Review: EuroCity Train “Metropolitan” Brno to Prague

This review details the EuroCity train “Metropolitan” which links Budapest with Bratislava (Slovakia), Brno and Prague (Czech Republic).

From Brno to Prague by train

After a great afternoon in Brno, it was time to travel onward to Prague.

The rail connection between Prague and Brno – the two biggest cities in the Czech Republic – is certainly good as there is at least one train departure each hour (sometimes even two per hour).

Most of these trains are operated by the Czech Railways and include the Railjet as well as “Metropolitan” EuroCity trains, which I will review on this trip.

Besides these trains, Czech private railway company RegioJet operates several trains a day as well between Brno and Prague, while the Hungarian Railways operate the daily EuroCity train “Hungaria” on this stretch.

Most of these trains actually originate or continue to other destinations.

For example, the Railjet trains between Brno and Prague originate in Vienna or Graz in Austria, with some continuing all the way to the German capital of Berlin.

view spilberk castle brno
Brno, the second largest city in the Czech Republic, has great rail connections to the capital of Prague. ©Paliparan

About the Metropolitan train

The name “Metropolitan” is given by the Czech Railways (České Dráhy, abbreviated as ČD) to all EuroCity trains linking Prague with Brno, Bratislava and Budapest.

Train numbers EC 272, EC 274, EC 276, EC 278 and EC 280 are all Metropolitan EuroCity trains from Budapest to Bratislava, Brno and Prague, while EC 270 only runs from Budapest until Brno.

The other way around, train numbers EC 273, EC 275, EC 277, EC 279 and EC 281 are all Metropolitan EuroCity trains from Prague to Brno, Bratislava and Budapest, while train EC 271 only runs from Brno to Budapest.

My 2nd class ticket for one of the Brno-Prague Metropolitan trains was just 245 CZK (10 euro) when booked a week in advance on the Czech Railways website.

As seat reservation is optional, tickets can never sell out for these trains.

Seat reservation for a domestic journey within the Czech Republic is free, although it will cost you 75 CZK (3 EUR) when travelling internationally on the Metropolitan train.

czech train
A train in the blue-and-white colours of the Czech Railways (České Dráhy). ©Paliparan

Brno station

I was booked on EuroCity train EC 278 which would depart Brno at 1.39pm and arrive in Prague at 4.38pm.

Brno has a charming Habsburg-era train station which is located smack in the middle of the city centre.

Unfortunately, my train was delayed for just over 30 minutes on its way from Budapest to Brno but after a seemingly endless wait on the platform it finally showed up.

brno train station
Brno’s beautiful train station. ©Paliparan
tram brno railway station
A tram in front of Brno’s railway station. ©Paliparan
brno train station hall
The main hall of the train station in Brno. ©Paliparan
brno station platform
Waiting on the platform for the train to arrive. ©Paliparan
metropolitan eurocity train brno
The EuroCity train “Metropolitan” arrives in Brno. ©Paliparan
brno eurocity train metropolitan
The Metropolitan EuroCity train calls at the station of Brno. ©Paliparan

On board the Metropolitan train

The Metropolitan EuroCity train offers second and first class seats.

Second class seats are either in open-plan saloon cars with seats in bays of four or in wagons with six-seat compartments.

In first class, seats are in a 1-2 configuration in open-plan saloon coaches, so you benefit from more space and shoulder room.

Both first and second class train wagons are fitted with power sockets although there was no WiFi internet.

metropolitan eurocity train 2nd class
Second class seating on the Metropolitan EuroCity train. ©Paliparan
second class metropolitan train prague brno
Second class seats on the Metropolitan train. ©Paliparan
czech second class train compartment
Some of the second class wagons on the Metropolitan EuroCity train feature six-seat compartments like these. ©Paliparan
metropolitan eurocity train first class
First class seating carriage on the Budapest-Brno-Prague Metropolitan EuroCity train. ©Paliparan
czech train first class seats
First class seats on a Czech EuroCity train. ©Paliparan

Czech dining car

The Metropolitan EuroCity train does have a Czech dining car which can be accessed by everyone on the train regardless of travel class on a first come, first serve basis.

In my opinion, Czech Railways dining cars are among the best you can find in Europe and make for a real treat.

As I could certainly use a drink after my afternoon hike through Brno, I headed straight to the dining car for a refreshing pint of Pilsner Urquell (the restaurant wagons of Czech Railways all have draught beer available!).

metropolitan eurocity train dining car
Czech Railways dining car on the Metropolitan EuroCity train. ©Paliparan
dining car
View from the dining car. ©Paliparan
beer train dining car brno prague czech republic
A draught beer in the dining car is certainly a great way to start your train journey from Brno to Prague! ©Paliparan

Scenery

Although I boarded the Metropolitan EuroCity in Brno, the train already had quite a long ride behind it since its start at Budapest Nyugati station.

