We will be traveling form Frankfurt to Prague and Prague to Budapest. We want to take nite trains with a cuchette on both exursions and I can not figure out how to book them here in the US. German Rail and Rail Europe are not providing prices... ant suggestions?

Yes, first of all, how far in advance are you trying to book?

For some cross-border itineraries you either rely on the Bahn to price out your order at the best price and send you the tickets (I recently did this for a night train trip from Paris to Copenhagen) or you could call and speak to them directly.

Thank you. We will taking these trains
6/18 the night we arrive in Frankfurt form US and 6/21 Prague to Budapest. Do I call Bahn for both nights?
I assume that their phone number is posted on their website.

Some Fodorites are expert at the DB site, especially LarryinColorado so keep topping until he sees it and he'll walk you thru it - there are others as well.

And as Dukey says you can call DB Europe and have someone help you with the reservations.

In this country Raileurope does most of these reservations but often, but not always, at higher prices than DB or in Europe. I always advise calling BETS (800-441-2387) for info on booking - a RE agent they are experts at this and don't charge RE's mailing fee for orders under $399 which yours will no doubt be.

I agree with Pal..unless I absolutely had to do so i would not book through RailEurope although some other agencies end up using the RE computer connectuons it turns out.

RE's prices can sometimes be very competitive and at other times not.

I admit that when I booked the Paris-Copenhagen night train segment I relied on the Bahn folks to come up with a reasonable price for the accommodations we wanted (private toilet and shower) and they seem to have done so. To get those sorts of spaces we have to take the night train to Hamburg and change there since the direct night train connection to Copenhagen (through Cologne) does not offer private showers.

I did NOT call them directly, however.

And i've usually been able to make any night train bookings in Europe - you could do so at Frankfurt Airport's train stations - this is if all else fails. the worst would be that you may have to buy a more expensive berth than wanted to.

Do you know what traveling in a <i>couchette</i> entails?

First of all, unless your traveling party fills the compartment, you will probably be traveling with strangers - including crying babies, malodorous men, and garrulous females.

Second: the fact that their honesty cannot be guaranteed should go without saying.

I avoid <i>couchettes</i> if at all possible.

We are a family of 4, 2 teens. I thought that I could request 1 compartment. I have no problem booking while in europe however I really do not want to be stuck in Frankfurt and waste precious travel time.

Couchettes usually come in first and second class versions. The main difference is that one has four berths and the other has six in a compartment. Therefore a first-class couchette compartment can be reserved for a family of four. However, sleepers are much more comfortable.
From Frankfurt to Praha, one alternative to the direct night train is the City Night Line train from Frankfurt to Dresden. These are modern Swiss night trains with a variety of sleeping accommodation. It may be possible to book online on www.citynightline.ch.

&lt;Do you know what traveling in a couchette entails?

First of all, unless your traveling party fills the compartment, you will probably be traveling with strangers - including crying babies, malodorous men, and garrulous females.

Second: the fact that their honesty cannot be guaranteed should go without saying.

I avoid couchettes if at all possible.&gt;

Robes - sounds like you've rarely taken couchettes to me -I've taken literally hundreds of couchette rides and except for a very few occasions they have been very nice - from a fellow passenger standpoint.

I've never encountered the proverbial crying baby - don't think Europeans are so impolite as to inflict that on others

nor garrulous females (to my lament)

and only a few malodorous men - one in particular in Spain who stunk out the whole compartment and the conductor moved him thankfully to his own stinkhole - but that's the only time ever

so you paint the most dire scene that i do not think is nearly portraying the real story that you would realize if you ever took couchettes.

Just in January i took a night train Vienna to Rome - a 4 person compartment and in it were an Austrian veterinarian and two 20s Italian engineering students. We had a very interesting discussion on lots of things - from soccer to animal rights to skiing vs snowboarding - i've had many similar nice encounters in couchettes.

Couchettes are a great way to interact with locals and most folks taking couchettes i've found are mainly middle class educated folks who speak some English.

I cherish many trips i've taken in couchettes and they remain some of my most indelible and joyous travel memories.

Well, gee - if you've ridden <i>couchettes</i> literally hundreds of times, then my discomfort with them must have been figments of my imagination. It didn't take many trips to decide they weren't for me.

Another possibility to explain our differing experiences is that your tolerance for grubby conditions is considerably higher than mine. If you just don't notice, then you're fine.

Good luck as always.

Robes Peter: yes there's a lot of truth in what you say. and as a single traveler to get a private compartment is often extremely expensive (i always travel with a pass) - but many folks will not like couchettes - esp those not used to ever sleeping communally, which i did in years of hostelling when younger.

And my level of grunge tolerance is higher for sure - though many couchettes are not as grubby as you make them sound.

Couchettes are not for everybody but most Europeans taking night trains use them without batting an eyelash.

The only thing i took issue with your original description was that it led us to believe &lt;that you will be traveling with strangers - including crying babies, malodorous men, and garrulous females.&gt; all of which are possible but extremely rare in my experience

and
Second: &lt;the fact that their honesty cannot be guaranteed should go without saying&gt; again sure but in all my couchette trips no one has ever had a problem in my couchette with this (I usually get off at a station before the terminus with their valuables before they wake, however)

So i think your concerns about folks not liking couchettes due to their personal preferences is very valid but you painted too grim a picture as de rigueur IMO in your bleak description.

And if you haven't been on overnight trains in the last several years many are better than other - the new breed of hotel trains.

But point taken and as always Cheers

And couchettes vary greatly in comfort and moderness as to the type of train and country. eastern europe except the dingy couchette compartment and on some domestic Italian night trains, etc.

So it may depend on what trains you're taking. Frankfurt to Prague would probably be a comfy German train whilst Prague-Budapest maybe not so spiffy

If you are open to flying, I posted in another thread that Smart Wings has some very decent fares Prague to Budapest right now. We booked two tickets for about the same price as a first class train ticket (or sleeper). Not sure about the comparison with a cuchette. It is a little more expensive than a second class train ticket, but just throwing it out there as another option.

&lt;Frankfurt to Prague would probably be a comfy German train whilst Prague-Budapest maybe not so spiffy&gt;

a current thread by someone who took the Prague-Budapest night train shows this - he said though they paid for the best double it was very uncomfortable - kind of like the old East Bloc trains.

Yet the CNL, NZ, etc German night trains are tops - some doubles even have shower-WC in room - better than the WC at the end of the car that IME often becomes a foul stinking place.