Anyone know the real differences between a couchette and a sleeper? The sleepers seem to be much more expensive than the couchettes, and I'm not really sure why! We have four people traveling together, so I wouldn't mind a couchette for four since it will just be us then. Also -- any way to tell in advance if the couchette is for four people or six?

Thanks!

Hi
Couchettes are seats that recline. Sleepers are beds. Couchettes are for young people on a tight budget.

This Euraide page describes couchettes and sleepers:

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homep...e/comfort4.htm

On that site you can also find a page that descibes what type of accom. are available on a particular night train.

Couchettes I've seen AREN'T "reclining seats", but beds in dorm-style rooms. If there is a 4 couchette compartment on the train you're using, that would be the way to go.

This site probably describes the difference better:

http://www.eurorailways.com/sleepers/index.htm

Usually, second-class couchettes have six bunks in a compartment, while first-class couchettes have four, but the accommodation varies between trains. Couchettes are always bunks and never reclining seats. You need to specify where you're going, and then you can find what accommodation is available on that train. There are pictures and descriptions of sleeping accommodation on www.seat61.com.

My apologies.

You can see that it's been a long time since I booked a couchette.

In response to GeoffHamer's message, I will be traveling from Rome to Innsbruck and from Vienna to Venice on night trains. Thanks so much for all your responses!...

Also, we have Eurail passes that are for first class travel - it sounds like the 6-sleepers are second class only...

Thanks again!

Herrz, you arn't limited to 1st class with your 1st class railpass.

As far as I know, 4 beds and 6 beds are both 2nd class and couchette (as opposed to one of the posterd above). And they are often described as T4 and T6, T possibly standing for tourist class thus 2nd class.). I have experinced T6 for Geneva-Barcelona and felt so cramped I told myself I would take at least T4 in the futur if my bedget is tight.

1st class seems always 1 or 2 bedded rooms. This is called sleeper and not couchette.

Comfort level changes depending on the lines and the countries. Some 1st class even have private toilet and shower (a train I took Hamburg to Stockholm or Denmark a long time ago.). T4 I took Geneva-Venice (Italian train) last march included a bottle of mineral water at departure and breakfast package served next morning with a hot coffee. I knew there were T4 and T6 on that train and specifically reserved T4 . The diffrence was about 15 euro or less. For me T4 is good enough but never T6 again!

The person who reserves for you should be able to tell you if it is T4 or T6. If you are 4, T4 seems perfect.

Last summer my wife, another couple, and 1 single guy had first class railpasses but booked a couchette from Berlin-Paris (night train) It was ALL SECOND CLASS! We had the compartment but shared it with one more to make 6! It was an adventure but I wouldn't do it again1 I'd rather have a regular 1st class compartment (not sleeper) and just sit up, read, nap, etc ....

I know I've seen train descriptions that tell you how many bunks are in their couchettes, so the train line should tell you -- I guess someone above told you how to find out.

Even if it's a couchette for four -- you will have a lot less room because sleepers don't have 4 in a room, oly 2. The extra cost doesn't seem that much to me, personally I'd go nuts sharing a small cabin with 5 other people (or even 3). There isn't a lot of head room with those bunk beds.

We travelled from Switzerland to Venice and even though we had a first class rail pass the couchettes were one standard...6 to a compartment. We were told to try and get a top bunk as it was safer..robbery is common on the night trains. There was no ventilation and it seemed like a hundred degrees in the car that night. It was very uncomfortable for sleeping in your clothes. The lady in the first bunk was also very hot and decided to slide open the door to get some air. She fell back to sleep and was robbed of her purse in the middle of the night...passport, money, credit cards. We had money belts on and locked our luggage to the rack with a pad lock. We arrived very bedraggled and I swore that if I had to do it again...I would pay the higher price which was almost double and have a private sleeper or just sit in a seat in the first class compartment as a second alternative.

To make things more confusing, you can still get a private sleeper ("wagon-lit" in Switzerland) by paying extra, even with a 2nd class ticket.

If I couldn't afford a private cabin, I'd take a day train instead, because to me (a light sleeper, private person, often traveling solo, the couchette sounds like a true nightmare!).

With 4 people I'd still spring for 2 private cabins unless truly not financially possible. The cabin is normally similar to what a midrange hotel room would cost.

As people have sorted out, couchettes are narrow plank sytle bunks, 4 or 6 to a room. A sleeper is 2 beds with linens and pillows, sometimes the bottom one flips up to make a sofa. The sleepers I've had consisted of two beds, one window, one sink, with a toilet down the hall.