Around Europe by train: 2024's stand-out rail journeys from Czechia

Europe is becoming more interconnected by rail, and people living in Czechia will be able to take advantage of this and travel to new places – often in overnight “sleeper trains.” Here is our overview of which new and existing intra-European rail routes connect Prague (and other Czech cities) with the rest of the continent. 

The biggest news concerning Czechia and international rail travel is European Sleeper's launch of a new service in late March this year that will connect Prague with Brussels and Amsterdam. 

Passengers can leave Prague at 6:04 p.m. and arrive in Brussels at 9:27 a.m. the next morning, after stops in Dresden, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Rotterdam. The service offers standard seats in carriages (from about EUR 79 or CZK 2,000) or couchettes (small beds in one room), with prices beginning from EUR 109 or CZK 2,700). Travelers can also return to Prague on the same route, with another evening departure from the Belgian capital.

The European Sleeper network also connects the northern Czech cities of Ústí nad Labem and Děčín en route to and from Prague.

Owing to a Eurostar connection at Brussels, the new European Sleeper route also opens up the possibility of people being able to travel all the way from London to Prague (and vice versa) using just two trains.

Run by Austrian national rail firm ÖBB, the Nightjet service already connects Prague with the likes of Budapest (journeys typically last just under eight hours) and Zürich (with a journey time of about 14 hours) daily. 

A sleeper service operates on the Prague-Zürich line (in both directions), with prices starting from around EUR 90 (CZK 2,225) one-way. Travelers from Prague can also reach nearby Basel (and return to the Czech capital) at similar journey times and prices. The service also calls at the Austrian cities of Salzburg and Linz.

Travelers from Prague who wish to explore more of western Europe also have a range of options forbdoing so – all they need to do is travel to nearby Vienna or Berlin and then continue their journeys. 

Nightjet’s recently updated timetable takes passengers all the way to Milan or Rome from the Austrian capital – journeys last between 12 and 14 hours, with prices for couchettes ranging at around EUR 60 (CZK 1480) to EUR 80 (CZK 1980) on average.

From Berlin, a 14- or 15-hour train journey will take you to Paris with ÖBB’s Nightjet. Prices for one couchette often surpass EUR 100 (CZK 2,470), and those for a sleeper cabin easily reach above EUR 150 (CZK 3,710).

As always, people will be able to reach the popular tourist destinations of Kraków, Bratislava, and Budapest in relatively affordable fashion with Czech rail company RegioJet. It offers daily sleeper services to Kraków (around 7 hours).

Those who wish to visit Ukraine will be able to do so via RegioJet in 2024. A journey to the western city of Lviv lasts 13.5 hours in total, with a stopover in the Polish city of Przemyśl. Sleeper trains run from the Czech capital and Brno to Przemyśl. A couchette costs about CZK 1230, but can range higher. Passengers may also travel from Przemyśl to Kyiv.

One key change is RegioJet’s decision – announced this week – to suspend summertime train connections to Croatia. For financial reasons, it will instead bolster its Ukraine-bound services, the firm says.

As well as traveling to various German and Austrian destinations, Czechia’s national rail carrier offers sleeper services to Kraków and Bratislava (with journeys lasting around 8 hours), and Budapest (about 10 hours). Securing a couchette will cost in the range of CZK 1200 to CZK 1800.

České dráhy also offers sleeper services to Zürich in Switzerland (costing about CZK 1750) and the Austrian city of Innsbruck (lasting 10 hours and again costing in the region of CZK 1750).