Additional Coverage:
- I booked the wrong room on a sleeper train. It was the biggest mistake of my 2-week backpacking trip through Europe. (businessinsider.com)
$40 Train Seat to Vienna? This Reporter Learned the Hard Way
Vienna, Austria – One reporter’s attempt to save a few bucks on an overnight train trip from Berlin to Vienna turned into a 12-hour ordeal of cramped quarters and zero sleep.
Last October, during a European backpacking trip, the reporter booked a seat in the seating carriage of an OBB Nightjet train. At $40, it was the cheapest option, but comfort was clearly not part of the deal.
The seating carriage consisted of small cabins with six reclining seats facing each other. While the seats were slightly wider than standard train seats, the limited recline and lack of legroom made it nearly impossible to find a comfortable position.
Adding to the discomfort, pillows and blankets were not provided in the seating carriages, amenities reserved for passengers in the bunk-style sleeping cars.
The reporter also found the cabin cramped and crowded. Although each passenger had an assigned seat, people moved between cabins seeking more space.
This created a constant sense of unease, as passengers worried about being asked to move. Limited outlets also meant sharing charging time.
Although the train company states these cars have since been updated with more outlets, this reporter’s experience predated those upgrades.
Exhausted and bleary-eyed, the reporter arrived in Vienna at 7 a.m., desperately searching for a hotel room just to catch a few hours of sleep. The unexpected expense negated any savings from the cheap train ticket, and the lack of sleep put a damper on the start of the trip in Vienna.
In a statement, OBB Nightjet clarified that seating carriages are recommended for shorter trips, while sleeper or couchette cars are better suited for overnight journeys. The reporter learned this lesson the hard way, later enjoying a comfortable, tear-free Nightjet trip in a private cabin from Venice to Vienna.