Train Route: Berlin to Prague via Dresden
Another of my favorite train routes runs from Berlin, Germany, to Prague in the Czech Republic, through Dresden and along the Elbe River.
The route at a glance
- Berlin Central Station (Berlin Hauptbahnhof)
- Berlin Südkreuz
- Dresden-Neustadt
- Dresden Central Station (Dresden Hauptbahnhof)
- Bad Schandau (Saxon Switzerland)
- Děčín Main Station (Děčín hlavní nádraží)
- Ústí nad Labem Main Station (Ústí nad Labem hlavní nádraží)
- Prague Main Station (Praha hlavní nádraží)
From the capital to the countryside
I took the train from Berlin to Prague. The direct train takes about four and a half hours, and it is a beautiful way to cross from Germany into the Czech Republic.
The ride from Berlin is beautiful. Just after Dresden, the train runs next to the river and past the mountains, so you get to explore the countryside between Germany and the Czech Republic, not only the city.
Along the Elbe through Saxon Switzerland
After Dresden, the line follows the Elbe River through Saxon Switzerland, past sandstone cliffs, small river towns and forests. It keeps following the river across the border, through Děčín and Ústí nad Labem, almost all the way to Prague.
[Add your own memory of this part of the ride]
Sit on the left side
Heading from Berlin to Prague, try to sit on the left side of the train. Between Dresden and Děčín, that is the river side. Going the other way, from Prague to Berlin, sit on the right.
Stop in Dresden
If you have time, break the journey in Dresden. Then take the train on to Prague the next day, when you can enjoy the river views in daylight.
Or ride it the other way around
I rode from Berlin to Prague, but the route is just as beautiful from Prague to Berlin. Start or end your trip in whichever city suits your plans.
Extend your trip to Austria
From Prague, you can keep going by train south to Vienna and on to Graz in Austria. Just outside Graz is Thal, the hometown of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the former governor of California. The house where he grew up is now a museum about his life.
Photos along the way
