The overnight journey from Budapest on the EuroNight sleeper train EN 476 was very comfortable since I had the entire compartment to myself. I had a quick shower in the bathroom at the end of the coach and was ready for my last day visiting cities in Central Europe. A small breakfast box was handed out around 7:30 AM. I ate a little and packed the rest as we were about to reach Prague. Our train arrived around 8:30 AM.
Upon arrival at Praha hlavní nádraží (Prague Main Station), I looked for luggage storage, dropped off my duffel bag, and headed into the Old Town with just my backpack. I admired the grand Art Nouveau architecture of the station’s historic entrance before starting my walk.
I had some time, so I ate the rest of my breakfast box while sitting in a small park walkway outside the Church of Saint Henry and Saint Cunigunde, a historic Gothic tower and parish church. I roamed around some more and saw the Apple Museum, which houses a massive private collection of vintage tech, and the very American Hard Rock Cafe.
Walking back toward the Powder Tower, I saw the Smetana Hall, a breathtaking concert venue inside the Municipal House, and the Hybernia Theatre, a former Baroque church transformed into a grand musical stage. I then joined the Old Town and Jewish Quarter Free Tour 🔗 at 11:00 AM.
After finishing the tour, I walked back to the Prague Train Station for my journey back to Frankfurt. The station was bustling with travelers underneath its modern glass-and-steel platforms.
I followed the same route as I did on the first day when I went to Prague from Frankfurt, but in reverse. I boarded the Ex 556 Interjet, a modern Czech express train, for the leg to Cheb. The journey was comfortable and passed through the vibrant yellow rapeseed fields of the Czech countryside.
I would be following the same route as I did on the first day when I got Prague from Frankfurt in reverse. I boarded the Ex 559 for Cheb. I changed to regional train Sp 5290 there bound for Nürnberg. And from Nürnberg I took train ICE 22 to Frankfurt (Main) Hbf.
| Train / Service | Depart | From | Arrive | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ex 556 | 14:33 | Praha hl.n. | 17:27 | Cheb |
| Sp 5290 | 17:36 | Cheb | 19:22 | Nürnberg Hbf |
| ICE 22 | 19:30 | Nürnberg Hbf | 21:36 | Frankfurt (Main) Hbf |
Changing the train at Cheb was as easy as getting off the train from Prague and boarding the German regional train Sp 5290 bound for Nürnberg, which was parked across the same platform. This air-conditioned regional service provided a smooth transition across the border.
Changing the train at Nürnberg Hbf turned out to be more tricky than I had anticipated. It was a much larger station with multiple high-speed ICE trains arriving and departing at the same time. I tried to find the right platform and boarded a train that had just arrived. To be sure, I asked a passenger if this was ICE 22 heading toward Frankfurt; it wasn’t. Luckily, I got off quickly and checked the display board again. I made it to the correct platform just in time for the ICE 22 to pull in.
That was a close call. Had I stayed on the wrong train, I don’t know how I would have made it back to Frankfurt that night, and I had a flight home the next day! Luckily, everything worked out, and I made it back to Frankfurt around 9:30 PM.