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OBB Nightjet - new generation
These trains live up to their name as they do indeed re-invent night train travel in Europe.
These new trains are a new era in European overnight rail travel, as showcased on this video produced by the operator, OBB.
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At a Glance
Accessibility
Accessing the train
Bikes Allowed
Wheelchair Spaces
Travel Comforts
Air Conditioned
Time of Day
Night
Reservations
Compulsory
Country
Which country these trains operate in.
Austria
Germany
Travel Passes
Eurail
InterRail
On Board
Comfort Plus (sleeping cabin)
Perks
WiFi
Travellers can browse free of charge on the ÖBB OnBoard-Portal Railnet.
Power Socket
There are multiple sockets, which will accept E.U style plugs
Catering Attendant:
Breakfast will be served to the cabin
Welcome drinks:
Complimentary drinks and snacks will be served, choices will include coffee, orange juice and prosecco.
- Two beds arranged vertically, bunk style, without folding mechanism
- Compartment locking using NFC cards
- Additional bench with retractable table + attachable padding for flexible use
- Reading lamp
- Equipment in the compartment: charging options (wireless charging/socket), roller blind, coat hook and magazine pocket for storing personal items
- Ambient lighting with RGB lighting
- Generous luggage storage space below the lower beds
- Fixed integrated ladder
- Sliding Doors enable conversion to a 4 bed cabin for family / group travel (locked when not required)
- Bed linen and slippers provided.
- Shower cubicle, basin and toilet in cabin; with complimentary shower gel, soap and towels.
Note that this provision of a bathroom within the cabin is the key difference to travelling in Comfort Class.
All sleeping cabin tickets (Comfort Plus and Comfort) also include:
(1) Complimentary welcome pack - bottle of mineral water, sweets/snacks, an evening aperitif (usually a small bottle of wine), face mask etc.
(2) Access to menu of additional (paid for) evening meals* and snacks/drinks served in the cabin (*= if your journey will be commencing in the evening).
(3) Continental breakfast with your choice of up to 6 items brought to the cabin, re-fills of hot drinks and newspaper.
(4) Access to OBB 1st class lounges in Austria, but no access to lounges at stations in other countries.
If you board in in the evening the cabin may be arranged with seats and a table, convenient for eating an evening meal; these trains don't have separate restaurant cars.
The attendant will then re-arrange the cabin for night time use.
Comfort (sleeping cabin)
Perks
WiFi
Travellers can browse free of charge on the ÖBB OnBoard-Portal Railnet.
Power Socket
There are multiple sockets, which will accept E.U style plugs
Catering Attendant:
Breakfast will be served to the cabin
Welcome drinks:
Complimentary drinks and snacks will be served, choices will include coffee, orange juice and prosecco.
- Two beds arranged vertically, bunk style, without folding mechanism
- Compartment locking using NFC cards
- Additional bench with retractable table + attachable padding for flexible use
- Reading lamp
- Equipment in the compartment: charging options (wireless charging/socket), roller blind, coat hook and magazine pocket for storing personal items
- Ambient lighting with RGB lighting
- Generous luggage storage space below the lower beds
- Fixed integrated ladder
- Sliding Doors enable conversion to a 4 bed cabin for family / group travel (locked when not required)
- Bed linen and slippers provided.
- Wash basin and toilet in cabin; with complimentary shower gel, soap and towels.
All sleeping cabin tickets (Comfort Plus and Comfort) also include:
(1) Complimentary welcome pack - bottle of mineral water, sweets/snacks, an evening aperitif (usually a small bottle of wine), face mask etc.
(2) Access to menu of additional (paid for) evening meals* and snacks/drinks served in the cabin (*= if your journey will be commencing in the evening).
(3) Continental breakfast with your choice of up to 6 items brought to the cabin, re-fills of hot drinks and newspaper.
(4) Access to OBB 1st class lounges in Austria, but no access to lounges at stations in other countries.
If you board in in the evening the cabin may be arranged with seats and a table, convenient for eating an evening meal; these trains don't have separate restaurant cars.
The attendant will then re-arrange the cabin for night time use.
Mini Cabin (sleeping cabin)
Perks
WiFi
Travellers can browse free of charge on the ÖBB OnBoard-Portal Railnet.
Power Socket
The power socket will accept E.U style plugs
These Mini Cabins are a new concept for travel on European night trains.
They are in effect sleeping capsules for individual occupancy - so they enable solo travellers to avoiding sharing accommodation, without having to pay a premium for 1 person occupancy in sleeping cabins; though that is still an option.
Also groups of friends and family can travel together, with one Mini Cabin assigned per person.
- Possibility of connecting 2 capsules on the same level by opening a partition - which will otherwise be locked
- Luggage stowed in lockable lockers in front of the capsules
- Equipment in the capsule: movable & foldable table along the side wall with integrated mirror, reading lamp, charging options (wireless charging/socket), roller blind, coat hook and magazine pocket for storing personal items
Couchette
Perks
WiFi
Travellers can browse free of charge on the ÖBB OnBoard-Portal Railnet.
Power Socket
There are multiple sockets in the compartment compatible with standard E.U. plugs.
The compartments have a seating area which can be converted into bunk style beds - and there are also two bunks in an area above.
So the compartments have a maximum occupancy of four people.
