SweetKate

It's an over night train, so the view out the window will be zip. But the couchettes look tiny and 2 strangers will be in it with us. >thinking ahead,snoring,gas....?<
Can you get up and wander? Can you alternate between the two if you cant sleep?
Thanks in advance! Kate

kleeblatt

In all honesty, I would book a sleeper for two people. However, if you are on a tight budget and are adventurous, then go for the couchettes because you really might be able to sleep.

Yes, you can get up and wander. I don't think you can alternate because you are in two different wagons.

GeoffHamer

If you have a seat on an overnight train, you will be sleeping next to strangers who might snore. A couchette compartment has a door that can be bolted shut, whereas in a seat, anybody else on the train can wake you up. If you can't sleep in a couchette, you can go to look for an empty seat, but you're even less likely to sleep in a seat - wandering around the train is also very inconsiderate towards other people who are trying to sleep. I'd try to book a sleeping berth if possible, otherwise I'd take a couchette; a night in a train seat would only be a last resort if there was no other way of making the journey and no other accommodation available.

jgg

Sweet Kate - We are in the beginning stages of planning a trip to Prague and then Italy. Curious to know the length of this train trip and the cost you have found. Debating between train and plane as there are 4 of us.

SweetKate

Thanks all so far. No choice of a double. Only 4 or 6 to a 'sleeper car' on this train.
jgg, when dh comes home or calls, I will check with him on price and length of trip. I do know that our only choice was this one . Kate

GeoffHamer

Have you looked at other options? How about a lunchtime Eurocity train from Praha to Wien, then a sleeper train to Milano ?

suze

I *really* like overnight trains but only in a wagon-lit (private 2-person cabin with real beds). I would not do the trip in a seat or a couchette either one. How about the suggestion above of breaking up the trip in a different manner?

curly123

I took the overnight train from Prague to Zurich in 2003. As you noted, couchettes and seats are the only choices. On my particular voyage, the train was old and we had a very dirty car which was also very smoky. [Even though we had reserved a nonsmoking couchette, the conductor was smoking through the wagon prior to our embarkation.] It was also difficult to store luggage in our couchette. We had to climb the ladder and put our suitcases in a compartment above the doorway.

You may get up and wander the corridor, but you won't be able to go into another couchette area because that will probably be reserved.

I think GeoffHamer's suggestion is ideal. When I took the train from Vienna to Prague, the train was very clean, modern, and German.

SweetKate

well jgg,I will report on how things went on or around Oct 16th. We took a closer look at the situation, and found that the 'couchettes' can also be seats. So worst comes to worst,We sit up with our bitty book light and read. If there were four of us, I would feel better about it of course. As far as price, its a bit difficult to pinpoint, but it was NOT pricey, DH thinks about $50. per person.
Thanks everyone. Kate

jgg

Thanks SweetKate, I will look forward to your report. We are not planning on going until June so will still have plenty of time to make a decision after you get back.

suze

I've never heard of a couchette that becomes a seat too. Please do post as you find out more about that.

Musicteacher

During the day time, couchettes are folded up by the train staff to become seats. I do not think that a person who could not sleep would be able to get his couchette folded up in the middle of the night.

vnh

I am not a luxury traveller (!) but i prefer the seat to the couchette.

The reason being one nightmare journey i once took in a couchette from Syracuse to Naples where I got really claustrophobic and felt trapped and couldn't sit up easily in the couchette because there wasn't enough room - i spent most of the journey wandering corridors in the train.
I have booked the 'luxury' couchettes and they are much better because there is more room.
However, I usually book a first class seat (about the same price as a standard couchette) and have always had the carriage to myself when i have done this and have been able to sleep across the seats - but sit up when
I want. Even if there is someone else (unlikely if it is an old train) the seats have much more room and it is unlikely to be full.
The couchettes do become seats but you can only change them over when EVERYONE wants to - because the head rests fold down to form one bunk and the seats are the other bunk so you can't just take your own seat out.

suze

Thanks for clarifying. Knowing the configuration and claustraphophic conditions of couchette cabins, I just couldn't picture how one person could make their bunk into a seat any ole time they wanted to. Makes more sense this isn't exactly how it works!

vnh above makes a very good case for getting a regular seat instead.

Musicteacher

From what I have been able to dig out of the bahn.de site, it seems that there is not a complete train running from Prague to Zurich, only a "through coach" (Kurswagen) which at Linz is coupled onto the Budapest-Zurich overnight train.

It is possible that only couchettes are available for passengers out of Prague.