night train to Berlin

go to www.bahn.de to book reservation. coucette is usually 20 euros or so.

Hopefully, Tim from Minot, ND will jump in on this one. He's really good on the night trains. (Tim, I hope I haven't oversold you. You have great stuff).

Norma, it isn't clear to me whether you'll have a railpass and will only need to pay the supplement for a couchette or if you want to book a regular ticket. However, you can do either one now from home by going to http://buchung.nachtzugreise.de. On the drop-down menu below "What is required?" choose "Accommodation surcharge only, ticket exists" if you have a railpass. You will pay €17 (six-person couchette) or €22 (four-person couchette). If you don't have a railpass, try to get a SparNight fare of €39 for a bunk in a six-person couchette or €49 for a bunk in a four-person couchette. The regular fares are €113 and €117 respectively.

Thanks for the compliment, Larry!

My compliments to Tim also. He has a wealth of knowledge on the trains.

Thank you so much for all of the replies! Now, I know exactly how to get the best info. I'm traveling point-to-point, so will pay both the fare plus the couchette. Although I am flying the other parts of the trip (Madrid-Barcelona-Brussels-Berlin to Madrid) the night train seemed perfect for this leg. Will get me to Berlin early Sunday morning, so I won't waste my time there. Happy traveling to all of you.

Thanks, JB. Now if I could only come up with the money for a plane ticket to Europe so I'd be able to put my train knowledge to good personal use!

Tim, from Minot,
Thanks for the great info about the website to get tix. Unfortunately, the SparNight spaces appear to be already taken for that date. Do you have any other ideas that would not cost the 113 or 117 euros? Would I be better off flying?? Should I just wait until I get there and take my chances? Thanks.

Unfortunately, Air Berlin doesn't fly Brussels-Berlin. Easyjet will, but not until October 29th....too late I assume? Brussels Airlines offers some good deals on Friday evening flights....but that would mean a change in your itinerary.

Norma, no matter what means of transportation you choose, you won't get a price break by waiting until you get to Brussels to book your ticket. If saving money is more important to you than comfort, you could take an overnight Eurolines bus. Leave at 23:00 and arrive at 09:30. The regular fare is €49 and the advance Promo fare is €42. Book at www.eurolines.com.

Even if you have to pay the standard fare, I still think the night train is worth considering because you save the cost of a night in a hotel. For four euros more, go with the extra space and comfort of a four-bunk couchette.

Tim, I think that you are exactly right. As I thought more about it (and saw how expensive the flights are), I think that the train is the best. Thank you so much for all of the good help. Maybe I can help someone else sometime.