Booking night trains in Eastern Europe

Has been reported here more as once and answer is always same; can ONLY do at counter in ROmania-or TR. 1 car (cuccette) from BUCur-lve around noon!-sit in it all the rest of day-joins the ´main´ train from Sofia-and arr IST next morning early some suburban stop. This is only train into IST and thus has to use it also come back. Maybe think again if thats worth it to see this city for 1,5 day-time to stay in trains is much longer as that. A direct BUS Buc-IST does it also in much shorter time-but you have to pay.

@2: in this case thus not needed nor possible. Really depends on country/train-long advance is for @4

@3-no, app always adds at least 2€ fee and is always more expens as via railway

@4=varies. In THIS case not @ Bud-as said. IF there are sometimes quota for passholders-in fact only for FRench TGV/his-peed, this means they are very small and give you a lower price as extra to pay, not the other way around

Man, thanks for your reply.

So, if I understood correctly, tickets bought via app are more expensive than ones bought via railways websites? It seems strange, since for example, Budapest-Bucarest on the app is 15.40 EUR; same seats on the railways website is around 40 EUR.

You can’t buy this reservations online (or maybe you can Budapest-Bucuresti via ÖBB - didn’t check).

Budapest-Bucuresti usually no problem even on day of departure (as there are quite some trains each day). If you arrive in Budapest already earlier, then go direct on the first day to one of the international ticket offices and  get the reservation (seat 3 euro, but I’d recommend couchette or sleeper (not all trains have sleeper!))

Bucuresti-Istanbul will be to 99% no problem even on day of departure. Usually this train has a low occupancy.

Thanks for your reply, very useful! The situation has de-escalated from 100 to 0 ina few seconds, thanks to you.

Just one thing I can’t comprehend: why do you say I can’t reserve seats online? The romanian railways website let me do it, and so the hungarian one

Oh ok, didn’t know that. Then sorry for the wrong information. 40 euro sounds like the normal price for couchette + ticket (was like that when I used it in March).

Then why here on the Eurail app it says it’s 15.40 EUR? Am I missing something?

15,4 Euro sounds like supplement for couchette. Normal seat would be as said 3 euro.

Wait, I’m not understanding at all.

15,40 on the Eurail app is the price of the couchette.

40 on the romanian website is the price for the same couchette.

So, reserving seats via railways websites is more expensive, am I right?

No, 40 euro is the price with ticket… for people who don’t have Interrail.
15,4 euro is ONLY the reservation. You need an interrail pass or other ticket to travel with that reservation.

Maybe if you buy only the reservation at the station it could be 2 euro cheaper (because usually there is a 2 euro service fee for reservations on the eurail app).

Now that’s more clear.

On the website there’s no possibility of adding the interrail discount.

So if I reserve seats in a station, showing the Interrail pass, I will pay 15.40 (or 13.40), am I right?

For seats you will pay 3 euro. For couchette something around 15.4 or 3.4 euro… didn’t book couchette reservation with interrail on this train. Only used with standard ticket for 40 euro.

Obb sells tickets for this route, letting you include Eurail discounts, although it has different times than ones on the app.

Hungarian railways also sells these tickets, although on the website discounts can’t be applied. The strange thing is that on that website is stated that there are lots of seats available, while on the Eurail app there are no seats bookable. 

I think the app is poorly made.

Thanks for all the advice, I will buy tickets online when discounts are applied and in person when this is not possibile.

Also, @mcadv I had a stroke trying to read your message. I do appreciate your help and your kindess, but your way of writing may generate more doubts than solutions in people. I’m telling you this because I see you write a lot on this forum, and all your messages have the same issue.