I studied in Dresden 1984-1989. I took the czech train (older train as today) very very often, both for travelling to Berlin (which I did at least once per month) or to Prague (few times per year). For Berlin, if I was flexible with the time, i would always prefer the czech over the Deutsche Reichsbahn train. Why? Because the czech train always had a restaurant coach with a real kitchen, a real cook beating eggs to prepare a fresh omelette, and real Staropravem or Budvar beer. I simply loved it, the cooking smell, the simple yet fresh, yummy and unexpensive meals, and a fresh czech beer. Beatiful memories!
It's funny you mention it. I remember the short-lived direct train from Copenhagen to Prague in the late 80's. The majority of coaches were from DR, but the restaurant car was from CSD. I remember that most of the passengers preferred hanging out in the restaurant car. It offered better comfort and the food was amazing.
For your information, the "happy hour" happens while you're in the Czech Republic. Regardless of which direction you take the train, happy hour starts and ends at the border crossing. It even factors in any delays. There's likely something with the laws who gets paid what that they have to charge more for the food while in germany.
It is because if they kept German prices in Czech republic, it would be very expensive for us. Germans have 2,5x higher salaries then us. Also expenses on crew and the car are higher in Germany then on Czech railroad, so they have take that in account.
It's merely a commercial decision. They could charge Czech prices in Germany but they don't want to :) The happy hours concept is a legal thing though - they used to openly differentiate between Czech and German prices but authorities cracked on that (EU law), so they came up with differentiating it by time.
I love and appreciate your videos so much! I have Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, Discover+, and Disney+... but I am more excited for your videos which allow me to travel with a genuine experience. I love the absence of voice over so I can experience the sounds. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I send your videos to my mom as she loves to travel by train too and it makes her so happy. Love your content!
I still maintain there is a huge opportunity for you to expand your channel by documenting what you see and do before and after your journey. I loved the lunch service on this train! First class all the way!
I've travelled this train several times and found it enjoyable. The food in the dining car has always been delicious and reasonably priced. Amtrak here in the U.S. could learn something.
nice looking carraiges and food. berlin a city of contrasts where you can find historical,soviet and modern architecture in one place. dresden old city is beautiful and so is the views on the elbe river and also prague
The section running alongside the Elbe is beautiful - worth the trip for that alone. Your video has bought the memories back, sadly pictures can't convey the magnificence of the scenery.
That bear is one of the 'United Buddy Bears', dating from an art installation in 2001 - somewhere I have a huge folder of photos of them that I took soon after they were installed. They can still be found across Berlin and elsewhere around the world today.
Great travel report which brought back memories of when I took that same journey in summer 2019 before the world came to a standstill. The scenery is absolutely first-rate. I too am a big fan of ČD’s subtly elegant livery, it being one of my favorites. A great example is how the dining cars are painted in a reverse-color scheme: regular coaches have a light blue window band with dark blue stripe, dining cars dark blue band with light blue stripe. Very classy (and the food is really is good too!)
love the presentation. last time I was in berlin I was on the VSOE to london. This is only a minor point, when leaving Berlin you go through the old Berlin which is awesome and well worth recording on film. - such as the view of museum Island.
Great video! EC Berliner is one of my favorite trains, I traveled on this route many times! Btw. good food selection, I also like it :-) Greetings from Prague!
Dylan, an excellent Vlog, thanks for your hard work. I did the trip in reverse (Prague to Berlin) in August 2016, and I can recommend the train as the best way to travel between the two cities. in my experience, second class on most German and Czech trains is much more comfortable than first class in most British, American, Canadian or Australian trains, and much cheaper.
Another fine Czech train trip. It may have been a little late but the trip was excellent from the seats to the wi-fi to the beautiful Elbe scenery. As usual they offer fantastic food service. Let others take note that these Czech trains really have it together on how to do things right. The bears are BUDDY BEARS, which first appeared in Berlin in 2001. There are several poses and each has a different design on the fiberglass body. Yours had Berlin Zoo design. They became a symbol of Berlin and travel the world in exhibitions. Now known as United Buddy Bears they are in over a hundred countries. Many different artists have made these symbols of optimism.
Looked as though it was a wonderful trip. Loved the comfort and cleanliness. I'll never travel there but really enjoy the sights and scenery!!! THANK YOU!!!
Loved this route! You should also try the Railjet version too, it was slightly pricier and they only have a pair of trains in the early morning and late at night but I liked their seats better than CD's (which were already excellent). One thing though, CD are usually cheaper than DB for the same seat, so I would book via CD.
I remember using this train few years back as a teen in the opposite way. I was meant to travel from Prague to Usti nad Labem, but I overslept and first thing I saw waking up was german speaking conductor. I tried to quickly remember my german lessons from high school but without much success. You can imagine my shock getting out of the train in Dresden at evening with handful of Euros, when I was already meant to be at home.
Love the restaurant car. It kinda reminds me of the classic Transalpine service from Zurich - Vienna. @7:17, I see the Television Tower, one of my top favorite Berlin landmarks. The only thing close to that I've seen here in the States is the "Tower Of The Americas" in San Antonio, Texas.
Prague TV Tover looks way better and since David Cerny installed the babies on the toweer wisible from all around Prague centre - it looks really cool! th-cam.com/video/7OJtNZHLvts/w-d-xo.html
@Ken: Yes thats really a good trip, which only takes 4 hours. And the best thing is: normally the Czech train company offers "Pilsener Urquell" fresh from the tap! I took this train a several times (i am a Berliner). And there is another train from Vienna to Berlin (Austrian Night Jet), which i think is even more interesting because you can sleep in that train and the food and coffee is also amazing (and it is very clean aswell)...
