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Berlin to Krakow from €27.99
Comfortable Polish EuroCity trains link Berlin Hbf & Krakow, 603 km (375 miles) in just over 7 leisurely hours with air-conditioned 1st & 2nd class seats & an excellent Polish restaurant car. They also call at Wroclaw, and some continue to Przemysl on the Ukrainian border.
Timetable eastbound until 14 December 2024
Timetable eastbound from 15 December 2024
Timetable westbound until 14 December 2024
Timetable westbound from 15 December 2024
EC O = Air-conditioned EuroCity train Oder, 1st & 2nd class, restaurant car, see the photos below.
EC W = Air-conditioned EuroCity train Wawel, 1st & 2nd class, restaurant car, see the photos below & see this video.
EC G = Air-conditioned EuroCity train Galicja, 1st & 2nd class, restaurant car, see the photos below.
Check times for your date of travel at int.bahn.de as they can vary, and occasionally trains can be diverted to use Berlin Gesundbrunnen instead of Berlin Hbf.
Berlin to Krakow is 603 km (375 miles).
These trains also call at Berlin Ostbahnhof. Trains to/from Warsaw also serve Warsaw Zachodnia & Warsaw Wschodnia.
How much does it cost?
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Advance-purchase fares start from €27.99 in 2nd class or €37.99 in 1st class.
These are Sparpreis (savings) fares from Berlin to Wroclaw, Krakow & Przemysl with variable prices & limited availability at each price level. Only good for the specific train you book, limited or no refunds, no changes to travel plans. A round trip is two one-ways. If you're happy to book ahead and commit to a specific train, this is what you want. Book early & avoid popular days for the cheapest prices.
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The fully-flexible fare from Berlin to Krakow is around €80 in 2nd class or €128 in 1st class.
The Flexpreis fare is what you pay if you want to stay flexible or buy a ticket at the station on the day. Flexpreis tickets have unlimited availability, can't sell out. Prices vary by date. They are good for any train that day, although a reservation is compulsory on these Berlin-Krakow trains.
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Children under 6 go free, no ticket required. Children under 15 also go free when accompanied by a parent or grandparent on a Sparpreis fare and added to the booking at int.bahn.de.
How to buy tickets
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Buy tickets at the German Railways website int.bahn.de.
Booking usually opens 60 days ahead. More about when booking opens. On this route, all tickets include a free reserved seat.
You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or phone. I recommend registering when prompted, so you can always log in and check or reprint tickets.
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You can also buy tickets from Polish Railways (PKP Intercity) at www.intercity.pl, but it's a little more fiddly and they don't offer free tickets for children under 15.
Route map
What are the EuroCity trains like?
1st class: The Berlin-Krakow EuroCity train Wawel at Berlin. Yellow stripe = 1st class.
There's usually just one 1st class car on each train, usually with a side corridor & classic 6-seat compartments (above left). The best seats are obviously the two at the window. Occasionally, an open-plan car is used (above right) Click the images for larger photos.
2nd class: The Berlin-Krakow EuroCity train Wawel at Berlin. Green stripe = 2nd class.
Almost all 2nd class cars on these trains have compartments with a side corridor & 6-seat compartments. Click images for larger photos.
However, occasionally you may find an open-plan 2nd class car like this. Click the images for larger photos.
Food & drink
All these Berlin-Krakow EuroCity trains have a Polish restaurant car, staffed by Wars, the Polish train caterers. Treat yourself to a meal and linger in the restaurant for an hour or two over a beer and a meal. A tasty sausage soup, main course of schnitzel, potato & salad served on proper china, a beer and coffee for only around €10. Euros & zlotys are both accepted, you must pay in cash whilst in Germany but when the train is in Poland they will normally accept credit cards too. Of course, you're also free to bring your own picnic and beer or wine along and eat at your seat.
Tip: Go to wars.pl/mwars and download the MWars app for Android or iPhone. You can then use your phone to order food & drink from the restaurant car menu served at your seat (you tell them your car & seat number in the app). Let me know how it goes!
