With the IC Bus (Intercity bus) of German railways Deutsche Bahn, you can travel very cheaply. IC long-distance bus tickets are available from EUR 9, including a seat reservation. This travel report is about my journey with the IC Bus from Prague (Czech Republic) to Mannheim (Germany), via Nuremberg and Heidelberg. I bought my bus ticket for EUR 19 at Deutsche Bahn.
Departure in Prague by IC Bus
My journey started in the early morning in Prague. The IC bus stop is directly in front of the main railway station of Prague. You reach it by going in the train station, which is largely under the main road. There you have to go up in the old station hall. Leave by the large doors and you see the IC buses. The buses will not appear on the departure boards in the station building. Be there 15 minutes before the departure, which is sufficient.
Boarding IC Bus and luggage
Your luggage is loaded in the rear of the bus. Usually the bus driver and a second person load the luggage. You show them your ticket and tell where you get off. Then your luggage gets a paper badge and you the corresponding number. The loading process is completely safe in my eyes - no one can take out a piece of luggage without control.
Continue to the back entrance of the bus, where one or two people control your ticket - very friendly and multilingual. You are told if your reserved seat is in the upper or lower deck of the bus.
Seats in the IC Bus
My personal impression is: the seats are comfortable and you have enough space for the legs (180 cm body size). There are seatbelts at each place, as well as at each double seat a power plug. Usually everyone takes their reserved place - but after the departure, you can also change your seat without problems. For example to the first row with the perfect view. :)
At the seat there is an information brochure, in which everything important concerning Internet access is explained. The drink and snack prices are listed. In my eyes fair prices. Examples: mineral water or apple juice 0.5 (EUR 1.50) / coffee (EUR 1).
Internet and entertainment portal
The internet access was for my use fast and of good quality. There were no interruptions and I was able to work well, read mails and surf the Internet. The Internet was available in the Czech Republic and in Germany. So you did not have to wait until you crossed the border to Germany. Very good!
I did not used the entertainment portal myself. But there are movies and music that you can watch or listen on your mobile, tablet or laptop.
The journey
The journey is just like a normal bus journey. Many of the travellers sleep, sometimes there is a custom control at the border. You surf the internet or go for a coffee. The toilet was very clean. The button for flushing the toilet and for the sink is well "hidden" - it is located on the lower left (view from the entrance door), under the sink.
In Nuremberg the IC bus now stops no longer directly in front of the main station, but at the bus station Nuremberg. It is located 5 minutes walk from the main train station. It is an easy walk, even with luggage.
After another stop in Heidelberg the final destination Mannheim is reached. From the bus station you can get directly on platform 1 and into the main station. Very comfortable.
From Mannheim you have good train connections to a lot of places in Germany as well to international destinations. Please have a look here to find out schedules and prices.
On which routes does the IC bus run?
German railways Deutsche Bahn offers IC bus connections on the following routes:
- Berlin to Copenhagen and Krakow
- Düsseldorf to Lille, London and Liege
- Frankfurt to Luxembourg
- Leipzig to Prague
- Mannheim via Heidelberg and Nuremberg to Prague
- Munich to Milan, Prague and Zurich
Where do I buy my bus ticket and find timetables?
Bus tickets for these connections and timetables can be found here on Deutsche Bahn.
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