- Compartment locking using NFC cards
- Generous luggage storage space below the lower beds
- Fixed beds without folding mechanism
- Retractable table + additional padding to create an additional cot
-Ambient lighting with RGB lighting - Equipment in the compartment: 2 tables on both levels, removable ladder, mirror, reading lamps, charging options (wireless charging/socket), roller blind, coat hook and magazine pocket for storing personal items
Berths in female only compartments are available.
Sheets and pillows are provided.
Washing facilities are available (shared with the other compartments)
Complimentary bottle of mineral water and breakfast tray provided.
Travellers also have access to a non-complimentary menu of additional (paid for) snacks/drinks served in the cabin.
Seats
Perks
WiFi
Travellers can browse free of charge on the ÖBB OnBoard-Portal Railnet.
Power Socket
Compatible with standard E.U plugs
- Double bucket seats with folding armrest & full-length headrest
- Storage facilities, reading lamps & inductive charging at the seats
- Multifunctional area with low-floor entrance
- Bicycle parking spaces
- Space for luggage, pushchairs, skis & snowboards
- Luggage security with NFC function on the luggage racks
These trains live up their name as they introduce a swathe of new features to European night train travel that have until now, solely been available on the daytime express trains.
So they have:
- a free to access Wi-Fi portal available through out the train
- electronic info screens on board
- A dedicated sleeping cabins for those who require barrier free travel with an accessible compartment for up to 2 wheelchair users & 2 accompanying passengers - with modern accessible WC next door, In a wagon with a low floor entrance.
The interior of the Nightjet - new generation train is showcased in this video
Routes
These trains are now operating on these routes;
Hamburg ↔ Innsbruck
Hamburg ↔ Wien / Vienna
Wien / Vienna ↔ Roma/Rome
Munchen / Munich ↔ Roma / Rome
Rail pass reservations:
The reservation fees when using Eurail or InterRail passes to travel on the Nightjet new generation trains now vary according to demand so have a minimum to maximum price range:
- Seat = €4.90 to €19.90
- 6 berth Couchette per person = €19.90 to €64.90
- Mini Cabin = €19.90 to €64.90
- 4 berth Couchette per person = €19.90 to €64.90
- Bed in Comfort sleeping cabin being shared by two people, per person = €59.90 to €154.90
- Bed in Comfort sleeping cabin for sole occupancy = €139.90 to €309.90
- Bed in Comfort Plus sleeping cabin being shared by two people, per person = €99.90 to €264.90
- Bed in Comfort Plus sleeping cabin for sole occupancy = €229.90 to €469.90
So with the prices of the journey element of taking a Nightjet typically being available from €29.90, when first placed on sale), it's worth thinking about the cost per day of using your pass, when considering whether your rail pass will be value for money when taking these trains.
How to book these rail pass reservations for the Nightjet on the OBB (Austrian Railways) website - no booking fees payable.
When booking these reservations on the OBB website, it doesn't ask whether you will be travelling with First or Second class rail passes, so you can book any of these types of accommodation, regardless of what pass you are using, as long as it is a Global pass that's valid on your travel dates.
Travelling in a Mini Cabin
If you join a train at a starting point the door to your Mini Cabin(s) will be open, the on train conductor will pass through the train shortly before or after departure and give you the key card, which can open the closed cabin door during the journey and will also open the luggage lockers (one large and one small per cabin).
If you join a train at calling point the cabin will be closed on boarding and you will have to wait for the conductor to give you a key card, which will occur shortly after departure, as they will at first be assisting with the boarding of other travellers.
The larger lockers can accommodate the size of bag that airlines approve for carry on.
If you have larger items of luggage board the train into its seating area as one of these coaches has a dedicated area for larger items of luggage.
The conductor will come and find you and give you a key card.
You can lock the luggage on these racks and the key card will then open the cabin, the smaller lockers by the cabin and it can also be used to unlock your larger items from the rack.
If you will be leaving the train at an intermediate station, you will need to leave the cabin and then retrieve any larger items, so that you can then be ready to disembark pre-arrival.
Having obtained the key from the conductor I went to the bathroom on the train to change into a pair of comfy shorts and a T-shirt (clothing which I would have been wearing pre-boarding, if I had been travelling in the summer).
When I got back to the cabin, I threw everything I needed for the journey, bottle of water, book, headphones etc, to the back of the cabin, as the storage space for these items is at the other end, where your head will be.
In my experience the cabin is close to being a design masterpiece, in particular I found the sound-proofing to be excellent, I didn't have any earplugs with me and managed to get more than six hours sleep during a ten hour journey - which is more sleep than I've had in sleeping cabins on other on trains.
The cabins are designed for sleeping and in my experience they ticked that box.
Though IMHO what isn't as comfortable is sitting up in bed, to read or listen to music with headphones pre-drowsing.
I boarded shortly after 10pm, but these trains can commence their journeys before 8:30pm.
So I am an XL size person and found sitting uncomfortable, as the ridge around the top of the 'bed' dug into my back.
I mitigated against this by using the bedding provided to make a back support, but for my next Mini Pod experience, I will take a travel pillow with me, as I do when flying long-haul on airlines.
Overall I was impressed, pre-travel I was dubious about how much sleep I would get, but figured it was an experience that I had to try.
Now I am a convert and looking forward to the Mini Cabins becoming more widely available!
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