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Business Insider
2 days ago
- Business Insider
I booked the wrong room on a sleeper train. It was the biggest mistake of my 2-week backpacking trip through Europe.
For an overnight train in Europe, I booked the cheapest accommodation: a seat in a seating carriage. Operated by OBB Nightjet, the carriage seat cost $40 for a 12-hour ride from Berlin to Vienna. I felt so cramped and uncomfortable that I got zero sleep. And I'll never do it again. Have you ever been so tired that it made you cry? I can remember a time when my body and mind were so exhausted that I could almost hear each limb begging me to fall asleep. My eyes watered as I failed them and the sun rose above Vienna. This was back in October 2022, during a two-week backpacking trip through four European countries by rail. I was on an overnight train ride from Berlin, Germany, to Vienna, Austria, operated by the Austrian Federal Railway's OBB Nightjet. I'd regrettably booked the cheapest accommodation for $40. Nightjet trains have sleeper cars with bunks of three, four, or six and seating carriages. I booked the latter; they're cabins with six regular assigned seats that deeply recline. Some routes have private cabins, but mine didn't. I was no stranger to overnight trains — I've spent 140 hours on them from the US to Europe. On most rides, I've booked private cabins where I had an enclosed room to myself. With bumpy tracks and stiff beds, I think it's hard enough to sleep on a train in a private room. But those nights were a breeze compared to my experience in a sleeper carriage for six. The cabin felt too crowded for comfort When I boarded the train in Berlin, dimly lit corridors opened to these small enclosed cabins with two sets of three seats facing each other inside. I immediately thought the room was cramped and lacked enough legroom for each traveler. During my 12-hour leg of the journey, three travelers were already there when I boarded, and two others arrived within the first few hours. I thought the seat looked slightly wider than a typical train coach seat. It had two cushions and could recline, but not far enough to be completely flat. When reclining it all the way, the gap between the seat back and the bottom of the seat made it tough to get comfortable. I didn't see any pillows or sheets provided for guests, either. A representative for OBB Nightjet told Business Insider 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. The room lacked some key amenities While there were no pillows or blankets, the seats had some amenities. Each came with a small table that slid out from the armrest. It was large enough to fit my ticket and phone, but not much else. There were also outlets in the carriage, but not enough for everyone. Passengers had to take turns charging their phones with the two outlets available. An OBB Nightjet representative told BI the cars were updated in 2023 and have more outlets. I couldn't sleep at all Although seats were assigned, I quickly noticed that other passengers were moving around the car to find less-crowded rooms. I followed suit and switched to a different cabin with only two other people. But I knew that someone boarding at one of the many overnight stops could kick me out at any time if I were in their assigned seat. Even in a less-crowded cabin, I couldn't get comfortable — especially knowing that someone might wake me up to move. I ended up staying awake until the morning. My train arrived in Vienna at 7 a.m., and I was so exhausted that I ran around town looking for any hotel that would take me in so early in the morning. Splurging on a hotel room upon arrival for a few hours of sleep made me feel like the cheapest ticket on an overnight train ultimately wasn't worth it. And my exhaustion from lack of sleep made my time in the Austrian city less enjoyable. "The quality of travel depends not only on the carriages, but also on the route," OBB Nightjet wrote in a statement to BI. "We recommend the sleeper or couchette car for night travel. There is enough space to stretch out. Seated carriages are recommended for shorter journeys." A year later, I took another Nightjet ride on a train with private cabins. I booked a room from Venice to Vienna and fell asleep easily without shedding a tear.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Yahoo
I spent 11 hours with 3 strangers in a shared cabin on a sleeper train in Europe. 6 surprises made me regret it.