A new route bypassig the Elbe Valley is planned between Dresden and Prague. If you want to experience this beautiful scenery by train or on vacation (the Elbe Sandstone Mountains are a climbing and hiking paradise) you should not hesitate too long. - Heinz
Well, let's be honest. The German part and the tunnel under the border (managed by the German side as well) will be constructed soon. As for the route between Usti nad Labem and Prague - there is an uproar about tracing from local mayors and delays are hanging in the air. (As a side note, and to be fair, the mayors have a credible reason to be irritated, since the infrastructure managing body - správa železnic - considered it fit to fire engineering firm working on the project, who by all accounts were doing a good job and rehashed the work internally and in turn produced this mess for themselves...) In any case, I suspect the Sandstone along Elbe and Moldau will continue to please us for at least a few years to come.
@@GrumpyL5 no worries, while long-distance trains will likely leave this line, the old line isn't going anywhere, the Dresden S-Bahn S1 will continue to serve it to Schöna, and the Czech have a two-hourly service from Děčín to Rumburk via Bad Schandau, and I wouldn't be surprised if they up that frequency when the EuroCities and Railjets have been removed... While regional trains aren't as fun (they are often not as comfortable, there's no catering on board, they might be slower and you have to change more often), they are still perfectly fine for exploring this beautiful region.
Maybe once Corona is eventually over, you could do a video where you compare the food served on high speed trains in various european countries. Would be interesting to see how our german ICE/IC food compares with other train operators in terms of pricing, quality and style when it comes to the bord restaurant :)
Thank you very much for your video. I’ve traveled only once with CD. The equipment seems not to be the latest technology and looks very similar to the IC couches. But I can remember that it was well maintained, tidied-up and clean. In my point of view that is the main thing.
Grear video. I did this trip, as a round trip starting in Praha on my first visit to Berlin 4 years ago. Very nice trip and great scenery. thanks for sharing.
I traveled with this train (2nd class) few times from Prague to Berlin - thanks for this video, it brings me nice memories! :-) The food service on board comes from JLV company (it is not directly from ČD) and it was all the time really great and delicious and on the HappyHours also price-friendly for students like I was ;-). For me as native Czech/Moravian was only negative, that the ticket price from ČD is so unreasonably high, that it was much cheaper to buy a ticket on DB eshop... The price of EuropaSpezial from DB was much cheaper then the cheapest ticket from ČD...
the czech loco doing the drag race at 12:30 is a class 372 (the slightly faster passenger version is 371) dual voltage loco built for service into germany (it runs under both 3kv dc and 15kv ac) and was also used by the german railways as class 180. it would have pulled your train from dresden onwards before the cd introduced the vectron. these locos were based in a shed in dresden, when it closed they moved them to my workplace to serve their remaining few years with deutsche bahn. was quite the challenge to work on them, the czechs do things very differently at times.
A lovely journey with beautiful scenery to boot Dylan! The Germans certainly know how to build a railway station don’t they? Some beautiful architecture there!
i did this journey 3-4 years ago in winter time. I had spent the previous night in an airport with barely any sleep, so I was exhausted. But, of course, i was able to make an incredible bed by raising the arm rests in one of the 2nd class compartments .... I slept all the way to Prague. A very relaxing (and almost empty) service!
Beautiful. Treat for train lovers. Berlin hbf is amazing. The dining car is awsome. This wonderful experience comes at a reasonable price. Thats great.
Another great video of your travels around Europe last northern summer/autumn. The views along the Elbe alone are worth the trip. Your excellent review of the carriages, especially the restaurant car and the high standard of cuisine on this service, is much appreciated. The meal you chose reminds me that I need to vary my diet occasionally to try the exotic (for me). It was a pity the washroom/toilet facilities were not up to standard but the general ambience of this train was quite pleasant. Looking forward to whatever surprise you have for us next week and hope you will be able to travel again soon. Spring has sprung in your part of the world while I'm preparing to hunker down for a Melbourne winter. Usually get a few good days between now and mid-May though. Hoping to get out into regional Victoria for one last look at the autumn colours before all the leaves fall down. Cheers!
It looks and sounds like a most enjoyable trip. Lovely scenery and that menu was awesome! If they would put a bit of polish on the restrooms they might have the perfect train! Great tour. Thanks Dylan. 👍
I bet they do proper cleaning in Czechia. This train does round trips between Czechia and Germany and now it was on its way 'home', so it must have been a bit 'worn'.
The humming noise must be the static converter or air-conditioning. These cars are a little of older date. A fantastic opportunity to take the Berliner from the upper part of Berlin Hbf, usually it departs from underground part.
Another great video Dylan. I had forgotten how beautiful the German scenery can be. Some of the German stations are very impressive. Take care amd keep safe.
I took that train a few times from Prague to Berlin and back, and they were really great, except for the first time, when my sister borrowed my laptop and cracked the screen (not the train's fault)
The bear is part of a art project from the early 2000s. It´s called "buddy bears". Many companies get a blank bear and coul paint it with Berlin-themed pictures. This bear ist from one of the two zoos in Berlin.
10:44 a broken a/c unit at the roof, happens pretty often in our german regional trains (the red ones) too, same annoying sound, the compressor needs to be replaced, btw small side knowledge: you forgot to mention that Berlin Central Station is the biggest station in hole of europe🙃, but nevertheless great video and keep it up👍
it depends on how you qualify the size of a station. Leipzig Hbf is the biggest terminus station, Paris Nord is the biggest in Europe in number of passengers, but Berlin Hbf is up there, for sure.
