1. The European rail system certainly serves Krakow — it’s just that the Polish part isn’t covered by your railpass. But train tickets are cheap in Poland and Czech Rep., so the railpass isn’t really much of an issue. There’s one direct day train from Krakow to Prague each day plus numerous options that require a connection or two.

2. Use www.whichbudget.com to see which budget airlines fly which routes.

How do I check which trains go where (and when), should I go to the train companies websites themselves? I don’t know any.

P.S. You and Don are really helping me with this trip. I owe you both a beer.

You can check the individual national rail company websites for schedules and prices, but the German rail system site http://reiseauskunft… is usually accurate and complete for trains everywhere in Europe, including UK and the more obscure parts of Eastern Europe. It’s also more user-friendly in English than some of the other national sites. You can use it for pricing trains that at least start or end in Germany.

Thanks, I found a Prague-Krakow (and visa-versa), train that is an overnighter which seems decent. Thanks for the help.

The thing is is that it arrives at 6:12, is that too early to go eat or shop? What do I do when it is that early?

There are usually a few coffee shop type places and bakeries open by 6:00 or 6:30 — probably one in or near the train station. If you can find the local produce/food market (where the little shops and restaurants get their stuff), it will be open — and often fairly interesting.

This post has some useful information about the night trains in this region:
http://www.eurotrip….

McDonalds’ all open at 7. Local bakeries will be open at 6 already, if you arrive on a weekday. Alas, six in the morning is too early to go shopping, unless you need food, cigarettes, newspapers and the like. Most shops open at 8 or 9. I don’t know which train you are taking and which stations in Prague it stops at, but don’t descend at Prague-Vrsovice station, there’s plain nothing there and it’s not even on a metro.

What do you do when it’s six o’clock in the morning? Walk around Prague. The tourists are still sleeping and the Praguers are either making coffee or on their way to work. Nobody is in the streets and you’ll have them all for yourself. Even in the “touristy” zone. I love dawntime walks in Prague when I don’t have to hurry.