Review: EuroCity Train ‘Berliner’ Hamburg to Berlin and Prague
This review shows you what it’s like to take a trip on the EuroCity train ‘Berliner’ between Hamburg, Berlin, Dresden, and Prague.
A trip to Prague
After a fun time exploring Hamburg, it was time to start my trip in earnest.
As I already wrote in the trip report introduction, my main destination would be some islands of the Cyclades in Greece.
To reach Greece from Germany, I had a flight booked from Frankfurt to Athens.
However, instead of hopping straight on a train from Hamburg to Frankfurt, I decided to make a little detour by visiting some friends in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic.
I had done this journey from Hamburg to Prague a few times before, so I knew that despite the 7-hour train ride, it would be a comfortable and enjoyable trip.
From Hamburg to Prague by train
Direct trains from the German cities of Hamburg, Berlin, and Dresden to Prague depart once every two hours throughout most of the day.
These trains are all categorised as EuroCity (EC) services, a special train category which denotes cross-border InterCity services.
The EuroCity trains on this specific cross-border route between Hamburg, Berlin, and Prague are all named services, and have been given the name ‘Berliner’.
Most of these ‘Berliner’ EuroCity trains run along the full length of the route between Hamburg and Prague, making stops along the way in Berlin, Dresden, and a few smaller cities.
However, some early morning and late evening trains only cover a shorter distance, such as between Berlin and Prague only, while others are even extended beyond Hamburg to either Flensburg or Kiel in northern Germany.
You can easily check the train timetables and buy tickets at both the website of the Czech Railways and German Railways.
These EuroCity trains are often cheaper if you book them in advance, although unlike the more expensive fully flexible fares, booking an advance saver fare means you can only travel on your selected train departure and cannot take an earlier or later service.
I was booked on train number EC 177, the 12.38pm service from Hamburg Altona to Berlin, Dresden, and Prague, and paid €39.90 for my second class ticket.
Seat reservations
Normally, seat reservations are optional on cross-border EuroCity trains between Germany and the Czech Republic such as the Berliner.
However, the German Railways has made seat reservations compulsory on cross-border trains for travel between the 1st of June and 1st of September 2024 due to an anticipated record number of visiting tourists during the summer season, which coincides with Germany hosting the UEFA Euro 2024 football championship.
If you are traveling during this period with a Eurail or Interrail rail pass, which normally gives you free travel on the EuroCity ‘Berliner’ train from Hamburg to Berlin and Prague, you must ensure to book an additional seat reservation in advance.
Both the German Railways and Czech Railways website allow you to make a seat reservation only for the EuroCity Berliner in case you already have a valid ticket or are travelling with an Eurail or Interrail pass.
Hamburg Altona station
Although some of the EuroCity trains to Berlin and Prague only use Hamburg Hbf, the city’s main station, my train actually departed from the secondary station of Hamburg Altona.
After its departure from Hamburg Altona, the train would then call at Hamburg Hbf, before making it’s way to Berlin and Prague.
Unless your Hamburg hotel is closer to Altona, most tourists will find it more convenient to take this train service from Hamburg Hbf, which is also a much more beautiful station with a wider range of facilities.
However, one advantage of taking the train from Altona is that significantly fewer passengers board the train here compared to Hamburg Hbf, which can be an advantage if you haven’t bought a seat reservation with your ticket.
As Hamburg Altona is a terminus, my train to Prague was shunted into the station by a shunting locomotive.
The blue-and-white-coloured carriages of the Czech Railways of the Berliner EuroCity train made for a sharp contrast with the white-and-red livery of the trains of the German Railways at the adjacent platforms.
On board the EuroCity ‘Berliner’ train
The EuroCity train ‘Berliner’ is operated by the Czech Railways (České Dráhy, abbreviated as ČD) and uses Czech rolling stock.
Second class includes both open-plan saloon cars with seats arranged two abreast or in bays of four, as well as carriages with six-seat compartments.
In first class, seats are arranged in a 1-2 configuration in open-plan saloon cars.
There are at-seat power sockets in both first and second class and the trains have complimentary Wi-Fi internet, although there are data caps in place (200mb in second class, 500mb in first) when the train is outside the Czech Republic, and the service could be a bit spotty at times.
