But this was my first time on a sleeper train in Europe — and my first time in an accommodation shared with other guests.
I thought an overnight train would be the best way to travel through Europe and maximize my time exploring during the day. And at $40, it was the cheapest overnight train ride I’ve ever booked. But ultimately, the ride was too cramped and bumpy to sleep, and I arrived in Vienna feeling exhausted.
To get from Berlin to Vienna in 12 hours, I took Austrian Federal Railway’s OBB Nightjet train.
I booked the latter; they’re cabins with six regular assigned seats that deeply recline. Some routes have private cabins, but mine didn’t.
“We recommend the sleeper or couchette car for night travel. There is enough space to stretch out. Seated carriages are recommended for shorter journeys,” OBB Nightjet wrote in a statement to Business Insider.
The author’s Eurail pass on a European train.
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Some trains only require a Eurail pass to ride, while others, including overnight trains, incur an additional discounted price.
Without the pass, the ticket would have been about $40.
The train station in Berlin.
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I arrived about an hour and a half before my 6:53 p.m. train so I’d have ample time to find the platform.
Since my ticket didn’t include a meal, I grabbed food from the McDonald’s inside the station.
The author’s train platform.
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The train arrived on time and I found and boarded my assigned car, number 254.
Once inside the seating carriage sleeper cars, I saw narrow, dimly lit corridors that opened to small enclosed cabins with six seats in each.
The seats recline deeply.
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Two others arrived within the first few hours.
I thought the seat was slightly wider than a typical train coach seat.
My side table.
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It was large enough to fit my ticket and phone but not much else.
Right away, I thought the room was cramped and lacked enough legroom for each traveler.
Outlets in use in the train car.
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An OBB Nightjet rep told BI that new cars that began running in 2023 have more outlets.
Even though my ticket didn’t come with a meal, I checked out the menu to see what was available for purchase.
A bathroom in the author’s train car.
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“Toilets are always cleaned when the trip starts,” OBB Nightjet said in a statement to BI. “In addition, our staff is doing regular checks during the night.”
Back in my room, someone had turned the lights off. I tried to fall asleep but found it impossible with the constant bumps on the ride and so many people around me.
The author’s seat at bedtime.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
The rep for OBB Nightjet told BI that pillows and sheets are only provided for guests in the bunk-style sleeping cars because the seating carriage is not recommended for long-haul trips.
Although seats were assigned, I quickly caught on that other passengers were moving around the car to find less crowded rooms. I followed suit.
The door to the cabin the author switched to.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Even in a less-crowded cabin, I couldn’t get comfortable on such a bumpy journey or with the knowledge that someone might wake me up to move.
