Everything wrong with Europe's new CAPSULE sleeper train | ÖBB Minicabin
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I just tried out Austria's new, controversially priced night trains that have private sleeper pod. It's a slightly surreal experience being in a private capsule on a train: very cool that somebody invented it, but far from perfect right now.
By reviewing ÖBB's new Minicabin on this 14-hour journey between Hamburg and Austria, I'm covering what the new private version of the couchette is like, what food and facilities are included, and what I did and didn't like about the experience, as well as talking about the ticket prices. Nightjet have landed themselves in hot water with their new dynamic pricing algorithm for these sleeper trains, so hold on to your hats :)
Also with references to a very good review from another channel, which you should absolutely check out: • LOHNT SICH der NEUSTE ...
I hope that you're doing well and staying safe.
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You may also like my train video from Maine, USA: kzhead.info/sun/hraycdKkrad3dYE/bejne.html thanks for watching, and for the really nice reception to the recent videos :) next up 🇹🇷👀
First time to your channel. Are you by any chance half-asian or half-chinese? Your looks is kinda not totally european but feel kinda some asian there.
Pay out of your ass to be treated like a slave! Man, the world has become a sad fucking in place, indeed!
Can't find the Turkey video!
I love them and I have a folder about them come take a ride! (at folder 2) :)) 🚅🚈🚞🚝🚂🚃🚄 trains, trams, aren't they all beautifull
honestly your complaint about the drunks in the shared cabin is totally valid in my eyes. it is beyond stupid to have single capsules next to shared cabin since you expect the capsule area to be quiet since everybody in there capsule is going to be alone by the very nature of the design.
Its beyond stupid that the noisy people dont get one warning inside 10mins of noise started and then thrown out on next station if they continue.
Drunks are no fun. Only fellow drunks can handle them.
It understand you, however, the concept of capsule space (on train, bus, hotel, ferry, etc) isn't what many peple think it is. It isn't a little small room, an actual enclosed space. It's a shared space with a little bit of privacy. It has thin walls, it has openings. The "fashion" was imported from Japan. Japan has these things (capsule bus, capsule ferry, capsule hotel etc). A japanese youtuber explained that the japanese law is different for capsule spaces because it isn't an actual enclosed space. It's a way of avoiding investing money on the requiered things for having a normal rooms. For example, capsule hotels are cheapier than normal hotels, however, it comes with a price: you can hear steps, snore and other sounds...because it isn't an actual enclosed space.
This. They should just put them in their own wagon. People who travel with friends usually want to talk to each other and have fun, while people who are alone usually just want it to be quiet and relaxing. Those two things just don't go together very well.
@@schrodingerskatze4308Agreed, I also would have got up and got the staff to tell them to quieten down, especially as a non drinker drunks really annoy me when I’m trying to sleep and most of the rest of the time 😂.
I traveled quite frequently on Nightjet, you're right about the staff. They just aren't that nice and often rude. They're literary the worst staff on any night train I've been on (except Romanian night trains). I'm sure they are underpaid, but this is the fault of ÖBB.
You're very right, but unfortunately this is not limited to the Nightjets, but literally any ÖBB train I've been on so far.
I dont agree. Most of the time they are nice. (Unless you are travelling with a class or group then they treat you like demons lmao)
You are right about Romanian night trains. They're so grumpy, it's like they're doing you a favor taking you along for the ride
I have travelled on the Nightjet twice, and both times the staff were friendly. They could only speak German, but we managed. The second time the staff got a lot of angry passengers, because our couchette carriage had unexpectedly been switched out for a seating carriage. Unfortunately, this happens often because of shortages and age. We sympathised with the staff and apparently we were then their favourites for the night.
ÖBB indeed gives way too little attention to staff friendliness on the commercial enterprise (cf. the variable prices) that Nightjet is. There is no excuse for the rude behaviour of staff especially in a situation in which passengers unexpectedly have to travel seated instead of sleeping. The best way to discourage people wanting to travel sustainably. High time for competition on the Nightjet connections.
My wife and I had an unpleasant experience with a very unpleasant train attendant on Deutche Bahn some years ago. When we complained to the conductor, he listened to us, sympathized with us, bought us coffees, and then explained to us that, sadly, in Germany, it's easier to get new customers than new staff.
If your most significant unpleasant experience is years ago, then it might even be a good thing.
Os there a difference between an attendant and conductor? I didn't think there where that many roles aboard.
@@krimke881It varies but basically a conductor is a position with some authority and responsibility that requires quite a bit of training as well. Attendents are "just" service workers for the passengers. A conductor might in practice do a lot of the same work (like checking tickets) but they'd also be responsible for safety, ensuring the schedule is followed and the like. Conduct the train basically.
@@XMysticHeroxthey also alert the driver that it’s safe to leave the platform and they are usually in the last carriage they used to use flags to let the driver know, but I’m sure that they probably just use an intercom/radio and maybe flags still as a backup system.
Well said!BTW using discount to get the European tickets is a good choice
Thanks for the honest review. I've been wanting to check out the new nightjet trains, so this is very helpful. The pricing is too high in my opinion, especially for these little cubbies. And I agree, Leipzig main station is one of (if not the) best train station in Germany.
And Hamburg HBF is one of the worst main train stations in Germany
one vlogger I am following stayed a whole day there, nice vid (Steve Marsh)
I took a trip from Munich to Leipzig last December and I agree their station is extremely impressive.
Well said!BTW using discount to get the European tickets is a good choice
I mean, these take more space than multi-person sleeper cabins, so they have to be more expensive. But some people just like the privacy.
I'm actually glad you mentioned the staff! Of course it's right to be sympathetic towards stressed-out and underpaid workers, but a minimum of professionalism is still a reasonable expectation in any scenario. I personally feel rather uncomfortable being treated with American-style sycophancy, and I'm rarely offended by curt replies or an unfriendly tone, but there's never an excuse for rudeness or open hostility. Not taking your frustration out on other people is just common decency, whether these people are customers or not.
