With limited trains from Berlin to Prague and the fact that we would only be spending a night in Prague, we had to make it for the early morning train which departs at 6:36 am in the morning, and a scheduled arrival at Prague by 11.36 am. The relatively long duration of the train ride that covers a similar trip distance as that of Hamburg to Berlin is due to the slower and older train that covers this route. After boarding the first class cabin compartment, we realized that most of the seats in the train had actually been reserved for. It was fortunate we had seats even though no prior reservation had been made. Thus travellers looking to snag seats during the more crowded summer season in July and August ought to make reservations beforehand.
The train starts off boring, stopping at small cities and passing plains of German farmlands. During this time, we took the opportunity to head to the dining car for breakfast. I ordered a breakfast set for my dad and myself comprising of 3 eggs prepared sunny side-up with bacon. Bread and butter along with a cup of coffee was also provided on the train. As this train was due to travel through Germany, Czech Republic and Hungary, passengers have the option to pay for their meal in the Hungarian Forints, Czech Korunas or Euros. Alternatively Visa and Mastercard are also accepted. By the time breakfast ended, our train also passes by Dresden, another major East German city, and the scenery starts to change as soon as we leave Dresden Hauptbahnhof. Our train chugs along by the Elbe riverside, with the scenery changing to valley farmlands. The scenery continues even after entering the Czech Republic, as we stop over at several townships like Děčín and Ústí nad Labem in northwestern Czech Republic.
Overall this railway trip was one of my most memorable ever. The scenery after passing Dresden was one of the beautiful landscapes of rural Europe. It gives me that impression of the medieval era of Europe and there was a change in atmosphere between Germany and Czech Republic in their architectural style and transport infrastructure. The great breakfast served in the train was a plus to the overall experience too! Now if only there was a high speed connection in an ICE train in this route…
QUIRROW 