Ashy53
Traveller
22 comments
Posted 12 years ago
Hi!
In researching bookings for the night train between Split and Zagreb on 8th September 2012, I can only find available three berth sleeping cabins in 2nd Class. We have a 1st Class Eurail pass but there doesn't appear to be any two berth cabins available in 1st class for a couple on any booking sites only two berth cabins for single travelers.
I am probably asking a stupid question but as a mature couple travelling together will we most likely have a third person(stranger) sharing the sleeper cabin if we reserve the three berth cabin?
Thanks for taking the time to consider this question.
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Hi,
again, no need to book this train over any booking sites - they probably charge more than the actual reservation would cost at the station in Europe.
On this night train a standard sleeping car runs (as you can find in most other European night trains) with cabins with each three berths in it. All these cabins can be booked either as:
- Single
- Double
- T3/Tourist/Triple
Depending on what category you book, one, two or three berths will be prepared, any bed not booked remains folded to the wall. Whatever cabin you book, the cabins themselves are the same!
With a 1st class ticket you can book all three categories, with a 2nd class ticket usually only T3, Double and Single only in some countries.
If you book two beds in a T3 it _can_ happen that another traveller will join you. If you want to travel on your own, you have to book a Double - as I said above, I recommend to do so while you are in Europe.
Flo 8)
Ashy53
Traveller
22 comments
Hi Flow
As usual some great information from you in answer to my questions. I am intending to follow your suggestions and book when we arrive in Europe. I have just been looking at booking sites including railcc to do some research on what is available and to check on timetables.
Thanks again for your speedy reply.
Ashy53
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Hej,
no problem, if you want you could post your planned route and I can have a look and think about which reservations to get early and which not etc... :)
Flo 8)
Ashy53
Traveller
22 comments
Thanks Flow
Our itinerary is as follows and we are locked into these dates due to booked accommodation etc.:
July 28th Paris to Dijon and Dijon to Beaune
August 7th Beaune to Dijon
August 9th Dijon to Paris and Paris to London (Eurostar already booked)
August 16th London to Lille (Eurostar already booked) and Lille to Strasbourg
August 19th Strasbourg to Basel
August 21st Basel to Venice via Milan
August 24th Venice to Trieste and Sezana to Ljubljana
August 25th Ljubljana to Zagreb
August 27th Zagreb to Split
September 8th Split to Vienna via Zagreb (Night Train)
September 15th Cesky Kromlov to Prague
September 19th Prague to Salzburg
September 23rd Salzburg to Munich
September 26th Munich to Berlin
September 28th Berlin to Paris
Thanks
Ashy53
Flo
Traveller
10724 comments
Hej!
Paris - Dijon - Beaune: Reservation required for TGV Paris - Dijon in fact I think this is the only one you _need_ to get in advance. Alternatively there are regular trains as well, taking 3h as opposed to 1h30 a TGV needs
Dijon - Paris: It should be sufficient to get it in Paris on the 28th...but as you have your Eurostar already booked it would be OK to get this reservation in advance as well.
Lille to Strasbourg: There are three daily direct TGV trains avoiding Paris. Alternatively you have to go via Paris, changing there from Gare du Nord to Gare de l'Est, a reasonably well signed walk of 10 minutes. I would buy the reservation during your stay in France at a station.
In any case, you can get Abo Forfait reservations if a TGV was full and no regular reservations available anymore :arr: [u]https://rail.cc/en/interrail-train-reservation/tgv-sncf/42[/u]
Strasbourg - Basel: No reservation required!
Basel - Venezia: The direct Basel - Milano EC as well as the direct Frecciabianca trains Milano - Venezia both require a 10€ reservation. It will be sufficient to get this at the station in Basel for instance. However I would recommend to make these reservations in Strasbourg already since SBB in Switzerland is likely to charge you a fee for international bookings.
If you dont mind travelling the whole day, I would definitely recommend to travel to Milano via the Albula and Bernina line :arr: [u]https://rail.cc/en/train/zurich-to-milan[/u]
Venezia - Trieste - Ljubljana: No reservations required; to cross the border read here :arr: [u]https://rail.cc/blog/travel-lake-bled-train/[/u] Alternatively you can also go to Villa Opicina by tramway from Trieste and take a bus from there to Sezana. However, buses run infrequently...I'll have a look for timings...
Ljubljana - Zagreb: No reservation required
Zagreb - Split: 1€ reservation required, get it in Zagreb
Split - Zagreb - Vienna: Get the sleeper reservation to Zagreb while you stay there before going to Split. For the train to Vienna, no reservation required!
All other trains: No reservation required
Berlin - Paris: Reservation required, I recommend to use the overnight train :arr: [u]https://rail.cc/en/train/berlin-to-paris[/u]
Flo 8)
Ashy53
Traveller
22 comments
Hi Flow
Thank you so much for taking what would obviously be some time in putting together the information above. It is certainly most helpful and corresponds to most of the research that I have done. Your suggestions of when to pre- purchase reservations is a great help.
Thanks again
Ashy53
nltrainer
Traveller
1416 comments
additonal note re the sleepr:
3ned coupe is single-sex, so that means that if you are a mixed couple-you will be split.
So if you hold that 1st cl pass anyway-do yourself the favour and pay for 3 beds (cost of 2bed is 50% more-do the sums!) and you get the coupe for yourselves.