Nah. American style is horrible. I dont want to be served and treated like some sort of king.
I think you might not know what "sycophancy" means.
You were in Germany. What did you expect ? Thats the way they roll
@@SBCBears I think you might not know what sycophancy means.
I workm in hospitality and I agree and I usually take my coworkers (Im the manager) aside when this happens, listen to them, give them time to vent and remind them that we are the professionals and that unfortunately means we cant be rude even if customers are. If you have never worked in hospitality you dont understand how much energy it takes to be nice to people who most of the time barely register you as human and most of the time just see you as an extension of the venue.
one thing to keep in mind with these prices. THanks to germany the nightjet is almost always 2 hours too late. And thanks to eu rules, they have to give 50% of the ticket price back (25% if they are more than one hour late (but less than 2)). And basically that means, that if your journey goes trough germany, you will almost always get 25% of the price back, and quite often 50%. It reduced the price of a round trip on the nightjet from 240 down to 120 for me.
That’s a very good (and ridiculous) point
@@thornton sadly yes, the german railsystem is even worse at night. I have read interviews with european sleeper, who complained about not being able to get a timeslot in germany as well. But it is a problem for the obb, that they do have to refund tickets a lot of times.
Nothing to plan with. I had a lot of delays with NightJet, but always when I had expensive trips, they were
Nothing to plan with. I had a lot of delays with NightJet, but always when I had expensive trips, they were
@@DerKatzeSonne and it gets even worse, as it encourages nightjet to just plan a stop of 30-40 minutes somewhere, (as they can use that room to make up for delays.)
Fun fact; Switzerland regularly denies entry from German trains due to their delay, as the Swiss railway (SBB) operates on a very tight schedule.
The ICEs to Basel have ~20 minutes of slack. If they can't make that, they will be replaced by an SBB operation that's already scheduled and available. Travelers from Germany then have to switch trains in Basel. Luckily, there are about 4 reasonable options from Basel to Zürich or Geneva per hour, so delays are kept small.
True. Had to switch and catch the SBB from Basel to Zurich after a 1+ hour delay getting there overnight from Berlin
I haven't been to Europe for fifty years, but when I was there, the German trains ran ON TIME. One minute late and people were looking down the tracks for their approaching train. ONE MINUTE What happened?
@@SBCBearspseudo-privatization and a related underfunding of the system for decades now :(
@@SBCBearsThe was a reform in the 90s that restructured Deutsche Bahn so it would operate more like a private enterprise and less like a public service. So while it's still owned by the government, it puts profit first, customers second and employees last, like any other private business. A similar thing happened to the ÖBB in Austria not too long after. We need to go back to trains being a public service.
I have used this train from Hamburg to Vienna just this night. As my last train on my Interrail Journey to Berlin, Stockholm, Luleå, Oslo, Bergen, Kopenhagen and Hamburg, i have to say from all the couchette cars on every night train i used (almost every night), this train was quite luxurious. I slept very very good, the stuff was nice and helpfull. We had a 3 hour delay because there was a medical emergency and some trackwork in germany. But the train experience was still a very good one. Though i have to say. The staff, as you said, wanted to collect the duvets and stuff way to early (i did not let them :)) and the pillow was practically not existant. Also the washing rooms where way to small, you are better to take the toilets for washing your face and so on. A positive thing i have to mention, is the amazing quietness in tha cabs. Because compared to the all the other trains it was like if you had ear plugs in. I slept for 10h and i was in a very good mood. So. I will take it again. Even with little flaws it is a good product for a (sometimes) reasonable price. Have a good day
did you have to pay extra to use the train? I wanted to do interrail, but found out that for alot of tains you have to "resevere seat" for extra money. reserve is in quotes because it's ridiculous to have to pay a 30+ euro seat reservation without even getting to CHOOSE the seat (in spain this is the case for all fast trains, which are the only ones you can use to travel between most cities).
@@user-bl9hq2gf6i So. The prices for the reservations differ a little throughout Europe. As you said, at some places it is quite expensive to make reservation. Spain and France are prime examples for this. But. this is only on the high speed trains like the TGV where you leave quite a distance behind. It ranges from some 20 to 50 Euros most, as i have experienced the past years when Interrailing through those countries. In many other countries in Europe, the reservation fees for the high speed trains with an Interrail ticket are far less Austria: 3€ Germany: 4,50€ but you can book via the Austrian Railways, then it is only 3€ again Nederlands, Luxembourg: 5€ ish Belgium: some 15€ The Skandies: around 5€ (depending on exchange rate) Eastern Europe: free to 7€ The Baltics: 3-10€ Italy: 3-20€ This is only for the day trains (IC, ICE, D, RJ, TGV, THALYS, etc.) In most countries in Europe it is not mandatory to book a reservation though (but you must do so on many trains between countries e.g. Germany to Denmark) Regional Trains (any type of Regional Train) that you most use (in my experience) are completely free everywhere Now to the Night Trains. They almost all have mandatory reservation. On the NightJet services it starts with 10€ (within Austria) to 15€ (sometimes 20) for a Seat. A Couchette bed starts with 30 Euro to 50 with breakfast. (a Sleeper car is also available but not really needed, especially when you are interrailing it starts with some 80 to a lot of money) The night trains in France start with 10 for seat if they have it, and 20-30 on a Couchette. For other Countries Seat to Couchette: Italy: 10-30 Most EuroNight Trains in Eastern Europe (all the way to Ukraine or Romania), Southern Europe (down to Turkey), the Baltics, are from 5-10-30€ The Skandies: 5-20-45€ This is for most night trains state owned and private companies. When you are travelling on the night trains, a Couchette really pays off. This should cover most trains in Europe i guess. for Britain i don´t know, yet. But the Channel Trains are super expensive for the short ride. its like 55€ upwards (i would fly to London and start the journey there. In the UK the Sleeper trains are pricey too. Intercitys i don´t