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Nightjet from Vienna

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We are planning a family trip to Austria in December, and were hoping to take a nightjet route from Vienna to Amsterdam to catch our return flight. It looks like the December+ routes have recently become available on the OBB website, but for whatever reason the one weekend we want to travel the nightjet routes are listed, but still showing "Ticket not available".

Does anyone have experience to know what this means? Do we just need to be more patient, or should we look at arranging alternate transportation? I'm comforted that the route is at least listed, but given that all of the other weekends have tickets available it makes me nervous to keep waiting while our other options may disappear during the wait time.

I know nobody will be able to give a completely accurate answer, but I'm curious if others have experience in this area that might be able to calm my travel planning anxiety!

Posted by
6360 posts

It will be easier to help you if you tell us when you are planning to travel.

Posted by
14507 posts

I put in a dummy date for Dec. The route on OeBB Nightjet is direct arriving at 09:59 in Amsterdam.. That is the route I would suggest. The other routes require transferring.

When I travel on Nightjet, I always take the direct connection unless the transfer is after 7 AM. but I have not done Vienna to Amsterdam, only Vienna to Berlin, changing in Hannover Hbf (a very good station to transfer) or Hamburg/Kiel.

Posted by
187 posts

Does anyone have experience to know what this means? Do we just need to be more patient, or should we look at arranging alternate transportation?

Don’t wait any more, I would assume it’s already full booked. In order to be sure just call OeBB customer service +43 5 1717-3
The train to Amsterdam has 2 possible starting points that merge in Nürnberg
1) Vienna via Linz and Passau
2) Innsbruck via Rosenheim and Munich
If the Vienna-train is already fully book you might try get a ticket from Rosenheim to Amsterdam (and of course a standard ticket Vienna-Rosenheim, that means you would need to depart in Vienna 2 or 3 hours earlier than with the direct train).

We did use the Night train this summer from Munich to Amsterdam. I shared a sleeper compartment with 3 beds (Triple) with my teenage kids. I slept reasonably well but it was really cramped.
We wanted to try it, while it was even a bit more expensive than flying.

Posted by
5 posts

Thanks - for more details we are looking at the weekend of December 17/18. The routes list "Tickets not available" but the banner message about not all routes being completely planned out yet made me wonder if that meant it's sold out, or if it could mean we just can't get tickets yet. Seemed odd that both days would immediately sell out after being published but maybe I'm being too optimistic.

Posted by
5 posts

As a follow-up... I did call OBB today and sure enough the route is booked. It's bizarre that the one weekend we want to travel is the only one booked all weekend, but I guess that's how it goes. Now we've got to figure out alternate transit - do we book a flight? Take a bus? Wait and see when German routes open up in October if there are more options?

The routes from Innsbruck are booked for that weekend too, so that was also a no-go. What a mess.

Posted by
14507 posts

For the night of 17/18 Dec, are you booking the direct connection Vienna (dep. a bit after 20:00 hrs) to Amsterdam, or do you want to transfer.? The ticket price will be more than 109 Euro.

Posted by
6360 posts

It's bizarre that the one weekend we want to travel is the only one
booked all weekend, but I guess that's how it goes.

It's not that bizarre in my opinion, it is close to Christmas so demand for travel will go up. Have you checked the Vienna to Brussels route?

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