How to take the train from Czechia to the beach this summer

Summer for many people means a trip to the beach, which for people in landlocked Czechia equates to a rather substantial trip. With airline travel in disarray and high gas prices making driving unattractive, there is another option – train.

The cheapest option is to go through Germany to the Baltic coast since Germany has launched flat-rate tickets that cost EUR 9 and are valid for a calendar month on local and regional trains. The discount tickets can be purchased online from Deutsche Bahn.

The portion of the trip in the Czech Republic is not included, though. You have to get to Zittau on the German border on your own. It is easily reachable from Liberec. Once there you can get a series of local trains through Cottbus, Berlin, and Züssow, and then to Świnoujście on the German/Polish border.

According to CNN Prima, the budget trip requires four train changes. A ferry from the German side of the border to Poland is included in the price of the train ticket. In total, the trip took seven and a half hours for the person who told CNN Prima about the adventure

There is an easier but more expensive way to get to the Polish coast. Czech Railways has launched direct daily service from Bohumín, in the Moravia-Silesia region, to the Polish resorts of Łeba and Kołobrzeg. The train to Łeba passes through Gdańsk, Gdynia, and Sopot, which are also tourist destinations. The Kołobrzeg train has stops at Szczecinek, which is surrounded by lakes, and the historical town of Białogard. The overnight trips cost CZK 932 one way.

For people who prefer the German coast, a train goes directly from Prague to Flensburg, Germany, near the Danish border. As this is an international trip, the discount EUR 9 ticket can’t be used. One way, this costs CZK 2,444, or EUR 99.90, for an adult without any discounts. The direct trip without a change takes place almost daily, leaving Prague’s Hlavní nádraží at 10:25 a.m. and arriving at Flensburg at 7:07 p.m. The return trip leaves Flensburg at 8:31 a.m. and arrives in Prague at 5:36 p.m.

The same trip can be made at other times, but with a change of trains in Berlin. You can also get trains from Berlin to other coastal destinations such as Sylt, a popular vacation island in the Frisian archipelago that is connected to the mainland by a causeway. The trip from Berlin to Sylt takes about six hours, but it is also not included in the EUR 9 deal due to the type of train.

More Czechs are interested in trips to Croatia, though. Regiojet has a train from Prague to Croatia that runs daily in July and August. Passengers can take the train to Split, Rijeka, or Ogulin, and catch connecting buses to dozens of other locations on the coast of Croatia.

A journey from Prague to Rijeka, the closest destination, takes about 18 hours. The schedule has been streamlined to eliminate long waiting times at some stops. The number of seats has also been increased, but for technical reasons is at its limit. People who are interested should book as far in advance as possible.

A trip that takes a little less time is to Lake Balaton in Hungary. While not exactly the sea, the lake stretched 78 km long and 14 km wide.

There are no direct trains, but the trip can be made with one change in Budapest. Both Czech Railways and Regiojet offer trains from Prague to Budapest, with prices ranging around CZK 700. From Budapest-Kelenföld, you change to a train to Zamardi, one of the resort towns around Lake Balaton for another CZK 529. The trip from Prague to Budapest takes around 10 hours, and the one to Zamardi takes about an hour and a half.

Train travel options can be explored on the Idos travel server, as well as on the sites for Czech Railways, Regiojet, and Deutsche Bahn.