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Question

travel day after midnight

  • May 23, 2026
  • 7 replies
  • 45 views

First question - if I catch a direct Night train at 00:07 on a night train from the 10th-11th, arrriving in the morning, will only the 11th counts as a travel day?

Second question - If I bought a trip starting before midnight, but opt to enter on the next station after midnight, it ONLY counts as 1 travel day because inbn fact I enter the train after midnight? Or does the previous day count also due to the ticket itself?

It is a Nightjet train.

Thanks!

7 replies

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  • Full steam ahead
  • May 23, 2026

@filipasilva 

Yes, if you don’t travel on the 10th, only the 11th counts as travel day.

Why do you want to reserve a trip starting before midnight if you enter the train after midnight? If you are not present at the train departure (no-show), your reservation may be released and given to another traveler.


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  • Full steam ahead
  • May 23, 2026

I guess by buying a ticket, you mean the reservation? I happened a few times to take the nighttrain on another station than the one I reserved it (like in Basel instead of Zürich). So far it was never given to anyone else, but you never know. 
Important for your travel day: in the rail planner you should only have the journey starting at 0:07.


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  • Engin-ius
  • May 23, 2026

“Or does the previous day count also due to the ticket itself?” - yes, but only sort of.  You are looking at a special case, and introducing an extra level of complication of your own making,

If you enter something like this into the app - depart 22:30 (day 1), arrive 07:00 (day 2) - then it will count as 1 day.  This is day 1.  The continuation until 07:00 on day 2 is effectively free.

But, but, but . . . if you then get on a train to somewhere else at 10:00 (day 2) you are now consuming an extra day.  You don’t get to travel for free on the entirety of day 2 just because you got a night train on day 1.

You are adding in an extra level of complexity by talking about getting the same train either/both before and after 00:00.  It might help if you outlined *why* you might get on at 00:07 (to save a day, because that’s where you will be when the train passes, etc . . .) and what your plans are for day 2.  If you will not be traveling further on day 2 then it doesn’t matter at all whether you get on before or after 00:00 - you will still be consuming 1 day of travel.

Simple case - get on night train on day 1, get off on day 2 - you have utilised day 1 and everything is in order.

Simple case - get on night train in the early hours of day 2, get off on day 2 - you have utilised day 2 and everything is in order.

In both of these simple cases you have used 1 day of travel and you can pass through any barriers or ticket checks are your destination without issue.

I guess the thing to consider in your case is how you are getting to the start of this journey and what you are doing at the end of your journey.  If you have already activated day 1 because you left home at 10:00 on day 1 to get to wherever your train starts then you should board the night train before 00:00 so that your already activated travel day is used.


  • Author
  • Rail rookie
  • May 23, 2026

Thank you all for your replies! :)

I have a 5day Eurail pass and I've made the first reservation starting at Basel (23:18) to Amsterdam (9am), but to avoid using 1travel day only for half an hour, I'm considering on changing the reservation to start in Freiburg (00:07) in case it counts only the day after as the first travel day. (I will catch more trains on the day after).

In case I have a reservation starting at 0:07 I imagine I can activate the pass after midnight and the first travel day will be the day after.

What I was asking on my previous message is that in case I don't change the reservation, and catch the train only at Freiburg after midnight, I was wondering if the day before counts due to the reservation ticket has been made from Basel (23:28).

Thanks a lot!


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  • Railly clever
  • May 23, 2026

If you have a reservation from Basel and you enter the train in Freiburg, your reservation might not be avaliable anymore. Seats are only reserved for 15 minutes and sleepers/couchettes might be sold to other passengers if you don't show on the station from where your reservation is.


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  • Engin-ius
  • May 23, 2026

You could consider buying a cash fare on the sleeper (for a seat) from Basel.  When you get on in Basel just tell the conductor that you’ll be going to your berth in Freiburg.

As far as I know, NJ reservations for interrail pass holders are more flexible than normal reservations, so you may well be able to cancel/modify your existing reservation and get one starting in Freiburg.

If it was me I would aim to book a new one from Freiburg (to be sure that I definitely had it) and then cancel the Basel one.  Before doing that though, I would begin the modify/cancel process on my original reservation to make sure that it will be refunded.


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  • Railmaster
  • May 23, 2026

As far as I know, NJ reservations for interrail pass holders are more flexible than normal reservations, so you may well be able to cancel/modify your existing reservation and get one starting in Freiburg.

NJ pass reservations can be fully refunded until 15 days in advance. If you booked them directly through ÖBB, then you won’t even be left with any booking fees.