Indeed, the most scenic part of a ride on the Metropolitan EuroCity train is in Hungary where it runs right along the mighty Danube river.

On its way from Budapest to Brno, the Metropolitan calls at the Hungarian stations of Vác, Nagymaros-Visegrád and Szob, the Slovakian stations of Štúrovo, Nové Zámky, Bratislava and Kúty as well as in Břeclav, its first stop in the Czech Republic.

budapest nyugati palyaudvar
The Metropolitan EuroCity train departs from Budapest Nyugati station on it’s long way to Prague. ©Paliparan
hungary train budapest brno prague berlin
Scenery in Hungary along the railway line between Budapest and Bratislava. ©Paliparan
danube hungary river view
The most fabulous scenery on the Metropolitan EuroCity train is in Hungary where it runs right along the Danube . ©Paliparan

Departure from Brno

Although the prettiest scenery was already behind me, I still thought the train ride between Brno and Prague was pleasant.

After clearing the Brno suburbs, the Metropolitan train rides through green fields and rolling hills as it slowly makes its way to the north-west.

brno prague train view
Riding through the suburbs of Brno. ©Paliparan
view prague brno train metropolitan
View from the train somewhere between Brno and Tišnov. ©Paliparan
Čebín
Green fields and hills around Čebín. ©Paliparan

A meal in the dining car

I was still seated in the dining car and after my first beer I decided it was time to other another one as well as some food.

Food and drinks are certainly affordable in the Czech dining car as you pay around 7 euro for a main dish, around 1.50 euro for a bottle of water or soft drink and 2 euro for a pint of beer or a coffee.

You can pay by card or cash in Czech koruna (CZK), Euro (EUR) or Hungarian forint (HUF).

To start, I ordered some goulash soup, which was fairly tasty (unsurprisingly, you can get better quality goulash on the Hungaria train).

My main dish of pork cheeks in black beer sauce with mashed potatoes, red onion and honey chutney was however excellent and went well with my Pilsner Urquell.

To finish, I ordered chocolate pancakes and a coffee to round up a great dining car experience.

There really is no better way to travel than watching out of the window and seeing different landscapes pass by while enjoying some great food and drinks on the train.

goulash soup czech dining car
Goulash soup to start. ©Paliparan
dining car metropolitan eurocity train brno prague czech republic
My main of pork cheeks in black beer sauce with mashed potatoes, red onion and honey chutney. ©Paliparan
chocolate pancake dining car restaurant wagon metropolitan train eurocity
Some čokoládová palačinka (chocolate pancake) for dessert. ©Paliparan
metropolitan eurocity train prague brno dining car
View from the dining car on the Metropolitan EuroCity train between Brno and Prague. ©Paliparan

Into Bohemia

Around the halfway point of the journey, the Metropolitan train leaves the Czech region of Moravia and enters Bohemia, the historic region in which Prague is located.

Although we still passed along the odd forest or sleepy town, it felt that the prettiest views were behind us now as the landscape became more flat.

autumn forest train view
Autumn forests somewhere in Moravia as seen from the Brno-Prague train. ©Paliparan
scenery train
After the hills and forests of southern Moravia, the scenery gets a bit more boring. ©Paliparan
train view
View from the train. ©Paliparan
bohemia forest view metropolitan eurocity train brno prague
Riding through a forest near Sazomín in the Czech region of Bohemia. ©Paliparan
rolling hills
Rolling hills as seen from the train window. ©Paliparan
Havlíčkův Brod station
Passing through Havlíčkův Brod. ©Paliparan

Track works

Due to major track works, the Metropolitan train was diverted on another railway line and had to make a detour.

The 30 minute delay turned into a full hour, which was rather annoying as I was supposed to meet some friends upon arrival.

Fortunately, the nice sunset views on the railway line between Kolin and Prague made up for it.

czech train view
View from the train between Havlíčkův Brod and Kolin. ©Paliparan
metropolitan eurocity train view
View from the Metropolitan train. ©Paliparan
sunset czech train
After we passed through Kolin, the sun started to set. ©Paliparan
railway sunset
Sunset over the railway tracks. ©Paliparan
train sunset
Train sunset. ©Paliparan
sunset metropolitan eurocity train brno prague
Sunset as seen from the Brno to Prague Metropolitan train. ©Paliparan

Arrival in Prague

Just before our arrival in Prague, I walked all the way back to the last carriage of the train.

From the rear vestibule, I had a perfect view back over the railway tracks as the Metropolitan train rolled into Prague.

In the end, my Metropolitan EuroCity train arrived at Prague’s wonderful central station with a delay of just over 70 minutes.

