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Cannot book couchette on EuroNight train Prague - Frankfurt


Hi, I can see on DB website an overnight train (and when I click on further details it says EuroNight) from Prague to Frankfurt (18:26h EN40458), however when I proceed to book a seat, it doesn’t offer me the option to book a couchette, only the 4,50€ option for a seat. Do I have to book the couchette offline on the day or how does it work?

Thank you! 

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Best answer by Angelo 24 March 2023, 16:39

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Hi, this train consist of 2 trains, but they run together. 

EC - Eurocity Praha-Zürich (only seats - reservation optional) and

EN - Euronight Praha-Zürich (only couchette and sleeper - reservation needed)

arrival in Frankfurt Main Hbf is at 3:47 in the morning. 

 

Deutsche Bahn can sell only reservations for seats online. For couchette or sleeper you need to book directly via Czech Railways CD. cd.cz But bookings opens late.

INFO: At the moment the website of CD does not work ???

Ah, would it be easier then to book the whole ticket through CD (so that I can already include the sleeper reservation)?

But this train definitely has the couchette option right, it’s just a matter of booking through the right place?

I’m not sure if I’m too late, I wanted to book it for 10/04.

Thank you!

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There is a problem :

- the couchette carriage 255 has a problem  since the start of the year and cannot run so the train is quickly full (it is for 10.04)

It is full weeks in advance unfortunately… And as 10.04 is Easter Monday it doesn't help

You could travel on a seat (reservation-free) or take an earlier train if possible.

I don't see any other alternatives

@Angelo cd.cz works for me

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I’m not sure. CD Website does not work at the moment, SBB (Swiss railways) can’t sell online only the reservation but they sell normal tickets and say not bookable. Maybe is it sold out?

The 10.04. is Easter Monday. For a lot of people will get back after Easter to their living/work places.  

There are enough seats free at the moment, if it is really sold out. The seats can be put together in the middle from both sides, but you need to be lucky and have not a full compartment. 

A seat compartment should look like this (except for last minute changes)

 

Userlevel 7
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There is a problem :

- the couchette carriage 255 has a problem  since the start of the year and cannot run so the train is quickly full (it is for 10.04)

It is full weeks in advance unfortunately… And as 10.04 is Easter Monday it doesn't help

You could travel on a seat (reservation-free) or take an earlier train if possible.

I don't see any other alternatives

@Angelo cd.cz works for me

Ok why does it not work from Italy??? strange

 

EDIT: From UK there are problems too with the CD website.

 

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Well I'm not sure either why it doesn't work…

Apparently Germany and Switzerland are fine then…

 

@rebeca There would be an acceptable alternative (I believe) leaving Prague at 16:38 and arriving in Frankfurt before midnight... but then there might be an accomodation problem

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Ok why does it not work from Italy??? strange

 

@Angelo 

cd.cz doesn't work from Sweden either. I saw it a couple days ago and I still get the same error message now.

Thanks everyone!

It’s possible though to book through one company and reserve the seats through another? (i.e. book through DB and reserve through CD?)

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Thanks everyone!

It’s possible though to book through one company and reserve the seats through another? (i.e. book through DB and reserve through CD?)

The Interrail pass is your ticket. There is nothing that you need to book. You only need to make the reservations that you want.

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The CD website doesn't work from Belgium either. When I set my VPN to Switzerland, then it works.

Maybe they're being cyber attacked again.

Hello, 

I have the same problem but from Frankfurt to Prague on 06/04.
I have never traveled by train in Europe so, to be honest, I’m completely lost.
I don’t understand if I’m doing something wrong here, but every time I try I cannot get a seat.
I’m supposed to do it from DB website, right?

I could really use some help.

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I have the same problem but from Frankfurt to Prague on 06/04.
I have never traveled by train in Europe so, to be honest, I’m completely lost.
I don’t understand if I’m doing something wrong here, but every time I try I cannot get a seat.
I’m supposed to do it from DB website, right?

DB works for me. Choose "Seat only”, price is €4.50 in 2nd and €5.90 in 1st class.

The CD website (cd.cz/en) is also working for me. Price there is CZK 73 (~€3). There you can do a normal search and then select "Purchase a reservation only”.

If you still get stuck, please post a screenshot of any error you see or of the screen where you get stuck.

Since you did not specify which train you want to use, I tested with the direct EC 458 leaving Prague at 18:26.

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As far as I can see both night trains are full on 06-07.04 from Frankfurt. Which is not very surprising as it's Easter

DB only sells 1st class tickets

You can have a look at daytime routes

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Oops, my bad, I tested the wrong direction. I'm not getting any results for Frankfurt-Prague on 6/4 or 7/4 at 0:52. These look fully booked indeed.

Thank you both for your help, I didn't know it was a route that could get sold out quickly. Honestly I forgot it was Easter.

The train that I wanted to get was EN 40459 and My dad and I have 1er class passes, but as you can see I can’t buy seats

The pass doesn't show up the EC 459 that does have seats available, so I understand I can’t travel there. I would take that one, it’s the same time, same route.

I have to buy a full ticket for that one, right?

Also, this means that I would never know if I can get into a train until I get to the station?

BTW: EC 459 I think you travel on a seat there, not on a bed, right?

 

I take it back, I also can’t

I don't know why it says “Low demand expected” if you can't reserve seats

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So I'm going to have a look with 1st class passes in mind.

First do you really need to take that train ? Seats are uncomfortable and you won't sleep at all.

Vagonweb.cz gives all the train compositions so we can see that there's only one seating car between Frankfurt and Prague, the others go to Berlin after the split in Leipzig. They add carriages in Leipzig for Prague for the morning commuters.

