Vacation train help

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Hi Thanks for a great web site

I'm trying to determine our route for our 2 week vacation. This maybe too many cities to do in 2 weeks. We will arrive in Warsaw and leave from Warsaw. I was thinking about the following

Warsaw -> Krakow -> Prague -> Vienna or Salzburg -> Berlin ->Olsztyn (poland) -> Warsaw

I would like to use an overnight train where possible. What do you think?

Sequence of destinations seems pretty good, especially if you want to maximize overnight journeys:
Warsaw-Krakow starts from 35 PLN - can be purchased online at https://bilet.intercity.pl/irez/ , but overnight journey will be rather short since only takes app. 5 hours (TLK53202 - 00:32-5:57)
Krakow-Prague costs at the moment from app. 37 euro (seat) for direct overnight train (22:11-6:51), but you can travel cheaper - if you are interested we can advice you how
No options for overnight Prague to Salzburg, but you can travel cheap during daytime with Czech railways eTicket (https://eshop.cd.cz/international/search_cd-obb.aspx?lang=E), Prague-Vienna overnight train (00:37-6:22), tickets start from 40 euro (seats). During daytime 19 euro eTickets available.
Vienna/Salzburg-Berlin should be purchase in advance from OEBB or DB websites (start from 39 euro, daytime from 29 euro)
In case of Berlin-Olsztyn it is easier and cheaper to go via Kostrzyn on Polish-German border or Szczecin. From Berlin you take regional train to Kostrzyn or Szczecin (10.5 or 16.7 euro). From there you can get overnight rides to Warsaw, then to Olsztyn. All the timetables and fares for Polish domestic parts here - http://rozklad-pkp.pl/
Berlin-Warsaw/Olsztyn daytime from 29 euro (purchased in advance)

Good luck

Thank you for your help and I welcome all of your advice. We are now thinking that we may go to Budapest instead of Berlin. We need to start our trip in Warsaw and we need to end it by going to Oslztyn Poland and then Warsaw. If we wanted to see Krowku, Prauge, Salzburg (maybe Vienna) and Budapest. What route would you suggest? Thank You

First thing which comes in mind to make a small trick:
Purchase Krakow-Budapest-Krakow return ticket for app.90 euro (can be bought any time), then board overnight train Krakow-Prague (part Krakow-Bohumin both connections Krakow-Prague and Krakow-Budapest are the same), so you'll show you Krakow-Budapest ticket till Bohumin and after simply buy Czech domestic ticket Bohumin on board from conductor or in advance here - https://eshop.cd.cz/search.aspx (costs 433 CZK), then do a side trip Prague-Salzburg-Prague using CD  eTickets, after get domestic Pragua-Breclav ticket (375 CZK) and board overnight Prague-Budapest train (from Breclav to Budapest you'll use rest of your Krakow-Budapest ticket). In case you don't plan to stop in Vienna, then just board Budapest-Krakow train and use your return ticket. If you want to see Vienna, then simply make a stop in Bratislava and get Bratislava-Vienna return ticket for 11 euro, after come back to Bratislava and board same Budapest-Krakow train there. In case you aren't alone CD group passes (SONE+) can be considered for Czech domestic part. 

Thank you - I think I understand the trick. The train goes from Krakow to Budapest by passing in Czech. I get off in Bohumin and make my side trips to Salzburg or anywhere else using local trains then return to Pragua - Breclav to complete the trip to Budapest. Very good idea. Does the return train go through Czech to return to Krakow and if so does this add a lot of time to the trip? Also is there a train from Krakow to Olsztyn? Should I get a sleeper car from Krakow to Bohumin or is the trip too short? Thanks Again - you have been very helpful.

