Nuremberg to Prague

[Ringo2112]

I know I came on here blasting CZ...I just haven't had good luck with them. But I have to realize this is very high tourism season. And six hours from Munich to Prague isn't too bad. I'm thinking if I had ridden this route in the off season it would be less crowded.

 

[43096]

Made it back to Nuremberg today from Prague. Same old story, had a couchette first class last car of train ( i shared it with 3 other people). In Pilzen they took off that first class car (from back of train) and made everyone go to a first class couchette in front of train which of course was packed because of it. I couldn't get a seat with my Eurail first class pass. I sat on floor until Domazlice where a lot of people got off for a music festival. Found a first class couchette then with 3 people in it. Nobody ever came around with the refreshment trolly and nobody checked if i had a ticket either the entire trip
. Only good part of trip is I got a driver's view of the ride from Schwandorf to Nuremberg. Almost like being in the cab with driver. I sat in first class right behind him.

You mean you got on the wrong part of the train. Rear part would be marked up for Plzen, front part for München - it's on the destination labels on the doors.

 

[30907]

I know I came on here blasting CZ...I just haven't had good luck with them. But I have to realize this is very high tourism season. And six hours from Munich to Prague isn't too bad. I'm thinking if I had ridden this route in the off season it would be less crowded.

The "problem" is that both Bavaria (along with other German regions) and Czechia want a turn-up-and-go railway at cheap fares (relative to incomes!) but are not prepared to resource the peak demand, so you get the crowded 4-coach cross-border trains you experienced.
It is equally problematic IME on the key Dresden-Prague-Vienna route mainly due to all these Interrail/Eurail travellers (I am one of them)
(Though I notice your 1st class compartments (you call them couchettes, we don't!) from Prague to Plzen and Domazlice to Schwandorf were only 2/3 full. And BTW Domazlice-Nuremberg is the only cross-border route CZ/DE I haven't used.)

Also, in CZ/SK my impression is that the pre-1989 tradition of large groups travelling on holiday by train at heavily discounted rates still applies - much more so than in "Western" Europe.

 

[AlbertBeale]

CZ is one of several countries where they routinely attach and detach coaches, so this is not surprising.
Incidentally, the alternative route to Dresden also has very little first class in proportion to 2nd - CD doesn't seem keen on 1st generally, compared with DB.

Re attaching in that part of the world - the Zurich-Prague sleeper (the one that goes east through Austria and then north; not the other [newer] one) drops off its 1 or 2 cars for Prague in Linz (and the rest goes east to various other places), and after sitting there for a bit it gets added to the (quite early) first day train from Linz to Prague.

 

[ABB125]

There are now two through Prague-Vienna services ("Silva Nortica") via the FJB route.
However they are over an hour slower than the more frequent services via Brno, and are essentially regional trains (R/REX) with 22 stops.
The FJB route is the shorter route by 50km or so, but the electrified AT/CZ networks are not linked and the route has extensive single track sections.

Indeed - I did this last year, it was lovely. Good scenery, relaxed operation, two loco changes. What could be better?

The "problem" is that both Bavaria (along with other German regions) and Czechia want a turn-up-and-go railway at cheap fares (relative to incomes!) but are not prepared to resource the peak demand, so you get the crowded 4-coach cross-border trains you experienced.
It is equally problematic IME on the key Dresden-Prague-Vienna route mainly due to all these Interrail/Eurail travellers (I am one of them) .

Berlin to Prague is one of the few routes I've had to stand for several hours on whilst travelling - definitely a busy route!

 

[BavarianTrain]

Hello everyone,

the connection between Nuremberg and Prague has never been of any great importance, at least since the fall of the Berlin Wall. For a long time, there was one or more associations of the competitor DLB (now part of Netinera Germany). Their Alex trains ran between Nuremberg and Prague until at least the beginning of the last decade. This connection was discontinued, among other things, because of the mentioned IC bus line. It probably has an opportunity due to economic efficiency. DLB still operates the Prague - Munich connection on behalf of the Bavarian and Czech authorities. The trains connect to RE trains to and from Nuremberg in Schwandorf.

This will only change when the Nuremberg - Furth im Wald - Prague metropolitan railway is electrified. But that will take decades, as I know Germany.