This year, Czech Railways (České dráhy) is once again focusing on a comprehensive European network with its international long-distance services. With a total of 148 international connections and four seasonal trains, they serve over 120 destinations across six European countries.
Czech Railways is operating 148 international long-distance connections and an additional four seasonal trains to Poland, serving 120 different destinations in six European countries: Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Switzerland. Every year, more than 7 million passengers use the international trains of the largest Czech transport company.
“Internationally, we traditionally work closely with our foreign partners, which enables us to offer several daily connections on most routes. For example, we travel from Prague to Berlin, Vienna or Budapest in cooperation with our colleagues from DB, ÖBB, ZSSK, and MÁV every two hours, and there are connections to Linz or Wrocław every four hours,” says Michal Krapinec, Chairman of the Board and General Director of České dráhy.
A new addition to the 2025 timetable is the Baltic Express, which is operated in cooperation with PKP Intercity. Trains will run four times a day on the Prague – Wrocław – Gdynia route. Traditional connections include the Berliner Praha – Berlin – Hamburg, the Vindobona Praha – Vienna – Graz, the Metropolitan Praha – Brno – Bratislava – Budapest, and the Southern Express Praha – České Budějovice – Linz.
Czech Railways also cooperates in the operation of five important night trains with sleeper and couchette carriages. These provide a direct connection from Prague to Zurich, Warsaw, Košice, and Budapest in the form of the so-called ‘night jump’ (noční skok), where passengers settle down in a comfortable sleeper carriage in the evening and wake up at their destination the next morning. In addition to trains from Prague, České dráhy also cooperates with night trains that provide connections from Vienna or Budapest to Warsaw and Berlin, or from Warsaw to Munich.
The ‘Včasné jízdenky Evropa’ early-booking tickets are the cheapest option for international journeys. Similar to airline tickets, they work on the principle of “the earlier you buy, the cheaper you travel”. Advance ticket sales and reservations are usually possible 2 to 6 months in advance, depending on the route and the conditions of the foreign partners. For example, the cheapest tickets for connections to Germany and Austria can currently be purchased for July. If you buy early, you can travel from Prague to Berlin from CZK 435 or to Vienna from CZK 474.
By changing to connecting routes with partner companies, you can travel by train to several hundred other destinations across almost all of Europe. Transfer hubs include Vienna, Linz, Munich, and Berlin. Thanks to connections at these stations, it is possible to reach other destinations in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Croatia, Denmark, or Switzerland.
Other discounts and offers can also be used, such as Interrail Passes for discovery trips through Europe, available in different price categories depending on the target group (adults, senior citizens, young people), the country visited, or for the whole of Europe, as well as the validity period of the ticket.
České dráhy | Czech Railways
Website | Facebook | Instagram