Restaurant car at Berlin Hbf. Red stripe = catering car.
The restaurant car on the Berlin-Krakow Wawel. You don't need to reserve a table, just go along and sit down. A steward will take your order. Larger photo.
Travel tips
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1st or 2nd class?
2nd class is absolutely fine, no need to go 1st class unless you don't mind the extra cost. The only difference is in the seating comfort. But see what prices you get at int.bahn.de because sometimes 1st class doesn't cost much more than 2nd. 1st class simply means more leg and elbow room and a quieter environment.
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Do you need to book in advance?
Reservation is compulsory on these Berlin-Krakow trains and a reserved seat will automatically be included with your booking. However, there are normally plenty of places available even on the day, the issue isn't availability, it's price: In advance, fares start at €27.90, on the day you will pay the full-flex fare, over €60. Cheaper to book ahead!
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Seating choice
In 2nd class you can sometimes choose between a seat in an open-plan saloon or in a classic 6-seat compartment, but from 2024 almost all cars on these trains are of the classic compartment type. In 1st class there's normally only one 1st class car, on most trains it's also now of the classic 6-seat compartment type.
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How to check the train formation & car numbering
You can see the train formation, car numbering, car types & seat maps for a specific train using www.vagonweb.cz/razeni. Change cs to English, then find your train by looking under Poland and EIC, or under Germany and EC. Your train number can be found using the online booking sites.
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Boarding your train
As with virtually all European trains, there's no check-in. Just stroll into the station, find your train and get on, any time before it leaves. The doors may be closed a minute before departure.
At Berlin Hbf, trains to Krakow use the east-west platforms above ground level, as opposed to the north-south platforms below ground.
At stations, a poster on the platform shows where each car will stop along the platform. This saves you running up and down like a headless chicken trying to find your car. It also helps to know that on these Polish trains a yellow stripe above the windows means first class, a red stripe means catering car, a green stripe means 2nd class, as you can see in the photos above.
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Border controls
Germany & Poland are both in Schengen, so there are normally no border controls, just occasional spot checks carried out on board the train as it crosses the border. The border is at Frankfurt Oder just east of Berlin, where the river Oder separates the two countries.
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First class lounge
If you have a 1st class Flexpreis ticket for these Berlin-Poland trains (but not advance-purchase Sparpreis or Super Sparpreis or a railpass) you can use the excellent DB Lounge at Berlin Hbf located up one level from the main station entrance, on the left. This has complimentary food, tea, coffee, beer & wine plus free WiFi. There is no first class lounge in Krakow.
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Luggage
You take your luggage with you onto the train and simply stick it on any suitable luggage rack. Anything up to and including backpack-size will easily fit on the overhead racks above your seat. The 2nd class open-plan car has a large luggage area at one end of the seating saloon - so perhaps choose the open plan car if you have vast suitcases. More about luggage on European trains.
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WiFi & power sockets
WiFi is often available on the Berlin-Warsaw EuroCity trains, although not all cars are fitted. Similarly, some cars will have power sockets, but not all are fitted. There's reasonable mobile data coverage along the route.
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Food & drink - see the food & drink section above, and try downloading the MWars app!
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Bicycles
Bicycles cannot be taken on these Berlin-Krakow trains, but by all means check online. Where available, bike spaces need to be booked in advance, you can do this at int.bahn.de, look for the bicycle tick-box at the bottom of the booking page.
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As well booking with German Railways int.bahn.de, you can also book these train at Polish Railways, www.intercity.pl.
Useful information
Crossing the River Oder into Poland: Soon after leaving Frankfurt (Oder) an hour east of Berlin, the train crosses the River Oder, which now forms the border between Germany & Poland. This photo is taken looking south, with Germany on the right and Poland on the left.
Scenery between Berlin & Wroclaw, seen from the rear of the Berlin to Krakow train Wawel.
The EuroCity train Wawel calls at Wroclaw Glowny.