If it’s your first time arriving by train at Prague Central Station (called Praha Hlavní Nádraží or simply Praha hl.n. in Czech) you should really take a few minutes to admire the Art Nouveau splendour of this amazing railway cathedral.

prague suburbs railway line
Looking back over the railway tracks as the Metropolitan train enters the Prague suburbs. ©Paliparan
prague cityelefant train
Passing by a Czech “CityElefant” double-deck train which is used for suburban traffic around Prague. ©Paliparan
Praha Libeň
Passing non-stop through Praha Libeň station. ©Paliparan
trainshed prague railway station
The trainshed of Prague’s central railway station. ©Paliparan
prague old station building art nouveau hl.n
The stunning main hall of Prague’s old Art Nouveau station building. ©Paliparan
station entrance prague art nouveau
The old Art Nouveau entrance of Prague’s main train station. ©Paliparan

Conclusion

I had a great trip on the Metropolitan EuroCity train between Brno and Prague.

These EuroCity trains are comfortable to ride on no matter if you travel in second or first class.

The highlight of a trip on the Metropolitan EuroCity train is the excellent Czech Railways dining car where you can enjoy some highly affordable and high quality drinks and food.

Trip report index

This ‘Trains, Planes, Beer and Tapas: A Trip to Prague and Madrid’ trip report consists of the following chapters:

1. Review: Ryanair Bucharest to Chania (Boeing 737-800)
2. A Rainy Chania Stopover
3. Ryanair Hell: My Bad Chania to Budapest Flight Experience
4. Review: T62 Hotel, Budapest, Hungary
5. Review: EuroCity Train “Hungaria” Budapest to Brno
6. A Walk Through the Historic Old Town Centre of Brno
7. Review: EuroCity Train “Metropolitan” Brno to Prague (current chapter)
8. Review: K+K Hotel Central, A Prague Art Nouveau Delight
9. Beer Boozing in Prague: Sampling Some Czech Brews
10. Praha Hlavní Nádraží – Prague’s Stunning Art Nouveau Station
11. Review: Leo Express Train Prague to Olomouc
12. Olomouc Guide: Baroque and Belle Epoque Beauty
13. Review: RegioJet Train Olomouc to Prague
14. Review: Erste Premier Lounge Prague Airport
15. Review: Air France HOP Business Class Embraer 170
16. Review: Air France Schengen Business Lounge Paris CDG Terminal 2F
17. Review: Air France Business Class Paris CDG to Madrid (Airbus A220)
18. A Madrid Tapas Crawl: Bar Hopping in Spain’s Capital
19. Review: Ibis Madrid Aeropuerto Barajas
20. Review: Puerta de Alcala VIP Lounge Madrid Airport
21. Review: Air Europa Economy Class Madrid to Milan (Boeing 787)
22. How to Transfer Between Milan Malpensa and Bergamo Airport

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Koen

Koen works as a freelance journalist covering south-eastern Europe and is the founding father and editor-in-chief of Paliparan. As a contributor to some major Fleet Street newspapers and some lesser known publications in the Balkans, he travels thousands of miles each year for work as well as on his personal holidays. Whether it is horse riding in Kyrgyzstan’s Tian Shan mountains, exploring the backstreets of Bogotá, or sipping a glass of moschofilero in a Greek beachside taverna, Koen loves to immerse himself into the local culture, explore new places and eat and drink himself around the world. You can follow Koen on his travels on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

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5 thoughts on “Review: EuroCity Train “Metropolitan” Brno to Prague

  • June 1, 2023 at 1:24 pm
    Permalink

    Hello! Nice review! If you had to choose – thinking about food and comfort – between Metropolitan and Hungaria to go from Budapest to Prague, which would you choose? Thank you.

    Reply
    • Avatar photo
      June 1, 2023 at 8:51 pm
      Permalink

      It’s a tricky choice really as I do love both of them. The Hungarians have slightly lower prices and better (and much more affordable) wine – so if this is your drink of choice with food go for the Hungaria EuroCity. I personally also think the dining cars used by the Hungarian Railways are more charming. The Czechs on the other hand easily beat the Hungarians when it comes to the quality of coffee and you can’t beat Pilsner Urquell from draught (although the Gossser which is served from tap on the Hungaria EuroCity isn’t bad either).

      When it comes to the food it’s really much a personal preference between the two national cuisines, although if you compare the quality of the goulash soups served on the Hungaria and Metropolitan head-on then the Hungarians win the battle without a doubt.

      The bottom line is that you can’t go wrong with either, so I’d just select the train based on whatever departure time suits you the best.

      Reply
  • August 29, 2023 at 12:00 pm
    Permalink

    “To start, I ordered some goulash soup, which was fairly tasty (unsurprisingly, you can get better quality goulash on the Hungaria train).” – Just a side note: Goulash and goulash soup are two different meals, so it’s a bit unfair to compare them. I love goulash but absolutely hate goulash soup 🙂

    Great review, by the way, thank you!

    Reply

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