know. For my latest Interrail Travels in February starting and ending in Vienna (-Berlin-Stockholm-Luleå-Oslo-Bergen-Kopenhagen-Hamburg) to Scandinavia i bought a 10 day Interrail pass for the 14 days in total. It was on sale and did cost me 237€. I made many night train reservations (i think 7 nights at least) in a couchette compartment. I payed 240 euros for these and all other reservations. about 150 for hotel rooms, BnBs and the night ferry from Oslo to Kopenhagen. Some 350 for Food and drinks (eating out every other day) and another 100 or so Fun stuff like the ABBA museum or the Fløibanen and whatever. This trip did cost me about 1150 for about 14 days(13 Nights) in Scandinavia. We could have gone cheaper, but it was a very good decision to have all the Couchette beds for those long distances and the fact that it was sometimes -20°C and simply winter in the arctic circle. For booking the reservations, i would plan ahead. fahrplan.oebb.at/webapp/#!P|TP!H|296511 This is a great site from the Austrian Railways. you can also plan on the Interrail site. But i would always book the train reservations via the companies own page and not via the Interrail reservation page. Because often they have higher prices by a little. if you do 10 reservations you can save up to one entire meal for your travel. Don´t get scammed on that one. I would also plan the trip ahead and book rooms and trains at least some days before (best would be 2 Months ahead). there is nothing more frustrating to be on the streets during a cold night because you cannot get a single cheap room due to some convention or something in the city. And don´t forget to refund by the train company you made reservations in case of a delay (25% from 60min and 50% from 120min delay at arrival) or cancellation (full price + hotel fares). This is set in EU law to protect the costumer. Have a good one!
I find my Nightjet experience has been enhanced a thousandfold by bringing a pair of good ear plugs.
If you wish to get any sleep on a train or bus, ear plugs are a must... Otherwise, don't bitch when you don't sleep well....
@@ronclark9724 A friend of mine will just turn off his CIs and he always says that it does have advantages to have these things. He apparently never had any problems with noise haha
@@ronclark9724 dunno if I'd agree cuh, traditional sleeper cars offer good sound proofing.
Yeah to me the first rule of capsule-like accommodations is to bring ear plugs.
@@z00hI've never been in a sleeper car with good sound proofing. So which trains in which countries are you talking about? 😮
Thanks for that report, never been on the new one. I was on the Amsterdam-Basel sleeper last year. Load of very noisy drunks next door. They were warned by the staff a couple of times and kicked off in Duisburg. Police were waiting for them. That's the service that's needed. Have to say my experience of staff on those trains is mostly very good, sad to see there's a rogue train somewhere.
Imagine paying 800€ and then some staff comes knocking on your door halfway through the journey demanding the bedding back lmao.
Where does he say 800€? The ticket cost him 140€
@@AustrianEmpireHe payed 140, but the other people on the train might have payed 800. See the graph at 11:15.
That’s not what he paid is it?
@@dreamervanroomI didn't say that's what he payed, he payed 140... They wanted the bedding from everyone, and he mentioned in the video that the prices had a huge range, with some tickets selling for up to 800€. So other people might have payed that much.
Well said!BTW using discount to get the European tickets is a good choice
Tom, I've watched a few of your vids and you seem like the nicest, most patient guy ever - the way you managed to see the positive side of the Flixbus to Romania, and the Basel to Poland on local trains odyssey. You never actually complain - and I think this makes your warning about the capsule experience all the more credible.
I take the flixbus in Sweden a lot. It's 1/4 the price of taking the train and way more dependable. Taking the train takes 5:30 and there is a high chance of getting stuck somewhere. The bus hasn't failed me yet and takes about 6 hours... Sure, the train is more comfortable, but I don't like being stuck one station from home on a Sunday when any other day of the week I could just get off and take a local bus, but because it's a Sunday there are no buses and I have to wait two hours without any prognosis for when I will get home.
Thank you for your candor and especially for your positive attitudes and for not letting your disappointments ruin your journey.
Ear plugs are a travel must-have, I'm willing to bet this would have made the trip far more tolerable of an experience.
The problem is that these metal-doors of the mini-cabins are really loud. Furtermore the general concept does not conider accustic privacy from others only visible privacy.
I'm 100% here for the non-aesthetic linen situations, and I have felt those have been lacking lately, so I'm very happy about this update. Keep it up! ;)
Good review! To be honest, being 6'2" and with a hernia, I was not looking forward to travelling in this capsule anyway, but your review confirmed some of my negative expectations about this capsule thing. I will stick to my cherished method of international train travel, which is to hop on and off local trains and sleep in a decent hotel at night.
If you’ve got the time that’s a nice way to go!
Well said Tom. The craziest thing for me is the sliding door next to your head. It looks so flimsy and I'm sure you can hear the person speak on the phone, play videos and, worse of all, snore. Having seen your video I would give ÖBB 4.5 out of 10.
It has to be there, because in an emergency the red divider is removable together with the window to allow exiting the train through said window.
Is there anything stopping you from putting your feet at the window end? So your face is not right next to that flimsy sliding panel?
@@VanillaMacaron551 The sliding door is also not soundproof so you would be closer to the noises coming from the corridor.
Thanks. I'll give it a miss. I prefer daytime travel anyway. You see the countryside and you arrive at your destination at a time when you can check in to your hotel. Night trains arrive early in the morning which means you have to wait until 15:00 hrs to check in to your accommodation.
A 4.5??? This looked like it would easily beat every sleeper train I've ever been on. Which train do you think is better than this? (of course only looking at comparable price ranges.)
absolutely great review! really like the honest and still serene style you do your videos in
You are an excellent KZheadr. Quality video, funny, concise, and honest review! Thank you for this video. It really helped me getting an idea of what it's like on these new trains. Keep up the good work and i wish you many happy train rides!!
