Nights on Tracks

Train travel doesn’t always have to be expensive! Travelers often think that train fares are unaffordable, especially when booking spontaneously. In this article, I want to show how to travel for a good value by booking a night train close to the departure. The starting point in each case is Austria.

As a huge fan of night trains, as alternative for traveling by car, bus or plane, Austria is connected excellently to many famous destinations all over Europe. In detail there are 12 Nightjet (NJ) connections starting in Austria with international final destinations e.g. Vienna – Brussels, Graz – Zurich or Innsbruck – Amsterdam. Responsible for these NJs is the „Österreichische Bundesbahn (ÖBB)“ as the largest provider for night trains in Europe. In addition, there are some more night trains from Austria, mostly operated by EuroNight (EN), which is a cooperation between ÖBB and partner rail companies e.g. Graz via Vienna to Warsaw (Nightjet, n.d.).

As a customer you may now ask yourself, what the best routes are for a spontaneous trip looking at the described jungle of connections. For this it is important to know that there is a maximum price for night trains, namely the „Komfortticket“. But often you get cheaper tickets, the so called „Sparschiene“, even if you book your ticket at the day of travel. In the following, I will show you examples from my personal experience. Please note that the timetable change in 2023 on Dec. 10 may lead to deviations.

1. Vienna – Warsaw: Explore the Polish capital for around 55€ oneway

For this connection you can easily get spontaneous Komforttickets for about 70€ in the seating carriage including a fixed seat reservation or approx 106€ in a shared sleeper cabin. But usually it’s no problem to catch a Sparschiene-ticket for 55€ or even less if you spend the night on a seat. Even in the shared sleeper cabin for three people you can get a proper night of sleep for around 90€. After an 12h 24min ride in the night train EN 40456 from Vienna it’s then time to say: „Dobry dzień Polsko!“ Tip: There is the possibility to start this trip in Graz for a longer ride as well. Interested? Currently bookable via ÖBB-Nightjet website and ÖBB homepage or app.

2. Vienna – Cluj-Napoca: Visit the capital of Transylvania for max. 68€

This trip is an insider tip in my eyes for all train travelers who want to visit a relatively unknown city in Europe. To get their by night train you can start your journey in the capital of Austria. From Vienna you catch the night train 60347 (displayed as D 347 when booking via ÖBB), which has a total travel time of 11h 37min. Komforttickets in the seating carriage are available for a maximum of 68€, but it’s easy to make a good deal via Sparschiene for about 50€ per seat, even when booking short in advance. There is also the option to book a bed in the couchette compartment (+13€) or a proper bed in the sleeping coach (+28€) for a little extra fee in relation to the price of the Komfortticket. But check for Sparschiene offers in any case, as it’s possible to catch a bed in the best comfort category for under 60€ also for late bookings. Tip: You can also book the night train a little further to the Romanian capital Bucharest. Ready? Tickets are on sale at the ÖBB website and app but not on the homepage of the Nightjet.

Extra charge for a bed in a shared sleeper cabin traveling by Interrail Pass.

3. Innsbruck – Zagreb: Experience the Croatian sun for under 60€

Leaving the main station of Innsbruck at 00:56 am and arriving in the Croatian capital at 10:39 am, the EN 40465 is a comfortable option to travel overnight towards the sun. The maximum price in the seating carriage is around 88€ per seat. But most of the time you can easily catch a Sparschiene-ticket for 60€ or less, especially during off-season. There are also beds in the shared couchette compartment (Komfortticket starting with 108€) and triple bed sleeper cabin (Komfortticket starting with 128€) available. But it’s always useful to look for Sparschiene-tickets, even when booking shortly before the departure. This way you won’t miss the chance of traveling in a bed in the couchette compartment for under 60€ or in a shared sleeper cabin for less then 100€. Tip: From Zagreb you can take a night train or some day trains towards the sea to Split. I also recommend getting off earlier in Slovenia to explore Bled or Ljubljana. Feel like sunbathing? Book via ÖBB-Nightjet website or ÖBB homepage & app.

Conclusion:

Traveling spontaneously by night train can be very affordable, even if many travelers think the opposite. It’s true that some connections are more expensive than others or in the worst case are sold out shortly before departure, especially in high travel seasons. Always check if there is a Sparschiene offer still available for your trip. This way you can ride by night train and don’t need to catch a low-cost flight, which most of the time isn’t that cheap on the day of departure. According to Nowack (2023), booking a flight at a low-fare airlines like Ryanair, Easyjet, Wizz Air or Eurowings one day before take-off, costs on average approx 200€ for the costumer. For this amount you can book a private cabin in the sleeper carriage most of the time, even if booking spontaneously and you also get a proper night of sleep and arrive in the city center instead of rushing to the airport and wasting valuable time there waiting for boarding your flight.

For questions or feedback I’m glad to hear from you via mail: nightsontracks@gmail.com or feel free to leave a comment.

Sources:

Nightjet (n.d.). ÖBB nightjet und EuroNight sowie Nachtzüge in Kooperation mit CFR & UZ. Retrieved on 18.11.2023 from https://www.nightjet.com/dam/jcr:6a8041cb-0131-4ad3-84fd-25154548e5dd/nightjet-streckennetz.pdf

Nowack, T. (2023, July 27). Wie viel ein Billigflug einen Tag, eine Woche und einen Monat vor Abflug kostet. Retrieved on 19.11.2023 from https://www.aerotelegraph.com/wie-viel-ein-billigflug-einen-tag-eine-woche-und-einen-monat-vor-abflug-kostet