European Sleeper Vs NightJet

[Class707SE]

Hi, I just wanted to get some advice and suggestions for a trip In taking in December with 2 friends.

We have booked the Eurostar to Amsterdam and we're thinking of taking either the European Sleeper to Prague or the NightJet to Vienna.

The European Sleeper looks a fair bit cheaper than the NightJet as far as I can see. I know there's a timetable change and that can affect things but it looked like I could still book the NightJet through NS or OBB. I presume the price is only likely to go up.

So is it best to pick one and book now? Or wait a few weeks when the timetable changes are confirmed.

Hope I put this in the right place.

 

[quantinghome]

I've not used Nightjet so can't comment.

I took the ES from Berlin to Brussels a couple of weeks ago. ES has earned something of a reputation for unreliability. On my trip it was 2 hours late leaving Berlin but arrived at Brussels bang on time. The compartment was perfectly comfortable although a bit tired.

 

[duesselmartin]

certainly when it comes to compensation, ÖBB NightJet are easier to deal with.

 

[rvdborgt]

So is it best to pick one and book now? Or wait a few weeks when the timetable changes are confirmed.

Sadly, timetables in Germany are only really confirmed about 2 weeks in advance, which is when DB Infrago have usually finished engineering works planning.

 

[doc7austin]

Mind you: the threshold of the train operator to completely CANCEL a night train is much lower with ÖBB Nightjet than with European Sleeper.
Although, ES is often massively delayed, they at least try to run the main overnight segment. ÖBB tends to cancel a train completely, when they sense any form of trouble.

 

[MattSGB]

I much prefer taking the NightJet myself, although I have only taken it in the direction of Amsterdam (a couple of times). I usually get anxious shortly before an ES journey, recalling bad journeys that I have had with them before. My track record with them has been one god-awful nightmare of a journey, two other downgraded journeys from sleeper to couchette, and two OK journeys in a private couchette. Most journeys encountered some form of delay, but I didn't really care about that. There have also been last-minute departure time changes to add a bit of unnecessary stress to my connection plans. The worst things about them are that when something does go wrong, their comms are dire, their staff make things worse, and getting compensation is a hassle. I usually find NightJet cheaper than a private compartment on ES, but that is probably because we travel as a couple and the new NightJet sleeper compartments sleep two, so you don't have to pay for an empty berth (unlike when using a 3-berth comfortline sleeper on the NJ Brussels to Vienna route). If you are travelling as three people, the new NightJet becomes less competitive compared to an ES private couchette. The morning scenery passing through Saxony does compensate somewhat for the ES "vintage" (translate as "clapped-out") carriages. It is such a beautiful stretch to wake up to between Dresden and Děčín. If you are somewhat lucky, then you won't regret travelling ES, if you are unlucky then you will regret it big time. Travelling as three people is probably the clincher to risk ES.

 

[AdamWW]

European Sleeper offers old fashioned opening windows. I don't know if the old NightJet coaches offer that. I'm sure the new ones don't.

 

[rvdborgt]

European Sleeper offers old fashioned opening windows. I don't know if the old NightJet coaches offer that. I'm sure the new ones don't.

AFAIK all Nightjet carriages have aircon, so windows can't normally be opened.

 

[AdamWW]

AFAIK all Nightjet carriages have aircon, so windows can't normally be opened.

That's what I'd expect. Though the European Sleeper 5 berth couchette I travelled in appeared to have both air conditioning and fully opening windows.

 

[Waterlooville]

The golden rule with ES is not to use it. We had an experience two years ago that was just beyond dire. I would never go near it again. All you need to do is google the reviews and read them online, all the information is there and in my view if using ES expect to not arrive at your destination at all.

 

[rvdborgt]

Although, ES is often massively delayed, they at least try to run the main overnight segment. ÖBB tends to cancel a train completely, when they sense any form of trouble.

Exactly, this is what I've seen multiple times. ES tend to run if at all possible and will maybe turn around early (and provide buses) if the delay is really enormous and would delay the return journey too much. ÖBB wil often cancel the train and also the return train the following day. A recent example was on 25/26 September, when Basel-Offenburg was blocked somewhere during the night.
25/9:
ES 400 Milan-Brussels ran the complete journey to Brussels, arriving with a bit over 3 hours delay.
NJ 402 Zurich-Amsterdam ran until Cologne, arrival 26/9 13:56 (normally 5:44).
NJ 470 Zurich-Hamburg ran until Karlsruhe, arrival 26/9 9:52 (normally 0:14)

26/9:
ES 401 Brussels-Milan left Brussels with 54 minutes delay. They turned the train around in 4.5 hours (this included running to and from Denderleeuw.)
NJ 471 Hamburg-Zurich was cancelled completely.
NJ 403 Amsterdam-Zurich ran from Cologne; from Amsterdam there was an extra ICE to Cologne in the NJ path.

I've only ever seen an extra train in the NJ path between Amsterdam and Cologne (and not always: cancellations also occur); in other cases, I've just seen NJ cancellations.

 

[gysev]

I used Nightjet in May (Brussels - Vienna and return) and European Sleeper two weeks ago (Brussels - Prague and return). Both times, I booked a compartment for 3 people. My impression:

- both trains were clean and comfortable without any technical issues
- ES left Brussels and Prague on time but got delayed during the trip - both arrivals were 2 hours late, partly because they seem to switch coaches en route in Mûnster and that always takes longer than planned
- NJ left Brussels 40 minutes late but arrived in Vienna on time. On the return, we left Vienna on time but arrived 3 hours late in Brussels because of signalling problems in Germany
- the staff on the ES was excellent, better than on NJ (mind you, based on my limited experience). You would expect that a steward on an Austrian international train would at least speak German and a bit of English, but that was limited to 10 words in German and about 5 in English...