trains: open plan coach or saloon carriage seating?

As far as I can tell, the only direct train from Verona to Salzburg is the Nightjet, and seat reservations are unavailable.

Other trains involve a connection either at Innsbruck or Rosenheim. Only the connection at Innsbruck gives you a free seat reservation for the 2nd leg. The 1st leg is an EC train gives a choice of open plan coach 2nd class, compartment 2nd class, saloon carriage 2nd class, compartment carriage 2nd class. There is no train diagram.

As far as I know, open plan coach is the same as saloon carriage, just as compartment 2nd class is the same as compartment carriage 2nd class. Looks like a redundant choice.

The 2nd leg is an RJX and has a train diagram and you can get the seat diagram for each 2nd class carriage.

I took a wild google with "seat61 saloon" and got this: https://www.seat61.com/german-intercity-trains.htm.

This refers to German trains, but shows that saloon is equated with open plan vs compartments.

Thanks for the fast replies, and all of the information. I hadn't thought to look at the translations of the descriptions. I was able to book the tickets today on ÖBB although the credit card was declined, and it took two calls to the bank for the charge to be approved. Strange since a charge I made for Thalys tickets had no issues. We have seats (in a grossraumwagen car) for the Verona-Innsbruck leg, and I'll have to go back and figure out the seats for the Innsbruck-Salzburg leg. I must have missed seeing that option appear. This trip isn't until early June, but it's a relief to have one more detail arranged!

On the meaning of the terms and what they entail, Scythian is correct...

Großraumwagen is a coach where it is row after row of two seats., aisle in the middle.

The Abteil is a compartment as defined in a German train made up of 6 seats, just as in yesteryear in the 1970s and '80s but the compartments have been electronically updated...obviously.

"...shoddy translation." well put, that's why I don't use that website but in the original.

Given the choice on a night train, which one I prefer, I'll take the Großraumwagen seating.

When I was digging into this, the 2nd leg on the RjX gave a complete train diagram with 4 2nd class carriages. Yes, all were "open saloon" but one was designated, "quiet", another had 'family seating", and another 'wheel chair accessible". Click on the carriage and you got the seating diagram showing which seats were available and which taken. Since the train change occurred in Austria, it was included with the 3 EUR reservation you got with the 1st leg. If you go back now, you may have to pay another 3 EUR.

@ scythian...The Abteil seats on the night trains are like those in the 1970s and '80s except electronically modernised. What you say is true regardling the seats but the compartments I've "shared" almost always have 4-6 people (including myself), ie a full house, (and who says people don't ride night trains?). With a full house you can't stretch out, the seat in front of you is occupied.

In 2017 the ÖBB night train I was on from Hamburg Hbf to Wien Hbf had in my compartment this middle age Austrian woman (solo), who spoke in that Upper Austrian dialect (oberösterreichischer Dialekt) had no one sitting in front of her, that empty seat was to my right. She stretched out her seat, as you described, and also that empty seat to make it a bed, ...just about and pulled out something like a light blanket.

Seeing that I thought this woman is well familiar with night trains and knows certainly what she is doing.

Okay, so it sounds like there are no seat reservations for the Innsbruck-Salzburg leg? I can't find a way to add a seat reservation to my existing ticket. I sent an email to ÖBB for clarification. It's a short journey, so I won't worry too much about it, but I'm curious. Thanks again for the responses.

Just go back and spend the 3 EUR for that leg at https://tickets.oebb.at/en/ticket
Put in your date of travel and time, Innsbruck to Salzburg and click on "seat only (no Ticket)".

Hi - I've tried that but it says "ticket not available". Rereading posts I see that scythian noted that on the 2nd leg to Salzburg the seating is open plan, so I think no seat reservations.

I don't know what date you are going on or time. When I look on OEBB site, I can get a reservation right up until Thursday, June 6, but not after that date. You might have to wait.

Thank you for the links, and for helping me figure this out. I misunderstood an earlier post, which led to some of my confusion. Sam is correct - the seat reservations haven't yet opened for our date of travel (second week of June).

You can always buy the seat reservation at any OBB office a day before travel.