Europe missed you Thibault, glad to have you back. As an Indian with a lot of train enthusiasm, especially the European ones, I used to thoroughly enjoy your reviews. Now that I live in France, and actually got to ride TGVs & TERs, my excitement for your videos is even more. Keep up the good work mate. ❤️
Brings back memories of crazy European weekend rail adventure I did back in 1987. Amsterdam- Koln - Hamburg - Munich - Innsbruck - Vienna - Venice - Milan - Geneva - Paris - Brussels - Amsterdam ( all between Friday 4p and Monday 8a)
Great, thorough review. Took the trip myself with our family of five. LOVED IT. It's such a comfortable way to travel and wake up in a different country. A few days later we travelled onwards on the Vienna-Venice line, same great experience. Though a little less peaceful because it's a shorter trip. So none of the evening bliss, and breakfast is a packed lunch to enjoy on the Venitian canal banks. Unfortunately, a fellow passenger on that last leg was also robbed. Only downside I would say is that the bunks are extremely hard, to the point where my wife and I's sleep was very intermitted. We asked for extra pillows on the second leg, which helped a little bit. But even though the back was killing me in the morning, I still enjoyed it immensely. The staff on the train is extremely friendly! I would recommend to anyone even mildly considering it (I would just see about extra padding if your back no longer has the elasticity of youth :) )
Way back in 1971 I took a night train from Milan to Amsterdam. I think it was a couchette, but the compartment was configured so that the seats pulled together to make sleeping surfaces, so that several people could sleep on what became a wall-to-wall mattress. Quite the adventure! Plus, in those days, you had to stop at every border for a passport check. Not too much sleeping going on. It looks like things are much more civilized now.
So I live in Britain and thought to myself that I'd like a proper holiday come November (the month I was born in) and looked up the prices after I found out about the route from Brussels to Vienna. The result was £125 each way just for myself. £24 down to London, £50 to Brussels, £51to Vienna via Couchette. So if you do book enough in advance you can get the cost of the trip down quite a bit. Really though it'll be best to wait until next year when Nightjet introduce their new carriages, which firstly look really nice and secondly seem to make better use of the space, making them feel more roomy even if they are technically the same size. Also it seems the new coaches will be level boarding to help with disabled access. Honestly once they are in and working them it'll be so nice. Now if only we can get sleeper trains through the channel tunnel, London to the south of France(Toulouse, Montpellier, Marseille), or even further come the completion of the rail connection between France and Spain, meaning a London to Barcelona trip wouldn't be out of the question. And in todays world where people can do a lot of work via the internet, getting to places in a short amount of time for business reasons don't really apply much more. So hopefully we can have a full modal shift to trains for all trips throughout Europe that aren't to islands or exceedingly difficult places to get to otherwise.
The Channel Tunnel is difficult because of its security requirements for trains. DB had plans for ICE's to London at some point but ended up scrapping those.
Yeah I saw an article about it, in the summer there are eurostar trains frol marseille to london, but the stations on those lines don't get serviced by british trains often, so there's no place for borderchecks, so everyone and their lugage needs to dissembark at lille europe, imagine doing that eaely in the morning... otherwise it would be great
Absolutely correct but you're going to run across into a problem it's the electric locomotive having duplicated electric systems which is a requirement for the channel tunnel therefore it must resemble a Class 92. If this were to happen Class 92 London St Pancras to Calais-Fréthun where the SNCB HLE18 runs Calais-Fréthun Lille Mourscron Brussels Midi Liège Aachen however if ÖBB1293 173-200 was assigned Then locomotive swap Liège Gullemins HLE18 to ÖBB1293 173-200
But new Nightjet carriages are to be deployed on ÖBB’s routes to Italy. You have to wait some more years for the Netherlands and Germany routes to get them. In the meantime ÖBB are going to refurbish these ex-DB carriages.
@@flp322 I don’t thInk you really need to integrate that line. You can just transfer over in Paris or Brussels, and that should do thE trick fine. That said, a true Orient Express London to Istanbul would be fun.
#simplyrailway it was shocking to hear about your wallet getting stolen onboard a premium European overnight train. This goes to show that these sort of things happen in all countries. The video coverage was exceptional as it always is. Thanks for making this and even covering the bad bits like the theft and the delays. Unbiased transparent filming which is what we look forward to.
Some more detail about the engines: the NS Vectron does Amsterdam-Cologne and then takes the Nightjet in the other direction back to NL. At Cologne, the train is joined to the part from Brussels, which has an ÖBB loco on it (from Aachen on, where the loco change with the Belgian railways takes place). Then the parts to Innsbruck and Vienna are split and joint at Nürnberg. Here the ÖBB loco continues to Vienna, while the DB loco from Hamburg takes the Innsbruck part of the train to Munich, where the train reverses and is taken to Innsbruck by another ÖBB loco. So you should have had only one change of loco in Cologne although the carriages were rearranged in Nürnberg.
Another excellent review and thank you for presenting the journey in such a professional (as always) manner. Sorry about the 'wallet incident' which although costly and unfortunate to you, is a good note of caution to other travellers. The NightJet service and network is really superb and always up to OBB standard. The only thing missing for me is a Restaurant Car for a convivial meal with fellow diners, and a glass of Vino-Collapso before bed. Bon nuit. 🤓
If you think Matzleinsdorf is interesting, then next time stay awake until Frankfurt am Main Hbf. As a kid, I was mesmerized by the sheer endless number of tracks, signals and locomotives there. Even by night it's a treat for any railfan.
Regarding the engine: They change them when the trains meet up - so the same train that goes to Amsterdam meets with the one that goes to Vienna, and the NS locomotive gets switched with the OBB one so both engines don't go further than 500 km away from their own country. This is the reason why, and in any case if OBB is not giving the Taurus, the locomotive that changes is "local" in a radius of 500 km. That way the NS Vectron does a back and forth with the NJ all the time. Economy and streamlined sustainability. Omg the stealing in night trains still happen...what the fuck :))) I thought this was in the past...AND EVEN IN GOOD ECONOMY AREA OF THE CONTINENT AS WELL...
Partly, but it's also caused by the fact that the Austrian tauruses cannot go into the Netherlands (no 1500V support). To be able to run the whole way with a single engine, they'd need a second Netherlands-compatible locomotive. Right now they have two, one of which is a spare.
@@nanderv Yes but it doesn't matter what OBB has or not, the NS has the capacity to get to Vienna, and so why the loco change? At the first glance, it would appear right to just weld the locomotive to the train on all runs, but that's not what happens :)) A Vectron could do both runs without a change, but it s about the return journey which has to be cut short for regional depot reasons
@@heiderichvladimir7341 As the trains are rearranged/recombined two times with the parts from Brussels and Hamburg and losing the part to Innsbruck they have to uncouple the locos anyways. I guess they even use the Taurus/Vectron locos for shunting in the process (as additional shunting locos would drive up cost). The ÖBB Taurus could be the one coming from Hamburg.
@@nanderv ÖBB1293 173-200 have 1.5kv DC ATB EG NG TBL Memor II Infrabel Belgium 3kv DC in addition to 25kv 50hz former Czechoslovakia Eastern Europe Germany Austria 1.95m pantographs Sifa PZB LZB 15kv 16.7hz ETCS. The Taurus locomotive should be the Aachen Hbf Wien Trip or EN490 Hamburg Wien Hbf with Laaers 560s. Aachen Hbf is 15kv 16.7hz 3kv DC Belgium voltage change
What's amazing to me about nightjet is that while all the other train services think it's not worth it, they make it worth. And not only do they make it work in the small Austrian and close border region market but all across European countries. And then they still offer regional brands on board. Rauch, red bull, voslauer, etc. Think about the logistics!
