Crowding on a sleeper train?
 

We're a family of 5, with 3 kids age 4, 6, and 9, exploring the possibility of taking a sleeper train from Zurich to Rome. I've called RailEurope and they've told me we have to split up into a 3-person compartment and a double. We'd prefer to stick together if possible, and the kids regularly share beds anyway. I would think that as long as we have a ticket for each traveller, they wouldn't care --- it's better for the train anyway since they can sell more beds! Has anyone ever successfully travelled with 5 people in a 3-person compartment? or 3 people in a 2-person compartment? (maybe we could get adjoining doubles?) Or will the conductor come along and make us move?

Thanks,
Rob

If you want to stay together you could take a couchette compartment, which has sleeping "shelves" rather than beds. I think the second-class compartments hold six people, which means you might wind up with a stranger added to your group.

As for sharing a sleeper compartment, note that the beds are roughly twin-sized--I don't know how you would get 5 people into just two bunks. If I were you I'd call Thomas Cook and ask about possible configurations for your family.

I agree with underhill; if you want to all share one cabin, definitely check out couchettes. My DH and I had a 2 person sleeper cabin last year from Vienna to Florence and it was tiny. The beds are small twins, and there is barely enough room for two people to move around in. I don't think getting 5 people into a 3 person sleeper would be physically possible.

Good luck!
Tracy

to book a whole six-person couchette for five people you'd have to buy a sixth 'ghost' ticket and then hope the train isn't very crowded or the conductor could put someone else in the sixth berth of the 'no-show'
But this would be cheaper perhaps than booking a double and triple, which cost much more. If you're child was under 4 he or she would go free as long as he/she didn't occupy their own berth - you could lie about the 4 year olds age i guess and then he/she'd have to share a bed. But RailEurope's computer no doubt will no let them book five people into a four-berth compartment, nor probably will trenitalia.com
I know of no compartments on any train that hold five people - you could possible find a triple and double that adjoin and possibly have door in between but doubtful. For more personalized info than Raileurope offers call BETS (800-441-2387), a RE agent and ask for Linda - she's been booking European trains for eons and may have access to train-car configurations and advise you what to do. The Zurich-Rome train you want to take does have four-person couchettes and six-person couchettes and well as singles, doubles and triples.

The compartments on this type of sleeping car are all the same: each can be adapted to have one, two or three bunks (the unused bunks are folded away). Thus, if you booked a two-berth and a three-berth, you could have adjacent compartments, possibly with a connecting door.
The alternative, as other people have said, is a couchette compartment. Fitting five in a three-berth compartment would not be practical.

If you still get 3- and 2-, split adults, so the kids are not left without adult supervision. 1 adult and 1 child in 2-, 1 adult and 2 children in 3-.