Questions about the Nightjet from Amsterdam to Munich

@hboswell / Harry,

Have you looked at the descriptions by "The Man in Seat61" about the Nightjet sleeper/overnight trains?

I did - that's where I started - but when I start trying to work through the booking it gets confusing. He suggests Trainline, but they don't seem to book the Amsterdam-Munich route. The Dutch system (nsinternational.com) shows me the Nightjet, but under Details it has a price for the sleeper compartment but says "+ 2 Reserved Places" for a price of 0 Euro - am I supposed to book two tickets in addition to the sleeper compartment? And we plan to get Eurail passes, but I'm not sure how those would work with booking a sleeper?

we're thinking of riding the Nightjet train from Amsterdam to Munich.

The direct one? 19:30 > 7:34?

Rather than leave in the early evening, I would probably be tempted by a mid-afternoon departure that promises a real bed at the end and maybe a better night's sleep than you might have on the train. These days you can travel this route in under 8 hours. There's a 14:38 out of A'dam that pulls into Munich at 22:26. The 39-minute layover in Cologne begins at 17:16 and could be used to pick up some food and beverages - or there's the Bordrestaurant on the Cologne > Munich train.

Don't put a Eurail pass into the mix. Those are more trouble than they are worth.

And here is another reality : the Nightjet train may already be sold out for your date. These trains are enormously popular and demand is simply much higher than what they can supply since they are essentially the only company in the game.

I don't understand why you aren't looking at the Nightjet's own website- https://www.nightjet.com/en/#/home
That will tell you clearly if there is or is not availability for booking on the night you want to travel, and if you were booking as a non Eurail holder you could book through that site easily.
As you are booking as a Eurail holder you need to book through OeBB (Austrian Railways- Nightjet's parent Company)- see directions on this Man in Seat 61 page-https://www.seat61.com/interrail-and-eurail-reservations.htm#How_to_make_reservations_at_the_Austrian_Railways_website
However there may be berth availability, but the places allotted to pass holders may have sold out.

Looking at Aug 17, 18, or 19. A private sleeping compartment for 2 goes from 159 EUR to 349 EUR with a Eurail Pass. Saturday is the expensive date. You can get that at the Nightjet website. A private couchette costs more because you are taking space for up to 6 persons, whereas the private sleeping compartment you are taking the space of up to 3 persons. On the Nightet, when you put in the passengers, it will ask if you have a discount card. Put in "Eurail" and "Interail/Eurail Global" will pop up, so check that.

I have been looking at nightjet.com, along with nsinternational.com and the OBB website. The link below shows what I'm seeing from nightjet.com - it shows individual seats (comfort ticket, cancellable until July 30) for 148 with the Eurail Pass (I assume that's each, so for two it would be 296?) - but "other travellers in the compartment possible", which is definitely not what we want. Or a compartment with two beds for 188 (again, I assume each?). Or a non-cancellable compartment with 3 beds for 309. Why would non-cancellable be more than cancellable? Anyway, this is what I'm seeing. I'm sure once we've done this it will seem simple - we've used trains in Europe and the UK, but never a sleeper.

http://www.kudzufiles.com/pics/nightjet.jpg

Thanks,
Harry

You don't have use a sleeper. If both of you have a Global Eurail Pass, your ride from Amsterdam to Munich is covered, provided you sit in a compartment or the general seating area, sleeping upright.

With the Eurail Pass, you need only to get buy a seat reservation. That's how I would go. Just having to buy the seat reservation is the cheapest way to go. I have not done this exact route but roughly, ie Vienna to Hamburg or Kiel on the Nightjet, paying only for the seat reservation.

Getting a couchette or a private sleeper is the most expensive option, ie, you pay for the luxury of privacy. The Sleeper is the first option to sell out.

You don't have use a sleeper. If both of you have a Global Eurail
Pass, your ride from Amsterdam to Munich is covered, provided you sit
in a compartment or the general seating area, sleeping upright.

With the Eurail Pass, you need only to get buy a seat reservation.
That's how I would go. Just having to buy the seat reservation is the
cheapest way to go. I have not done this exact route but roughly, ie
Vienna to Hamburg or Kiel on the Nightjet, paying only for the seat
reservation.

Getting a couchette or a private sleeper is the most expensive option,
ie, you pay for the luxury of privacy. The Sleeper is the first option
to sell out.

Right, and we understand that. It's just something we wanted to experience. We know it's a luxury, but it's also giving us more time that day to spend in Amsterdam, and at 69 the idea of trying to sleep in a regular seat is a non-starter. We like the flexibility of passes - we've used Britrail passes in the UK, and Eurail in France and Italy - but never like this.

I use the Eurail Senior Global Pass for night trains and the high speed ones, TGV and ICE. If you get that, it's another 10% off the purchase price