If the aircon was broken wouldn't it be like a sauna in the carriage. Its happened to me a few times on Australian trains. Sometimes they terminate the train at next station and put everyone on a bus to final destination to avoid sitting in an un airconditioned train when its problarly over 50 degrees C inside.
I'll be on vacation soon and I was in doubt how to get to Prague from Berlin. Watching your video I was convinced to do exactly what you did here! Thank You!
Would be nice to show us the prices for the different seats and options in this CD Berlin Prague connection. Besides that I really appreciated your video.
As much as I would love to experience Europe for myself, this is the only way I can do so for now. This is when I don’t like living in New Zealand! Great video, Dylan!
Dylan, your commentary is very well written! You write as I imagine you would speak. I suspect you went to a very good school ( Public School if I guess correctly after your comment about the “grotty” toilets...)😊 And this trip report is making me miss my favorite two cities in Europe: Berlin and Prague. I have traveled this route several times with great memories! Hopefully I can experience them again, if not this Summer then the next. Thank you Dylan for the vicarious train trip!!
I rode the same type of train 7 years ago from Prague to Berlin. It was Eurocity 378 Slovenska Strela. Because I had a Eurailpass, I was able to ride in First Class. It was a very pleasant trip; comfortable seat, good scenery and a nice lunch in the Restaurant Car. Looking at my own video, it appears the the seats in First and the Restaurant have been reupholstered since then. I also got the same illusion that the sleepers were moving in the same direction as the train when I shot from the rear car. One difference: it arrived on the lower level at Berlin Hbf., right on time.
Interesting that the train leaves from the top east/west platforms despite being a southbound service. I assume there is a reason, but it is still interesting.
An excellent video of an excellent trip. I am very impressed with the extensive menu, considering that many trains and planes have cut way back or eliminated food service because of the pandemic. On some US long-distance trains, even in normal times the best they have is a microwaved prepackaged meal. For the price this is a good deal!
Dylan, amazing video. You got on one of the lucky trains that still allows to serve people in the cafe car. You were also fortunate find it very luxurious in nature. Go back to the bathroom video, You just didn't see below near the sink where you had to wave your hand to activate the dryer. First class is nice to travel in. Especially if it had compartments. But in view of the pandemic, people would reserve the compartments for protection. Over all, seems like you had one very nice adventure last year!! As always, be safe!
It makes Halftrak seem ancient. The US is lagging badly in train travel. You could feel how smooth it is and the quiet (other than the weird hum) is amazing in comparison. We suck. Also, that food and the ticket price are more than reasonable. I like the no voiceover, so you can hear stuff. You do excellent work. Thank you.
Great report. I'm visiting Praha in Jan 2025 for a business trip and a weekend train ride to Berlin for some Bundesliga is high on my list. It looks like quite an enjoyable ride, to the extent where I think I'd be happy to do a return trip on the same day if time allows.
It's a shame you never went for a Traditional lunch Czech & Slovak classic Svieckova/Knedlik. My favourite dish in Slovakia oh how I miss it being stuck in London.
I'm American, and he sounded like he learned English from an American. He elongated his vowels in a way that wasn't quite American. I had a friend from Japan who sounded like he grew up in Scotland because his teacher was Scottish. It was a surprise to first hear him talk.
@@John_Fugazzi That reminds me, when I worked for Sony they had a couple of factories in South Wales. Lots of Japanese came over to work in the plants and they bought their families. It was amusing that in the company newsletter it was proudly announced that some of the children had passed their exams in Welsh - that'll be useful in Tokyo - I bet the kids spoke English with a welsh accent as well.
I've only been through Berlin once, having a 2 day stopover during a mini-Eurotrip from funnily enough your home city Inverness via London, Den Haag & (via Amersfoort) Berlin to Budapest when I begun an TEFL job. I did really like Belin Hbf, an example of how to have a modern, well laid out railway station that is pleasing. You've been through a few Germain railway stations, is it me or do they have a somewhat warm, musky-mechanical smell of efficiency (most of the time) I got the Berlin to Budapest train with the Hungarian (MavStart) dining car. The route along the Elbe river was very scenic, made all the better with a coffee or beer.
The bear sculpture is a Berlin version of the famous "cow parade" sculptures that appeared in many cities about 15 years ago . When I made that journey the Prague central station was closed and I had to go to Praha Holoviec which was dull and I couldn't see the city. I remember the journey being very slow , much longer than 4.5 hours.
For a few months, through trains will bypass Praha hl.n. again, going over Praha-Holešovice because of work being done on the line east of Praha to Česká Třebová and beyond to Ostrava, Slovakia, Brno and Vienna. But despite it's bleak surroundigs, Holešovice isn't that far from the city centre, it's 3 metro stops to hl.n., tram 12 in front of Holešovice station will get you right to the Old Town in about 20 min...
Nice trip report, and yes, nice scenery especially on a sunny day. I have done this trip numerous times, buy have always had a crew change at the border station. You did not mention having one, curious if you did. Thanks for the ride.
In Berlin it becomes very apparent how much S-Bahn class 481 with its high pitched sound contributes to the soundscape! 13:37 I think the dryer is operated by the button under the shaver outlet. Yes JLV restaurant cars are among the best, good quality and reliable service, definitely recommended especially during "happy hour": Wonderful value for money! This line is familiar to me since I used to study in Dresden. The train itself is also very familiar, I designed the models back in the day.
4:20 my hometown is mentioned... went from berlin to dresden on a cd train (was a different eurocity that came from stettin) years ago in 2nd class, was a rather pleasant ride
Dylan, I totally concur with your summary of this train and journey. I often make the trip and value the excellent Restaurant Car, especially after a day attending trade fairs in Praha. To join the evening departure for Berlin (I go to Dresden) and to be able to sit back with a (small) bottle of wine and a meal is bliss. The Premier Class (First Class) is comfortable and facilitates a conducive environment for work (or a nap after the wine!). However, have no idea about what that background hum is, maybe something to do with the train electrics. I'll ask the on-board manager on my next journey. Thanks again.
