No sleeping cabins, no dining car, broken toilets, mothers with children lying on the floor – the trip to Italy with the Nightjet became a horror trip for hundreds of travelers.
Viennese Peter G. and his wife actually wanted to enjoy an overnight trip to Livorno with some friends, so that they could get well rested on their “packed” bikes in Italy and start their two-week tour. But as soon as the booking was made, the passionate motorcyclists started to get annoyed.
Night trains “necessary for Paris and Amsterdam”
“To our surprise, we found that no sleeping cars were offered – they would be needed for the night trains to Paris and Amsterdam, as the ÖBB informed us,” the chairman of the BMW Club Vienna told the “Krone”. And so the four travelers had to back up and be content with a four-person compartment in the couchette car.
A couchette car for hundreds of passengers
When we arrived at Vienna’s main station in the evening, the following unpleasant surprise had already arrived: “There was exactly one couchette carriage in the entire train set – for a hundred travelers who had also booked a couchette compartment. You can imagine how ‘comfortable’ it was on the train. Some mothers lie on the floor with their children at night to sleep. It was horrible.” Food and refreshing drinks: None.
“There was no dining car because there was no sleeping car either, the ÖBB explained to us. And the few snacks that were taken were sold out in no time. Which, given that both toilets in our carriage were out of order, was an advantage,” said Peter G. sarcastically. After the nearly 13-hour odyssey, the motorcyclists finally arrived at their destination, Livorno. Restless and upset.
“The two-week motorcycle tour made up for all the annoyances, but then we’re back on our bikes in Austria. Apparently we had a premonition when planning our trip.”
Half of the costs were reimbursed
According to Peter G., ÖBB responded quickly to the written complaint and refunded half of the price. “At least that worked without any problems – although initially I only got a voucher for the next trip. But ÖBB won’t get me back on track anytime soon.”
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