Good review, and something I need to keep in the back of my mind when I try Nightjet. From an American perspective 140 euro for a moving hotel isn't terrible compared to Amtrak prices. I think I'd be more concerned about noise isolation from your neighbor and where to store larger luggage.
Amtrak charges three times more for every night in a roomette... Of course these coffins/pods of Nightjet wouldn't fly well in America, as overnight trains run for two nights, if not three nights... Imagine laying flat in a coffin for two days, not just for one night only...
I would totally subject myself to a 3-night Lisbon-Bucharest version of this (because I never learn)
@@ronclark9724 Trains east of Chicago are one night, so it could work there. There used to be "Slumbercoaches" back in the 60s and 70s IIRC that were open-plan versions of this.
The Slumbercoach was very different (and not open plan), but with a similar goal. They're both 40 bed compact sleepers where most of the beds are singles with individual doors. But the Slumbercoach had a central aisle and longitudinal beds, where the singles were vertically staggered, so the lower single compartments put their feet under the upper ones. Advantage for the Slumbercoach was that even the singles had seats.
They need Japanese rules. Make noise and get thrown out disgraced.
I went on the DB Paris to Berlin sleeper in 2012 and although it was a more conventional setup I too only got about two hours sleep. A noisy rattling train that stops at intermediate stations throughout the night with the associated banging and noisy people on platforms is not conducive to sleeping. A once only experiment, I now just fly or take a high speed daytime train. And on a 12 hour journey they had no evening/overnight beverage or food service and the guard was really rude and grumpy. As an example my cabin was really hot so I opened the window to cool down. The guard came in my room, didn't say anything, snapped the window closed and stormed out! Incredible.
I travelled for the first time in the mini cabin, and the only thing that annoyed me was the ventilation. Crew was okay and I don‘t need a big pillow. In ears with noise cancellation are essential. I paid 125 Euros 4 days in advance which is fine, when you compare it to an approx. 60 Euro ICE ticket and 100 Euro hotel room.
The quality thing is so unfortunate, because I believe the product itself is a phenomenal idea that really fits in the missing middle of the Nightrain market. Also service can really make the difference - last year I took a sleeper by MAV (Hungarian rail) and the conductor was so nice, looked after us and cared for us.. she rally made my trip!
I'm from Russia, we travel on sleep trains here for second centrury. From what i see in this video - individual cabins are quite inefficial from space usage. 1) I don't understand why bottom one is so low, in your cabin you need to crawl there - uncomfortble. Here you sit on lower level. Probably it's done for increasing top level, in which you can seat (in here you can't seat here, only lay). 2) I think it's more comfortable to eat with one common table on lower level. You can comfortaly seat here, however in our country it's done on the bed of lower level. What ideas could we borrow from this train? 1) Curtains for your bed maybe is good idea. 2) Private windows (so you can open and close curtains when you want) 3) Board with toilet awailabilty. 4) Rail table - awesome!
130 is actually an amazing price. I pay 150 just to go from Brussels to Frankfurt in a regular high speed train. For some people it replaces a hotel night as well which is need. I hope service is better at least in the premium cabin.
Problem is that you can take a plane for 50€ from Hamburg to Vienna, so night trains won't get more attractive when they're so expensive.
@@bella2ooo9 But with a sleeper train you can discount the price of a hotel from the ticket price. So that €130 is more like €60 or €70.
@@LightbulbTedbear2 many people visit friends and family as well, with little to no cost for accomodation.
@@LightbulbTedbear2Or you can take an (early) morning flight and wouldn’t need the extra accommodation
I prefer the private compartment option that costs 100 €. You get a compartment with 6 seats to yourself that can be folded into 3 makeshift beds. It's perfect for 2 adults or one adult and 2 children because that way you still have some floor space and room for the luggage. You need to bring your own sheets and blankets or a sleeping bag though.
There's definitely still room for improvement, but purely looking at the new trains themselves this is such a step up from the decades old trains ÖBB is using on other lines. Especially for solo traverlers, where otherwise you had to either pay a lot to get a whole cabin to yourself, or sleep in a *very* cramped room with up to 6 strangers.
I travelled by Nightjet between Hamburg and Munich for half a year each week, so roughly 40 to 50 individual trips. Firstly, the Pillow is atrocious, and it took me about four trips to bring my own. The staff on most trips was great, but there were occasional trips were they were downright grumpy, but that was only twice or maybe three times in that timeframe. Last but not least that was on the old carriages, so i personally am looking forward to try out the new ones in a couple of weeks.
I haven't travelled on the new nightjet yet but my experience with newrest staff is generally positive, they try to be helpful. I usually bring earplugs and don't need a big pillow.
Enjoy watching your videos. Keep up the good work
The minicabins sound like a great idea... at couchette price levels... Like at most 90 euros. Its a decent product by the looks of it, but definitely overpriced, and I wonder if you could've gotten a decent amount of the same benefits just by having an old couchette car but with a privacy blind between the bunk and the rest of the compartment. Also some better luggage storage would be nice, Like at least room for a check-in sized bag and a carry on, if we're gonna use airplane terms. That luggage hold looks like it only has room for a school bag.
The lower berths at least have some storage space if you lift the bunk.
Those are the couchette price levels.
You think these trains are designed for those who have a check-in bag volume of luggage to haul around? Nah, mate, these trains are designed for those who ain’t got nothing. And anyways by the looks of it booking a flight will be cheaper and more comfortable than crawling into one of those coffins for the night. I guess it’s a good fit for students and such, but otherwise I don’t see how this makes sense for anyone else: If you’re a family you just book a proper compartment on a regular train. If you’re on a work trip you probably book a flight or go by high speed trains. Or at the very least book a proper compartment because you can afford to pay extra and not have to contort yourself into the bottom bunk. And if you just need to get from A to B and are not dirt poor you will most likely do the same after your first night in one of those coffins.
