I don't use a night train if there are only seats left, because I'd be knackered the next day. Other people can get some sleep in a chair.

Sitting comfort is also very personal, so experiences of other people don't necessarily mean anything for what it will be like for you.

Many night trains don't have 1st class seats, so you'd better check if yours has it.

I have seen a few posts recently saying never again for travelling in a seat at night. The one that sticks in my mind was somebody who booked expecting a pair of opposite reclining seats that would fold down into a sort of bed. The train was packed so all 6 seats were taken and the seats did not recline at all.

Unless budget really is tight it may be worth checking if a couchette is available, but most of these nightjets seem to be booking up very quickly.

I also seem to remember that there is only one carriage of these seats on most trains and there is no first class, but simply check on the nightjet site for your specific journey.

Thanks a lot.

Just one random article:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Interrail/comments/xb8lhl/do_not_use_the_nightjet_seating_carriage/

Thank you very much for the article, the content is very convincing.

I've done 6 seat carriage nights on Interrail in 2019 and for me it was ok.

Were any of these on a full train where you could only sit in an upright position and had to disturb (or be disturbed) every time the carriage door opened?

And how did you feel sleeping in the chairbed by the window with 2 others sleeping at the side of you?

 

I traveled on a DB IC Basel-Köln (today runs as NJ/IC Zürich-Amsterdam), DSB IC Hamburg-Copenhagen, SJ Nighttrain Malmö-Stockholm, NSB (now VY, on this Route now SJ) Oslo-Trondheim and back Oslo. Back Copenhagen-Hamburg and one couchette night on the Prague-Budapest line. 

All this trains have seats like on day trains in a 2+2 configuration, or they are day trains that run on night. No compartment like at Nightjet, but I know well the ÖBB compartments because I travel weekly to uni with them (but only 1,5h). 

I tried on the DB IC to sleep on two seats lay down, but it does not work, I didn't sleep that much on the night, but later on the ICE Köln-Utrecht I slept very well seated. So I slept seated every night. I had a pillow and a eye mask.

But I have to say that I'm this week still 22, in 2019 I was 19. So maybe I'm young and have not so many complains with sleeping.

Thanks for your reply - You are correct in inferring that I am well past any form of discomfort travelling by train and the thought of actually paying to sit up all night in a compartment with up to five strangers is quite horrendous. 

Oh to be 22 again.