I just got back to Prague from Russia and went straight to Berlin. How is that for a grand tour of War War II history? Completely unintentional, mind you.
I took the train from Prague to Berlin yesterday. It’s a great way to travel between the two cities. The train follows the river Labe (Elbe] for much of the route and takes you through what Czechs call the “Czech Switzerland” area, a picturesque gorge area.
One thing to keep in mind if you want to take this train is that you should buy tickets at least three days in advance. I didn’t and it cost me twice as much. I paid roughly $150 for a roundtrip Prague-Berlin ticket. If you book in advance, you pay as little as $70, even less if you are a student or purchase a Czech rail pass. Schedules are here.
The train ride takes 4 and 1/2 hours and is clean and comfortable. They even have a few tables where you can plug in your laptop. It is a good idea to purchase an assigned seat for an extra $5 each way. I didn’t and was kicked out of my seat no less than three times. The train isn’t crowded on the Czech side of the trip, but once we crossed the border with Germany, literally the entire East German population over 60 years got on my train for some peculiar reason.
Arriving at the new Berlin Hauptbahnhof is pretty amazing, too. Finally, a train station that looks cool and smells good. Which, certainly, cannot be said about Prague’s main train station. What a dump that place is. They are, however, renovating it. Keep your fingers crossed.
More from Berlin later.