Comments on: Bargain trains: Cheap rail fares across Europe for 2009

By: Susanne Kries and Nicky Gardner

Susanne Kries and Nicky Gardner — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 13:14:37 +0000

SparSchiene Fares are an initiative of the Austrian rail operator ÖBB. They are not available on journeys from the Czech Republic to Germany. The German operator Deutsche Bahn does have a EuropaSpezial tariff (which is broadly similar to ÖBB’s Sparschiene fares), but we are pretty certain it’s not available on the Praha to Regensburg route which is not run by DB.

There are four direct trains each day from Praha to Regensburg, namely at 05.15, 09.15, 13.15 and 17.15. The trains are run by Alex and the regular fare from Regensburg to Prague is €43 return. Children under 15 travel for free. This is the standard full fare and you can buy it on the train. You’d need to check but we think this fare is only purchasable in Germany.

From the Czech side we do know of various special offers. For example, if you travel on a Saturday or Sunday, there is a very good deal with a Group Weekend Ticket (look in Czech for the ticket called “Skupinová víkendová jízdenka+Nemecko” which give unlimited travel for 2 adults and 2 children in the Czech Republic and a big swathe of Germany. It costs 750 Czech crowns and you can use it for the whole journey from Prague to Regensburg on the Alex train. 750 crowns is about €27. Wonderful deal. You cannot buy it in advance. Buy on the day of travel.

On other days (ie. other than Sat and Sun), there is a good ticket, only available online, called Vlasná jízdenka Nemecko. From Prague to Regensburg (only using the direct Alex train) the fare is 395, 540 or 675 crowns (about €14, €19 or €24), depending on how long in advance you book. Discounts for children of 10 and above are not allowed on the very cheapest fares. Tickets go on sale two months in advance and these tickets must be booked 3 days prior to travel. Book at https://www.cd.cz/eshop/.

So, in short, Prague to Regensburg will cost you €56 for all four of you for travel on a Mon-Fri – or just €27 if you all make the journey on a Sat or Sun.

Hope this helps. Find out more about European rail travel on http://www.europebyrail.eu and about our own work at http://www.hiddeneurope.co.uk

By: Steph

Steph — Sat, 08 Feb 2014 03:35:13 +0000

Hi Nicky and Susanne,
Would love some help. I am trying to book sparschien tickets for my family to travel to and from Prague from Regensburg. My children are/will be 13 and 10 when we travel. It is my understanding from Dbahn that because it is an international train trip with children that we have to book over the phone. I successfully booked my trip to Prague using the UK no: +44 8718 808066, 2 days later when I went to book the return journey this number prompted a ‘disconnected’ message, and I can’t get through. The Dbahn 24/7 number +49 1806 996633 keeps me on hold for over an hour and then cuts me off, without being able to book. (I have attempted this on a number of different days and times.)

My question:
How do I best (without the hold/disconnection stress) book family of 4 trip back from Prague to Regensburg at a sparschein price?

N.B I can speak German, so I am happy to do it over the phone in German, I just need to get to actually speak to a person.

By: shah

shah — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 20:26:55 +0000

hi.i wish to travel by train ( as airlines are exp)..i want to depart 7 june from frankfurt to brussels..or frankfurt to paris with a stopover of 2 days in brussels if possible but the tickets are so expensive liek around 200 euro for each person.We are also travelling with a 7 month baby..Could u pls mention any cheap trains or special sale offers..Thanks alot.

By: David

David — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 09:50:14 +0000

Hi friends,
I reside in asian country, and not familiar with european transport system. If anyone could help me find the cheapest way to go from Paris to Bern/Lucernce/Zurich, i’d really appreciate it =) thanks

By: T.T. Foo

T.T. Foo — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 05:47:23 +0000

Which low cost airlines or train do I use from : London ->Amsterdam ->munich ->Praque ->Vienna ->Venice ->Rome ->Zurich -> Nice ->Paris ? Thank you !

By: Nicky and Susanne

Nicky and Susanne — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 14:49:27 +0000

.
For Ralph and Annette

From Rome to Florence and back is such an easy journey. The fast AV trains are really too fast to catch more than a glimpse of the scenery, and the new fast line has too many tunnels for our taste. So why not take one of the older-style InterCity services, of which there are several departures each day? The journey from Rome to Florence by these IC trains takes 3 hours and costs €30 one way. (Compare the fast AV services which take 90 mins and cost €45 each way).

For a real Italian train experience, one which would be really good fun, take the direct slow train from Rome to Florence. These services run every two hours and take four hours. You will see much more of everyday Italy from these slower trains which stop off at many little local stations along the way.

Do hope this helps.
Nicky and Susanne

By: Ralph & Annette Siedel

Ralph & Annette Siedel — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 04:27:00 +0000

Dear Young Ladies,
We 70 year olds are ipressed with your data and the responses. Annette and I will visit Rome for a month in Sept/Oct. 2011. A quirk in our residence booking requires us to vacate for 4 days (/23- 9/25) and we’d like to visit Florence during that time. We’ve just begun to explore your web site(s) and were wondering if you have advise for two frisky oldies who want to travel from Rome to Florence and back by train…? We don’t need first class but aren’t cheapo(s) either. Any Advise?
Thanks, Ralph

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:38:05 +0000

You could probably use the Deutsche Bahn’s London-Spezial to travel from Halberstadt via Hamburg to Brussels and London. You may not need to buy a separate ticket from Halberstadt to Hamburg.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 23:45:58 +0000

Hi Nicky and Susanne,

Thank you for the information.

We plan to leave Halberstadt on 18th May but an invitation to Hamburg has meant we will not be able to stop in Brussels after all.

I appreciate all the work you do for people like me. Hopefully this information will be helpful to someone else.

Regards,

Kevin

By: hidden europe

hidden europe — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 20:53:31 +0000

Kevin (above)
As tickets for May 2011 will only be on sale in the upcoming weeks, we can only now venture to answer your question. The DB London Spezial technically excludes a Bruxelles stopover (in the relevant fare rule), but in practice the online booking system allows it. Tickets are on sale already for April 2011, and looking at a hypothetical journey from Halberstadt to London on a random date – we chose 9th April – the one way fare is €49. Leave Halberstadt around 1pm, change Hannover and Köln and arrive Bruxelles that same evening. 40 hour stop, just as you suggest. Continue two days later for a short afternoon hop top London. Tickets for your May 2011 journey will be on sale next month, but we judge it unlikely that the system will now change to preclude a Bruxelles stopover. On which date precisely will you travel?
Nicky and Susanne