Prague is one of the largest cities in Central Europe and has recently emerged as one of the trendiest vacation destinations. Once a very cheap place to visit, in recent years Prague has become quite pricey, especially during the peak summer travel season and during the Christmas Markets.

Still, with careful planning you can get travel from Paris to Prague during the Christmas Markets and not pay a premium because of the time of the year when you travel.

Quick summary

The cheapest way to travel between the Paris and Prague is the bus. However, should you manage to book a flight at the right time (several months before departure), it?s possible to score cheap tickets, at rates comparable or lower than the bus ticket. Of course, you also need to consider the time and money spent to get to/from the airports.

Flights from Paris (airport code: CDG) to Prague

Prague is served by Ruzyn? International Airport (PRG) , which is located 20 km from the city center. It is hub for Czech Airlines, Smart Wings, Travel Service and Wizz Air.

Direct flights from Paris are run by Air France (CDG), Czech Airlines (CDG), easyJet (CDG) and Smart Wings (CDG). The travel time is 1h 50 min.
During the shoulder season (November 2011) , single airfare starts at ?73 on easyJet . Return airfare starts at ?141 on Air France. During summer (June 2012), single airfare starts at ?40 on easyJet and return flights cost from ?68 also on easyJet.

>>read more about Paris Airfare

Trains from Paris to Prague

Prague is well connected with the European rail network. However, there isn?t any direct route between Paris and Prague.

There are two sort routes (about 15 hours of travel):

• Paris Est – Mannheim Hbf ? Prague ;departs Paris at 7 :05 p.m. daily
• Paris Est ? Strasbourg ? Offenburg ? Prague ; departs Paris at 7:24 p.m. daily

Via Bahn.de , you can book the Mannheim Hbf ? Prague section (first route); single fares start at ?79. On the same site, you can also book the Offenburg ? Prague section (second route); single fares start at ?131.

Buses from Paris to Prague

The main station in Prague is Florenc, located east of the city center.

Eurolines connects most of the European cities, including Paris, to Prague. Buses depart Paris Gallieni Porte Bagnolet daily except on Tue, either at 2:15 p.m. (Sun, Wed, Fri) or 4 p.m. (Thu, Sat, Mon). Return fare starts at ?92 and depends on your return date ; otherwise, single tickets cost from ?64 per person, one way. The travel time is 10 hours.

Driving from Paris to Prague

Should you consider driving across three countries, then rent a car and enjoy a road trip in Europe. The total driving time between Paris and Prague is 1030 km and you should be able to cover it in 10 hours. Of course, considering the long distance, you should make some stops along the way.

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Note: * the price is valid at the time the article was written.

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Europe is a small continent; which is definitely part of its charm, since you can easily travel across two or tree countries in a single day.
Paris is definitely one of the most romantic cities in Europe, but you might also want to get a taste of what Germany feels like. Frankfurt is an excellent choice for visitors , especially since it?s a major travel hub, allowing to travel further into Germany or other parts of Europe quite easily.

Quick summary

The cheapest way to get between Paris and Frankfurt is by bus (from ?36* one way). You?ll be traveling during the night. Should you prefer to travel by day and see the views along the way, the train offers a good alternative (from US$89 one way, about 4 hours).
The short distance between the cities doesn?t require a plane ride, especially since there isn?t any low cost carrier which flies between the two cities.

Getting from Paris (airport code: CDG) to Frankfurt by plane

Frankfurt Airport (FRA) is the third busiest airport in Europe and is served by all major airlines. It is located about 12 km southwest of the city center. It is hub for Condor Flugdienst and Lufthansa, the German national carrier.

Direct flights from Paris are run by Air France (CDG) and Lufthansa (CDG). The flight time is 1h 20 min.
During the shoulder season (early December 2011), single non-stop airfare starts at ?135 on Air France; while during the summer (June 2012), single non-stop airfare starts at ?135 on Air France. When booking on regular carriers , it?s a good idea to book ahead of time. For example, if you were to get a ticket in mid-November 2011, the fare is up to ?360 on the same carrier.

>>read more about Paris Airfare

Getting fro Paris to Frankfurt by train

Frankfurt is served by three main train stations: Hauptbahnhof (the main station), Südbahnhof (the South station) and Flughafen Fernbahnhof (the Airport).

Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof is one of the busiest and biggest train stations in Europe. There are direct trains from Paris , which depart from Gare de l’Est station. The travel time is about 4 hours. The TGV EST leaves Paris at 7:04 AM, 9:09 AM, 1:09 PM, 5:09 PM and 7:05 PM and the single fares start at US$89 (shoulder season).

Getting from Paris to Frankfurt by bus

Frankfurt is linked to the other European cities via various trans-European bus lines.

One option is Eurolines, which has the main terminus at Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof. There?s one departure per day from Paris , at 9:30 a.m. The travel time is 9 hours and the single promo fare is ?36 (the regular single fare is ?45). Prices do not change according to season.

Driving from Paris to Frankfurt

Another option is to rent a car and drive the 572 km between the two cities. You should be able to cover the distance in about 6 hours. Please note that you?ll be driving on toll roads.

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Note: * the prices are valid at the time the article was written

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We all know Paris is a beautiful city – but that doesn’t mean we can all capture it on film or in video in the best possible way. Thank goodness, then, that there are people out there who can do a fantastic job showing off the city through gorgeous videos.

This series of five time lapse videos of Paris highlight different parts of the city, including the Eiffel Tower, Centre Pompidou, and Louvre. See how many landmarks you can pick out!

Paris Vol. 1 from The Seventh Movement on Vimeo.

Paris Vol. 2 from The Seventh Movement on Vimeo.

Paris Vol. 3 from The Seventh Movement on Vimeo.

Paris Vol. 4 from The Seventh Movement on Vimeo.

This last video is 20 minutes long, and well worth it. Make a cup of coffee, sit back, and relax.

Paris Vol. 5 from The Seventh Movement on Vimeo.

The words “underground Paris” might conjure up images for some people of the city’s fine Metro system, although it’s England’s capital – not France’s – that calls its subway the “Underground.” For others, the famous Paris Catacombs might come to mind. For a small contingent of Parisians, however, there’s a whole city beneath the city waiting to be explored.

As it says in this video, traversing Paris’ underground passages is illegal (indeed, going too far into the Catacombs without a guide is even unadvisable, as it’s quite easy to get lost), but that hasn’t stopped people from repeatedly going underground where they visit underground waterways, art installations, and even dance parties. Obviously the underground scene in Paris isn’t completely unheard-of, but it’s also evidently not common knowledge.

At least not yet.

Enjoy this tour of underground Paris by NPR and National Geographic.

Paris Underground from NPR on Vimeo.

Don’t feel like getting dirty just to explore under Paris’ streets? You can always go on a regular – and totally legal – tour of the Paris Catacombs or even the Paris Sewers.