Travelers planning to visit popular Christmas markets in German cities like Dresden and Nuremberg, or Polish Wroclaw, are facing steep price increases this holiday season. Train and bus tickets are now costing more than double their regular rates, with round-trip fares for two adults reaching up to 4,000-6,000 Czech crowns.
Kristýna Králová from Prague experienced this price shock firsthand when planning her Christmas market trip to Germany. Czech Railways has dramatically increased their international fares during the holiday period – while a ticket for two to Dresden typically costs 980 crowns in early January, the same EC Berliner connection now costs over 2,000 crowns one-way.
According to Czech Railways spokesperson Petr Šťáhlavský, the price surge isn’t due to holiday markups but rather results from high weekend demand for Christmas market travel and the selling out of early-bird tickets. While Thursday trips still offer tickets at 542 crowns, Saturday journeys are now only available at full price – 1,047 crowns.
Budget-conscious travelers still have options – night travel offers significantly lower fares, with discounts ranging from 30% to 50% for those willing to depart at 2 AM. FlixBus, an alternative transport option, is also experiencing high demand, with their spokesperson noting unprecedented interest in Christmas market destinations including Nuremberg, Vienna, Salzburg, and Wroclaw.
The trend extends to New Year’s Eve travel, with increased passenger numbers heading to celebration hotspots like Budapest and Berlin. Despite the general price surge, some reasonable deals can still be found – morning departures to Berlin on New Year’s Eve are available for 629 Czech crowns.