The trains here are pretty easy to navigate – the hardest thing is that you actually need to go to a station ticket office to get a reservation to use for the international trains (like the Berlin – Prague one we were catching) if you have a Eurail pass. However, since the pass itself cost us 279euro, and the return trip from Berlin to Prague alone costs 200euro, I was pretty happy for that slight inconvenience!
The Berlin HBF is huge, but it’s well signed, so relatively easy to find the place you want, and there are diagrams for each train so you know which section of the platform to wait at! We found snacks before getting on the train – delicious fresh salads and fruit salads, amazing-looking fruit bread for D, and some ultra strong coffees. I had the first Chai Latte I’ve had here, and it was deluxe! Very spicy and delish. And hey, they have books in the vending machines!
The train was pretty uneventful, but we saw a few more examples of Germany’s dedication to renewable energy, this time wind farms. The scenery started getting incredibly picturesque by the time we reached the Czech border just south of Dresden, with steep river valleys, a ruined castle or two in the distance, and lots of old buildings.
Prague looks pretty much exactly as I’d envisioned. Lots of old, ornate buildings and old, ornate churches and old, ornate theatres etc etc. We wandered out for a reconnoitre along the river, found the iconic Charles Bridge and had a walk to the other side, fortified in the freezing cold by a nice cup of hot wine! Not quite as strong as the stuff in Berlin, but it certainly helps warm things up.
For dinner we checked out the next door restaurant, which happens to be the breakfast room of the hotel as well! Yummy, cheap food: I had the duck breast (wow!) and D had a delicious traditional ribs and a local beer. ($1.50 beer!!)
Two Weeks Away 