@@egorkhristov2467 The Nightjet (Next Gen) _is_ a high speed train (same top speed as an ICE-T). And a trip from Vienna or Innsbruck to Hamburg would take you nine hours in an ICE. If you are a family you can book the regular couchette compartments. And are there coffins where you can comfortably sit upright? I don't think so.
@@egorkhristov2467 Air travel is heavily subsidized, so basically nothing can compete with it.
Your videos are really enjoyable! Cheers mate
I took the old-fashioned ÖBB night train a few times now and on my first two journeys, I remember the staff being super friendly and helpful, but then on my recent journey, especially on my trip back, they were /beyond/ unprofessional - one of them complained to me that he had earned much better at his previous job and he wanted to know what I make (!); my original train was cancelled and I was re-booked onto a train that not only departed on a different day but also from a different city, and then the couchette I was rebooked onto was missing and I had to do the 13+ hour ride in a seated carriage. Not even a "We are sorry" from the staff, instead they told me to "be happy with what God gave me because others have it much worse" and that I "was lucky" it wasn't a normal train at least but a nightjet seated carriage. The train also was 2 hours late and there was no coffee (no hot drinks at all) in the morning.
I‘ve travelled quite often with this new train, and although it’s had some issues, I have only been late once and it was only by one hour. I‘ve also slept incredibly well on the trains. I would just hope they changed the Graz - Berlin Nightjets to this new one soon. And the price is just too high, but if you book soon enough it’s 75€ which is, in my opinion okay 😊
The problem now is post-covid the rates for hotels have shot-up astronomically and I feel that train companies have realised this and are pricing as accordingly. I did the Caledonian Sleeper a LONG time ago which I thoroughly recommend. Booking in advance is incredibly important with trainlines and getting those sweet deals early on.
Very enjoyable review! I really hope the people in charge for the ÖBB are watching these videos and listen. These issues shouldn't be big deal breakers they couldn't fix.
Last year I took an old night train across Sweden from Malmö to Stockholm for 2 people, for less than that 1 DB ticket. We had our own bathroom and shower. One of my most awesome travel experiences. Just stick some old rickety carriages from the 70s on a regional train and charge almost nothing for it, and I’ll be happy.
I've used this train twice in the last week, to get from the western end of Austria to Vienna and back, and I feel like within Austria the nightjets might be much better. Starting off with the fact that I booked the tickets only 3 days in advance, and still managed to get a price of only 45€ per ticket. I tried both the upper and lower cabin, and got to say, that the lower one is definitely better. It is more spacious, has a bigger window, and also easier entrance. I'm almost 190cm, but I felt like the cabins were just spacious enough to still comfortably fit me. Also the staff was quite friendly, and the breakfast came an hour before arrival, and I still could keep my laundry up to 30 minutes before arrival. Though the laundry was the only really negative thing, since it seemed like it didnt dry properly, so it was kinda smelly and cold, and also the replacement laundry I asked for wasn't better. My sleep wasn't the greatest, but that was probably also because the ride is relatively short. Even the trip from Vienna to Bregenz is only 9½ hours, so at the end I only got to sleep for 6-7 hours. In total I quite like the new system, but also quickly saw the downsides, and I'm not sure if I prefer the old or the new system.
I don't travel much but something I do recommend is to never go anywhere overnight without a pillow. I have a few: an inflatable one that packs away into a size smaller than my fist and fits nicely inside a tshirt or hoodie when inflated, a stuffed seal toy my brother got me thats bigger and more comfortable than the inflatable pillow but smaller than the last option, and finally, just straight up the same pillow I sleep on at home. I pack depending on how I'm travelling, how long I'm staying wherever I'm staying and how much space I have in my luggage, and I may even end up not needing the pillow I brought with me. But it sure as hell has saved me from so many bad nights sleep, even in places where they say it's luxury or whatever. Because those big soft floppy pillows may work for some people, but for me? No. I need firmer or I wake up with a krick in my neck and that's just unpleasant. So yeah, it's always worth bringing your own pillow, anywhere, even if they say pillows are provided, because they may not be the right kind of or even just a good pillow.
Maybe it's just me, but if my neighbors on a night train can't keep quiet, I go and ask them to calm down. If that doesn't work, I ask the conductor to do his job. I would also never take a night train without a good pair of earplugs :) Keep the reviews comin'.
I have found that a pair of earplugs are an essential part of my traveling kit. They have gotten more sophisticated and comfortable than ever too! Thanks for the review!
I think with a slight size increase, maybe some design changes to improve the sound dampening, and perhaps having it so the staff only interacts with you when you call them would help. It'd help them too, as you said them getting into arguments with customers doesn't help their general disposition. For example, you could order food and it could be delivered outside the capsule or maybe if there's a dining car, a place to pick up orders there. And definitely none of that demanding the linens and things back before you arrive. That's ÖBB's problem. They need to have another trainset ready for a timetable they want to make, or they need to adjust the timetable. Add to that variable pricing per customer, that's unacceptable. It's one thing if it's based on certain fare discounts, but it sounds like they're just gouging what they can.
The linen is a strange problem to have because they won't need it or the train ready until the evening. This sounds like the company makes the night staff collect everything during the journey instead of doing this work while the train is idle during the day.
@@eljanrimsa5843 Maybe they need time to wash and dry it so it is ready for the next set of customers? Still odd that they need to collect it 2 hours before the journey ends
On multi-night train travel here in the USA, you never ever sleep well the first night, and then sleep wonderfully on night 2 and 3. It’s the “sleeping on a train’ issue.
Worked well for me on my first (and only) trip from Boston to DC in August 2021; the service was discontinued shortly thereafter about 15 months later.