There might be a few reasons why they are switching engines along the way. 1, an NS driver is needed to drive the locomotive, meaning that train needs to be switched at the border to a german (DB) locomotive with a german driver. 2, NS might not be permitted to cross the border do to specific aproovels of the trains and the one who drives them. 3, the locomotive itself does not run on the same current as the railway supports, though that the Siemens vectron runs on both 25kv and 15kv, so that should not be a problem.
The locomotives used on this train: NS Vectron MS from Amsterdam to Köln West SNCB 18 from Brussels to Aachen ÖBB 1116 from Aachen via Köln West (taking over from the NS Vectron) and Nürnberg to Wien 1116 from Hamburg via Nürnberg to Innsbruck The coach sections: Amsterdam to Wien Amsterdam to Innsbruck Brussels to Wien Hamburg to Innsbruck Hamburg to Wien In Köln West the Belgian section (when it runs, not every day of the week) is combined with the train from Amsterdam. In Nürnberg the trains from Brussels/Amsterdam and Hamburg are split up and recombined to run to Innsbruck and Wien.
Over the past 7 decades, I did visit every single country in Europe. Most by Car,however,some by train and boat. Lived 10 years on the Balkan plus 6 year on the Balkan Capital, Vienna. :-)
The new refurbished virm you saw at eindhoven is actually refurbished from a newer generation, at the moment of writing there are only 2 sets refurbished of this generation. It has way better seats and usb-ports in comparison to the refurbished virm you reviewed. So would be cool if you can make a vid about it in the future
Unfortunately, the plague of the previously already known gangs of thieves on the night trains is back. While on the night trains a part of the gang mostly steal from passengers in seat compartments, others check every door of the sleeping compartments and wherever an opportunity arises they steal anything that is not nailed down. Thefts are also increasingly reported on the day trains. As soon as the train stops in a station, the thieves grab some piece of luggage from the shelf and disappear from the train. Sorry you became a victim, Heinz
If you're sitting where you face somebody else, alone, with a table, I recommend not putting your luggage for 1 person up on the shelves, and rather under the table where it's a bit safer and takes more time for the thief to grab it.
It is a reason why I hesitate to take a nightrains. You can never leave your luggage behind if you like for example to use the restaurant or go to the toilet. I never understand why there isn't a seperat wagon for luggage like you have in airplanes or ability to lock your sleeping cabin. Together with visibable security personal and cameras would make it more interesting and saver. I interrailed a lot in the eighties and ninethies and I am now in an age that a romantic train drive with wine and dine city trips, would be very attractive. You see so much more with the train compared to the airplane.
@@ronnie9187 I can't even travel internationally by train cause there won't be any trains running to/from my neighbouring country this summer, and no way I’m randomly going to Denmark
THIS is the very reason I stopped taking night trains in Europe. Thieves are always on these trains, and in the end, the cost of flying is cheaper and way safer.
A few years back, I had to opt from Amsterdam to Vienna either by train ro by Euro-Line Bus. It selected bus as it was cheaper (99 Euro) when compared with train that cost 150 Euro. But bus took 18 hours
Great video thanks. Robbery on night trains is clearly still a problem. Happens on day trains too but far less. A few years ago while on an organised rail tour to Italy, there were gangs of thieves on the platform at Milano Centrale trying to steal our luggage from the racks by the doors of each carriage. We had to stand guard over the luggage until the train left for Basel. I'm not sure my back would be able to cope with the couchettes - look so hard. I think I'd have to pay extra for the better compartments (as you wanted to).
Trains in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, Poland and across Europe have been serving European countries for decades and centuries. When the railways were first built in Europe. Connection every country and city. Even connecting the UK when the Channel Tunnel rail line was built.
@@mstrmren No, but If i were traveling from country to country and my wallet was stolen I’d be stressed out and worried for the rest of the trip for sure.
i see enough to want to do this trip some day, soon! Thank You for sharing your experience. Of the few interesting cities I have travelled to so far, Venice, Aachen, and Amsterdam are my top three!
You saw a 1300. The 1304 and 1315 are owned by foundations (Fairtrains and werkgroep loc 1501) who preserve old trains. Like a museum. But they also rent out the locomotives now and than. They also need money...
Greetings from Austria :) I life in a small town near Vienna. I have my wallet always under my clothes - andy my stuff is locked in the suitcase. I can only sleep on the lower bed. Before Covid, I booked always a bed in the couchette - always the mixed one - I meet very nice people - most of them are men. I never booked a women only room, because the most women use a lot of perfume and i hat this kind of smell. . Nice trip report.
Nice video. My wife and I wants to travel with the nightjet too, thanks your video. It looks a nice and convience way to travel because we lives in the Netherlands, Nijmegen.
Great to "travell"with you and Benjamin once again I commented on your trip to ski country.previously.. Thanks to both of you for inviting me. This must be so much fun for you.
So sorry to hear about your wallet but thank you for the video. Fab journey. Next year I hope to do St. Pancras - Amsterdam (Eurostar) then Amsterdam - Vienna (nightjet). 😃
Amazing how quiet the couchette cars are. After all the rattles of Amtrak that would be a bonus. Shame about the wallet, but a good tip now for travellers like me.
Great to see you guys on a NightJet service again especially now that the Netherlands and Belgium have been added to the network. With some more strategic planning and considering how travelling by train might look in the future, the Austrian railways are on a winner here. A combination of connecting some of Europe's major cities at a reasonable cost structure and a decent departure/arrival schedule will see these trains always booked out and in very high demand even more so when the world opens up to travel again hopefully in the not to distant future. As a seasoned Europe train traveller I always used these services as much as I could. Excellent channel, keep up the good work and look forward to many more reviews especially in some counties that you've yet to explore.
NS made the right decision with the Vectrons - they're the main locos for the new generation of Railjet/nightjet, that's why their front of thefirst car is in the Vectron design (while the first generation Railjet is designed after the 1116 Taurus)
Vienna becoming the centre for night train caused quite a funny conundrum for tourism planning. I was juggling travelling 4 hours on a fast train or travelling 2-3 hours to Vienna then swap to sleeping train and wake up the next day with the Eurail pass. The fast train option might sound better, but because you sleep on the train you can save on hotel fees. Not to mention cities at night for older tourists don't offer much options as it is more dangerous, it might get cold and places they like to go like parks, monuments and museums are all closed. That being said, older tourists also might not sleep well on night trains.
California should really have a nightjet-like service from SF to LA. We already have Chargers/Venture trainsets being built in the state. We just need to get Siemens to put beds into them. The hard part would be negotiating with Union Pacific to get more track rights.
Attendant should warn about the ongoing theft. We traveled 2018 Budapest-Munich via Wien on the Hungarian (Malev I think) sleeper train and the attendant warned everybody to lock the doors and not open to anyone but him.
Here in Indonesia we have cctv installed in each car. moreover, there is a security officer in each train trip to ensure the safety of our trip. So, Didn't they isntalled cctv on nighjet cars?
The Taurus actually hauled your train already from Köln West, to where it arrived from Aachen with the Brussels portion of the Nightjet. The NS Vectron only hauls until that stop, and waits there for a return train to the Netherlands. The Vienna - Paris service will be launched in December, and there will be a new Amsterdam - Zürich train with the rented RDC sleeping cars as well.
