Sleek new European sleep service with great ‘pod’ cabins for solo travelers launches – with one travel expert ‘more than happy’ with the ‘excellent privacy and comfort’

Austria’s new generation of Nightjet sleeper trains, with quirky ‘pod’ style cabins for solo travellers, has been launched to the paying public.

And the reviews are in, with one YouTuber declaring himself a “huge fan of this new innovation.”

Austrian national railway ÖBB unveiled the updated and redesigned Nightjet in October, as we reported, and the new trains went into service on Sunday, December 10.

The ‘ultra-modern’ solo cabins are equipped with a movable folding table with integrated mirror, coat hooks, a reading lamp and adjacent lockers for hand luggage and shoes.

YouTuber and travel expert Non-stop Euro trip traveled more than 1,000 km (621 miles) from Vienna to Hamburg, Germany in one of the new ‘pods’, calling it the ‘most innovative idea in sleeper trains in more than 100 years’.

Austria’s national railway company, ÖBB, unveiled the updated and redesigned Nightjet in October, as we reported, with the new trains entering service on Sunday, December 10. Above is a solo pod cabin

The image above shows how the new pod cabins are arranged throughout the carriage

YouTuber and travel expert Nonstop Eurotrip traveled over 1,000 km (621 miles) from Vienna to Hamburg, Germany, in one of the new ‘pods’ (left and right). He called it the “most innovative sleeper train idea in more than a hundred years.”

The YouTuber further said of the trip, “I’m a big fan of this new innovation. I was more than happy to spend the night in one of these pods with their excellent comfort and privacy.

‘It feels very spacious, as long as you are not too tall.

‘The mattress and pillow are both very comfortable.’

During the train’s inaugural journey, the Youtuber was only able to spot one minor drawback: he mused that the “doors don’t have a locked open position,” meaning that once inside, you can’t easily keep the door open.

In addition to the innovative solo pods, the new generation formations, 33 sets in total, consist of extensively redesigned sleeping cars that can accommodate one to two people and couchettes that can accommodate up to four people.

The pod cabin comes complete with lockers for hand luggage and a space for shoes

In addition to the innovative solo pods, the new generation formations, 33 sets in total, consist of extensively redesigned sleeping cars that can accommodate one to two people and couchettes that can accommodate up to four people.

The sleeping cars have their own bathroom – complete with shower – and a ‘comfortable’ seating area so that travelers can work, read or eat during the journey.

Each new Nightjet is also equipped with a ‘modern’ accessible couchette compartment, for use by up to two wheelchair users and an attendant. A barrier-free toilet is also accessible via a low floor entrance.

There are also more storage options: six bicycle sheds for cycling enthusiasts and more space for luggage, strollers and sports equipment.

The new generation trains have a capacity of 254 passengers in seven carriages consisting of two sitting carriages, three couchette carriages and two sleeping carriages.

One of the Nightjet’s most exciting journeys connects Vienna’s Hauptbahnhof station with Paris’s Gare de l’Est, a 14-hour journey.

Nightjet’s sleeping quarters have undergone an extensive redesign. Above you see the renovated couchette with four sleeping places

The redesigned sleeping cars feature a private bathroom – complete with shower – and a ‘comfortable’ seating area so travelers can work, read or eat during the journey

Leonore Gewessler, Austria’s Minister for Climate Action, said: ‘Traveling by train means protecting the climate. This especially applies to the night train.’

She said passengers can board in the evening in Vienna and wake up refreshed the next morning in another European metropolis.

Andreas Matthä, CEO of ÖBB, says: “We continue to consistently expand our night train fleet and will continue to play a pioneering role in night train traffic in Europe in the future. With our new, state-of-the-art Nightjets, we impress with greater comfort and privacy that are clearly focused on the needs of the passenger.”

Starting prices for ÖBB’s Nightjet sleeper trains: Seating – €34.90 (£29.99); couchette – €54.90 (£47.17); Sleeper double – €99.90 (£85.83); Sleeper single – €199 (£170.98). To book visit: www.oebb.at/en.

For more videos from Nonstop Eurotrip, visit www.youtube.com/@NonstopEurotrip.

The Nightjet Roadmap. Some destinations are reached using Nightjet’s partner rail system, ‘EuroNight Trains’