Thanks Tom for producing such an objective report on the new Nightjet rolling stock. I had thought that these capsules were a brilliant idea and that OEBB was catering to the 'next generation' but, personally, I need a good night's sleep to function the next day and so I would book a normal sleeping compartment (even though it would be more expensive).
tbh 130 euro is really cheap if you keep in mind that doing the same trip by car would propably cost like 100 euro just in fuel costs to drive there by car. i imagine a flight is more expensive. as long as you get the ticket for less then 100 you have a really great deal i think.
I wish we would have capsules like that going to polish seaside. I am living in south of Poland and train ride to sea is at least 8 hours. And I was traveling in sleeping cart only once - it is quite scary to travel by myself like that, so usually I go with normal seats, which means I reach my destination quite dead (I love seaside and I try to go at least twice a year, but it is a lot of logistic). My one travel in couchette/sleeping cart was also quite sleepless as some guys had party - they was drinking and listening to loud music :/ I don't get why someone would book that type of seats and went with stereo music o.O
Dear Tom, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on KZhead. I was about to purchase a ticket for a similar journey with ÖBB but fortunately have now seen your video. I’d better fly with Air Dolomiti.
With the alternative being €80 for the 1000km travel (while wasting 7 hours of time) plus €130 for a basic hotel room, the €130 for both combined and the associated time saving seems like a very good deal.
Thank you for this honest review. You have my sympathy regarding noisy passengers, it can sometimes decide if you have a great trip or not.
It was created by a UK design studio for Siemens and OBB. It looks rather claustrophobic to me - personally I've never had a problem sharing a couchette and have met many interesting folks along the way!
Cheers to the undignified entrance! 🍻🤣
It's my speciality
Thanks for sharing this video Tom!! Only just discovered you when researching my own ÖBB Mini Cabin adventure... Great takeaways and tips here! I'll keep all of this in mind when I book my spot - especially the starting at the stop before Hamburg!!
Hi Chloe, thanks for your comment, I also watch your channel :) great videos!
@@thornton Oh no way, that's awesome! haha thanks ;) Making my way through all of your train videos now!!
Great review, Tom: clear, concise and full of information. You are very British in the way you do not want to criticise the train staff for their clearly awful service.
Incredibly WELL designed tiny capsule ! ❤
Thanks for the review! I travelled on a OBB nightjet on the private couchette last summer. (Hamburg to Zurich) I have to absolutely agree on some of the issues you had, especially on the pillow and AC, when i travelled the pillow was so small that my head didnt even fit 😅. Had to find some clothes to put under it, which made it quite uncomfortable. Absolutely agree on the temperature thing as well, when i boarded I found it very hot and cranked the AC to minimum (it was july) as i thought the ac wasnt that strong, big mistake! I was freezing cold until i finally found the temperature wheel with my sleepy eyes. Can not agree on the staff being rude though, as i had a lovely lad, only downside was that his english was kinda lacking 😅, but overall a really nice guy. Also remember to book from Hamburg-Altona, i did some research and found out that the service is quite regularly delayed from Altona, so make sure to book from Altona if you are travelling from Hamburg. Good luck on your next train trip!
Thank you for thst review! I went to visit friends in Berlin a few months ago. Travelled up from Switzerland by day train, came home in a night jet, but in a normal first class coach, as there was only one place in a 6 beds room available at the time of booking (the woman's face at the travelling agency telling me "you don't want this"). Veeery long 10 hours. Light wasn't dimmed, couldn't find a relaxing position to find some sleep. So, I was really looking forward to these new cabins. Ticket for first class ticket was very affordable. But I think, in the future, I would rather take the normal day train, as it is way faster, or invest in an overly expensive single cabin where I would hope to find at least a little bit of sleep despite the negative facts you mentioned. Ear plugs seem to be worth of investing in.
It feels like most of the problems aren't with the mini cabins themselves, but the way the service has been handled by OBB.
Thanks for the review - I have been curious about the new setup but I think I'll just book 2 4-hour trips with CD instead when I need to get to Austria from Germany. Or fly.
When I saw initial reviews of this it seemed to me that the focus and development group were likely all under 35. I am in my sixties (you know that age demographic that tends to spend money on travel) and the idea of crawling up or down was anything but attractive. Don’t get me wrong, the new interest in sleeper trains is exciting, but like many internet apps these days, the design mimics the age demographic who likely developed it.
I travelled with NJ in december, before the prices got out of hand. I managed to book a deluxe sleeper (the highest level) from Amsterdam to Vienna for only 180 euros. Then, the madness started unfortunately.
SIngle occupancy, I must add
I use the nightjet quit often from and towards Berlin. As I am passing almost through whole Germany, i enjoy to rest good enough to spend the whole day for work in Berlin with no need of extra accommodation for the nights I am traveling. The prices are around 60-90€, which I find fair compared to day trains starting from 30€
When traveling from Hamburg getting on in Altona always makes sense. Not only in the night train.
If you compare this to a hotel, it's always going to seem bad, but if you compare it to a night flight on a plane, I guess it seems much better. 2hrs sleep on a plane would be quite good for me! Mind you, having drunk people next door is never going to go well. Maybe they should provide everyone with ear plugs like they do on planes.