For your question at 16:31, it might be because of the change in countries while travelling from Amsterdam to Vienna. My GUESS is that for some trains, the Locomotive might be required to provide services upto the Bordertowns only.
i used to get an overcrowded overnight train under German Railway brand from Amsterdam to Munich in 2016. they decided toend that service afterwards. another introduction of overnight train from Netherlands by austrian Railways.
DB (Deutsche Bahn) was really stupid with their night trains. They used 40 year old coaches not or not recently refurbished and complained they didn't make any money. ÖBB then bought the cars, refurbished them and is now making money with them. DB now says they'll cooperate with ÖBB for night train services through Germany. Not sure what exactly that includes.
Sorry about the robbery. Still I wanted to make some small notes: at 3:45, the name of the *coaches* is ICR(m), the locomotive's type name is TRAXX (you probably know it?). At 5:05, yes NS currently has only 2, but more are planned to replace 1700/1800 locomotives. Anyway, great video :)
There's an ÖBB1293 Vectron painted in Nightjet paint scheme 1293 200 which has ATB EG NG installed perfectly suited for this route. Otherwise NS1600 family Amsterdam Utrecht CS then ÖBB1293 200 Utrecht Arnhem Duisburg Wien Hbf. During the evening run your train runs the entire Main Spessart Bahn towards Lohr where it joins Schnellfahrstrecke Hannover Würzburg. In terms Of service does this beat an Amtrak Viewliner coach or not? Locomotive change is at Köln Hbf or Duisburg Hbf. Hamburg Altona Wien Train is EN490/491 with Car Transporters if needed. The Brussels Train uses the entire Schnellfahrstrecke Köln-Aachen. The ÖBB1116 DB BR182 is with the train since Köln Hbf
next month I am heading to Germany to try the night jet. so happy with this video. it gives a good vision on what you can expect. I am going to see if I can upgrade to a private cabin.
I love Vienna Hbf and took a train from there to Ulm Hbf, first class of course, where I changed to a local train, bound for Basel. The ŐBB train was clean, very comfortable, and modern; it alerted you to where you were, the next stopping station and one which platform you would arrive. Mainland European trains are the best! German, Austin and Swiss are fabulous.
One of the reasons is, that the Vectron cannot reach speeds higher than 160 km/h and the schedule in German and Austria is made with speeds around 200 km/h.
Nice trip report, but very sad being robbed. Hope you got your wallet very soon. About the train’s route: at your moment of recording, the train was diverted on a few parts of the journey. The usual route after Utrecht Centraal is via Arnhem, Düsseldorf, Cologne and Bonn. Due to engineering works on that route, the train is diverted via ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Eindhoven and Venlo. All in all: another perfect trip report👍💯🚂
We do have night service trains in The Netherlands, but only nationally, not internationally. Only during covid (more than a year) they were canceled. They just started again in June. This video brought back memories of my holidays by train to Switzerland (about fl. 650, transfer in Basel, Brig and Visp), Austria (about fl.400, transfer in Jenbach) and France (about fl.550, transfer in Paris including a metro trip from Gare du Nord to Gare Montparnasse, and a transfer at Angoulême) in the 20th century. I used to take the train because it was easier and cheaper than flying. And I live close to Schiphol Airport. But with the budget carriers nowadays, the train often loses on price (not on quality). But God was it a long journey every time, international trains were so slow back then. Waits at the German border at Emmerich often took more than half an hour. At Roosendaal near the border with Belgium also. They had to change locomotives, which took an enormous amount of time. But that is mostly not the case anymore. Good to know that the €150 per person for this trip comes close to an airline ticket, including the transfer from the airport to the city. Most major train stations are located in the city center and you hardly need a transfer to your hotel if you book it close to the station. So this is a competitive price. The improvement is great.
@@petermolloy6142 Very simple reason. I remembered the train journeys I took in the past. I literally wrote: this video brought back memories of my holidays by train … I bought the tickets in the time we still had the Dutch Guilder.
So sad that somebody would rob on a train like this!! The service and train itself looks amazing and very very smooth. Even the food and drinks looked nice even if they were average fare. Great job guys and fantastic to have you back in Europe. Welcome home 😊👋👍
Went on this service to Munich in a sleeper. In my case, the carriage lost most of its power for a while - same NS Vectron in fact - until they shut the engine down and restarted it. We also arrived 75 minutes late and I am currently waiting for my compensation from ÖBB. It wasn't too bad otherwise. Nice breakfast.
I used this train last month, from Arnhem (20.45) to Passau (6.15) and slept through the whole trip. It's really the fastest way to travel ;-) Your ticket is not cheap but saves a night in a hotel. On the down site: the governments have to contribute big bucks to keep this running.
Excellent and if you are wondering it does stop at Würzburg Hbf 2.58 from Frankfurt Am Main Süd. Oddly Nightjet can stop at Aschaffenburg Hbf 2.18 since all Nightjet trains run Main Spessart Bahn Aschaffenburg-Lohr section.
@18:17 I am not surprised. I live in Frankfurt and have taken some night trains, in a few times also the Nightjet. The Nightjet Amsterdam-Zürich and the other way around stops in the middle of the night in Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof and stays there for half an hour at least. During that half hour beggars from the surrounding neighbourhood (the worst in Frankfurt) come on board of the train to ask money from passengers in the sitting area, however, you can easily get from there into the sleeping area with nothing stopping you. I am quite sure some of these try it and if they see a wallet in a compartment that is unlocked they would grab their chance. It is a bit of a shame as you pay good money for a ticket, also from a safety point of view. A simple precaution would be to lock the access to the sleeping wagons between 11 pm and 6 am. Deutsche Bahn should however also take better care of their stations (especially Frankfurt), I have told Deutsche Bahn many times that they have to do something about all the thieves, pickpockets, beggars and con men that are hanging around and in the trains at FFM Hbf. and bothering passengers. I understand during the day that is virtually impossible but at nigh they can close all access except one and refuse entry to people coming without valid ticket. Or the rail staff could check people before they enter the train o platform, given that FFM is a dead-end station that is fairly easy as people can approach the train from only one direction.
Always keep your door locked, and also keep valuables out of site. Having your wallet or a phone on a table in clear view is a big no no. Keep them in a bag above the door or on a top bunk, no one can see them from outside then.
You should try the new Snälltåget night train service that runs Stockholm-Malmö-Copenhagen-Hamburg-Berlin some day. They also have day and night trains within Sweden aswell.
Sorry to hear that you became a victim of these thieves! My sister once travelled at night in a seating car and when she fell asleep someone stole her notebook from her bag. She somehow noticed it, ran after the guy in the train and got it back! He didn't put up a fight. But it was quite terrifying for her - and I remember her not wanting to travel at night alone anymore. I have personally never had such an incident myself and I am perhaps also quite naive and often leave valuables unattended...
My standard American practice is if I leave my roomette for any reason, perhaps except for taking a shower, I bring my wallet and phone with me. Although to be fair, American sleeping cars have so many signs and warnings that it’s unlikely a pickpocket can sneak it, unless they’re fellow sleeper passengers (which wouldn’t make sense if the ticket is hundreds of dollars).
When my brother and I took the night train between saragans and vienna 2 years ago, there was a girl in the same room that also got her wallet and cellphone stolen.
