Ljubljiana to Vienna by night train

You can see the options at www.bahn.com
Slight problem is you need to transfer from the Zagreb-Munich night train to the Venice-Vienna night train at 1:30 in the morning. This takes place in Villach, Austria.
I think you might be better off with the 4:00 PM EC train that gets to Vienna at 10:04 PM and spend the night in in a quiet comfy room that doesn't shake.

Hi,

If you were going in the opposite direction Vienna to Ljubljiana (Laibach), I would suggest taking the night train since it's a direct connection. Not so, vice versa. You need to transfer. In that case going from Ljubljiana to Vienna (Wien Hbf), it's better to take the early morning train transfering once.

A night train that goes from one country to another is the EN train, by day it's an EC train.

What are the thoughts on Ljubljiana to Munich instead? My reasoning on the night train is that it would save us a day for site seeing. If we take the day train, the long journey will eat up almost an entire day.
Another question, if you have to change trains on a night journey, does that eat up two days on a rail pass? The day you leave AND the day you arrive?

Hi,

On using up two days on the Pass when riding a night train: That depends at what time you arrive at the transfer town. If it's at 0400 hrs or after, then you use only ONE day on the Pass. Say, if you board the EN night train at 1900, then at 2330, or worse still, at 0100, you have to transfer, that would mean eating up TWO Pass days. When I take a CNL or EN night train, I make sure that it arrives after 0400....less disruption, sleepwise, still I'll sleep but not as much, and I'm using up only one Pass day.

I see your reasoning behind taking a night train from Ljubljiana (Laibach) to Vienna (my reasons too), but I don't like transferring in the middle of the night train ride when I should be sleeping. Since the first leg ends before 0400 hrs, you have to use two Pass days. That's another disadvantage. A night train ride is defined timewise as from 1900 to 0400 hrs, that's using one Pass day, the date of arrival. If you're transfer is at 0500, ie, anytime after 0400, then it's one Pass day.

Hi,

part 2 here...If you're going from Ljubljiana to Munich Hbf by night train, I would suggest doing it, much more advisable than to Vienna. Since you arrive in Munich at 0610, direct, you use up one Pass day. Taking the night train to Munich, you'll see a lot of locals doing the same. I hardly ever, ever see any North Americans taking night trains, they're all Europeans, a few Asians.

Fred has you on the right track with the rail pass rules and timing, if your pass is a flexipass. If you bought a consecutive-day version, then you are not counting trips or days during the activated period. Again, see also http://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/using-your-rail-pass.

You can buy the sleeper reservations at a train station earlier in your trip, such as when you first have the pass activated, or a few days ahead in Slovenia. If you'll be coming from Italy, I can't guarantee that an Italian train station or travel agency will have access to book these.

That's partly because Rail Europe doesn't have this particular route reservation for sale on their web site; but if you have others in mind, they can be booked at http://ricksteves.raileurope.com/us/rail/point_to_point/triprequest.htm, to be shipped to you.

Another office that could book reservations for you is http://www.euraide.de/; their fees include delivery from Germany, so this works best if you need a few reservations and send them the specific date/time/destination list by email: euraide@verizon.net.