Apart from offering more comfortable seats, additional shoulder room, and more personal space, there is no difference in service between second and first class.
Dining car
The EuroCity ‘Berliner’ train features a popular Czech dining car that serves delicious and reasonably priced drinks and meals.
The dining car is open to passengers in both first and second class, and since there are no table reservations, you can choose any available seat as long as you order something to eat or drink.
You can also use the takeaway counter in the restaurant wagon to buy something if you prefer to eat or drink something at your assigned seat, or simply wait for the dining car staff to make their round through the train with their drinks trolley.
You can also use the takeaway counter in the restaurant wagon to buy something if you prefer to eat or drink at your assigned seat, or simply wait for the dining car staff to make their round through the train with their drinks trolley.
Both cash (euro or Czech koruna) and card payments are accepted in the dining car.
Of course, you are also free to bring your own drinks and food on the train and consume them at your seat.
Hamburg to Prague on the EuroCity train ‘Berliner’
Train EC 177 – Departure: 12.38pm – Arrival: 7.36pm
Duration: 6h58m – Distance: 687 kilometres
Price: €39.90 for a second class ticket
Departure from Hamburg
There weren’t many passengers who boarded the train at Hamburg Altona, and I had no problem finding an empty 6-seat compartment all to myself.
Above each seat, you can see a small electronic display or an old-fashioned paper label indicating whether the seat has been reserved or is available.
If you haven’t made a seat reservation, you are free to take any available seat you want.
If the display indicates that the seat is only reserved for a partial stretch of the route, such as from Berlin to Dresden, it means that the seat is unreserved between Hamburg and Berlin, as well as between Dresden and Prague, so you can still take this seat on those parts of the journey.
We rolled out of Hamburg Altona on time and made our way through the city centre towards Hamburg Hbf, where quite some more people boarded the train.
Lunch in the dining car
One of the main reasons why the ‘Berliner’ EuroCity train makes for such a great way to travel between Hamburg, Berlin, and Prague is its excellent dining car.
Whether you just want to have a drink or want to enjoy a full meal, the beautifully appointed Czech dining car on this EuroCity train provides a great environment to do so.
In fact, it’s one of Europe’s classic dining car experiences, and a drink and meal in this Czech restaurant wagon makes for an unforgettable train travel memory.
I started my meal with some goulash soup, and afterwards enjoyed some svíčková, a traditional Czech dish of thinly-cut sirloin steak with bread dumplings in a cream sauce.
To drink, I couldn’t resist a pint of Pilsner Urquell or two, which is served on draught in this Czech dining car.
The entire meal, including drinks, cost me around 25 euros, which I think is a fair price for such an amazing experience.
A stop in Berlin
The first part of the journey from Hamburg to Berlin is relatively uneventful as the train crosses the North German Plain, an area dominated by agricultural fields and grasslands.
After stops in the small towns of Büchen, Ludwigslust, and Wittenberge, we approached the outskirts of Berlin.
The ‘Berliner’ EuroCity train first stops at the station of Berlin-Spandau before continuing to the main station of the German capital, Berlin Hauptbahnhof (Hbf).
At Berlin Hbf, the ‘Berliner’ EuroCity uses the underground north-south platforms as opposed from the above-ground east-west platforms of this vast, modern station.
After the stop at Berlin Hbf, the ‘Berliner’ EuroCity train makes one more stop in the German capital by calling at Berlin Südkreuz station.
Of course, you can also use this wonderful Czech train if you only need to travel between Hamburg and Berlin, as many German passengers were doing, judging by the number of people who disembarked at the stops in Berlin.
From Berlin to Dresden
The landscape between Berlin and Dresden is quite similar to the stretch between Hamburg and Berlin.
Once the train calls at Dresden-Neustadt, it is worth paying attention to the views from the window.
After departing from Dresden-Neustadt, the EuroCity train ‘Berliner’ will cross the River Elbe, and on your left-hand side in the direction of travel (when travelling from Berlin to Prague), you will have some nice views of the skyline of the old town of Dresden, including the city’s famous Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) with its beautiful cupola.
After the train crosses the bridge over the River Elbe, you should look out to your right-hand side, as here you can now see the iconic Yenidze building.