Sure is a treat, wonderful country, lots of history, good food, decent accomodation and (relatively) cheap, too. And it doesn't have to be expensive, either, especially if you don't go via Dresden. For those in the know, CHEB is a useful way of getting cheap train tickets to Czechia, not just Prague. Basically, you go on the website of the Czech railways, cd.cz, leave from a station served by DB (as those are in their database, e.g. Brussels), pick a destination like Praha, Karlovy Vary, Plzeň or České Budějovice, and select as a Via station Cheb. You chould be able to find dirt cheap tickets (from +- €24), often even mere days in advance. These tickets exist via Berlin, too, but they are sold out much earlier. If you have your mind set on the Elbe valley, do check both cd.cz and bahn.de, as either have their contingent of cheaper tickets.
Ohh, this was the time, were the train was deviated by upper Berlin. Normaly the train runs from Spandau via Jungfernheide to Berlin Hbf (tief) and stops on platform 1 or 2. Aftwerwards it's stopping at Südkreuz.
Dylan, this was definitely a make this trip if your looking for train travel in Europe for a clean scenic and affordable trip.. I definitely put a star next to this one. Thanks for sharing and stay safe.😷. ....hope your getting a vaccine 👍
I think what you assumed to be a hand-dryer in the bathroom was an old-fashioned soap mill (you turn those black ship’s wheel like handles in order to shave off soap from a bar in the centre) as it used to be common in older locomotive hauled trains in Germany and neighbouring countries. The empty shaft next to it seems to be an empty paper towel dispenser.
I studied in Dresden 1984-1989. I took the czech train (older train as today) very very often, both for travelling to Berlin (which I did at least once per month) or to Prague (few times per year).
For Berlin, if I was flexible with the time, i would always prefer the czech over the Deutsche Reichsbahn train. Why? Because the czech train always had a restaurant coach with a real kitchen, a real cook beating eggs to prepare a fresh omelette, and real Staropravem or Budvar beer. I simply loved it, the cooking smell, the simple yet fresh, yummy and unexpensive meals, and a fresh czech beer.
Beatiful memories!
It's funny you mention it. I remember the short-lived direct train from Copenhagen to Prague in the late 80's. The majority of coaches were from DR, but the restaurant car was from CSD. I remember that most of the passengers preferred hanging out in the restaurant car. It offered better comfort and the food was amazing.
For your information, the "happy hour" happens while you're in the Czech Republic. Regardless of which direction you take the train, happy hour starts and ends at the border crossing. It even factors in any delays. There's likely something with the laws who gets paid what that they have to charge more for the food while in germany.
Maybe minimum unit pricing on the alcohol in Germany?
@@DylansTravelReports Given the very cheap price of alcohol in Germany I suspect that's unlikely, albeit alcohol in CZ is even cheaper.
It is because if they kept German prices in Czech republic, it would be very expensive for us. Germans have 2,5x higher salaries then us. Also expenses on crew and the car are higher in Germany then on Czech railroad, so they have take that in account.
I was also going to say this - if you wait to get your food/drinks until you cross the border it will be substantially cheaper
It's merely a commercial decision. They could charge Czech prices in Germany but they don't want to :)
The happy hours concept is a legal thing though - they used to openly differentiate between Czech and German prices but authorities cracked on that (EU law), so they came up with differentiating it by time.
I love and appreciate your videos so much! I have Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, Discover+, and Disney+... but I am more excited for your videos which allow me to travel with a genuine experience. I love the absence of voice over so I can experience the sounds. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I send your videos to my mom as she loves to travel by train too and it makes her so happy.
Love your content!
Thanks 😁
The 'Hum' is one of the extras you get for free in First Class - in second class you get an annoying rattle.
Honestly, I would prefer rattling over annoying artificial sounding humming!
Richard williams
Well, still better than UK loco hauled stock. I mean, locomotive hauling is pretty much obsolete there
I still maintain there is a huge opportunity for you to expand your channel by documenting what you see and do before and after your journey. I loved the lunch service on this train! First class all the way!
Yes, I've just started filming more videos and I'm adding some of this in as you'll see next week 😁
@@DylansTravelReports FANTASTIC! Looking forward to it! Till next week then! 🥂
I've travelled this train several times and found it enjoyable. The food in the dining car has always been delicious and reasonably priced. Amtrak here in the U.S. could learn something.
Czech railways were awarded as a company having the best thain food in whole europe. I agree - the food is simply amazing!!!
nice looking carraiges and food. berlin a city of contrasts where you can find historical,soviet and modern architecture in one place. dresden old city is beautiful and so is the views on the elbe river and also prague
The section running alongside the Elbe is beautiful - worth the trip for that alone. Your video has bought the memories back, sadly pictures can't convey the magnificence of the scenery.
That bear is one of the 'United Buddy Bears', dating from an art installation in 2001 - somewhere I have a huge folder of photos of them that I took soon after they were installed. They can still be found across Berlin and elsewhere around the world today.
TIGERS ARE, FAR MORE POPULAR! TIGERS ARE ALSO THE NUMBER 1 "ALL""SPORTS"" MASCOTS IN THE WORLD. WITH THE MOST SPORTS TEAMS WINS EVER👊💪🐯🐯🐯👑👑👑🏆🏆🏆🏆
@@captainamericaamerica8090 who cares? The bear is the symbol of Berlin and not a tiger!
