[Move] Nightjet train ride from Zurich to Vienna Guide

The highlight of our trip: The night jet from Zurich to Vienna. It took me months to study the route, read up on how to book the ticket and to decide which category should we get.

So I have come up with this guide to show and guide those who are interested to take on the same route as us.

Guide from Zurich to Vienna by Nightjet

How to purchase a ticket?

• Nightjet train tickets are open up to 180 days ahead. Travel dates falling into the period of the annual timetable change in mid-December may be subjected to shorter booking periods.
• Get your ticket at www.oebb.at or www.thetrainline.com
• InterRail & Eurail pass holder reservations for Nightjet trains can be made at the Austrian Railways (ÖBB).

Sample:

How much?

WordPress Tables Plugin

To note:

Fares will fluctuate, so book earlier as the fare will increase nearer to the departure date.

Train category

Seats

Seats are available in overnight trains, but travelling overnight on a seat will not be comfortable for such a long journey.

Source: Nightjet Official Website

Couchettes

Couchettes are is a simple padded bunk bed with rug, sheet & pillow. There are a 6-berth compartment or a 4-berth compartment.

Couchettes are a good option for an individual, groups of friends or families. It can be converted to normal seats for evening or morning use.

On Nightjet trains, morning tea or coffee and a roll or croissant are included.

Source: Nightjet Official Website

Sleeping cars

Sleeping cars comes in 1, 2, or 3-bed compartments, either standard with washbasin or deluxe with compact en-suite shower & toilet.

Breakfast is included. Sleepers can also be converted from bedrooms to a cosy private sitting room for morning or evening use.

Suggestion:

It depends on your budget, couchettes should be fine, be it a sleeper or a couchette as you will be sleeping flat. But if you are a couple it is better to get a sleeper as it is more comfortable and it gives you more privacy.

Little to know:

Berths are sold individually, which means if you are travelling solo you can book 1 bed in a 2 or 3 berth compartment you will get one bed and the other bed will be sold to another passenger of the same gender.

The Berth number

Berths number are not in sequence, example berths 81 & 85 are in the same room (See below)

When boarding the train

The train attendant will be standing at the door of the sleeper compartment to greet you. They will check your reservation and direct you to your compartment. Then after that, he or she will come round shortly to check your rail tickets or passes.

Welcome on board

A complimentary glass of sparkling wine is included in the welcome bag. The sleeper attendant can provide room service with tea, coffee, wine, beer, soft drinks & light snacks during the journey, but feel free to take your bottle of wine or picnic on board.

The complimentary set comes in:

2 Mineral water bottle, 1 Earplug, 1 Bathroom Slipper, 1 Towel, 1 Shower Cap,1 Soap bar, 1 Chip, 1 Muffin, 1 Sparkling Wine, 1 form to fill in for breakfast,

Breakfast

Breakfast is included in the fare and will be served in your compartment. Upon boarding the train in the evening you will need to fill in the form to select 6 breakfast items from a list. You can pay for more items if you like.

Tips:

You can ask for a free refill of tea or coffee.

Fill in this form for Breakfast and pass to the train attendant.

Luggage space

You will need to take all your bags with you into the compartment. For the deluxe sleeper, there will be ample space to place your luggage.

Power sockets, WiFi

All sleeper compartments have 220V power sockets for laptop computers & mobiles. You can look below the bed near the door. There is no WiFi on Nightjet trains currently.

At the deluxe sleeper car, the power socket is beside the dryer, this is the only plug you can charge your phone.

Beds convert to seats

On longer routes where there’s a significant evening or morning part of the journey, the attendant can fold the beds away and convert the compartment into a private sitting room with a sofa and a small table.

Safety

The double-deck cars have a regular lock and a security deadlock.

To note:

Your ticket might not show all the passengers’ name. Just one name is sufficient, you just need to prove that the self-printed ticket is yours and the number of people in your group.

*Best to print out your train ticket, in case there is any problem with your e-ticket.

Dinner on board

The sleepers and couchettes come with simple room service menu. The attendant will serve your meal in your compartment. In sleeper compartment just push the attendant call button.

Tips:

Remember to grab your dinner before boarding, because there is no restaurant car on Nightjet trains. You can buy your dinner at the station and bring them with you on the train.

You can grab some of these souvenirs if you are interested.

The start of our journey to Vienna

We reached the station 1 hour early to check our platform and not to be late for our train.

The double-deck night jet train.

The Deluxe Sleeper Room

Tips:

There are just 4 deluxe compartments on the upper deck and the deluxe sleepers are popular and can be sold out fast.

Small cupboard to place your items

Ensuite bathroom

Shower room comes with warm water.

After bathing your water might not be able to drain out so fast.

Cupboard to place your makeup bag or other toiletries, this is also the only plug available to charge your electronic devices. So I would suggest bringing an external battery along.

My bed for the night, it can be open up for bunker bed.

At around 5 am they will start to serve Breakfast. This is what I have ordered (See Below)

After 12 hours, we arrived!

*Nightjet of the Future*

To make travelling overnight even more pleasant, OBB has ordered a fleet of new Nightjets. In addition to more privacy and improved levels of comfort, we can also look forward to more individuality. The first Nightjets with the new design are on track for departure starting in 2022.

Overall:

I had a pleasant journey, the room is comfortable and spacious, the tough part is carrying your luggage up to the room and bringing it down when you board and alight.

And you can hear your next-door neighbour loud and clear, hence this is when the earplug comes in handy if you want to have a good night sleep.