London - Prague (Eurostar + Thalys + CNL Train)

Posted by Ed
Last updated on Sat, 09/04/2011 - 5:58pm
Description

The quickest and cheapest way of travelling between Prague and London overland involves the Eurostar, a Thalys service and a City Night Line sleeper train. 

If travelling from London, you leave at around 1pm, travelling through the afternoon to reach Paris and Cologne, before boarding the sleeper train to Prague which pulls in at 09.30am the following morning.

This is a great way to make the most of your time travelling, saving on hotel costs by sleeping on the train.

London to Prague:

London - Brussels (Eurostar)

Depart London St Pancras - 12.58pm (Mon-Sat, 11.57 Sun)
Arrive Brussels Midi - 16.05pm (Mon-Sat, 15.05 Sun)

Brussels - Cologne (Thalys)

Depart Brussels Midi - 17.28pm
Arrive Cologne Hbf - 19.15pm

Cologne - Prague (City Night Line)

Depart Cologne - 22.28pm
Arrive Prague - 09.28am

Prague to London:

Prague to Cologne (City Night Line)

Depart Prague - 18.31pm
Arrive Cologne - 06.14am

Cologne to Brussels (Thalys)

Depart Cologne Hbf - 08.44am
Arrive Brussels Midi - 10.37am

Brussels to London (Eurostar)

Depart Brussels Midi - 12.29am (Mon-Fri, 11.29 Sat, 12.20 Sun)
Arrive London St Pancras - 13.33pm (Mon-Fri, 12.26 Sat, 13.33 Sun)

Pricing

Eurostar

Pricing information not only depends on the fare class you choose, but also the desired flexibility for the ticket. If there is no risk of you needing to change your travel times/dates, you will be eligible for the cheapest fare.

There are three fare levels on the Eurostar; Business Premier, Standard Premier and Standard Class. Depending on how flexible you want to be on rescheduling timings, and the time of day you travel, you may be able to get your fare to as low as £69 return (for an adult travelling between London and Brussels). The lowest adult Standard Premier return fare is £189. Business Premier tickets start at £430 return.

Student and senior tickets are also available, starting from £59 return for journeys between London and Paris. Child fares start from £49 return for the same journey.

An up-to-date table of fares can be found on the Eurostar website.

Thalys

A full breakdown of fare information for this route can be found on the Thalys website. The fares below are for one-way journeys. The earlier you are able to book your ticket, the lower the fare. Remember though, that like most European train journeys, tickets can only be booked up to three months in advance.




Class
Le Salon Hi-Life OptiWay Smoove Youth Senior Kid Kid & Co
Comfort 1 328 € 78 € 59 € 29 € 39 € 55 € 25 € 39 €
      43 €       15 €  
Comfort 2 - 49 € 39 € 19 € 34 € 34 € 20 € 24 €
      34 €   25 €   10 €  
      29 €          
 

City Night Line

Two fare classes are available; economy and deluxe. Children up to and including the age of 5 are permitted to travel for free. Children over the age of 5 can take advantage of lower than adult fares, although promotional/special fares are only slightly cheaper for children than for adults, and around 60% cheaper for normal fares. 

City Night Line services are very affordable, with a range of fare classes and accommodation options available. Upgrades are available to ticket-only reservations (most likely to be applied to InterRail/EuroRail tickets). Fares will vary depending on your origin and destination station, so check the exact fare using the link at the bottom of the page.

Class  Car Category Upgrade Europa Special
(ticket + upgrade)
Normal Price
(ticket + upgrade)
 1st  Sleeping  Deluxe 3 berth
(shower, w/c)
 40 €  89 €  212 €
 1st  Sleeping  Deluxe 2 berth
(shower, w/c)
 60 €  109 €  232 €
 1st  Sleeping  Deluxe 1 berth
(shower, w/c)
 100 €  149 €  272 €
 2nd  Sleeping  Economy 4 berth  40 €  69 €  155 €
 2nd  Sleeping  Economy 3 berth  40 €  69 €  155 €
 2nd  Sleeping  Economy 2 berth  60 €  89 €  175 €
 2nd  Sleeping  Economy 1 berth  100 €  129 €  215 €
 2nd  Couchette  6 berth  20 €  59 €  135 €
 2nd  Couchette  4 berth  30 €  69 €  145 €
 2nd  Seating  Compartment  4 €  33 €  125 €
 2nd  Seating  Standard  10 €  39 €  119 €
 

All fares are one-way, return prices are twice the single fare.

Rail Pass Fares:

If you are planning to travel on the City Night Line with your rail pass (InterRail or Eurail), you must pay a surcharge/reservation fee to book a seat/couchette/bed. You must also hold a valid pass for all the countries that the train is passing through, not simply the origin and destination countries. Rail pass passengers may only book a deluxe sleeper room if they hold a first class rail pass.

Total Fare:

The combined fare for this journey is something like €105, but that is based on getting the best fares possible for each leg. Use the link below to get a price for your chosen travel date.

 

The Journey

London - Ashford - Lille - Brussels (Eurostar Train)

London - Ashford - Lille - Brussels (Eurostar Train)
Mode: Rail
Journey Time: 2.5hrs
Price Range: from £69 return

Paris - Brussels - Cologne (Thalys Train)

Mode: Rail
Journey Time: 2hrs
Price Range: €19 - €76

Cologne - Berlin - Prague (City Night Line Sleeper Train)

Mode: Rail
Journey Time: 10hrs
Price Range: from €33 one-way