I like that you did this ride. I am also from czech republic and I am also planning to take that ride.
Great travel report which brought back memories of when I took that same journey in summer 2019 before the world came to a standstill. The scenery is absolutely first-rate. I too am a big fan of ČD’s subtly elegant livery, it being one of my favorites. A great example is how the dining cars are painted in a reverse-color scheme: regular coaches have a light blue window band with dark blue stripe, dining cars dark blue band with light blue stripe. Very classy (and the food is really is good too!)
love the presentation. last time I was in berlin I was on the VSOE to london. This is only a minor point, when leaving Berlin you go through the old Berlin which is awesome and well worth recording on film. - such as the view of museum Island.
That variable hum you kept hearing is an electric motor. It was singing the song of its people.
Great video! EC Berliner is one of my favorite trains, I traveled on this route many times! Btw. good food selection, I also like it :-) Greetings from Prague!
Thanks Pete! You are lucky to have travelled on it so many times with all that nice food 😁
Dylan,
an excellent Vlog, thanks for your hard work.
I did the trip in reverse (Prague to Berlin) in August 2016, and I can recommend the train as the best way to travel between the two cities.
in my experience, second class on most German and Czech trains is much more comfortable than first class in most British, American, Canadian or Australian trains, and much cheaper.
Thanks!
Another fine Czech train trip. It may have been a little late but the trip was excellent from the seats to the wi-fi to the beautiful Elbe scenery. As usual they offer fantastic food service. Let others take note that these Czech trains really have it together on how to do things right. The bears are BUDDY BEARS, which first appeared in Berlin in 2001. There are several poses and each has a different design on the fiberglass body. Yours had Berlin Zoo design. They became a symbol of Berlin and travel the world in exhibitions. Now known as United Buddy Bears they are in over a hundred countries. Many different artists have made these symbols of optimism.
Looked as though it was a wonderful trip. Loved the comfort and cleanliness. I'll never travel there but really enjoy the sights and scenery!!! THANK YOU!!!
Amtrak certainly could take some lessons from CD!!
Like 2 hour delays?
@@KT8D5 Well compared to 8 hour delays on Amtrak, sure?
Facts
Table clothes in the diner with plated service... That is reason for me to choose this service.
Hope you mean tableCLOTHS...it wouldn't really be appropriate to take your clothes off and use as a substitute.
that art represents berlin and its Zoo! also the bear is the sign of berlin!
TIGERS WORLD WIDE ARE THE MOST POPULAR🐯🐯👑👑👑
Ah, thanks for the info!
@@DylansTravelReports helo
There are 100 of them in Berlin
The bears are a symbol of Berlin because Bär (bear in Geeman) is pronounced the same as the Ber in Berlin.
Loved this route! You should also try the Railjet version too, it was slightly pricier and they only have a pair of trains in the early morning and late at night but I liked their seats better than CD's (which were already excellent). One thing though, CD are usually cheaper than DB for the same seat, so I would book via CD.
I remember using this train few years back as a teen in the opposite way. I was meant to travel from Prague to Usti nad Labem, but I overslept and first thing I saw waking up was german speaking conductor. I tried to quickly remember my german lessons from high school but without much success. You can imagine my shock getting out of the train in Dresden at evening with handful of Euros, when I was already meant to be at home.
Oh dear, that sounds like quite the adventure.
Great video. Thanks for sharing. Beautiful landscape. Reasonable ticket price and I think a perfect city break ☺️
Very luxurious feeling as tourist to Prague. The only thing I miss is the announcement in Czech before reaching the German-Czech border.
Love the restaurant car. It kinda reminds me of the classic Transalpine service from Zurich - Vienna.
@7:17, I see the Television Tower, one of my top favorite Berlin landmarks. The only thing close to that I've seen here in the States is the "Tower Of The Americas" in San Antonio, Texas.
Prague TV Tover looks way better and since David Cerny installed the babies on the toweer wisible from all around Prague centre - it looks really cool!
th-cam.com/video/7OJtNZHLvts/w-d-xo.html
That's beautiful scenery along the Elbe river. I must plan this train into my next trip to Prague.
@Ken: Yes thats really a good trip, which only takes 4 hours. And the best thing is: normally the Czech train company offers "Pilsener Urquell" fresh from the tap! I took this train a several times (i am a Berliner). And there is another train from Vienna to Berlin (Austrian Night Jet), which i think is even more interesting because you can sleep in that train and the food and coffee is also amazing (and it is very clean aswell)...
Thank you for a great review, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The CD train looked excellent, and the onboard service superb ! I will have to do that run !
Glad you enjoyed 😁
A new route bypassig the Elbe Valley is planned between Dresden and Prague. If you want to experience this beautiful scenery by train or on vacation (the Elbe Sandstone Mountains are a climbing and hiking paradise) you should not hesitate too long. - Heinz
Well, let's be honest. The German part and the tunnel under the border (managed by the German side as well) will be constructed soon. As for the route between Usti nad Labem and Prague - there is an uproar about tracing from local mayors and delays are hanging in the air. (As a side note, and to be fair, the mayors have a credible reason to be irritated, since the infrastructure managing body - správa železnic - considered it fit to fire engineering firm working on the project, who by all accounts were doing a good job and rehashed the work internally and in turn produced this mess for themselves...) In any case, I suspect the Sandstone along Elbe and Moldau will continue to please us for at least a few years to come.