So what you could do is seating on a Berlin-bound carriage (there's a 1st class one, according to vagonweb.cz) and in Leipzig change to the new carriages. Bear in mind that the change would happen at 5am (but you almost certainly won't be sleeping). I believe that is the only possible option to take that specific connection. Those carriages have optional reservations so you could simply board a find free seats. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

Other options :

You spend a night in Leipzig. This would mean :

- Frankfurt (Main) Hbf - Leipzig Hbf 19:19 - 22:24 (or earlier). Comfortable 1st class seats on a ICE train

- Leipzig Hbf - Praha hl.n. 05:45 - 09:38

OR

- Leipzig Hbf - Dresden Hbf 07:31 - 08:37

- Dresden Hbf - Praha hl.n. 09:10 - 11:35

A night is also possible in Dresden in that case. You'll be able to sleep much better (but it uses 2 travel days ofc).

You leave Frankfurt earlier. This would mean :

- Frankfurt (Main) Hbf - Regensburg Hbf 14:22 - 17:24

- Regensburg Hbf - Praha hl.n. 18:14 - 22:17

You spend a night in Frankfurt. This would mean :

- Frankfurt (Main) Hbf - Regensburg Hbf 06:21 - 09:24

- Regensburg Hbf - Praha hl.n. 10:14 - 14:17

 

It depends on what your complete journey is. Let me know

I take it back, I also can’t

I don't know why it says “Low demand expected” if you can't reserve seats

 

When trying here, it says (in german): “Außergewöhnlich hohe Auslastung erwartet” (unusual high demand expected) and it also says (even before booking) that there are no 2nd class seats available. 

To Praha, there are no 1st class carriages. There’s just one first class carriage going to Berlin (it would be possible to use it till Leipzig Hbf) but that one has also just one single seat available to reserve. 

If you want to go by night by any means (personally, I’d prefer a hotel room), a possible and at the moment available connection that has nearly the same timing is:

Nightjet from Frankfurt (Main) Süd to Regensburg Hbf at 1.17am (reservation mandatory), change there for a train to Praha (departs 6.15am, arrives 10.17am). (It’s possible to start from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Frankfurt (Main) Süd at 0.44am, just a 4 minute ride.)

Hi, 

Thank you both.

“First do you really need to take that train ? Seats are uncomfortable and you won't sleep at all.” -

 

I arrive with dad in frankfurt (flughafen) 05/04 17hs from Argentina, I do not have a hotel in frankfurt because I wanted to get to praga as soon as possible (the whole reason to be going to frankfurt and not staying there is a huge thing involving the quarantine and pushing the tickets further in time).

Nightjet from Frankfurt (Main) Süd to Regensburg Hbf at

1.17am (reservation mandatory), change there for a train to Praha (departs 6.15am, arrives 10.17am). (It’s possible to start from Frankfurt (Main) Hbf to Frankfurt (Main) Süd at 0.44am, just a 4 minute ride.)

If it was just me, i might try this one.

But I think sleeping that night in praga an leaving in one of the options you told be guys will be better now.

You spend a night in Frankfurt. This would mean :

- Frankfurt (Main) Hbf - Regensburg Hbf 06:21 - 09:24

- Regensburg Hbf - Praha hl.n. 10:14 - 14:17

 This sounds better for my dad, he is 66y/o, he needs to rest.

Does this last one require reserve seats?

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All the trains in Germany and Czechia have optional reservations but as it is Good Friday, I'd really recommend making them. It could be chaos otherwise.

As you land there after a 13-hour flight, you really need to spend the night around Frankfurt. Either at the airport or in the city center. See which one is cheaper.

Then on Good Friday choose of the many available connections and book 2 seats (use the DB App or website for all that). Don't necessarily book an early train (like the 06:21 train I showed) as with the jetlag you'll be completely exhausted…

Let us know for other questions

Well, I’ve been researching and I think what will do will be the following:

We’ll take the 18hrs train from Frankfurt to Regensburg, we will sleep there.

 

And then, in the morning we’ll take either 10:14 or 12:14 train to Prague (I can’t book seats because they say it should arrive in the mail?, I’ll try at the station the same night I arrive or first in the moring - I dont know how to check if they are fully booked)

 

Does it make sense? It’s good?

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Yes it's perfect.

Do not book trains on eurail.com : there is a booking fee + they mail some reservations while you can get them online somewhere else.

On bahn.de or DB app : it should cost 4,50€ per person for Frankfurt Airport - Regensburg.

While on tickets.oebb.at reservations are free with a 1st class Pass. Add Eurail as a discount and select one-way tickets.

Regensburg - Prague is on a regional train so reservations are not possible. There should be space in 1st class and you could always sit in 2nd class if needed

Let me know if it doesn't work.

I COULD!

You have no idea how much you saved me <3

Thank you SO SO SO much.

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You're welcome.

Let us know for any other questions.

Enjoy your trip

Hi, this train consist of 2 trains, but they run together. 

EC - Eurocity Praha-Zürich (only seats - reservation optional) and

EN - Euronight Praha-Zürich (only couchette and sleeper - reservation needed)

arrival in Frankfurt Main Hbf is at 3:47 in the morning. 

 

Deutsche Bahn can sell only reservations for seats online. For couchette or sleeper you need to book directly via Czech Railways CD. cd.cz But bookings opens late.

INFO: At the moment the website of CD does not work ???


Hi, is it possible to add the EN 40459 on the pass but boarding the EC 459 (I have a reservation for it)?

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