I take the ÖBB regularly, and it's a mixed bag. Sometimes it's great (and by great I mean I can sleep pretty well and arrive on time). The staff can be great or terrible, sometimes it's a language barrier, and I think too much responsibility is put on them for both meal service and cleaning all the bedding up before arriving simultaneously (maybe this should be self pick-up / drop-off or something). Most of my issues have actually been with DB, with ÖBB cancellations due to issues with German railways (malfunctions, strikes, etc) that affected my trip. Or, like you, other passengers being noisy or getting up like 10000 times, turning lights on, etc. Now I'm kind of 'that guy' and will go next door and tell people (nicely) to keep it down, which usually works (sometimes groups need an excuse to shut up and go to bed). I haven't taken these new trains, but looking around the old ones I feel like someone at ÖBB could spend some time actually riding them and change just a few things which would make the experience much better. Soundproofing is something you can do only do on a renovation, but sound mitigation is a lot easier. Make sure everything that could possibly squeak is well-oiled. Don't use metal chains for security locks, make sure they are rubber coated. Make sure the doors have rubber stops so they aren't loud when closing, and make sure they don't rattle. Make sure the vents can be closed. Replace the reading lights in shared rooms with very dim red lights that only allow you to see when finding something or getting in an out of bed (thus stimulating sleeping, not hanging out with the lamps on). Make sure the curtains close all the way and can be velcro'd to the window. Etc, etc. These things cost almost nothing and can be done in a regular maintenance cycle, not a major retrofit.
It does look like they took a cue from Japan. Their ferries often have capsule compartments in them, as do their sleeper services.
Japan doesn't have capsules on its sleeper train (Sunrise Express/Izumo): it's either private stand-up compartments or a giant row of open beds without dividers between them. The whole thing is a tourist attraction anyway.
This kind of honest reviews are greatly appreciated because as you mention the Simply railways of the world are being given a media tour that doesnt represent what customers experience
Travelling on NightJet is like traveling on a moving hostel. Is not for everyone 😅 I manage to sleep there all fine, but know many people that not (like you). If you want better service you need to pay the ridiculously expensive sleepers I guess. Couchettes are still far better than night buses and normal train seats
Thank you for your useful video. Well done 🍒🍒🍒
When do you get your SAG card for that stellar pretend reading and pretend laptop work? Also you've got me all riled up again about Austrian room temperatures. I always find the Railjets to be WAY too hot in winter.
also wow sounds like some Grade A Viennese customer service.
One of the reason I like travelling by train is meeting people.
last week I used the night jet (old style) twice and both times there was one very unfriendly employee. We also had the issue with the bed linen being taken needlessly early even though both trains were more than 1 hour late
The service situation is a bit weird. I'm a regular night-train traveler and generally the staff is friendly & helpful, at worst indifferent. I literally never came across a rude or uninformed nighttrain steward. They will usually also deal with loud/drunk passengers to the best of their ability. But then again: I'm usually travelling in sleeper, not couchette (which the pods are), so maybe there's a difference in quality there. I can only assume that this being a new route and staff becoming more and more difficult to find in the service sector, they are forced to tolerate more 'bad apples' nowadays (when the alternative would be to have no staff at all)... While it is partially understandable (from a human perspective) that the staff don't want to spend another half hour after arrival to collect the bedding, it still is part of their f-ing job (and also a matter of hygiene btw., the bedding is there for a reason). Also, knowing that eg. selling meals is part of the product should be in the interest of the operator: it not only increases customer satisfaction but directly generates more revenue (and the margins are already slim anyways). Lets hope ÖBB & Newrest (the company actually hiring the night train staff) address this issue and replace staff with a high number of complaints (as each staff member is assigned to a specific car this can easily be traced).
As a wild camper, looks like heaven ❤
Definitely one to try ...
One thing I have to 100% agree with is that the Nightjet pillows are absolutely useless and I am surprised no-one mentions it while reviewing their products. In all I was very excited for this new concept when it was first shown to public, however I got more and more sceptical with some of the design decisions. For one I think it would be much more practical to have the luggage accesible from inside the compartment and only shoes left in separate locker - this would also make the cabin feel more airy for those traveling with smaller luggage. But what absolutely killed me were those in-cabin deviders. When I first saw them I was in disbelief that someone sined off on such a crappy solution - I cannot imagine them insulating any noise from say a snooring dude in next bunk. What however I think the OBB nailed are the four person cuchetts - Smart design, and I can imagine being perfect for a family travel. The pod concept however certainly needs more work.
They should offer more mini cabins. Clearly it is a very popular choice for travellers and add another carriage to a set.
There are already three carriages with mini cabins. If you add another one the consist becomes longer than 200 meters long. This also means it can't be a part of a double-heading, since most platforms in Europe are not much more than 400 meters. BTW: The sleeper cabins sell out first.
@@to_loww well time for a double decker car then
ÖBB already has some double-decker sleepers. And they gain almost nothing with it due to the curved loading gauge. The double-deckers have a capacity of 30-40 people. The (single-deck) Comfortline sleepers however still fit 36 beds. And the large loading gauge also means ÖBB can't use them on some major routes like the Semmering (until the base tunnel is finished).
I'm not a train person and don't have much interest in it. But it's fascinating how KZhead floods me with videos about the move and especially the negative videos about it. Greetings from Vienna.
Really nice video! I would like to see you try the private-owned first class romanian sleeper train. Its called Astra Trans Carpatic, and the single luxury rooms are way better than the State-Owned Railway Company. Keep it ip!
Yeah I’d be up for this 🏃🏻
Giving unvarnished and constructive feedback on staff is an essential part of helping people evaluate what to expect from this service.
Thanks for the info. It's lucky that I met the very very good staff on Nightjet. One thing that made me worrying about the new Nightjet is the space. I think it may be not suitable for people with clautrophobia. And cannot adjusting the air con is not a good thing too.
You are right, with claustrofobia its impossible.
When I heard about this service, I was under the impression that this would be slightly more than economy seats. Or I was even thinking that if it was popular enough would replace them. I was mistaken.
I totally agree. The standard of OBB services is decreasing year by year. The staff is sometimes rude and recently, instead of our private sleeper cabin, we were assigned berths in a couchette with other passengers.
