Onward by rail: Prague, Vienna and Budapest

About Onward by rail: Prague, Vienna and Budapest

By the ULTIMATE Berlin Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

From the Hauptbahnhof you can ride south through some of Europe’s finest railway scenery: up the Elbe valley past Dresden and Saxon Switzerland to Prague, then on to Vienna and Budapest, or straight to Vienna overnight.

Berlin to Prague

EuroCity trains run from Berlin via Dresden and the Elbe valley to Prague. The stretch through Saxon Switzerland, between sandstone cliffs and the river, is the highlight. Check times and book on bahn.de or cd.cz.

Berlin to Vienna

By day, you change trains on the way: plan the route on bahn.de or oebb.at. By night, the ÖBB Nightjet runs from Berlin to Vienna; see nightjet.com for the cabins on this route. Non-stop flights from BER to Vienna take about 1 h 15.

Sit on the left-hand side going south for the best Elbe views through Saxon Switzerland.

The grand tour

Combine them: Berlin to Prague, Prague to Vienna, then Vienna to Budapest, with a night or two in each city. Our Rail Journeys guide has the routes, the night trains and the great journeys beyond, from Budapest on to Belgrade.

Our advice: book the Elbe valley leg by day, and the long leg by night.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Onward by rail: Prague, Vienna and Budapest before you go.