Solved

Do couchette/sleeper car reservations become available at a diff date than 180 days beforehand?

  • 15 January 2024
  • 21 replies
  • 225 views

Badge

I am trying to book a trip from with sleeper car (ex: Prague to Berlin) and it shows regular seats on the nightjet, but not the couchette prices. Even though this train SHOULD have them.

 

Why?

Any way around this? 

 

I’ve found other sleeper cars available for other routes (ex: munich > vienna) but not this one.

I’ve tried with and without specifying my eurrail pass. On both the nightjet.com site and oebb booking.

 

icon

Best answer by thibcabe 16 January 2024, 17:38

View original

21 replies

Userlevel 7
Badge +9

I think they don't sell sleepers and couchettes because of the departure time in the middle of the night.

Userlevel 7
Badge +5

It's a too short journey. You cannot book sleepers as you'd wake up the attendant/the entire carriage.

What you could is go backwards to Austria in the afternoon/evening and board it there.

And in general yes sleepers/couchettes reservations are often released less than 180 days in advance due to works or multiple other reasons. We answered that question recently I believe.

Badge

But its a night jet? Don’t they ALL have sleepers? I was planning to go out dancing, then sleep all the way back. 

 

are there any other nightjets that dont actually have sleeper cars i should be wary of?

This might've destroyed my entire trip plan….

Badge

The alternative would be the earlier train, but it also shows no offers for ANY dates?!?!?

Userlevel 7
Badge +9

But its a night jet? Don’t they ALL have sleepers? I was planning to go out dancing, then sleep all the way back.

are there any other nightjets that dont actually have sleeper cars i should be wary of?

As far as I know, booking sleepers and couchettes with a departure in the middle of the night is not possible in many night trains, and this has been the case for quite some years.

Badge

My twin is going to x check with me later.... could've swore we saw a breakdown of the train and its cars....

Userlevel 7
Badge +9

If I look at the Czech Railways cd.cz it should be possible to board the train at Praha Holesovice at 03.05 but you can only board a seating car.

Badge

I am seeing that in my booking options, its only listing a seat. I just can’t figure out iof the sleeper/couchette will be available at a later date, or just never at all.

 

From this link, i know the train HAS sleeper cars…. but how to get one i cannot find!

https://live.oebb.at/train-info?trainNr=456&date=2024-07-15&station=5400201&time=03%3A05

Badge

 

Userlevel 7
Badge +6

As already the other experts wrote, you can’t book a couchette in the middle of the night… you would wake up half of the carriage probably.

Only option will be seating car. There are compartments (usually), so you might also be able to have some proper sleep there if it is not completely full. 

Only in countries like Russia you can board couchette/sleeper in the middle of the night as they travel on longer distances…. 
So either you take the seat or you have to look for another option.

Badge

@MartinM  - on the map I provided,  I did try other stations in prague but with the same result (I had seen a post work was being done to the central tracks and some rerouting happening)

 

So my question to the experts is: If I’m “waking up half the train” boarding in the middle…. Where is the beginning???

 

Is there somewhere you can suggest i check to try boarding earlier? Because i’m not seeing anything before that. Need help pls!

Badge

It also blows my mind splitting and changing cars and boarding bikes doesn’t wake people but boarding a private car does…. but hey, i didn't make the rules right?

 

Maybe i’ll take the european sleeper instead… its same trip and does have sleeper cars and noone to disturb….. though it shows 3 night trains on the map so i must be missing one option…. 

Userlevel 7
Badge +7

European sleeper is probably a good alternative, but it leaves at 18h00 and arrives in Berlin a bit before 23h00. So not really worth the couchette (if it’s bookable at all, didn’t try it. As it’s a new connection from starting the end of March).

If your plan is to go out in Prague, you can better stay the night and take day trains the day after in stead.

Badge

 

(It’s my husbands birthday the day we’re travelling, so really want to find  way to take him out to celebrate before heading out to Berlin!)

 

Userlevel 7
Badge +5

It'd be better to take the first train of the day at 06:28 in my opinion. Find something open near the station if you need to wait.

Or even better : go to Berlin later that day or the following day so you still have a room to crash on exhausted if you party hard 

Badge

I’ve always adored dancing then sleeping on a night transit (train or plane). As a Canadian, we really have to maximize this trip (esp cuz via waivers n extra such additions to manage in coming years).

 

The day trains get us into berlin late, 11am , almost half the day gone… which with only 1 day to sitesee, and most museums closing by 6pm, doesn’t give us much time to get around. :(

 

Do they have redbull in Europe? I sense we will dance dance dance (not big drinkers) and pass out in those chairs if it comes down to it….. (I know there’s lot of regulations what a person can ingest these days… Pls let me know! LOL)

Userlevel 7
Badge +5

Okay then you could board the seating carriage of the night train : 9.90€ reservation. For 5h you'll have a seat to crash on, better than nothing.

I also just loved walking round Berlin, you don't have to visit all sights/museums. :)

Yes there are Redbulls but they are heavily taxed depending on the country.

Badge

Thanks for all the helps!

Here’s a thought: 

Could you book a journey starting at an earlier station, but get on midway and goto your sleeper car? 

Would they yell at you or not allow it?

Could i pay for the entire length of sleeper car, but only sleep in it for part?  (I know this is possible, though sometimes discouraged for flying)

 

Userlevel 7
Badge +9

Could you book a journey starting at an earlier station, but get on midway and goto your sleeper car? 

Would they yell at you or not allow it?

Could i pay for the entire length of sleeper car, but only sleep in it for part?  (I know this is possible, though sometimes discouraged for flying)

 

If you haven’t accessed your reserved seat/couchette/sleeper within 15 minutes after the departure where you were supposed to board, the reservation can normally be sold to someone else.

Badge

Its crazy, bc the stop before (Pardubice), you CAN get the sleeper/couchette! In fact several stops before you can, so the whole “don’t wake other up by stopping” seems refuted…. rather it seems, you can’t get a sleeper outside of austria?

 

 

Does anyone have an english speaking support number? The OBB is all german….This canadian is unfortunately only good at anglais….

Badge

I can also get from DRESDEN to BERLIN on same route:
 

So WHY can't I get it from Praha 😣😥😴

Reply