The Dutch travel by train a lot. There are great ways to save money on your fares (Within NL) 40% discount and for a € 15 more on your discountcard you get 25% discount abroad. Fun fact back in 2017 there were ÖBB carriages on the IC connection to Brussels.
To clarify: the 40% discount requires a personalized OV Chipkaart, which in turn requires a Dutch bank account. So it is really only available to Dutch residents.
So sorry you were robbed. When we did Cologne-Innsbruck on the NightJet back in January 2020, the sleeping compartments locked automatically so you had to take the keycard with you when you went to the loo. We just missed out on travelling on the inaugural NightJet service from Innsbruck to Brussels (if only we'd known!); I gather the service was suspended because of the pandemic, so I'm really glad to see it's back. If we are ever allowed to leave the country again (or any other country will let us in!), which seems problematical, I'd love to do that trip!
Reasons for the engine changes: Köln West NS 193 -> ÖBB 1116: On days where NJ 50490/425 to/from Bruxelles is running, there is no need for a NS locomotive anymore because there is an ÖBB 1116 from/to Aachen. It wouldn't make any sense to change this on the other days because then you suddenly need a second Vectron. Nürnberg ÖBB 1116 -> ÖBB 1116: There is some shunting going on in Nürnberg to split and rearrange the nightjets coming from Hamburg and Bruxelles/Amsterdam to get them to Wien or Innsbruck. I wouldn't consider this an engine change per se. Always remember that only very few NJ trains run every wagon from start to finish (only one that comes to my mind is NJ 446/447 Wien-Bregenz).
Great video ! Very sorry about your wallet and the wasted time due to the fare jumper (was he arrested ?) and the technical problems. Who needs to spend time at the end of a long train journey to talk to the police ? But it sounds like you had a good trip despite all these mishaps. I am amazed by the size, beauty and efficiency of the new Vienna Hauptbahnhof, the existence of which I was unaware. The last time I arrived in Vienna by train was at the old Westbahnhof, nice enough but not in the same class as the new Hauptbahnhof.
That was a great trip report. Sorry about the loss of your wallet. I really like where you showed the "train consist" excellent... Happy that the service is that popular already...:):):)
I always wanted to take a train 🚆 ride where u sleep and eat and make a stop u can get off the train and explore the town for a little while. Baltimore MD 🙏. God bless u and your brother always and be safe and careful
Well, I have good news for u! Some long-distance trains with sleeper accommodations that stop in Baltimore include the Cardinal, Northeast Regional, Crescent, Silver Star, and Silver Meteor!
Day trains: That’s why I take big luggage to a resto car, or chain it on with a such a very big chain log.. Taking a bag = not suspicious, cutting a chain is !! And to the resto car between 2 stations, and to some nice, elderly people to mind it a bit. At night, chain it as well, IPhone under you, but you can close the door !
These are only really running in the Vienna area (and some in Vorarlberg, but not 100% sure.) Technically they were wearing the old CityShuttle livery for most of the time, but in recent times they got the "Cityjet" upgrade, where they get the new paint scheme, new seats and WIFI included.
By way of comparison, California in the United States of America is longer than your trip from Amsterdam to Vienna--770 miles / 1,240 km. And that's just one state (albeit one of the largest). Going from San Diego in the south to Yreka near the Oregon border would be mostly by Greyhound bus and would take about 22 hours. You could go by train from San Diego to LA, change trains, then to Dunsmuir near the Oregon border. See Amtrak for the schedule. The train from LA has sleeper cars with a variety of accommodations similar to what you describe here.
I did some filming at Amsterdam back in 2014. It's a great station with a lot of interesting trains. I did see a DB sleeper train, but unfortunately I didn't hit record on my camera so it didn't make it into the video.
Can you review the new nighttrain service between Sweden and Berlin through Denmark? Also, we recently got new Vectron locomotives in Denmark, probably the most beautiful (red) ones :)
@@philipbranco9568 Honestly, I don't get why Snälltåget (Swedish synonym for High Speed Train, the other being Höghastighetståg) just puts what the things they are on them like ”Loket" (the locomotive) all over their Siemens Vectrons or just the largest Swedish cities's names all over some of their passenger carriages.
200 km/h with a 14-car train. That's the power of these modern electric locomotives. I like it.
Compared to the oldest steam locomotives that could barely pull 2 small passenger carriages at 45 KM/H
6400 kW, 8300 HP. 👍
@@olasola1013 Well, 14 carriages probably is doable at 150 km/h with a powerful express steam loco.
@@karlosbricks2413 Yeah but like the 1850’s had probably most of the slowest locomotives you could think of
Still 14 hours for 1200 km is an average of 85 km/h..
Europe missed you Thibault, glad to have you back. As an Indian with a lot of train enthusiasm, especially the European ones, I used to thoroughly enjoy your reviews. Now that I live in France, and actually got to ride TGVs & TERs, my excitement for your videos is even more. Keep up the good work mate. ❤️
i have to say,I just came across this video and I saw the beautiful way you appreciate big and small things in life. you really inspired me thank you.
Brings back memories of crazy European weekend rail adventure I did back in 1987. Amsterdam- Koln - Hamburg - Munich - Innsbruck - Vienna - Venice - Milan - Geneva - Paris - Brussels - Amsterdam ( all between Friday 4p and Monday 8a)
I guess you were just switching trains and didn't to do much sightseeing. Do you care to tell something about your experience?
Great, thorough review. Took the trip myself with our family of five. LOVED IT. It's such a comfortable way to travel and wake up in a different country. A few days later we travelled onwards on the Vienna-Venice line, same great experience. Though a little less peaceful because it's a shorter trip. So none of the evening bliss, and breakfast is a packed lunch to enjoy on the Venitian canal banks. Unfortunately, a fellow passenger on that last leg was also robbed. Only downside I would say is that the bunks are extremely hard, to the point where my wife and I's sleep was very intermitted. We asked for extra pillows on the second leg, which helped a little bit. But even though the back was killing me in the morning, I still enjoyed it immensely. The staff on the train is extremely friendly! I would recommend to anyone even mildly considering it (I would just see about extra padding if your back no longer has the elasticity of youth :) )
OBB nailed it with their Nightjet. Difficult to make it better. Also, having young people on board shows night trains are in fact popular today! :)
or are they there for the crime and mischief?
Yeah, great for thieves
I hear the new rolling stock will make it better though.
Way back in 1971 I took a night train from Milan to Amsterdam. I think it was a couchette, but the compartment was configured so that the seats pulled together to make sleeping surfaces, so that several people could sleep on what became a wall-to-wall mattress. Quite the adventure! Plus, in those days, you had to stop at every border for a passport check. Not too much sleeping going on. It looks like things are much more civilized now.
This sounds like the coach cars on the nightjet. There there are 6 seats in it and you can make 3 beads out of them.
Awww, the good old days are missed though.
@@Kullioking Is that what they call the seat car in the video? so it is actually possible to sleep there as long as it is not too busy
I think they occasionally are still checking some passports/ ID card (you can travel with just your ID card in the EU)
Hurrah for Schengen!
So I live in Britain and thought to myself that I'd like a proper holiday come November (the month I was born in) and looked up the prices after I found out about the route from Brussels to Vienna.
The result was £125 each way just for myself. £24 down to London, £50 to Brussels, £51to Vienna via Couchette. So if you do book enough in advance you can get the cost of the trip down quite a bit.
