NightJet Reservations?

mnemne
Traveller
4 comments

I find this really terrible... I checked with ÖBB customer service now and the only way to reserve their NightJet tickets through them is to call them, pay by card over the phone, then get an SMS that you need to collect your paper tickets - which you can do ONLY IN AUSTRIA! While their trains run all over Europe... This is terrible service... ÖBB has a state-of-the-art website and they can\'t offer interrail pass holders a way to reserve their tickets! Interrail should do something about this, but perhaps they won\'t because they themselves serve as an agency and make money on bookings... : (

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hi and welcome to railcc!

Yeah, unfortunately Interrail customers often are still considered "2nd class" and it isnt always easy getting the reservation for the train you want. :(
I think that the option on the DB website described here in the forum may not work anymore due to ÖBB having taken over all DB night trains and DB now not wanting to offer this service on their site anymore...
However, in the past it was never a problem to order Interrail (or Eurail) reservations via ÖBB phone +43 5 1717 and have them sent to you by post (or collect them with a booking code at an Austrian station...which doesnt help if you want to take a nightjet from abroad to Austria, of course). Staff on the hotline is not always well informed about all possibilites.

Flo

mnemne
Traveller
4 comments

Thanks for your welcome and your reply. Even if Öbb would offer to send the tickets by post that would be an extra fee and and requiring that trips are planned well ahead. Why is it not possible to book online? I would like ÖBB to answer this question - until then my assumption will be that they want to make it difficult for pass holders because they don\'t want them because they don\'t make enough money on them. It should be a requirement for all participating railway companies to sell these tickets online. These hassles make interrail an unattractive option for many.

Isagel
Traveller
2 comments

I bought sleeper reservations on the NightJet via ÖBB phone +43 5 171723 yesterday. Payed with my creditcard over phone. Got the tickets sent to me by email.

Pendolino
Traveller
17 comments

I have booked my reservations for Interrail at DB by phone. They have an excellent service, in various languages, and do not charge extra booking fees (you only pay the reservation fee). You can let them send the reservations by mail for €4.90, which I think is reasonable. The only trains they cannot reserve are Portuguese trains, and certain services in the Balkans. But then still, you have to call them.

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Thank you for your reply and telling us your experiences! :)

mnemne
Traveller
4 comments

It is great that Isagel managed to get ÖBB to send tickets by email. I have had ÖBB customer service writing to me clearly in an email correspondence that this would not be possible. Hopefully they have changed this in the last few months.
Pendolino - did you actually book night trains with ÖBB this way? To my knowledge this is not possible. And my mail to you mean regular post (then 4.90 is reasonable) or e-mail (4.90 not reasonable). If sending tickets by regular post is the only option this is still not satisfactory, as you have to plan your whole interrail trip in advance before leaving your country which kind of takes one of the charms away from the card.
And paying with a credit card over the phone - come on, it\'s great that it is possible but this shouldn\'t be the standard procedure in 2018. We should be able to book all train tickets online and Interrail card holders shouldn\'t be an exception.

mnemne
Traveller
4 comments

* Correction: I meant to write "And BY mail DO you mean regular post or email?"
:)

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Hi Isagel, welcome to railcc!

Did you really receive your reservation by mail? Do you have to print the PDF or can you simply show it on the screen of your mobile?
Please let us know! :)

Flo

Pendolino
Traveller
17 comments

Hello mnemne, by mail I meant by regular post. But I booked it with Deutsche Bahn, and not ÖBB, but also with DB you have to pay with your creditcard if you make reservations via phone. I also wanted to make a reservation for the night train from Hendaye/Irún to Lisbon, but DB could only book expensive private cabins for me. Apparently Interrail is not made to be used with night trains.

Peter
Traveller
9333 comments

Hi and thank you for the information! :)
The night train Henday/Irun to Lisbon is available via ACPRail as paper reservation (comes by normal post to an address, not by email): [ux]https://rail.shop/acprail/reservation[/ux]
Try "Irun" to "Lisbon" - there you also get the cheaper options.
Please read also here: [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-night-train/irun-lisbon-th-313/73[/u]
Pete :)

Isagel
Traveller
2 comments

As for the Nightjet tickets I bought from ÖBB :
I got a mail from ÖBB with a link to the PDF that is the ticket. The link worked without problem. I have printed out the ticket.
The ÖBB mail says "Print out the ticket in A4-format before starting your journey".
As I have not made the journey yet I haven´t had an opportunity to ask whether displaying the PDF in the screen of the mobile would be accepted.

Flo
Traveller
10724 comments

Thank you, very interesting! :)

OK, it makes sense to print the ticket, since the attendants in the sleeping or couchette car then can collect it overnight and show it to the conductor. That way you dont have to get up in the middle of the night when the train staff changes (for instance at a border).

Quite a surprise that Interrail reservations are available via this channel.