That's dreadful news for such a lovely route :(
@@GrumpyL5 no worries, while long-distance trains will likely leave this line, the old line isn't going anywhere, the Dresden S-Bahn S1 will continue to serve it to Schöna, and the Czech have a two-hourly service from Děčín to Rumburk via Bad Schandau, and I wouldn't be surprised if they up that frequency when the EuroCities and Railjets have been removed... While regional trains aren't as fun (they are often not as comfortable, there's no catering on board, they might be slower and you have to change more often), they are still perfectly fine for exploring this beautiful region.
@@GrumpyL5 - Oh, I think the lline itself will be still run but with regio train service only. But at DB you never know...
@@Skawagon "Soon" means in fact within circa 10 years.
I loved the Elbe shoreline landscape. I hope someday to have the chance to visit it.
The Berlin Hauptbahnhof station is really spectacular. Thanks for this video.
Maybe once Corona is eventually over, you could do a video where you compare the food served on high speed trains in various european countries. Would be interesting to see how our german ICE/IC food compares with other train operators in terms of pricing, quality and style when it comes to the bord restaurant :)
Its easy - CD was awardwed as a company having the best train food in Europe.
Thank you very much for your video. I’ve traveled only once with CD. The equipment seems not to be the latest technology and looks very similar to the IC couches. But I can remember that it was well maintained, tidied-up and clean. In my point of view that is the main thing.
Dylan, that piercing bell at 2:48 woke me up! What else have I got to say, oh yes, really love your quality un-narrated presentations. Many thanks
Thanks! Just making sure you're paying attention 😅
Grear video. I did this trip, as a round trip starting in Praha on my first visit to Berlin 4 years ago. Very nice trip and great scenery. thanks for sharing.
I traveled with this train (2nd class) few times from Prague to Berlin - thanks for this video, it brings me nice memories! :-) The food service on board comes from JLV company (it is not directly from ČD) and it was all the time really great and delicious and on the HappyHours also price-friendly for students like I was ;-). For me as native Czech/Moravian was only negative, that the ticket price from ČD is so unreasonably high, that it was much cheaper to buy a ticket on DB eshop... The price of EuropaSpezial from DB was much cheaper then the cheapest ticket from ČD...
the czech loco doing the drag race at 12:30 is a class 372 (the slightly faster passenger version is 371) dual voltage loco built for service into germany (it runs under both 3kv dc and 15kv ac) and was also used by the german railways as class 180. it would have pulled your train from dresden onwards before the cd introduced the vectron. these locos were based in a shed in dresden, when it closed they moved them to my workplace to serve their remaining few years with deutsche bahn. was quite the challenge to work on them, the czechs do things very differently at times.
A lovely journey with beautiful scenery to boot Dylan! The Germans certainly know how to build a railway station don’t they? Some beautiful architecture there!
i did this journey 3-4 years ago in winter time. I had spent the previous night in an airport with barely any sleep, so I was exhausted. But, of course, i was able to make an incredible bed by raising the arm rests in one of the 2nd class compartments .... I slept all the way to Prague. A very relaxing (and almost empty) service!
nice memories, 9 years ago I made Prague - Dresden...! thanks for bring your experience :)
Beautiful. Treat for train lovers. Berlin hbf is amazing. The dining car is awsome. This wonderful experience comes at a reasonable price. Thats great.
Another great video of your travels around Europe last northern summer/autumn. The views along the Elbe alone are worth the trip. Your excellent review of the carriages, especially the restaurant car and the high standard of cuisine on this service, is much appreciated. The meal you chose reminds me that I need to vary my diet occasionally to try the exotic (for me). It was a pity the washroom/toilet facilities were not up to standard but the general ambience of this train was quite pleasant. Looking forward to whatever surprise you have for us next week and hope you will be able to travel again soon. Spring has sprung in your part of the world while I'm preparing to hunker down for a Melbourne winter. Usually get a few good days between now and mid-May though. Hoping to get out into regional Victoria for one last look at the autumn colours before all the leaves fall down. Cheers!
Thanks
It looks and sounds like a most enjoyable trip. Lovely scenery and that menu was awesome! If they would put a bit of polish on the restrooms they might have the perfect train! Great tour. Thanks Dylan. 👍
I bet they do proper cleaning in Czechia. This train does round trips between Czechia and Germany and now it was on its way 'home', so it must have been a bit 'worn'.
What a lovely scenic trip by the river, you had a perfect day for traveling.
The humming noise must be the static converter or air-conditioning. These cars are a little of older date.
A fantastic opportunity to take the Berliner from the upper part of Berlin Hbf, usually it departs from underground part.
Another great video Dylan. I had forgotten how beautiful the German scenery can be.
Some of the German stations are very impressive.
Take care amd keep safe.
Thanks 😁
I would say most of the beatiful parts were in Czechia but nevermind. Its a great scenery.
I took that train a few times from Prague to Berlin and back, and they were really great, except for the first time, when my sister borrowed my laptop and cracked the screen (not the train's fault)
I made this trip in November 2019 with my wife....unforgettable!
Pro tip: Happy hours in CD dining car always correspond to the time when the train is in Czechia :)
in Czechia for sure, but I thought also when it is running in Slovakia, I believe.
@@barvdw And also in Hungary :) Essentially the lower-income places (except for Poland where they charge the western price).
Good for that Beer, nothing better for a pleasant trip, the meal at the restaurant looks fantastic too. Awesome landscape.
Perfectly timed rear window shot!
Ik right!
The bear is part of a art project from the early 2000s. It´s called "buddy bears". Many companies get a blank bear and coul paint it with Berlin-themed pictures. This bear ist from one of the two zoos in Berlin.
Thanks for the info!
It's amazing to think, just over 30 years ago, a lot of this was behind the Iron Curtain.
That would've been hard to open to see outside, good job they've changed it to the one they have now.... phew!!