Really though it'll be best to wait until next year when Nightjet introduce their new carriages, which firstly look really nice and secondly seem to make better use of the space, making them feel more roomy even if they are technically the same size. Also it seems the new coaches will be level boarding to help with disabled access.
Honestly once they are in and working them it'll be so nice.
Now if only we can get sleeper trains through the channel tunnel, London to the south of France(Toulouse, Montpellier, Marseille), or even further come the completion of the rail connection between France and Spain, meaning a London to Barcelona trip wouldn't be out of the question.
And in todays world where people can do a lot of work via the internet, getting to places in a short amount of time for business reasons don't really apply much more. So hopefully we can have a full modal shift to trains for all trips throughout Europe that aren't to islands or exceedingly difficult places to get to otherwise.
The Channel Tunnel is difficult because of its security requirements for trains. DB had plans for ICE's to London at some point but ended up scrapping those.
Yeah I saw an article about it, in the summer there are eurostar trains frol marseille to london, but the stations on those lines don't get serviced by british trains often, so there's no place for borderchecks, so everyone and their lugage needs to dissembark at lille europe, imagine doing that eaely in the morning... otherwise it would be great
Absolutely correct but you're going to run across into a problem it's the electric locomotive having duplicated electric systems which is a requirement for the channel tunnel therefore it must resemble a Class 92. If this were to happen Class 92 London St Pancras to Calais-Fréthun where the SNCB HLE18 runs Calais-Fréthun Lille Mourscron Brussels Midi Liège Aachen however if ÖBB1293 173-200 was assigned Then locomotive swap Liège Gullemins HLE18 to ÖBB1293 173-200
But new Nightjet carriages are to be deployed on ÖBB’s routes to Italy. You have to wait some more years for the Netherlands and Germany routes to get them. In the meantime ÖBB are going to refurbish these ex-DB carriages.
@@flp322 I don’t thInk you really need to integrate that line. You can just transfer over in Paris or Brussels, and that should do thE trick fine.
That said, a true Orient Express London to Istanbul would be fun.
#simplyrailway it was shocking to hear about your wallet getting stolen onboard a premium European overnight train. This goes to show that these sort of things happen in all countries. The video coverage was exceptional as it always is. Thanks for making this and even covering the bad bits like the theft and the delays. Unbiased transparent filming which is what we look forward to.
yes me too!
Some more detail about the engines: the NS Vectron does Amsterdam-Cologne and then takes the Nightjet in the other direction back to NL. At Cologne, the train is joined to the part from Brussels, which has an ÖBB loco on it (from Aachen on, where the loco change with the Belgian railways takes place). Then the parts to Innsbruck and Vienna are split and joint at Nürnberg. Here the ÖBB loco continues to Vienna, while the DB loco from Hamburg takes the Innsbruck part of the train to Munich, where the train reverses and is taken to Innsbruck by another ÖBB loco. So you should have had only one change of loco in Cologne although the carriages were rearranged in Nürnberg.
Another excellent review and thank you for presenting the journey in such a professional (as always) manner. Sorry about the 'wallet incident' which although costly and unfortunate to you, is a good note of caution to other travellers. The NightJet service and network is really superb and always up to OBB standard. The only thing missing for me is a Restaurant Car for a convivial meal with fellow diners, and a glass of Vino-Collapso before bed. Bon nuit. 🤓
If you think Matzleinsdorf is interesting, then next time stay awake until Frankfurt am Main Hbf. As a kid, I was mesmerized by the sheer endless number of tracks, signals and locomotives there. Even by night it's a treat for any railfan.
Regarding the engine: They change them when the trains meet up - so the same train that goes to Amsterdam meets with the one that goes to Vienna, and the NS locomotive gets switched with the OBB one so both engines don't go further than 500 km away from their own country. This is the reason why, and in any case if OBB is not giving the Taurus, the locomotive that changes is "local" in a radius of 500 km. That way the NS Vectron does a back and forth with the NJ all the time. Economy and streamlined sustainability. Omg the stealing in night trains still happen...what the fuck :))) I thought this was in the past...AND EVEN IN GOOD ECONOMY AREA OF THE CONTINENT AS WELL...
Partly, but it's also caused by the fact that the Austrian tauruses cannot go into the Netherlands (no 1500V support).
To be able to run the whole way with a single engine, they'd need a second Netherlands-compatible locomotive. Right now they have two, one of which is a spare.
@@nanderv Yes but it doesn't matter what OBB has or not, the NS has the capacity to get to Vienna, and so why the loco change? At the first glance, it would appear right to just weld the locomotive to the train on all runs, but that's not what happens :)) A Vectron could do both runs without a change, but it s about the return journey which has to be cut short for regional depot reasons
@@heiderichvladimir7341 NS doesn't have enough of them to reliably run both directions each night.
@@heiderichvladimir7341 As the trains are rearranged/recombined two times with the parts from Brussels and Hamburg and losing the part to Innsbruck they have to uncouple the locos anyways. I guess they even use the Taurus/Vectron locos for shunting in the process (as additional shunting locos would drive up cost).
The ÖBB Taurus could be the one coming from Hamburg.
@@nanderv ÖBB1293 173-200 have 1.5kv DC ATB EG NG TBL Memor II Infrabel Belgium 3kv DC in addition to 25kv 50hz former Czechoslovakia Eastern Europe Germany Austria 1.95m pantographs Sifa PZB LZB 15kv 16.7hz ETCS. The Taurus locomotive should be the Aachen Hbf Wien Trip or EN490 Hamburg Wien Hbf with Laaers 560s. Aachen Hbf is 15kv 16.7hz 3kv DC Belgium voltage change
The scenery reminded me of how badly I need another trip to Europe. :-D
Me too. And I live in the Netherlands.
@@Ozymandias1 I've become good at embarrassing myself as an American tourist on Deutsche Bahn.
What's amazing to me about nightjet is that while all the other train services think it's not worth it, they make it worth. And not only do they make it work in the small Austrian and close border region market but all across European countries. And then they still offer regional brands on board. Rauch, red bull, voslauer, etc. Think about the logistics!
There might be a few reasons why they are switching engines along the way.
1, an NS driver is needed to drive the locomotive, meaning that train needs to be switched at the border to a german (DB) locomotive with a german driver.
2, NS might not be permitted to cross the border do to specific aproovels of the trains and the one who drives them.
3, the locomotive itself does not run on the same current as the railway supports, though that the Siemens vectron runs on both 25kv and 15kv, so that should not be a problem.
The locomotives used on this train:
NS Vectron MS from Amsterdam to Köln West
SNCB 18 from Brussels to Aachen
ÖBB 1116 from Aachen via Köln West (taking over from the NS Vectron) and Nürnberg to Wien
1116 from Hamburg via Nürnberg to Innsbruck
The coach sections:
Amsterdam to Wien
Amsterdam to Innsbruck
Brussels to Wien
Hamburg to Innsbruck
Hamburg to Wien
In Köln West the Belgian section (when it runs, not every day of the week) is combined with the train from Amsterdam.
In Nürnberg the trains from Brussels/Amsterdam and Hamburg are split up and recombined to run to Innsbruck and Wien.
Over the past 7 decades, I did visit every single country in Europe. Most by Car,however,some by train and boat. Lived 10 years on the Balkan plus 6 year on the Balkan Capital, Vienna. :-)
sorry but you are geographically wrong
@@40zerozero Correct me if I am qrong. Allways willing to learn. :-)
can't wait to get on another NightJet as soon as possible, they're great!
