My two nieces will be touring Europe on railpasses. Couchette sleepers look like a good way to cram more destinations into a trip and they look like a good alternative to youth hostels. I found out about them towards the end of a trip and couldn’t book one on short notice so I don’t have any experience myself.
Is there a season or certain routes where they don’t have to be reserved way ahead of time? Is their lack of privacy a problem for young women?
Unfortunately, the lack of privacy can be problematic for everyone. A compartment that doesn’t lock in which all six people are asleep is a tempting target for thieves.
Just as some hostels are much nicer than others, some routes are safer than others. Ask around. If all else fails, ask the couchette attendant. If they’re traveling Eurail, the upgrade a regular “wagon-lit” (sleeper) isn’t prohibitively expensive.
My couchette from Naples to Munich locked. But I was still leary of thives, but my “room mate” was awake most of the time as he was getting off in Brenner Pass to ski. Never did even get his name.
Its a good experience, but young women probably should not be traveling alone this way- need to have a partner.
If your two nieces travel together, some couchette cars have one compartment with upper and lower beds, and those would be perfect and be a bargain. If the door won’t lock, arrange luggage so any opening of the door will create some noise to wake one. Other couchette cars do have more people in a room, and that may be a problem on some routes.