Another great video! Great to see both the compartment seating and a real, honest to goodness dining car! And you got your beer!
Thanks! It's always good to get beer 😅
@@DylansTravelReports just shows how overrated public schools can be! Well done.
10:44 a broken a/c unit at the roof, happens pretty often in our german regional trains (the red ones) too, same annoying sound, the compressor needs to be replaced, btw small side knowledge: you forgot to mention that Berlin Central Station is the biggest station in hole of europe🙃, but nevertheless great video and keep it up👍
That’s what I was thinking, a broken A/C.
I thought Gare du Nord was bigger, also I find London Waterloo to be huge! (Berlin Hbf is also big of course)
it depends on how you qualify the size of a station. Leipzig Hbf is the biggest terminus station, Paris Nord is the biggest in Europe in number of passengers, but Berlin Hbf is up there, for sure.
If the aircon was broken wouldn't it be like a sauna in the carriage. Its happened to me a few times on Australian trains. Sometimes they terminate the train at next station and put everyone on a bus to final destination to avoid sitting in an un airconditioned train when its problarly over 50 degrees C inside.
@@nickhiscock8948 it's probably a bit colder in central Europe than in Australia
I'll be on vacation soon and I was in doubt how to get to Prague from Berlin. Watching your video I was convinced to do exactly what you did here! Thank You!
Would be nice to show us the prices for the different seats and options in this CD Berlin Prague connection. Besides that I really appreciated your video.
Excellent Dylan. Loved the scenery. Great way to travlel. Thank you.
Thanks!
Thanks for the video Dylan! I actually thought first class would have been a little more posh. Ahhh, I miss traveling. Stay safe mate!
I was travelling from Berlin Haupt. just once. I have never been so lost at any other train station yet! :D
Beautiful as always, Dylan. Sure would love to travel with you. Someday!
As much as I would love to experience Europe for myself, this is the only way I can do so for now. This is when I don’t like living in New Zealand! Great video, Dylan!
Glad you're enjoying the vids! Hope to check out NZ myself in the not too distant future 😁
Dylan, your commentary is very well written! You write as I imagine you would speak. I suspect you went to a very good school ( Public School if I guess correctly after your comment about the “grotty” toilets...)😊 And this trip report is making me miss my favorite two cities in Europe: Berlin and Prague. I have traveled this route several times with great memories! Hopefully I can experience them again, if not this Summer then the next. Thank you Dylan for the vicarious train trip!!
Thanks! No, I went to a regular council run state school.
I rode the same type of train 7 years ago from Prague to Berlin. It was Eurocity 378 Slovenska Strela. Because I had a Eurailpass, I was able to ride in First Class. It was a very pleasant trip; comfortable seat, good scenery and a nice lunch in the Restaurant Car. Looking at my own video, it appears the the seats in First and the Restaurant have been reupholstered since then. I also got the same illusion that the sleepers were moving in the same direction as the train when I shot from the rear car. One difference: it arrived on the lower level at Berlin Hbf., right on time.
Great video again Dylan, love the scenery i have been to Czech Republic but never done a train trip, food and beer looked great for the price too
Thanks!
Idk how expansive beer usually is in a train but you can get a bottle of Gambrinus for less than 50 cents if you buy it in any czech shop
Thanks for the ride and congratulations for the crew.
Great video and nice to see the scenery well documented.
Thanks 😀
Interesting that the train leaves from the top east/west platforms despite being a southbound service. I assume there is a reason, but it is still interesting.
An excellent video of an excellent trip. I am very impressed with the extensive menu, considering that many trains and planes have cut way back or eliminated food service because of the pandemic. On some US long-distance trains, even in normal times the best they have is a microwaved prepackaged meal. For the price this is a good deal!
Dylan, amazing video. You got on one of the lucky trains that still allows to serve people in the cafe car. You were also fortunate find it very luxurious in nature.
Go back to the bathroom video, You just didn't see below near the sink where you had to wave your hand to activate the dryer.
First class is nice to travel in. Especially if it had compartments. But in view of the pandemic, people would reserve the compartments for protection.
Over all, seems like you had one very nice adventure last year!! As always, be safe!
Thanks!
There are good informations on your videos, and your channel is the best option for it.
Thanks!
It makes Halftrak seem ancient. The US is lagging badly in train travel. You could feel how smooth it is and the quiet (other than the weird hum) is amazing in comparison. We suck. Also, that food and the ticket price are more than reasonable.
I like the no voiceover, so you can hear stuff. You do excellent work. Thank you.
Well done yet again Dylan.
Another great video.thank you buddy.
Thanks!
I think the humming noise might be an air-brake pressure relief valve
Great report. I'm visiting Praha in Jan 2025 for a business trip and a weekend train ride to Berlin for some Bundesliga is high on my list. It looks like quite an enjoyable ride, to the extent where I think I'd be happy to do a return trip on the same day if time allows.
It's a shame you never went for a Traditional lunch Czech & Slovak classic Svieckova/Knedlik. My favourite dish in Slovakia oh how I miss it being stuck in London.
Love watching your videos and always look forward to watching the next one keep up the good work
Thanks 👍
good to hear train announcements in English - but with an American accent?!? Thank you Dylan for my weekly travel fix.
I'm American, and he sounded like he learned English from an American. He elongated his vowels in a way that wasn't quite American. I had a friend from Japan who sounded like he grew up in Scotland because his teacher was Scottish. It was a surprise to first hear him talk.
One hears American accents more often now.
The three-language announcements in Czech Republic are automated, not spoken by the train staff!
I’m impressed that the English announcements exist at all.