Thank you again for your excellent production and attention to detail. I feel as though I had made this trip with you by my side.
You guys are brilliant, such good travel videos.
The new refurbished virm you saw at eindhoven is actually refurbished from a newer generation, at the moment of writing there are only 2 sets refurbished of this generation. It has way better seats and usb-ports in comparison to the refurbished virm you reviewed. So would be cool if you can make a vid about it in the future
i do actually prefer the first set of refurbished virmm trains because they have standing toilets
@@Zoldergamer yeah iknow but the seats in the newer refurbished generation are way better and i rather charge my phone than having to use an urinal
They are very good compared to the VIRM trains. I like VIRM too though
You look so happy to be reunited with Benjamin! Great report💕
And to be back in civilisation.
Unfortunately, the plague of the previously already known gangs of thieves on the night trains is back. While on the night trains a part of the gang mostly steal from passengers in seat compartments, others check every door of the sleeping compartments and wherever an opportunity arises they steal anything that is not nailed down. Thefts are also increasingly reported on the day trains. As soon as the train stops in a station, the thieves grab some piece of luggage from the shelf and disappear from the train.
Sorry you became a victim, Heinz
If you're sitting where you face somebody else, alone, with a table, I recommend not putting your luggage for 1 person up on the shelves, and rather under the table where it's a bit safer and takes more time for the thief to grab it.
Probably the person or people without tickets
It is a reason why I hesitate to take a nightrains. You can never leave your luggage behind if you like for example to use the restaurant or go to the toilet. I never understand why there isn't a seperat wagon for luggage like you have in airplanes or ability to lock your sleeping cabin. Together with visibable security personal and cameras would make it more interesting and saver. I interrailed a lot in the eighties and ninethies and I am now in an age that a romantic train drive with wine and dine city trips, would be very attractive. You see so much more with the train compared to the airplane.
@@ronnie9187 I can't even travel internationally by train cause there won't be any trains running to/from my neighbouring country this summer, and no way I’m randomly going to Denmark
THIS is the very reason I stopped taking night trains in Europe. Thieves are always on these trains, and in the end, the cost of flying is cheaper and way safer.
Thanks for this as most of australia is locked down- lovely to see this wonderful train!
A few years back, I had to opt from Amsterdam to Vienna either by train ro by Euro-Line Bus. It selected bus as it was cheaper (99 Euro) when compared with train that cost 150 Euro. But bus took 18 hours
5:20 Nice pic of you and your brother!!!
Great video thanks. Robbery on night trains is clearly still a problem. Happens on day trains too but far less. A few years ago while on an organised rail tour to Italy, there were gangs of thieves on the platform at Milano Centrale trying to steal our luggage from the racks by the doors of each carriage. We had to stand guard over the luggage until the train left for Basel. I'm not sure my back would be able to cope with the couchettes - look so hard. I think I'd have to pay extra for the better compartments (as you wanted to).
Robbery: taking property unlawfully from a person or place BY FORCE or THREAT OF FORCE
Trains in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Hungary, Poland and across Europe have been serving European countries for decades and centuries. When the railways were first built in Europe. Connection every country and city. Even connecting the UK when the Channel Tunnel rail line was built.
Damn, sorry to hear about the robbery. That must’ve ruined the trip. Great video nonetheless!
Robbery? They weren’t threatened or attacked
@@mstrmren what happened was he robbed or attacked?
@@evanmcdonald8057 No, someone stole his wallet
@@evanmcdonald8057 Around the 18 minute mark he explains.
@@mstrmren No, but If i were traveling from country to country and my wallet was stolen I’d be stressed out and worried for the rest of the trip for sure.
I used to ride this train (well, the predecessor, Donauwaltzer EuroNight) in the late 1990s. It seems that sometimes the wheel IS reinvented.
i see enough to want to do this trip some day, soon! Thank You for sharing your experience. Of the few interesting cities I have travelled to so far, Venice, Aachen, and Amsterdam are my top three!
I’m in…
You saw a 1300. The 1304 and 1315 are owned by foundations (Fairtrains and werkgroep loc 1501) who preserve old trains. Like a museum. But they also rent out the locomotives now and than. They also need money...
Greetings from Austria :) I life in a small town near Vienna. I have my wallet always under my clothes - andy my stuff is locked in the suitcase. I can only sleep on the lower bed. Before Covid, I booked always a bed in the couchette - always the mixed one - I meet very nice people - most of them are men. I never booked a women only room, because the most women use a lot of perfume and i hat this kind of smell. .
Nice trip report.
Nice video. My wife and I wants to travel with the nightjet too, thanks your video. It looks a nice and convience way to travel because we lives in the Netherlands, Nijmegen.
Sorry to hear about the wallet incident. Great video! Thank you for sharing your train reviews and filming.
Great to "travell"with you and Benjamin once again I commented on your trip to ski country.previously..
Thanks to both of you for inviting me.
This must be so much fun for you.
So sorry to hear about your wallet but thank you for the video. Fab journey. Next year I hope to do St. Pancras - Amsterdam (Eurostar) then Amsterdam - Vienna (nightjet). 😃
Amazing how quiet the couchette cars are. After all the rattles of Amtrak that would be a bonus. Shame about the wallet, but a good tip now for travellers like me.
Malaysian trains are very rattly like Amtrak trains. Luckily they got rid of the problem in the electric trains.
i really loved amsterdam
My first experience with train travel was from Amsterdam central. What an awesome station. Nice trip for you brothers. Peace.
@Simply Railways i saw at 14:50 a modernised Arriva GTW for the North part of the Netherlands
I'm waiting for the special train from Stockholm to Athens
Great to see you guys on a NightJet service again especially now that the Netherlands and Belgium have been added to the network. With some more strategic planning and considering how travelling by train might look in the future, the Austrian railways are on a winner here. A combination of connecting some of Europe's major cities at a reasonable cost structure and a decent departure/arrival schedule will see these trains always booked out and in very high demand even more so when the world opens up to travel again hopefully in the not to distant future. As a seasoned Europe train traveller I always used these services as much as I could. Excellent channel, keep up the good work and look forward to many more reviews especially in some counties that you've yet to explore.
NS made the right decision with the Vectrons - they're the main locos for the new generation of Railjet/nightjet, that's why their front of thefirst car is in the Vectron design (while the first generation Railjet is designed after the 1116 Taurus)
Vienna becoming the centre for night train caused quite a funny conundrum for tourism planning. I was juggling travelling 4 hours on a fast train or travelling 2-3 hours to Vienna then swap to sleeping train and wake up the next day with the Eurail pass. The fast train option might sound better, but because you sleep on the train you can save on hotel fees. Not to mention cities at night for older tourists don't offer much options as it is more dangerous, it might get cold and places they like to go like parks, monuments and museums are all closed. That being said, older tourists also might not sleep well on night trains.
Vive les trains couchettes, partout et à travers toute l'Europe. Merci.
California should really have a nightjet-like service from SF to LA. We already have Chargers/Venture trainsets being built in the state. We just need to get Siemens to put beds into them. The hard part would be negotiating with Union Pacific to get more track rights.
Bellos paisajes, bellos lugares. Gracias por ese viaje, desde Argentina 🇦🇷
Attendant should warn about the ongoing theft. We traveled 2018 Budapest-Munich via Wien on the Hungarian (Malev I think) sleeper train and the attendant warned everybody to lock the doors and not open to anyone but him.
