Train aficionados, listen up. Austrian rail operator ÖBB has launched not one, but two brand new sleeper routes to the Italian capital this week.
The new routes, which will shuttle passengers from Vienna and Munich to Rome, kicked off this week to coincide with the launch of ÖBB’s brand-new (and very swish) Nightjet trains. These new trains represent a huge upgrade to ÖBB’s overnight fleet, with enhanced comfort and privacy for rail travellers.
So what can you expect? The new trains feature seven cars, including two seating cars, three couchette cars and two sleeping cars. Among the upgraded features is free wifi, more space for luggage, more charging sockets and ‘mobile phone-permeable windows’. Sounds pretty fancy, right? You can read more about the new trains and the other routes they’ll be running on here.
At the launch of the Vienna-Rome service on September 10, ÖBB CEO Andreas Matthä called the new-generation trains ‘a game-changer for night train travel in Europe’, according to Railtech. ‘It brings a huge leap in comfort and also offers significantly more privacy for our travellers,’ Matthä continued.
Vienna is fast becoming Europe’s night train capital, with more sleeper train connections than any other EU capital.
Prices for the Vienna-Rome service on the new-generation Nightjet trains start at €34.90 for a seated carriage, €54.90 per person for a bed in a four-person couchette (solo travellers can pay the same price for a mini cabin with the advance Sparschiene ticket), and a seat in a private sleeping car can be purchased for as little as €99.90.
More on Europe’s sleeper train renaissance
New night services are launching left, right and centre across the continent. Check out our favourite new sleeper routes – and if you’re feeling inspired, we have the perfect three-week rail itinerary in Europe for you. See you on the tracks!
Did you see that France is selling super-cheap train tickets this month?
Plus: A brand-new high-speed train will soon link two of Spain’s coolest cities.
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