There’s something about overnight trains that sounds impossibly romantic. You board in one city, fall asleep to the gentle rocking of the rails, and wake up in a completely different place. At least, that’s what I thought would happen when I booked a sleeper car on the OBB Nightjet from Vienna to Venice.
The reality? I spent 11 hours cramped in a 74-square-foot cabin with three complete strangers, woke up multiple times throughout the night, and arrived in Venice feeling more exhausted than when I left.
I’d done overnight trains before. I spent 60 hours on Amtrak routes across the US, bunking in their roomette and bedroom accommodations. Those were private. This was different. This was shared bunks with strangers, which Nightjet calls a “couchette car” experience. Some routes offer private cabins, but mine didn’t.
The Pre-Boarding Experience Was Actually Pleasant
I arrived at Vienna’s station about 90 minutes early for my 9:35 p.m. departure. Smart move, considering I needed to figure out which train car was mine. Each car has a specific number, and you need to board the right one.
The station was packed, so I paid about $10 to access the OBB lounge. It’s free if you’re a first-class passenger traveling during the day, but I wasn’t. Surprisingly, I was the only person in there despite the crowded station outside. There were plenty of tables and chairs, plus some snacks and drinks. Nothing like Amtrak’s Metropolitan Lounge in New York, but decent enough for a pre-departure water bottle.
When the train pulled up, chaos ensued. I didn’t have time to find my specific car number, so I just hopped on the nearest one and asked an attendant for directions. Not ideal, but it worked.
Four Strangers, One Tiny Room
The cabin was small. Really small. 74 square feet for four people and all our luggage. There was storage above the beds, but not nearly enough for everyone’s bags. Suitcases ended up scattered around the floor, making the already tight space feel claustrophobic.
I grabbed a bottom bunk immediately. I’d learned from Amtrak that higher bunks mean more bumps and movement. The beds came with sheets, which was nice, though they weren’t exactly the cozy, soft linens you’d hope for. Still, better than sleeping on bare mattresses.
Two of my cabin mates got off around 5 a.m. The third stayed past my stop. We all silently agreed to turn off the lights once everyone was settled, then retreated into our own worlds. Some scrolled on their phones, others went straight to sleep. I kept wishing for a curtain or something to close off my bunk. Just a little privacy would have made a huge difference.
The OBB Nightjet can hit speeds of 143 miles per hour as it travels between Austria, Italy, France, and the Netherlands. That’s fast, and you feel it. Every bump, every turn, every stop. According to the website, only private sleeper cabins come with showers, so the rest of us had to make do.
The Journey Was Long and Restless
Sleep came in fragments. I’d doze off, then wake up when someone entered or exited the cabin. Or when the train hit a particularly rough patch of track. There was no café car, no common area to escape to. Just that one small room for 11 hours.
I bought a Eurail pass for $477, which covers most European trains for a set number of days. Some trains only need the pass, but overnight routes like Nightjet require an additional discounted fare on top. It’s part of the business model for European rail travel, but those extra costs add up quickly.
A representative from OBB Nightjet told Business Insider that they’re “constantly working on improvements” and taking customer requirements into account. That’s corporate speak for “we know it’s not great, but we’re trying.”
Would I Do It Again?
Actually, yes. But differently. A year later, I booked a private cabin on the same route from Venice back to Vienna. That experience was completely different. Comfortable, quiet, and I actually slept. No strangers, no awkward agreements about lights, no tripping over suitcases in the dark.
The shared cabin experience taught me something valuable about travel planning: sometimes paying extra for privacy isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. The romantic idea of overnight trains is real, but only when you’re not sharing 74 square feet with three people you’ve never met while hurtling through the Alps at 143 miles per hour.