Here in Indonesia we have cctv installed in each car. moreover, there is a security officer in each train trip to ensure the safety of our trip.
So, Didn't they isntalled cctv on nighjet cars?
Wow, slick train
🇳🇱 WELCOME TO AUSTRIA!! 🇦🇹😊
The Taurus actually hauled your train already from Köln West, to where it arrived from Aachen with the Brussels portion of the Nightjet. The NS Vectron only hauls until that stop, and waits there for a return train to the Netherlands.
The Vienna - Paris service will be launched in December, and there will be a new Amsterdam - Zürich train with the rented RDC sleeping cars as well.
For your question at 16:31, it might be because of the change in countries while travelling from Amsterdam to Vienna. My GUESS is that for some trains, the Locomotive might be required to provide services upto the Bordertowns only.
i used to get an overcrowded overnight train under German Railway brand from Amsterdam to Munich in 2016. they decided toend that service afterwards. another introduction of overnight train from Netherlands by austrian Railways.
DB (Deutsche Bahn) was really stupid with their night trains. They used 40 year old coaches not or not recently refurbished and complained they didn't make any money. ÖBB then bought the cars, refurbished them and is now making money with them. DB now says they'll cooperate with ÖBB for night train services through Germany. Not sure what exactly that includes.
@@kaku_96 and still exchange the locos at the border like Passau - swap a Taurus with BR 101
I did not travel outside Austria on a bunk bed so far, but IN Austria, your bed is made ready for you.
What a lovely train and trip!
Sorry about the robbery. Still I wanted to make some small notes: at 3:45, the name of the *coaches* is ICR(m), the locomotive's type name is TRAXX (you probably know it?). At 5:05, yes NS currently has only 2, but more are planned to replace 1700/1800 locomotives. Anyway, great video :)
Greetings from Miliana Algeria
Thanks for your enthousiasm in the nice videos you make. They are also very informative!!!
There's an ÖBB1293 Vectron painted in Nightjet paint scheme 1293 200 which has ATB EG NG installed perfectly suited for this route. Otherwise NS1600 family Amsterdam Utrecht CS then ÖBB1293 200 Utrecht Arnhem Duisburg Wien Hbf. During the evening run your train runs the entire Main Spessart Bahn towards Lohr where it joins Schnellfahrstrecke Hannover Würzburg. In terms Of service does this beat an Amtrak Viewliner coach or not? Locomotive change is at Köln Hbf or Duisburg Hbf. Hamburg Altona Wien Train is EN490/491 with Car Transporters if needed. The Brussels Train uses the entire Schnellfahrstrecke Köln-Aachen. The ÖBB1116 DB BR182 is with the train since Köln Hbf
next month I am heading to Germany to try the night jet. so happy with this video. it gives a good vision on what you can expect. I am going to see if I can upgrade to a private cabin.
I love Vienna Hbf and took a train from there to Ulm Hbf, first class of course, where I changed to a local train, bound for Basel.
The ŐBB train was clean, very comfortable, and modern; it alerted you to where you were, the next stopping station and one which platform you would arrive. Mainland European trains are the best!
German, Austin and Swiss are fabulous.
Alway Brilliant Presentation.. Thank you very much for your Time.. ❤️
One of the reasons is, that the Vectron cannot reach speeds higher than 160 km/h and the schedule in German and Austria is made with speeds around 200 km/h.
Nice trip report, but very sad being robbed. Hope you got your wallet very soon. About the train’s route: at your moment of recording, the train was diverted on a few parts of the journey. The usual route after Utrecht Centraal is via Arnhem, Düsseldorf, Cologne and Bonn. Due to engineering works on that route, the train is diverted via ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Eindhoven and Venlo. All in all: another perfect trip report👍💯🚂
Rumors say that trains also run on the dayligth.
We do have night service trains in The Netherlands, but only nationally, not internationally. Only during covid (more than a year) they were canceled. They just started again in June. This video brought back memories of my holidays by train to Switzerland (about fl. 650, transfer in Basel, Brig and Visp), Austria (about fl.400, transfer in Jenbach) and France (about fl.550, transfer in Paris including a metro trip from Gare du Nord to Gare Montparnasse, and a transfer at Angoulême) in the 20th century. I used to take the train because it was easier and cheaper than flying. And I live close to Schiphol Airport. But with the budget carriers nowadays, the train often loses on price (not on quality). But God was it a long journey every time, international trains were so slow back then. Waits at the German border at Emmerich often took more than half an hour. At Roosendaal near the border with Belgium also. They had to change locomotives, which took an enormous amount of time. But that is mostly not the case anymore. Good to know that the €150 per person for this trip comes close to an airline ticket, including the transfer from the airport to the city. Most major train stations are located in the city center and you hardly need a transfer to your hotel if you book it close to the station. So this is a competitive price. The improvement is great.
I thought that the Netherlands used the Euro as currency. Why are you quoting prices in Dutch guilders?
@@petermolloy6142 Very simple reason. I remembered the train journeys I took in the past. I literally wrote: this video brought back memories of my holidays by train … I bought the tickets in the time we still had the Dutch Guilder.
Are there no security cameras on-board in each car? This should be an absolute must these days. I hope the situation can be resolved. Love the video.👍
Current cars do not have security cameras unfortunately
@@TeamWolfmountain thats good. What the heck does a seciroty camera contribute?!
@@johndoe1909 well its more that people arent likely to steal when they are on camera. In the sleeping cabins cameras shouldnt be used
no. in the new generation of trains there will be cameras outside of the rooms
So sad that somebody would rob on a train like this!! The service and train itself looks amazing and very very smooth. Even the food and drinks looked nice even if they were average fare.
Great job guys and fantastic to have you back in Europe. Welcome home 😊👋👍
Went on this service to Munich in a sleeper. In my case, the carriage lost most of its power for a while - same NS Vectron in fact - until they shut the engine down and restarted it. We also arrived 75 minutes late and I am currently waiting for my compensation from ÖBB.
It wasn't too bad otherwise. Nice breakfast.
Tip:the locomotive is from Germany, if you go from Berlin till Poland, theres a chance you might see these
I used this train last month, from Arnhem (20.45) to Passau (6.15) and slept through the whole trip. It's really the fastest way to travel ;-) Your ticket is not cheap but saves a night in a hotel. On the down site: the governments have to contribute big bucks to keep this running.
Is that bigger bucks than the 0% VAT on airplane tickets, and numerous investments and capital injections in airlines?
Excellent and if you are wondering it does stop at Würzburg Hbf 2.58 from Frankfurt Am Main Süd. Oddly Nightjet can stop at Aschaffenburg Hbf 2.18 since all Nightjet trains run Main Spessart Bahn Aschaffenburg-Lohr section.
16:20 In Köln is a locomotivechange
@18:17 I am not surprised. I live in Frankfurt and have taken some night trains, in a few times also the Nightjet. The Nightjet Amsterdam-Zürich and the other way around stops in the middle of the night in Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof and stays there for half an hour at least. During that half hour beggars from the surrounding neighbourhood (the worst in Frankfurt) come on board of the train to ask money from passengers in the sitting area, however, you can easily get from there into the sleeping area with nothing stopping you. I am quite sure some of these try it and if they see a wallet in a compartment that is unlocked they would grab their chance.
It is a bit of a shame as you pay good money for a ticket, also from a safety point of view. A simple precaution would be to lock the access to the sleeping wagons between 11 pm and 6 am.
