My experience from Vienna to Venice, Italy, in October 2022 was bumpy, cramped, and awkward.
Throughout a two-week journey via 4 European international locations, I spent 11 hours bunking with three strangers in an in a single day sleeper prepare.
Whereas it was my first time touring in a sleeper automobile in Europe, I would spent 60 hours on in a single day Amtrak trains within the 20-square-foot roomette and 45-square-foot bed room lodging, the place I had personal rooms.
I assumed an in a single day prepare can be one of the simplest ways to journey via Europe in order that I might discover extra through the day. However the tough experience made sleeping arduous, and I did not really feel rested once I obtained to Venice.
I booked my experience with the Austrian Federal Railway’s OBB Nightjet — a rail line that operates in a single day routes between Austria, Italy, France, and the Netherlands and may go as quick as 143 miles per hour.
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Nightjet trains have common assigned seats, couchette vehicles (seats that fold out into couches in shared cabins), and sleeper vehicles with bunks of 4 or six, which is what I booked. Some routes have personal cabins, however mine did not.
This in a single day leg of my European prepare journey, which got here with breakfast, value $44 with a Eurail go. With out the go, the ticket would have been about $84.
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To journey by prepare, I purchased a Eurail go for $477, which provides entry to most European trains for a set variety of days. Some trains solely require a Eurail go, whereas others, together with in a single day trains, incur an extra discounted value.
My journey started in Austria’s Wien Meidling prepare station.
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I arrived about an hour and a half earlier than my 9:35 p.m. prepare so I would have ample time to search out the platform.
The departure screens mentioned my prepare was going to Zurich. On the info desk, I realized that, in contrast to Amtrak, the prepare’s vehicles detach at numerous stations to go to totally different areas.
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I would must board my assigned prepare automobile; every has a quantity.
I paid $10 to attend for my prepare in OBB’s lounge.
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The lounge is free for OBB first-class passengers touring through the day and prices about $10 for all different OBB passengers. Since I did not see any empty seats in the remainder of the station, I paid for it.
I used to be shocked to search out I used to be the one one contained in the lounge since the remainder of the station was full of individuals. There have been loads of tables and chairs accessible.
The lounge served complimentary refreshments and snacks, from espresso to nuts and seeds.
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It was a smaller choice than I’ve seen at Amtrak’s Metropolitan Lounge, which I’ve visited in New York, however I wasn’t hungry, so I simply obtained a water bottle.
I went to the platform about 20 minutes earlier than my prepare’s 9:35 p.m. departure.
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When the prepare arrived, I did not have time to test the automobile quantity earlier than boarding. I simply went to the closest automobile and requested an attendant for assist.
Contained in the sleeper vehicles, I noticed slender, dimly lit corridors stuffed with small cabins with bunk beds.
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An attendant led the way in which to my shared cabin.
My room had six bunks and a big window with a curtain. Throughout my leg of the journey, one traveler was already there once I boarded, and two others arrived inside an hour.
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Two obtained off round 5 a.m., and the opposite stayed previous my cease.
At 74 sq. toes, it felt like a decent area — particularly with everybody’s baggage round. There was area for luggage above the beds, however not sufficient for everybody.
I could not picture six folks squeezing in there.
Whereas my cabin was assigned, the beds have been first-come, first-served.
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Since I’ve skilled extra bumps on increased bunks on Amtrak trains, I selected a backside bunk.
The prepare supplied mattress sheets and a pillow.
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Though they weren’t as mushy and comfy because the sheets on Amtrak trains, they have been higher than nothing.
Temperature and shared lighting controls have been above the curtained door to enter the room.
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My fellow passengers and I agreed to show off the lights as soon as everybody was settled into mattress.
There was an outlet and a tiny nightstand on the facet of every bunk, in addition to night time lights above the mattress. With out curtains round every bunk, I assumed I had no privateness.
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I longed for a approach to shut off my bunk for extra private area.
Different passengers within the room mentioned hey to one another upon arrival, however aside from that, the room was quiet.
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A few of us watched our gadgets, whereas others went proper to sleep.
Earlier than mattress, I used one of many two bogs for everybody in my sleeper automobile. I assumed it was a typical prepare toilet with a rest room and a sink.
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In keeping with Nightjet’s web site, solely personal sleeper cabins include a bathe.
After I was prepared for mattress, I watched TV earlier than going to sleep. The mattress was stiff and uncomfortable, in my view.
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I wakened a number of occasions through the night time to different vacationers coming into and exiting the room, or as a result of bumpiness of the prepare.
An attendant woke me up with breakfast at 8 a.m., about 20 minutes earlier than my cease in Venice. I obtained two rolls of bread with butter, jam, and low to eat in my bunk.
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There was no café automobile or frequent space on board for passengers.
After I obtained off the prepare in Venice, I used to be exhausted from the shortage of sleep. I assumed it made my first day within the metropolis much less pleasant.
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“Providing our passengers a excessive degree of journey consolation is a vital concern for us,” a consultant for OBB Nightjet instructed Enterprise Insider. “We’re consistently engaged on enhancements to our product and likewise bear in mind the necessities of our clients.”
Whereas generally it is in regards to the journey, not the vacation spot, on this case, I would quite arrive feeling refreshed so I can get pleasure from the place I am going. So, a yr later, I booked a Nightjet personal cabin to get from Venice to Vienna. That experience was way more snug, and I slept simply with no strangers in my cabin.