Ok, so your ticket Krakow-Budapest-Krakow will be issued via Zebrzydowice, Bohumin, Prerov, Breclav, Bratislava hl.st. (check location of those on the map - http://www.bueker.net/trainspotting/map.php?file=maps/czechia/czechia.gif). And I would not advice you to get off the train in Bohumin. Simply purchase Bohumin-Praha ticket from CD eShop (link above) in advance and print it on your own, then purchase couchette or sleeper and when boarding overnight Krakow-Praha train simply show the conductor all three pieces (Krakow-Budapest ticket for the part Krakow-Bohumin and printed eTicket for Bohumin-Praha), in this case you don't even need to wake up at night The train you need here is R 400 "Silesia" (departs Bohumin 2:10), it carries carriages from Krakow to Prague.
Same story with Prague-Budapest - you purchase eTicket Pragua-Breclav, sleeper or couchette Praha-Budapest and board overnight train to Budapest, for Breclav-Budapest part you have Krakow-Budapest ticket.
There are no direct overnight trains from Krakow to Olsztyn, but there are nice connections possible:
1) you board overnight train TLK35202 Zakopane-Gdynia in Krakow at 23:20 and get off the train in the morning at Iława Główna  7:52, at 8:05 there is regional train 30131 to Olsztyn (there at 9:10)
2) you board overnight train TLK35512 Krynica-Gdynia in Krakow at 00:09, then get off at Toruń Główny at 8:06. From Torun to Olsztyn there is InterRegio train IR 75133 at 8:39, in Olsztyn you are at 10:49

Thank you very much - I could not plan this trip without your help. If you don't mind I may have a few more questions as we get closer to the trip. Again thank you.

If you don't mind I may have a few more questions as we get closer to the trip.

Sure, we here to help other fellow travelers 

Hello

We may fly into Krakow instead of Warsaw. I tried to look for a train from Krakow to Olsztyn. It appeared that the travel time was 14 hours. Does that seem right? Thanks

I tried to look for a train from Krakow to Olsztyn. It appeared that the travel time was 14 hours. Does that seem right?

It doesn't look like good connection. We already posted for you overnight variants above (9:50 and 11:40), daytime trips take from 6:16 to almost 8 hours -

As you can see, all of variants given by Polish Railway require at least one change.

Thank You

Thanks again for your help. I think we have finalized our trip.
Train trip - Kracow to Budapest with stops in Prague and Salzberg. We were then thinking about flying from Budapest to Warsaw then train to Olsztyn. We were thinking about flying that leg because we are running out of time. I think that way we can leave Budapest at 9:30 and arrive at Olsztyn 16:30.

Well, it's your choice whether to fly or not. We can just conclude that it is rather hard task to fly cheap from Hungary to Poland - no direct low-cost airlines, but you can manage it anyway with a change or direct regular airline - just make sure you've checked all the offers.
Krakow-Prague by train - already described, Prague-Salzburg - as well. Doing Salzburg-Budapest by train isn't that cheap - from 39 euro (online and in advance from OEBB website)
 

Thank you for your help. If we had the time I would travel from Budapest to Olsztyn by train. How long do you think the train trip would be from Budapest to Olsztyn Poland?

Your comment about Salzburg to Budapest surprised me. I was planning on purchasing a train ticket from Krakow to Budapest. Then I would use local trains for the side trips to Prague and Salzburg.

The problem with going Krakow-Prague-Salzburg-Prague-Breclav-Budapest with a ticket Krakow-Budapest and additional "side" trip tickets Bohumin-Prague, Prague-Salzburg-Prague, Prague-Breclav is the fact that Krakow-Budapest one way ticket costs 75 euro, while return only 90 euro (there are special return discount). So in case you plan to come back by train from Budapest to Krakow, then it worth buying return ticket for 90 euro, but in case you will use Krakow-Budapest one way, then the total sum will be: Krakow-Budapest (75 euro+sleeper); Bohumin-Prague (433 CZK); Prague-Salzburg-Prague (2*19 euro); Prague-Breclav (375 CZK)=app. 145euro for the whole trip.
On the contrary straight forward tickets for the route Krakow-Prague-Salzburg-Budapest will cost you app. 36 euro(Krakow-Prague)+19 euro (Prague-Salzburg)+39 euro(Salzburg-Budapest)=app.95 euro + by such route you'll save time by not coming back to Prague from Salzburg and going straight to Budapest.
To conclude: in case you plan to fly from Hungary to Poland, then go straight without any side trips, if you plan to go back by train - then it's worth to purchase 90 euro return ticket Krakow-Budapest and use side trips tickets.

Option by train from Budapest to Olsztyn will take app. 18 hours in case you use overnight train from Budapest to Poland. During daytime it is possible to manage in app.15 hours. In both case two changes are required. Both variants aren't via Krakow, but directly - via Katowice-Warszawa.