Deutsche Bahn should however also take better care of their stations (especially Frankfurt), I have told Deutsche Bahn many times that they have to do something about all the thieves, pickpockets, beggars and con men that are hanging around and in the trains at FFM Hbf. and bothering passengers. I understand during the day that is virtually impossible but at nigh they can close all access except one and refuse entry to people coming without valid ticket. Or the rail staff could check people before they enter the train o platform, given that FFM is a dead-end station that is fairly easy as people can approach the train from only one direction.
Always keep your door locked, and also keep valuables out of site. Having your wallet or a phone on a table in clear view is a big no no. Keep them in a bag above the door or on a top bunk, no one can see them from outside then.
2:48 💕 your lines specially diversity & connectivity about European train very true
You should try the new Snälltåget night train service that runs Stockholm-Malmö-Copenhagen-Hamburg-Berlin some day. They also have day and night trains within Sweden aswell.
Sorry to hear that you became a victim of these thieves! My sister once travelled at night in a seating car and when she fell asleep someone stole her notebook from her bag. She somehow noticed it, ran after the guy in the train and got it back! He didn't put up a fight. But it was quite terrifying for her - and I remember her not wanting to travel at night alone anymore. I have personally never had such an incident myself and I am perhaps also quite naive and often leave valuables unattended...
that is why people use cars instead.
@@nikoleigraham8747 Because nothing was ever stolen from a car. Ever.
@@melodicseaweed387 So we should all embrace communism and travel only by train?
@@nikoleigraham8747 lmao... Communism 😂😂😂
@@kelvinnana205 Don't laugh, air travel is communism too! Damn those manipulators brainwashing us.
The nightjet train looks very good!
These VIRMm trains are the renovated ones. 14:10
The train set at 3:15 is the one which our Transport of NSW has ordered. But TfNSW's order is for the DMU.
My standard American practice is if I leave my roomette for any reason, perhaps except for taking a shower, I bring my wallet and phone with me. Although to be fair, American sleeping cars have so many signs and warnings that it’s unlikely a pickpocket can sneak it, unless they’re fellow sleeper passengers (which wouldn’t make sense if the ticket is hundreds of dollars).
American trains have nearly a zero theft problem. It's just not an issue
When my brother and I took the night train between saragans and vienna 2 years ago, there was a girl in the same room that also got her wallet and cellphone stolen.
where is saragans
@@julianpotentate5942 eastern switzerland close to Lichtenstein
@@Wolfgangtailchase This is called Sargans. You added an "a".
Auto correct 😡
Maybe it was your brother :P
The Dutch travel by train a lot. There are great ways to save money on your fares (Within NL) 40% discount and for a € 15 more on your discountcard you get 25% discount abroad. Fun fact back in 2017 there were ÖBB carriages on the IC connection to Brussels.
To clarify: the 40% discount requires a personalized OV Chipkaart, which in turn requires a Dutch bank account. So it is really only available to Dutch residents.
You are sooo lucky! Great work, guys.
Enjoy seeing you on camera! Want to ride NightJet - some day…
So sorry you were robbed. When we did Cologne-Innsbruck on the NightJet back in January 2020, the sleeping compartments locked automatically so you had to take the keycard with you when you went to the loo. We just missed out on travelling on the inaugural NightJet service from Innsbruck to Brussels (if only we'd known!); I gather the service was suspended because of the pandemic, so I'm really glad to see it's back. If we are ever allowed to leave the country again (or any other country will let us in!), which seems problematical, I'd love to do that trip!
Reasons for the engine changes:
Köln West NS 193 -> ÖBB 1116: On days where NJ 50490/425 to/from Bruxelles is running, there is no need for a NS locomotive anymore because there is an ÖBB 1116 from/to Aachen. It wouldn't make any sense to change this on the other days because then you suddenly need a second Vectron.
Nürnberg ÖBB 1116 -> ÖBB 1116: There is some shunting going on in Nürnberg to split and rearrange the nightjets coming from Hamburg and Bruxelles/Amsterdam to get them to Wien or Innsbruck. I wouldn't consider this an engine change per se.
Always remember that only very few NJ trains run every wagon from start to finish (only one that comes to my mind is NJ 446/447 Wien-Bregenz).
hahhaha the youngins in the backround finishing the joint :D
Again great video makes me want to go train hopping once again james From Scotland
Great video ! Very sorry about your wallet and the wasted time due to the fare jumper (was he arrested ?) and the technical problems. Who needs to spend time at the end of a long train journey to talk to the police ? But it sounds like you had a good trip despite all these mishaps.
I am amazed by the size, beauty and efficiency of the new Vienna Hauptbahnhof, the existence of which I was unaware. The last time I arrived in Vienna by train was at the old Westbahnhof, nice enough but not in the same class as the new Hauptbahnhof.
You’re making me miss European night trains from over here in the UK ;-( Hopefully will be back soon!
11:38 my city, haha. Nice video man!
That was a great trip report. Sorry about the loss of your wallet. I really like where you showed the "train consist" excellent...
Happy that the service is that popular already...:):):)
I always wanted to take a train 🚆 ride where u sleep and eat and make a stop u can get off the train and explore the town for a little while. Baltimore MD 🙏. God bless u and your brother always and be safe and careful
Well, I have good news for u! Some long-distance trains with sleeper accommodations that stop in Baltimore include the Cardinal, Northeast Regional, Crescent, Silver Star, and Silver Meteor!
Day trains: That’s why I take big luggage to a resto car, or chain it on with a such a very big chain log.. Taking a bag = not suspicious, cutting a chain is !! And to the resto car between 2 stations, and to some nice, elderly people to mind it a bit.
At night, chain it as well, IPhone under you, but you can close the door !
24:26 pause if you look closely next to the nightjet coach. Then I can see a double decker city shuttle? Never seen it before :/
These are only really running in the Vienna area (and some in Vorarlberg, but not 100% sure.) Technically they were wearing the old CityShuttle livery for most of the time, but in recent times they got the "Cityjet" upgrade, where they get the new paint scheme, new seats and WIFI included.
By way of comparison, California in the United States of America is longer than your trip from Amsterdam to Vienna--770 miles / 1,240 km. And that's just one state (albeit one of the largest). Going from San Diego in the south to Yreka near the Oregon border would be mostly by Greyhound bus and would take about 22 hours. You could go by train from San Diego to LA, change trains, then to Dunsmuir near the Oregon border. See Amtrak for the schedule. The train from LA has sleeper cars with a variety of accommodations similar to what you describe here.
I did some filming at Amsterdam back in 2014. It's a great station with a lot of interesting trains. I did see a DB sleeper train, but unfortunately I didn't hit record on my camera so it didn't make it into the video.
Can you review the new nighttrain service between Sweden and Berlin through Denmark? Also, we recently got new Vectron locomotives in Denmark, probably the most beautiful (red) ones :)
In my opinion, the best Siemens vectron livery is probably Hector Rail or Green Cargo or the ČD one that they run on services to Berlin and Hamburg
I think the DB „Das ist Grün“ livery is the best
I believe that Thibault has already book the tickets for the Snalltaget.
@@philipbranco9568 Honestly, I don't get why Snälltåget (Swedish synonym for High Speed Train, the other being Höghastighetståg) just puts what the things they are on them like ”Loket" (the locomotive) all over their Siemens Vectrons or just the largest Swedish cities's names all over some of their passenger carriages.
On his twitter he said he's going to review the Snalltaget service.