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How to book sleeper couchette using Eurail pass?

My family of 4 is doing 21 days starting next week in Rome, doing Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, and ending in Paris. We have eurail passes and I am having a difficult time reserving trains. Especially, I can NOT get the sleeper couchette option to come up on the overnight Venice to Munich when using the online eurail reservation system. It only shows 2nd class seat.
Any advice?
I am getting no response out of the Eurail support system.
I'd love to work with a travel agent versed in booking eurail trains. I could also use them for day tours in Rhine, Amsterdam, etc. Thanks!

Joe

Posted by
7312 posts

You can try to book them on the Austrian Railways website, oebb.at
It is not the best designed website ever, but here it goes:
- input date of travel, time (choose 9PM) and VENICE and MUNICH
- hit Book Ticket
- choose "one-way ticket and day ticket"
- now, at the top, next to VENEZIA and MÜNCHEN you should see "who is going?": click "Change"
- add the 3 other passengers and for each passenger, click "Add Discount" and search "Eurail"
- then hit Next at the top right, and at last you can look for the direct "NJ" train and see if Couchettes are available...

But for next week, there is a non-zero chance that 4 couchettes won't be available. Fingers crossed!

If you end up unlucky, there seems to be an afternoon daytime connection that isn't too bad: leaving Venice around 3pm and getting into Munich shortly after 10pm. You still need a reservation for it, but it only costs 10€ vs 44€ for the couchette, so you would recoup a bit of the hotel costs in Munich.

As for German and Dutch trains you will not need reservations with a valid Eurail pass, so no need to worry, just hop on any train. You might not always find 4 seats together for long-distance high speed journeys, though: in Germany, the Deutsche Bahn website (bahn.com/en) lets you purchase reservations quite easily , just choose "seat only (no ticket)" on the front page.
In Dutch domestic trains, reservations do not exist.

Posted by
327 posts

A few years back, I was not able to book a night train from Vienna to Venice online and had to call the Austrian Railways to book, which worked out fine (and luckily they spoke English).
Edited to add: I think it may have been because I was using a EURAIL pass that I had to call. But perhaps it can all be done online now with the guidance balso has provided.

Posted by
7055 posts

A few years ago those with an Interrail card had to call ÖBB to book Nightjet sleepers/couchettes, but it has been reported that their website is updated and Interrail travellers can now book online. I'd be surprised if that doesn't apply to Eurail travellers as well.

Posted by
23642 posts

First off, there no such thing as Eurail trains. It is the national train in the country your are in. Second, You are working with a travel agent. That is what eurail is -- a travel agency selling rail passes. If you cannot get access on their site there is a possibility that you can not book it or it is not available. You need to talk to someone at Eurail.

Posted by
5513 posts

You paid A LOT of money for these passes. The travel agency (Eurail) you bought them from owes you service - that’s what you paid all that money for, right? Rather than just buying the tickets from the companies that actually operate the trains?

Posted by
2 posts

Thanks for your help. I was able to book it on the ÖBB site easily.

Posted by
327 posts

Thank you for the update and balso for the guidance, enjoy your trip!

Posted by
497 posts

We booked the Nightjet from Zurich to Vienna via OBB website. We have Eurail tickets, too, but we had to pay a little more for the reserved private sleeper car. Go to OBB. There is something in their system that says “second class” but in fact it isn’t. Ours is a private sleeper for 2 on the upper deck with toilet and shower. Also I had to email OBB about something and they were VERY responsive so don’t hesitate to do this if you need help. I got a reply within 24 hours.