130 Euros is a lot when you consider you can do a return journey of the whole length of Italy by sleeper couchette berth for that, but then compare it to the price of a Eurostar journey London to Paris, and given that its 1000 miles with a sleeper berth, it suddenly sounds cheap again.
haha true, although making a NASA round trip from London to Paris via the moon is probably better value than Eurostar
Having just done an overnight in coach on Amtrak, I’d love to see something like this make its way to the USA. The cost of a roomette is hard to swallow and it would be great to have a middle ground option that is still designed for sleeping in.
great review
Too bad about the yobs next door. It's always a risk in these situations. The last time I was on an Amtrak Superliner - which will be my last time, period, until they introduce the new ones - I got the roomette next to the family bedroom. Thankfully, the young kids with the family there were well behaved and went to sleep at a reasonable time. At any rate thanks for the excellent review. I'm glad I tried out the Trenhotel from Milan to Barcelona, first class, in 2010. This wouldn't feel like as much of a vacation. I'll probably stick to the day trains the next time I'm in Europe.
Enjoyable Tom. Praise be to God. Thanks for the viewing.
Thank you for doing this video! I would really expect the staff to strictly enforce that a sleeping section/cart/capsule is for SLEEPING. Partying is great but do it somewhere else.
So early that no even Deutsche Bahn could ruin your trip.... I admire your optimism
I belive u can also get on in Hamburg Dammtor which is also way less stress. I can actually recommend it more bc it is more in center of the city. So if u have the possibility get on there
Good advice 👏
Fair enough. It is very easy to get around Hamburg though and to Altona. Public transit is incredibly affordable there, and Altona station can be reached very easily with the S-bahn.
Hamburg Dammtor is a great station! It was where my hotel was so it's very easy to manouver from Hbf and back with S-Bahn. But I am someone from a small village so giant stations like Hamburg are a bit overwhelming to me. (I did enjoy walking around there with a friend though as it was pouring and we couldn't walk anywhere else anyway)
I LOVE Hamburg Hauptbahnhof, mind you, I love Travemunde too!
The only good thing about that trip that I can see are those lockers and the mountains. If the trip had run on time would you have missed the mountains and spent the ride sleeping most of the time (sans drunks of course)? Because I wouldn't want to spend awake time in that cabin as there is no option to sit up normally. But the mountain views were great!
2017 I got the first class from Munich to Berlin, it was great. 2022 we ordered tickets for Berlin to Dresden. The train was late, and had been replaced by an older train and no first class. Total disappointment.
Must have been on the same train but Roma to Munich. Same deal. My deluxe cabin with ensuite morphed into a couchette compartment. Unreal disappointment.
TL,DR: long comment ahead. I recently had a nightjet trip that had some issues. I was notified a couple hours before there was a shortage of coaches and my assigned berth was not available. I went to the ÖBB office and they told me a sleeper coach broke, and due to the relocation of passengers to other compartments I could be demoted from a 4 berth couchette to a seat. Not nice. Then once we got on the train the personnel offered me a 6 berth couchette compartment to myself. Eh, not bad. Then, more bad news, they told all passengers we wouldn't reach our final destination because of... * checks notes * "issues with other country's train company". Fine, I say, it's not their fault. Finally, three hours into the trip, and just before falling asleep, someone bangs on the door. Turns out my compartment was not private at all, and I had to share it with two other (lovely, respectful) people. The employees were polite at the beginning, but by the morning they had done a 180 and were rude and eager to be anywhere but on the train. They also demanded the bedding right after breakfast, and by the time we arrived they were nowhere to be seen. In short, when there are no bumps on the road (or should I say "rails"?) the experience is excellent, but when it doesn't, it depends on the employees and whatever mood they are in that particular day. For example, I had similar situation with Regiojet, and they automatically sent me an email with my new seat, and also offered free water for everyone. There must be something going on between ÖBB and Newrest, the company in charge of the service, because my experience with them was more or less the same you and the other youtuber had. It would be a shame if it went against the brand they've built for themselves.
Thank, great review. I'm a bit confused about the routes these new nightjet trains run on. The OBB website shows quite allot of routes but am I right in assuming some of the routes don't have this new Nightjet service and are operated by older version of trains? Thanks
That's correct. The new Train only operates between Hamburg and Innsbruck/Wien. All other lines are with old Trains.
@@zege1986 Wien-Bregenz will be the next line.
Something to keep in mind with the capsules is that they are a ~33% reduction in capacity for the same cabin space compared to the old couchette. I think it's even a reduction in capacity over the old full shared cabins. In both of those cases, it is/was possible to stack 3 beds high. I wouldn't mind a cheaper journey, but living in NL + compared to other rail products, it doesn't feel that pricey. It can easily cost much more to do the same trips with high speed trains, and there you only get a seat and no privacy. Also in terms of target market + alternatives, for some travelers, there is just no way to get a (nearly) fully private space in a moving vehicle for 1 person.
Nice report! I think the best night train layout is the same as was on Orient Express long time ago, but it’s might be not economically sustainable this days
Nice video.
Great review! Regarding the price, you may be interested to know that here in Australia the overnight train from Sydney to Melbourne is comparable in time and distance to your journey. A standard semi-reclining seat cost is comparable to the price you paid for your cubby, and doesn't include a meal. Given that the current fleet is being replaced and the new fleet also won't have any sleeper capabilities, I would happily pay the AUD$250 for such a cabin. But I would also expect better service from the staff.
Thanks for the tip, I definitely need to go back to Aus one day 😭
Thanks for the review! Two thoughts on Hamburg: 1) Many/most trains going south (especially ICEs) start at Altona. So if you don't have a reservation and some time to spare, Altona is always a good "hack" to secure a good seat. 2) 2:05 Hamburg Hbf is huge, but still too small for the amount of passengers. I commute there & it's a nightmare every single day. Leipzig Hbf is better than any station in Germany (or Europe?), no discussion.
My nightjet experience from Brussels to Vienna in a 6 seat cabin where I had the middle seat. No breakfast, no coffee. OBB shows these cabins on their advertisement pictures with only 3 people in the cabin... Price: 50€.