@@John_Fugazzi That reminds me, when I worked for Sony they had a couple of factories in South Wales. Lots of Japanese came over to work in the plants and they bought their families. It was amusing that in the company newsletter it was proudly announced that some of the children had passed their exams in Welsh - that'll be useful in Tokyo - I bet the kids spoke English with a welsh accent as well.
I've only been through Berlin once, having a 2 day stopover during a mini-Eurotrip from funnily enough your home city Inverness via London, Den Haag & (via Amersfoort) Berlin to Budapest when I begun an TEFL job. I did really like Belin Hbf, an example of how to have a modern, well laid out railway station that is pleasing. You've been through a few Germain railway stations, is it me or do they have a somewhat warm, musky-mechanical smell of efficiency (most of the time) I got the Berlin to Budapest train with the Hungarian (MavStart) dining car. The route along the Elbe river was very scenic, made all the better with a coffee or beer.
Awesome video and journey. I indeed miss train travel so much. Hope to get back at it soon
Thanks!
The bear sculpture is a Berlin version of the famous "cow parade" sculptures that appeared in many cities about 15 years ago .
When I made that journey the Prague central station was closed and I had to go to Praha Holoviec which was dull and I couldn't see the city. I remember the journey being very slow , much longer than 4.5 hours.
For a few months, through trains will bypass Praha hl.n. again, going over Praha-Holešovice because of work being done on the line east of Praha to Česká Třebová and beyond to Ostrava, Slovakia, Brno and Vienna. But despite it's bleak surroundigs, Holešovice isn't that far from the city centre, it's 3 metro stops to hl.n., tram 12 in front of Holešovice station will get you right to the Old Town in about 20 min...
Nice trip report, and yes, nice scenery especially on a sunny day. I have done this trip numerous times, buy have always had a crew change at the border station. You did not mention having one, curious if you did. Thanks for the ride.
Thanks!
The hum is most probably a motor alternator charging the batteries on the coach. The mark 4 coaches in the uk have a similar noise.
In Berlin it becomes very apparent how much S-Bahn class 481 with its high pitched sound contributes to the soundscape!
13:37 I think the dryer is operated by the button under the shaver outlet.
Yes JLV restaurant cars are among the best, good quality and reliable service, definitely recommended especially during "happy hour": Wonderful value for money!
This line is familiar to me since I used to study in Dresden. The train itself is also very familiar, I designed the models back in the day.
Hi Dylan!
I love your travel repports!
Greetings from David
Thanks David!
4:20 my hometown is mentioned... went from berlin to dresden on a cd train (was a different eurocity that came from stettin) years ago in 2nd class, was a rather pleasant ride
Dylan, I totally concur with your summary of this train and journey. I often make the trip and value the excellent Restaurant Car, especially after a day attending trade fairs in Praha. To join the evening departure for Berlin (I go to Dresden) and to be able to sit back with a (small) bottle of wine and a meal is bliss. The Premier Class (First Class) is comfortable and facilitates a conducive environment for work (or a nap after the wine!). However, have no idea about what that background hum is, maybe something to do with the train electrics. I'll ask the on-board manager on my next journey. Thanks again.
Beautiful and interesting video! Thanks
Another great trip report & journey.Great value for money & the food looked excellent So much better served in a dining car.Good review.:)
Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Dylan I enjoyed the video!!! Especially the on board dining. I,LL see you next Friday!!!!
Glad you enjoyed 😁
Never been to Czech Republic but have added it to my list post lockdown 👍👍
Trust me, it's amazing!
Can’t wait 😝
Sure is a treat, wonderful country, lots of history, good food, decent accomodation and (relatively) cheap, too. And it doesn't have to be expensive, either, especially if you don't go via Dresden. For those in the know, CHEB is a useful way of getting cheap train tickets to Czechia, not just Prague. Basically, you go on the website of the Czech railways, cd.cz, leave from a station served by DB (as those are in their database, e.g. Brussels), pick a destination like Praha, Karlovy Vary, Plzeň or České Budějovice, and select as a Via station Cheb. You chould be able to find dirt cheap tickets (from +- €24), often even mere days in advance. These tickets exist via Berlin, too, but they are sold out much earlier. If you have your mind set on the Elbe valley, do check both cd.cz and bahn.de, as either have their contingent of cheaper tickets.
Great information that I will try out once we are allowed to travel again 👍
I was in Plzen Czechia for two summers and Gambrinus became my beer of choice!
Very interesting & beautiful journey I am sure you found the prices very cheap as in the CD restaurant as well.
As usual an excellent vid. Photography superb! I would take this train.
Thanks!
Enjoyable trip. Terrific scenery. Thanks
Glad you enjoyed 😁
A very civilised way of travelling! A lot of old railway charm (leg room, dining car, curtains).
That humming: could it be AC? Trying to keep temperature in car steady?
nah i live in czech republic but the AC NEVER works :D
Ohh, this was the time, were the train was deviated by upper Berlin. Normaly the train runs from Spandau via Jungfernheide to Berlin Hbf (tief) and stops on platform 1 or 2. Aftwerwards it's stopping at Südkreuz.
13:53 there is a button for hand dryer under that electrical outlet on your left, And is marked with symbol of hand dryer.
Dylan, this was definitely a make this trip if your looking for train travel in Europe for a clean scenic and affordable trip.. I definitely put a star next to this one. Thanks for sharing and stay safe.😷. ....hope your getting a vaccine 👍
I think what you assumed to be a hand-dryer in the bathroom was an old-fashioned soap mill (you turn those black ship’s wheel like handles in order to shave off soap from a bar in the centre) as it used to be common in older locomotive hauled trains in Germany and neighbouring countries. The empty shaft next to it seems to be an empty paper towel dispenser.