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- I spent 11 hours in a shared cabin on an overnight train from Vienna to Venice, Italy.
- For less than $100, I got a bunk in a room of six beds with three other people.
- I’ve traveled overnight on Amtrak but in private rooms. I didn’t adjust well to the shared space.
My ride from Vienna to Venice, Italy, in October 2022 was bumpy, cramped, and awkward.
During a two-week trip through four European countries, I spent 11 hours bunking with three strangers in an overnight sleeper train.
While it was my first time traveling in a sleeper car in Europe, I’d spent 60 hours on overnight Amtrak trains in the 20-square-foot roomette and 45-square-foot bedroom accommodations, where I had private rooms.
I thought an overnight train would be the best way to travel through Europe so that I could explore more during the day. But the rough ride made sleeping hard, and I didn’t feel rested when I got to Venice.
I booked my ride with the Austrian Federal Railway’s OBB Nightjet — a rail line that operates overnight routes between Austria, Italy, France, and the Netherlands and can go as fast as 143 miles per hour.
Nightjet trains have regular assigned seats, couchette cars (seats that fold out into couches in shared cabins), and sleeper cars with bunks of four or six, which is what I booked. Some routes have private cabins, but mine didn’t.
This overnight leg of my European train trip, which came with breakfast, cost $44 with a Eurail pass. Without the pass, the ticket would have been about $84.
To travel by train, I bought a Eurail pass for $477, which gives access to most European trains for a set number of days. Some trains only require a Eurail pass, while others, including overnight trains, incur an additional discounted price.
My journey began in Austria’s Wien Meidling train station.
I arrived about an hour and a half before my 9:35 p.m. train so I’d have ample time to find the platform.
The departure screens said my train was going to Zurich. At the information desk, I learned that, unlike Amtrak, the train’s cars detach at various stations to go to different locations.
I’d need to board my assigned train car; each has a number.
I paid $10 to wait for my train in OBB’s lounge.
The lounge is free for OBB first-class passengers traveling during the day and costs about $10 for all other OBB passengers. Since I didn’t see any empty seats in the rest of the station, I paid for it.
I was surprised to find I was the only one inside the lounge since the rest of the station was full of people. There were plenty of tables and chairs available.
The lounge served complimentary refreshments and snacks, from coffee to nuts and seeds.
It was a smaller selection than I’ve seen at Amtrak’s Metropolitan Lounge, which I’ve visited in New York, but I wasn’t hungry, so I just got a water bottle.
I went to the platform about 20 minutes before my train’s 9:35 p.m. departure.
When the train arrived, I didn’t have time to check the car number before boarding. I just went to the closest car and asked an attendant for help.
Inside the sleeper cars, I saw narrow, dimly lit corridors full of small cabins with bunk beds.
An attendant led the way to my shared cabin.
My room had six bunks and a large window with a curtain. During my leg of the journey, one traveler was already there when I boarded, and two others arrived within an hour.
Two got off around 5 a.m., and the other stayed past my stop.
At 74 square feet, it felt like a tight space — especially with everyone’s luggage around. There was space for bags above the beds, but not enough for everyone.
I couldn’t image six people squeezing in there.
While my cabin was assigned, the beds were first-come, first-served.
Since I’ve experienced more bumps on higher bunks on Amtrak trains, I chose a bottom bunk.
The train provided bed sheets and a pillow.
Although they weren’t as soft and cozy as the sheets on Amtrak trains, they were better than nothing.
Temperature and shared lighting controls were above the curtained door to enter the room.
My fellow passengers and I agreed to turn off the lights once everyone was settled into bed.
There was an outlet and a tiny nightstand on the side of each bunk, as well as night lights above the bed. Without curtains around each bunk, I thought I had no privacy.
I longed for a way to close off my bunk for more personal space.
Other passengers in the room said hello to each other upon arrival, but other than that, the room was quiet.
Some of us watched our devices, while others went right to sleep.
Before bed, I used one of the two bathrooms for everyone in my sleeper car. I thought it was a typical train bathroom with a toilet and a sink.
According to Nightjet’s website, only private sleeper cabins come with a shower.
When I was ready for bed, I watched TV before going to sleep. The bed was stiff and uncomfortable, in my opinion.
I woke up several times during the night to other travelers entering and exiting the room, or due to the bumpiness of the train.
An attendant woke me up with breakfast at 8 a.m., about 20 minutes before my stop in Venice. I got two rolls of bread with butter, jam, and coffee to eat in my bunk.
There was no café car or common area on board for passengers.
When I got off the train in Venice, I was exhausted from the lack of sleep. I thought it made my first day in the city less enjoyable.
“Offering our passengers a high level of travel comfort is an important concern for us,” a representative for OBB Nightjet told Business Insider. “We are constantly working on improvements to our product and also take into account the requirements of our customers.”
While sometimes it’s about the journey, not the destination, in this case, I’d rather arrive feeling refreshed so I can enjoy where I’m going. So, a year later, I booked a Nightjet private cabin to get from Venice to Vienna. That ride was far more comfortable, and I slept easily with no strangers in my cabin.
Read the full article here
