Fall asleep in France, cross Germany at night and wake up in Austria.
Since December 13, 2021, Paris and Vienna have been linked three times a week by the Nightjet, the night train of the Austrian Railways (ÖBB).
The company, very involved in the relaunch of this mode of transport in Europe, serves around thirty European destinations, such as Berlin, Brussels or Rome, from / to Vienna central station.
It plans to open a link between Paris and Berlin in December 2023.
Between the French and Austrian capitals, the 1,400 km journey takes 14 hours and serves Strasbourg, Munich and Salzburg in particular.
Le Figaro
took place aboard a Nightjet 469 at the beginning of January, a few weeks after the launch of the line, with a departure at 7:58 p.m. and an arrival at 10:12 a.m.
Comfort, service, value for money ... Our verdict.
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The service: 8/10
At the Paris-Est station, staff are placed along the platform, at the entrance to almost every car. A rather welcome presence for travelers unaccustomed to the provision of night trains, like this passenger lost in the face of an astonishing numbering (car 411 is between the 410 and the 415). The control takes place a few minutes after departure: an agent goes through each cabin or compartment to check the tickets and briefly summarize the course of the journey (preparation of the bed, breakfast, etc.). On board, we find the staff quite easily, whatever the time of day, by wandering the corridors or using the intercom in our compartment. While the agents all speak German and English, only a few speak French. Depending on the class chosen, welcome products (small bottle of wine,water, bath towel, slippers ...) are offered to travelers.
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Comfort: 8/10
A deluxe cabin with private shower and toilet, designed to accommodate one to three people.
The bed is unfolded on request from an agent.
Jean-Marc De Jaeger / Le Figaro
Nightjets are one of the few European night trains to offer
private cabins
, designed to accommodate one to three people. There is a real bed, quite comfortable, much more than just berths. The deluxe versions also have a private toilet and shower. It remains to be seen if we sleep well there. Yes, rather, but obviously not as good as at home or in a hotel. If the tremors are well absorbed, we are not immune to being awakened briefly during the night and dragging a little fatigue throughout the day. Not to mention that the desire to stay awake to enjoy the special atmosphere of night trains also risks listening to sleep. In short, it is difficult to fully approve the Minister of Transport, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, when he evokes in a tweet the simplicity with which we fall asleep ...
The train has two other classes:
shared sleeper compartments
(four to six seats) and
seats
(arranged in six-seat compartments). The comfort is quite similar to what we find in the SNCF night intercités, with the difference that passengers have shared showers. Difficult to recommend seats for a 14 hour trip, unless you complete a small part of the trip, for example Strasbourg-Munich (around five hours). For more comfort, these compartments can be privatized, ideal if you want to stay with friends or family.
Another important detail: if there are electrical outlets in each compartment, our Nightjet did not have Wi-Fi ... Let's see an advantage: less distractions, it also means falling more quickly into the arms of Morpheus.
Read alsoNight trains: "The Austrian Nightjets are the best in Europe"
The catering offer: 8/10
Breakfast, served instead, is included in the ticket if you have booked a bunk or a single cabin.
ÖBB / Harald Eisenberger
Although the Nightjet do not have a bar car, a catering offer is offered to all passengers thanks to small "kitchens" distributed throughout the train. While great gastronomy is not to be expected, let's recognize that the portions are generous and the prices particularly attractive (€ 6.50 for a dish of spaghetti and a non-alcoholic drink). Everything is served instead with real dishes. And the staff are very accommodating in offering to pay the bill the next day.
As for breakfast, it is included in the ticket if you have booked a bunk or a single cabin.
All you have to do is make your choice using a form to hand in before going to sleep.
It is theoretically served one hour before arrival, although in reality we were able to have it delivered to us earlier using the intercom in our cabin.
Hot drink, bread, yogurt, cheese ... The platter is quite complete and is very useful when you arrive at the terminus around 10 am.
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The price-quality ratio: 6/10
The price range is very wide (from € 29.90 to € 359.90 one way per person), so that each passenger can find a ticket according to their budget and / or the desired travel experience. . If the SNCF markets the Paris-Vienna route on its site, prefer the Nightjet (translated into French) and ÖBB sites, which more clearly detail the various offers. ÖBB promises tickets from € 29.90 per seat. Keep in mind that this is a low price. As proof, we cannot find any tickets at this price ... before April!
In the most prestigious class, if you are traveling alone, count a fixed price of € 284.90 in a standard cabin or € 359.90 one way in a deluxe individual cabin (with shower and private bathrooms). To lower the bill, it is better to travel with several people because the prices are decreasing: these same cabins cost respectively € 219.80 and € 239.90 per person if there are two, and even a little cheaper if the there are three of us. Even if we take into account the hotel night saved, it is still expensive. But did not prevent the two "sleeping cars" of our train from being full on a Friday evening. By comparison, the outward journey AND the return would have cost between 150 and 200 € with Air France or Austrian Airlines, according to our research carried out three weeks in advance.
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Final score: 7.5 / 10 for the Nightjet Paris-Vienne
Past Salzburg, a snowy landscape scrolls past our cabin window.
Jean-Marc De Jaeger / Le Figaro
With the disappearance of Paris-Venice and Paris-Moscow two years ago, no international night line served France. The Nightjet Paris-Vienne fills this gap by offering a direct line between western and central Europe. With their private, comfortable cabins and their very professional service, the Nightjets are undoubtedly "
the best in Europe
", as Thibault Constant, a young railroader who shares his passion on his YouTube channel
, told
Le Figaro
. "
They correspond, in my opinion, to what a night train should be in the 21st century
," continues the author
of Night trains. 30 unforgettable journeys in Europe
(Voyages Gallimard).
But with relatively high prices, the risk is to attract only lovers of this mode of transport rather than converting regulars of the plane.
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