Prague to Zurich by train with Swiss Travel Pass
Rita is planning a one-day train route from Prague to Zurich and wants to enjoy the scenery during the daytime. She inquires about using her Swiss Travel Pass from the Swiss border to Zurich, noting that buses are faster but less desirable for her comfort. Several replies provide insights on current travel options and stopover recommendations.
- Consider traveling via Munich with a stopover for sightseeing while taking into account current bus replacements for direct train routes due to construction.
- Use your Swiss Travel Pass from the Swiss border to Zurich without needing to purchase an additional ticket for that segment.
- Check train and bus schedules in advance, as routes and connections can change frequently due to construction work.
AI-generated summary-
Could you recommend a one day train route from Prague to Zurich? I’d like to see the country so traveling in the daytime is important. Bus routes are actually faster, but I don’t like the thought of traveling all day in one seat. Some suggestions would be helpful.
Also, I will have the Swiss Travel Pass. How do I use it from the Swiss border to Zurich?
Thanks.
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Hi Rita,
Regarding the train journey, most connections I find go via Munich in Germany. A nice place to plan a stopover.
Regarding your journey within Switzerland, this is covered right from the Swiss border onwards and you will only need to purchase the ticket up to there. Then you just need to have the Swiss Travel Pass on you and present it when required.
Currently Munich to Zurich is anyway operated by bus, as there is construction work not allowing trains to run.
For details and purchase options as well as timetables check:
– http://www.myswissalps.com/tr aintickets/germany
– http://www.myswissalps.com/sw isstravelpass
– http://www.myswissalps.com/ti metableMaybe someone else has done this journey and can share more personal input.
Do you know how long the construction will last? I won’t be traveling until the first of September. If the only way from Munich to Zurich is by bus, maybe traveling from Prague to Munich by bus is easier than train to bus. Are the train and bus stations usually next to each other in most cities? Thanks again. I’m always learning something.
Hello Rita,
The building site will be running until well into 2020. You can still travel by train but having to change trains in Stuttgart. Check the timetable for detailed connections.
Normally train and bus stations will be quite close to one another, but it is not a rule and you would have to check to be sure.
Best,
Steph
Okay thanks a lot for your information
Not all trains are replaced by bus.
There are various ways to travel by train all the way.
Two options that will be available in early September are
Praha – LInz, Linz – Zurich
Praha – Wien, Wien – Zurich
Both long daytime journeys but with only one change of trains
All the DIRECT train Zurich to Munich are replaced by bus!
hi 1960man,
I also have a pre-booked train ticket from Zurich to Munich leaving Zurich HB at 7:02 on the 6 May. In the DB Bahn site, it still shows as a train connection. Can you please let me know how you found out all trains have been replaced by buses?
However..Munich to Prague is partly replaced by bus because of ongoing work near Plzen.
Thanks,
Manish
Hi Manish,
1960man wrote not all trains are replaced by a bus. But as Steph said the direct ones are.
I always took the bus to Munich from Zurich – one of the few routes a bus works better than a train.
Not wishing to argue, but the direct Zürich – München trains are not all replaced by bus
The 07.02 ZRH – MUC (train EC191) is indeed running on May 6, as are other EC trains
What is happening is that the Germans are electrifying the railway between Lindau and München, so alterations are being made to the timetables on the route in Germany to take account of this work being undertaken, so naturally the timetable modifications vary dependant on what is being done where.
Nevertheless, there are two possible routes that the EC trains can take so they won’t always be cancelled
I’m dissapointed (in general) with the deregulation which is allowing the proliferation of long distance buses in central Europe replacing and competing with perfectly good train services (and arguably adding to traffic congestion and pollution).
The Zurich – München bus misses the pleasant lake side section of the train journey around Lindau so I personally don’t think it’s better. Also note that even with the modified timetables EC191 on 6 May will only take 30 minutes longer than the buses.
Another annoying thing I noticed is that you cannot now find just the ZRH – MUC trains that are running because you can’t cut out the ICB buses from a SBB timetable advanced search by ‘unchecking’ the bus symbol as the ICB buses don’t count as buses…
Yes I always found those timetable issues with ICB buses annoying.
I really avoid buses as I just don’t like the travel experience – trains are much more comfortable. I always go by train unless the bus is dramatically cheaper and so far I’ve only used buses on the Munich – Zurich route.
Flixbus wins on that route as I traveled to Munich for 10 euros many times and the train was always at least 50 and sometimes 100 euro….
I’ll pay a little more for a train over a bus but sometimes the price difference is huge and money talks in my world.
It sounds like the bus is going to have to be my choice from Prague to Zurich–because of the construction and all the non-direct train routes take so long. The bus trip is only 8.5 hours with one stop (change) in Munich. Thanks for all the helpful comments.
The buses aren’t too bad especially if you can split up the trip (and they have wifi usually)…look into a layover in Munich if you can (two tickets maybe?).
As there is a big beer garden not far from the bus station!
Good to know. I think it’s the bus then. Thanks
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