if you buy 2 or more tickets at once, then the price for each person is slightly reduced. For example, when buying 4 tickets at once, the price per person will already be from 19.50 to 42.50 €.
You can view the timetable and buy tickets at eurolines.de.
You can get to the bus station:
- by metro on the U2 line;
- by buses No. A05, 139, 218, X34, X49, M49;
- city train S-bahn S41, S42, S46 in 29 minutes. Departures every 10 minutes, you will spend 1–4 € on the ticket.
There is a so-called night bus from the FlixBus carrier, although it runs during the day, but only this operator provides night flights on the Berlin-Prague route. The ride on it lasts from 4 to 5 hours. The ticket costs approximately 22-30 €. Buses of this company in this direction depart from the following stations:
- South station Südkreuz Bf;
- Schönefeld airport;
- Tegel airport;
- Metro Alt-Tegel;
- Central Bus Station;
- zoo.
Buses run very often, the interval between departures is from 10 minutes to several hours. Flights start around the clock from 00.10 to 23.55 at different stations. You need to get off at the Prague ÚAN Florenc stop. You can see the schedule and buy a ticket on the Flixbus website.
Do not forget that the earlier you book a ticket on the website of the carrier you need, the cheaper its price and the more - the choice of flights.
By car
The distance from Berlin to Prague is 348 km and can be easily covered by car. There is a high-quality autobahn between these two cities, so the trip will be quite comfortable.
On my car
It takes 3 to 5 hours to go by car on your own. Expect to spend about 28 liters of gasoline. If you buy all gasoline in Germany, then you will spend 38–55 € for refueling, the price of one liter starts at 1.34 €. In Poland, gasoline is cheaper, here the price per liter is from 1.20 €.
In Germany, take the A13 motorway; when you cross the border with Poland, you will find yourself on the D10 highway with the international name E65.
The route will pass through such major cities as German Dresden and Polish Liberec. The total travel time will take about 4 hours 48 minutes.
There are toll road sections on the territory of the Czech Republic, to travel on them you need to buy a vignette. For 2021, the minimum vignette for 10 days for vehicles weighing up to 3.5 tons will cost 12 €.
With a rented car
To rent a car, it is better to go to the website of a trusted rentalcars.com company in advance.
A mini-car can be rented for about 50 €, a middle class car is slightly more expensive - from 52 €. Prices for premium cars start at € 101.
Please note that the Czech capital is very busy with traffic. It is best to park your car in the combined P + R car park (parking + walk). They are easily recognized by a special sign.
Such car parks are located near all highways, as well as near many metro stations, for example: Skalka, Nadrazi Holešovice, Radlicka and others. For parking, you will need to pay approximately 0.30 €.
Transfer
Taxi in Germany is not a cheap service. To get between cities, you can order a transfer on the website of one of the carriers: kiwitaxi.com.
An economy class car for 3 passengers will cost from 288 €. If it is a large group of up to 16 people, then you can be served by a minibus, its cost will be from 1404 €.
By passing car
You can get cheap by finding a travel companion. The blablacar website has many suggestions for this route. Usually, it takes the same amount of time as traveling on your own, but you can save a lot: such a trip will cost about € 16–20.
By plane
Direct flights between Berlin and Prague are operated by Easyjet.
Departures are carried out on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays at 6.05 am from Berlin Tegel Airport (TXL), arrival in Prague is at 7.10 am. The ticket price will start at 36 euros.
Berlin Tegel Airport (TXL) can be reached with the BVG bus, which runs every 10 minutes from the Berlin, Invalidenpark stop. Travel time will take 22 minutes, cost 2-4 €.
There are flight options with transfers, but the cost of the flight is quite high, and connections will take a long time. The price of tickets depends on the class, day of the week, and the date of booking, the approximate cost is from 100 to 299 euros. On some days, relatively cheap air tickets can be purchased from € 61.88.
The flight from Berlin Tegel to Prague with a transfer in Dusseldorf will take at least 3 hours, after which you get to the Prague Vaclav Havel Airport terminal.
The airport is located 17 km north of the city, which can be reached by taxi in about 17 minutes and for a minimum of 13 €.
You can also get there on your own by public transport with transfers. First you need to take a bus from the Prague Public Transit Co operator at the Terminál stop, take the 119th line for 17 minutes.
Transport runs every 10 minutes, and the fare will be about 1 €. Further, to get from the Nádraží Veleslavín station to the city, you need to take the metro A (runs every 10 minutes), spend 9 minutes on the road. and pay another 1–2 €.
In any case, plan your flight in advance and book your tickets as early as possible, this will save you on their cost. This direction is served by several airlines, prices, travel times and flight schedules are different for all. This and other additional information can be found on the Prague Airport website.
Conclusion
To help you make the final choice, we have collected all the data in one table. All prices are in euros for March 2021. In order to accurately plan your trip budget, be sure to visit the website of the carrier company.
| Type of transport | Price for 1 person in € | Travel time |
|---|---|---|
| Train | from 45 to 90 | from 4 h. 20 min. |
| Bus | from 19 to 55 | from 4 hours 04 minutes up to 5 hours |
| On your car (gasoline cost) | from 38 to 55 | from 3 to 3.5 hours |
| With a rented car | 56 to 148 per rental + gasoline | from 3 to 3.5 hours |
| Direct transfer | from 439 to 724 | from 3 to 3.5 hours |
| By the way | from 16 to 20 | from 3 to 3.5 hours |
| Airplane | from 36 | from 3 hours to 7 hours 20 minutes |
Summing up, you can easily decide which mode of transport to choose: train, bus, car or plane. There are also economical options - a bus or a passing car, and luxury options - a transfer or air flight. It all depends on your preferences and financial capabilities.
