Reindeerflame

I, too, can report success making a purchase on the SJ website from the U.S. with a U.S. credit card, in this case a VISA. I registered on the SJ site, and was delighted to be able to obtain seat reservations only, as I will be holding a Eurail Select Pass (which will cover the basic rail fare). The reservations went through without any problems. To minimize any complications, I booked both segments I needed in a single transaction. Bookings appear possible about 90 days in advance of the travel date.

A few days earlier, I was similarly successful in making bookings on the Norway Railway site (nsb). There, a test charge was first made to my credit card in the amount of NOK 1 (about US $0.17), which was subsequently reversed. Early NSB bookings are especially important for budget-minded passengers, as maximum discount "minipris" fares are limited and tend to sell out as the travel date gets closer. In the case of Norway, my particular rail pass will not be valid, and I purchased a minipris fare for Bergen-Oslo along with a sleeper accommodation charge (sleeper is undiscounted/flat rate of NOK 850...no variation based on distance or occupancy). One other observation: I will be able to use my rail pass, which is valid in Sweden, for the Oslo-Goteborg service, including the Norwegian portion. The same is true for Oslo-Stockholm. In both cases, the "exception" applies only to through trains that cross the border.

Both of these booking attempts are a relief after reporting on "Man in Seat 61" that the NSB and SJ websites can sometimes balk at accepting non-Scandanavian credit cards.