Built between 1907 and 1909 in the Moorish Revival style, the Yenidze building resembles a mosque but was in fact a tobacco factory.
The building is named after the town of Genisea (called Yenidze in Turkish), which is now part of the Greek region of Thrace but belonged back then to the Ottoman Empire.
It was from here that Hugo Zietz, the Jewish German owner of the Oriental Tobacco and Cigarette Factory Yenidze, imported his tobacco.
The Dresden factory where the tobacco was processed into cigarettes was intentionally designed in this Islamic style at the behest of Zietz, who wanted to emphasise the oriental origin of his tobacco.
After the reunification of Germany, the factory was sold to a private investment firm, which converted it into an office building.
Shortly after passing the Yenidze building, the train stops at Dresden Hbf, the beautiful main station of the capital of the German state of Saxony.
Along the Elbe
The highlight of a journey on the ‘Berliner’ EuroCity train to Prague is the stretch southeast of Dresden, as here the railway line follows the course of the River Elbe through a beautiful valley.
Make sure to sit on the left-hand side of the train in the direction of travel when taking the train from Germany to Prague, as this is where the views over the river valley are.
This hilly part of Germany is known as Saxon Switzerland, and the lands across the river form a national park that is well worth a stopover if you have some time.
As the train follows one of the many meanders of the river in this beautiful valley, be sure to keep an eye out for Königstein Fortress atop the cliffs.
After a while, the ‘Berliner’ EuroCity train calls at the station of Bad Schandau, the last stop in Germany before the Czech border.
Into the Czech Republic
Upon reaching the German-Czech border, the scenery on the ‘Berliner’ EuroCity train becomes even more beautiful.
Here, the valley of the River Elbe narrows and transforms into a canyon.
Right alongside the Elbe there are some impressive sandstone cliffs, which makes for some stunning views from the train.
This part of the Czech Republic is also home to a national park, known as Bohemian Switzerland National Park.
Towards Děčín
After a while, the EuroCity train reaches Děčín, the first stop in the Czech Republic.
As the train approaches the station, be sure to look out for Děčín Castle, perched on a hilltop above the River Elbe on your left-hand side.
Into the night
Although the scenery remains picturesque between Děčín and the next station of Ústí nad Labem, the landscape becomes somewhat less spectacular as the rocky cliffs give way to hills.
At this point, the evening was slowly setting in, making it a bit more challenging to enjoy the views from the train window.
Just after departing from Ústí nad Labem, I could however still see another impressive castle perched on a cliff called Střekov Castle (or Burg Schreckenstein in German).
Dinner in the dining car
With Prague still well over an hour away, I decided to return to the dining car for another round of beers and dinner.
Once the EuroCity train ‘Berliner’ crosses the border into the Czech Republic, happy hour prices are applied in the dining car, giving you a significant discount on all drinks and meals.
A beer now only cost me €1.60, instead of the €3.30 it was when we were still traversing Germany.
I savoured one or two more pints of Pilsner Urquell, along with an IPA specially brewed for the Czech Railways.
Trip report index
This article is part of the ‘Wonderful Greek Island Escape: My Trip to the Cyclades‘ trip report, which consists of the following chapters:
1. A Misty Morning Walk Around the Old Port of Hamburg
2. Review: EuroCity Train ‘Berliner’ Hamburg to Berlin and Prague (current chapter)
3. Back to Germany: From Prague to Frankfurt by Train
4. From Frankfurt to Athens: A Flight Into the Greek Sun
5. Greek Ferry Guide: How to Reach the Western Cyclades
6. Review: Speedrunner Ferry Piraeus to Serifos and Sifnos
7. Sifnos Travel Guide: Explore the Best Sights and Beaches
8. Review: Simeon Rooms & Apartments, Sifnos
** rest of the chapters to follow soon **
The train is a huge upgrade on my memory of Czech rail stock. About ten years ago I used to travel Berlin Hbf-Dresden Hbf quite often and the service was always operated with Czech stock and routes on the Prague but I think Berlin Hbf was the terminus then.
The carriages had certainly seen better, much better days back then and what you traveled on looks new and luxurious in comparison!