Welcome to Prague – I am glad you could make it after all that planning. Let’s catch-up on the trip so far…
Getting to Brussels
The most stressful part of the journey was the taxi to the station – everyone wanted to drive through Tonbridge today. We managed to catch our backup train but it was too close for comfort.
We took a local train to London where we picked up the EuroStar from a very busy St. Pancras. We thought it was Friday traffic but the staff said it was like this most days in November and December with the holiday season.
The EuroStar was on time but none of us could get the wifi to work. So time to grab a coffee, and catch-up on some reading or sleep before we arrive at Brussels for a coffee and pick up the overnight train.
The European Sleeper
The Night Train takes us all the way to Prague via Rotterdam, Berlin, and Dresden.
It’s not the most modern train but it more than makes up for this in character and it’s warm and friendly.
There is no buffet car but you can order food and drink on your phone which is brought to your carriage. I was surprised at the broad range of travellers – students, families, retirees.
There is no wifi but I had a strong phone signal and a steady stream of notifications from Vodafone marked the passage across borders.
Our carriage has 2 seats and converts into 5 beds for sleeping with fold down bunks – I think it would be a little crowded if you had 5 people in here! The type of people who take the trip are considerate and friendly.
There was a little noise with some young children getting off at Berlin (6.20am) but I slept really well. Blankets and sheets are provided.
We ordered some coffees and ate breakfast watching the world roll by outside including a stretch following the Elbe. We arrived in Prague 30 minutes behind schedule.
The night train has the lowest priority on railways and both trips I have taken have arrived later. So don’t rely on a tight connection after the Night Train.
Welcome to Prague
Your first destination at Prague station is the left luggage lockers to deposit surplus bags. This needs a phone for pin verification to open the lockers.
Then it is into Prague. The city is very walkable but there are trams if you prefer. It is cold so make sure you are dressed up warm.
If you do get cold, there are lots of bars and stands at the Christmas markets selling hot drinks. There are lots of Tourists here for the Christmas experience.
Prague is a treasure trove of cobbled streets and we have the markets and lights to see and even an ice skating rink. There are inviting smells everywhere…
We walked to Wenceslas Square before heading off to explore the Old Town and the Christmas markets. Make sure you are in the main square for 3pm when the Astronomical clock strikes.
There are lots of concerts and events being advertised. We walked into St. Nicholas’s church which was hosting multiple performing choirs from across Europe.
We also walked across the Charles bridge and explored the grounds of the Castle. There is also an excellent view from there of the city. There is no shortage of places to Warm up and sample the local Czech food and cakes.
Here is a sample of the places we saw…
At the end of the trip we found a beer bar called Valhalla where we sampled several Czech beers and played cards until it was time to return to the station.
Finally we caught our overnight train to Budapest where we will next see you.
Find out more about us
| Learn more about our history, team (and pets!) |