Travel to the Polish Baltic Coast: České dráhy Expands Baltic Express With Couchette Carriages in Summer

Czech Railways is continuing to expand its services on the international Baltic Express route. Due to rising demand during the summer months, the night trains between Prague and Gdynia will, for the first time in the 2026 summer season, also include a couchette carriage.

The Ex32 Baltic Express line connects Prague with Gdynia via Pardubice, Wrocław and Gdańsk. Between 26 June and 31 August 2026, the night services EC 460 and EC 461 will, for the first time, operate with a couchette carriage in addition to the year-round sleeping carriage. This will create almost 50 additional seats for travellers heading to the Polish Baltic coast.

According to České dráhy (ČD), the move is a response to growing interest in rail travel to the Polish coast. Especially during the summer months, the Baltic Express has quickly become a highly popular connection since its launch.

Foto: České dráhy

The new couchette carriage will offer compartments with four or six berths. Travellers will also be able to book an entire compartment as a private cabin for one to three people. The facilities are based on the couchette carriages already used by České dráhy on other international routes, including the Prague–Przemyśl service.

The beds will already be prepared for passengers. In addition, travellers will receive a small breakfast in the morning, including a croissant, coffee or tea, and water. On-board service will be provided by JLV, which also operates the dining and sleeping carriages for České dráhy.

The additional carriage is intended not only to increase capacity, but also to provide a more affordable alternative to the traditional sleeping carriage. Modern carriages operated by České dráhy and PKP Intercity will be used, featuring air conditioning, Wi-Fi, power sockets and a bistro carriage.

Foto: České dráhy

The night trains EC 460 and EC 461 are part of the Baltic Express service, which includes four daily EuroCity connections in each direction between Prague and Gdynia. The trains depart Prague Main Railway Station daily at 6:49 am, 10:49 am, 2:45 pm and 6:49 pm. In the Czech Republic, they stop in Kolín, Pardubice, Ústí nad Orlicí, Letohrad and Lichkov, among other stations. The journey time from Prague to Gdańsk is around eight and a half hours, while Gdynia is reached approximately 30 minutes later. Return services from Gdynia depart daily at 4:06 am, 8:06 am, 12:06 pm and 9:59 pm.

As with other long-distance services, the lowest fares are available when booking in advance. Tickets and reservations can be purchased via the České dráhy website and the Můj vlak mobile app.