I booked a shared sleeper cabin on an overnight train from Austria to Italy in October 2022. I thought a sleeper train would be the best way to maximize my days while exploring Europe. A few surprises along the way, such as a lack of privacy and a restless night, changed my mind. When I decided to squeeze four countries into a two-week backpacking trip to Europe, I traveled by train. It was my first time visiting Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland, so I wanted to maximize my time exploring each country. When I realized that my train ride from Vienna to Venice, Italy, would be 11 hours long, I thought traveling through the night seemed like the best way to free up my days. Sharing a sleeper cabin with strangers also helped me do it on a budget. My ticket, which cost $84, included a bunk in a shared cabin and a light breakfast. I was excited to move through the night and spend my days adventuring. But a few surprises along the way made me think that, ultimately, this ride wasn't worth the time saved. I traveled from Austria to Italy on the OBB Nightjet, a train that operates overnight routes between Austria, Italy, France, and the Netherlands. OBB Nightjet trains travel overnight to more than 25 European cities, from Rome to Amsterdam, and can go as fast as 143 mph. Nightjet trains have seating carriages, as well as sleeper cars with private cabins and bunks of three, four, or six. I booked the latter. When I arrived at the Vienna train station, I paid $10 to access the OBB Lounge. I was surprised that it was empty aside from me — a stark contrast to the crowded station where I couldn't find a seat. My journey began in Austria's Wien Meidling train station. I arrived 90 minutes before my 9:35 p.m. train was due to depart, and the waiting areas were so crowded that I couldn't find one empty seat. Then, I noticed a lounge for OBB guests. The lounge is free for first-class OBB passengers traveling during the day and costs about $10 for all other OBB passengers who pay to access it, which is what I did. Since I thought the fee was inexpensive and the station was so packed, I was surprised to find no other travelers inside. The lounge had plenty of tables and chairs, as well as complimentary refreshments such as coffee, nuts, and seeds. The selection was smaller than I'd 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 and settled into a chair to wait until it was time to board my train. When I went to the platform, I didn't expect boarding the correct train to be so confusing. I went to the platform about 20 minutes before my train's scheduled departure and was shocked to see a screen that said my train was going to Zurich. This made me worry that I booked the wrong sleeper train. But at the information desk, I learned that the train's cars detach at various stations to go to different locations. I had to board my assigned train car to reach my ticketed final destination; each car had a number. When my train arrived, I didn't have time to check the train-car number before boarding. So I went to the closest car and asked an attendant to guide me to my car and room. I knew my cabin would be small, but once on board, I was still shocked when I saw it for the first time. According to OBB Nightjet, my cabin was built to fit six people inside a 74-square-foot space. I expected it to be a tight space, but seeing it in person made me realize that 74 square feet is smaller than I thought. One traveler was already there when I boarded, and two others arrived within an hour. Those two got off around 5 a.m., and the other stayed past my stop. We said hello to each other upon arrival, but other than that, the room was quiet. Some of us were on devices, while others slept. I was surprised by how little personal space I had, even when it was still just one other passenger and me. I couldn't imagine six people squeezing in there, and I was grateful we weren't booked to the max. But I still felt cramped when there were four of us, especially with everyone's luggage around. I expected each bunk to have a curtain for privacy, but the beds were completely exposed. This made me feel less comfortable. Since the space was shared, I hoped to find curtains at the front of each bunk to ensure privacy, but there was nothing to block the space between myself and other passengers. This made me feel more uncomfortable than I expected. While another traveler changed their clothes in front of me inside the room, I preferred to change in private and chose to instead go to the shared bathroom at the end of the sleeper car. I didn't think I'd have to wake up other passengers to use the bathroom. But the room's lock was only accessible from a top bunk where someone was sleeping. When I first entered the cabin, I learned the bunks were first-come, first-served. I opted for a bottom bunk since I'd previously found top bunks on other trains bumpier through the night. But I didn't realize that the person on the top bunk would be the unofficial controller of the door lock since it was only accessible from their bed. When I went to the bathroom to wash up and change around 10:30 p.m., the top-bunk passenger had just arrived and was still awake. But at around 2 a.m., I found myself lying awake with a full bladder because I didn't want to disturb her. Eventually, I couldn't hold it anymore and reluctantly woke her up. It was a little awkward, and I felt bad for disrupting her sleep. The whole experience made me think I may have preferred the top bunk anyway. I'd rather have someone wake me than wake someone else up. I thought I'd get a decent amount of rest in the sleeper cabin with a lie-flat bed, but the ride was so bumpy and uncomfortable that I struggled to fall asleep. Since I had a lie-flat bed in the cabin, as well as bed sheets and a pillow provided by the train, I thought I'd be able to sleep soundly. But when bedtime came around, I was surprised to find the bed and bedding didn't matter much. I found the bed uncomfortable. I only got a couple of hours of sleep and woke up several times during the night due to other travelers entering and exiting the room or the bumpiness of the train. For most of the night, I watched TV on my iPad since I had such a hard time sleeping. "Offering our passengers a high level of travel comfort is an important concern for us," a representative for OBB Nightjet told Business Insider. The statement continued, "We are constantly working on improvements to our product and also take into account the requirements of our customers." In 2023, Nightjet upgraded its overnight trains with more spacious shared sleeper cabins and new bunks. When I got to Venice, I realized I was wrong about my expectations of a shared sleeper cabin. I didn't feel rested, which was the entire reason I booked it. 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, which was perhaps the most surprising element of my ride since the entire reason I booked this train was to feel rested. These surprises taught me that a shared cabin on an overnight train isn't the right choice for me. 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. A year after my trip, I booked another overnight ride in a Nightjet private cabin. It was worth the upgrade. I learned my lesson during that shared cabin ride. So, when I went back to Europe in November 2023, I booked the train line's top-tier accommodation for an overnight trip from Venice to Vienna — a private cabin. It was worth the $200 price tag for a private, 30-square-foot space with a vanity, wash basin, and storage space. I slept like a baby. From now on, I'll only book private cabins for overnight train rides. Read the original article on Business Insider
