I also had a "fun" experience last week. My wife and I were going on honeymoon to Paris and decided to book a sleeper compartment on the Berlin-Paris train. A day before departure we got a mail from ÖBB saying that the train was "partially cancelled" between Berlin and Mannheim and that we had to take the late ICE and change at Mannheim at 03:44. We kept calling ÖBB customer service who told us to "talk to DB". We went to the customer center in Berlin, where the DB lady told us to take an earlier ICE to Mannheim so that we could arrive while the station was still staffed. I am happy I took this advice. On the way to Mannheim we got an update that the Nightjet was completely cancelled. Called ÖBB, who told us that was a lie and that we should still get on at 03:44, and that they would NOT refund if we booked a hotel or took a train in the morning. Talked to DB in Mannheim who said ÖBB was full of shit, and then gave us a free stay at a suite in Hilton Hotel. The next morning we took an ICE to Paris and saw the Nightjet... without our booked coach. For once DB actually helped us out.
2 main things to be improved here: - Multimodal Digital Mobility Services - already proposed law that requires transport companies and online platforms to interoperate. Would have at least solved your Eurostar ticket issue - better, proactive information policy. In this regard as well it is the EU's job to enforce better information sharing between operators. It can't be that DB, ÖBB and SNCF have different info - or that the people at the ticket counter know less than the InfraGO people. I was in a similar situation recently on an Italy-bound NJ and ÖBB blamed Trenitalia's bad information policy for not telling me that we wouldn't stop at Firenze S.M.N but instead at a different Firenze station.
It seems that some butts need a kicking. I hope that your calm and unemotional account of this appalling journey has some effect! Thanks also for sharing your journeys here. They are always both enjoyable and relaxing to watch.
About Deutsche Bahn is true! I'm a regular traveller Hannover - Berlin Airport ICE, and always goes something wrong. Train got cancelled, Train arrives to late (missing the connection), train stops without any warning in the middle, because of a infrastructure issues...Something is very wrong with Deutsche Bahn.
You'd better take a 60 minutes flight next time! In case of delays or denied boarding you'll have the EU261 law for compensation. By taking the train you're delivered to the Gods for any compensation. Usually hiding behind different state owned and private operators and infrastructure operators and denying any compensation. I once took a Thalys from Paris to Amsterdam which got stranded in Brussels. We were told to take the international intercity to Amsterdam but I had to pay again for the leg between Brussels and Amsterdam.
Had similar experience last year in Köln when the München portion of the NightJet got cancelled, and like in the video the station departure boards still showed the train as running and got the same shrugged shoulders for the staff at the information counter.
@@doc7austin no, again similar to you managed to get seats in the (Amsterdam-Innsbruck) portion of the train. Found out later that DB should have put us up in a hotel but this would have severely damaged our travel plans.
I've had a couple horrible train trips through Germany like this as well, where it just seems that everything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Usually weather related. At some point it gets so comical that you can only just sit back, laugh, and take your loss. With nightjet there's this modularity that any major issue in one train immediately has this snowball effect throughout the network. It's sad because it discourages people from night trains, but more customers would also mean more night trains, which would solve the issue.
The amount of nightmare stories I read abt NightJet is scary. N then they increase the prices drastically like they’ve done a successful pilot project. I’m like duuuude, get out of your Audi n check in with reality (pax n service crew), this is far from successful.
Oof, that's terrible. Hope ÖBB sorts it out better than that. You're right though, I can't imagine a family going through similar treatment. I got caught up in the GDL strike last November which canceled my Nightjet Linz - Hamburg a few hours before departure. I got an immediate refund and rebooked day trains via Vienna and Prague. Lost 36 hours and perhaps 200 euro, but could take my time as I was fortunately traveling alone and wasn't in a situation where I needed to get to Hamburg on a specific date.
I can completely understand your anger, as this seemed really bad! May your future journeys with the Nightjet - if you ever take one again - be better! Greetings from Switzerland!
Without a doubt, horror experience from start to finish! DB and Obb are providing an amator service at the moment! I would have to say that the only reliable night services are CD, PKP and Mav with excelent conditions and very rare situatians like this! Correct me if i’m wrong!
Oh n one more: based on what, oh do tell, do ÖBB increase the prices drastically if they’re so irresponsible and incompetent ruining hundreds of journeys weekly??
Your issue is with OBB and DB, not Eurostar, so don’t see why you would think you’d try to get a refund with ES as it wasn’t their fault, their train was on time and clearly no ticket acceptance between ES and OBB/DB. SNCF weren’t at fault either, so don’t see why they would have to be involved. OBB should have come up with a better contingency plan for the Cancellation of your service and how they plan to get passengers back to Brussels. It also wasn’t helped with DB staff not allowing passengers on board because they had to stand, such a weak excuse. Passengers stand on train services in a daily basis, so what’s so different with NJ. I think OBB must have told DB not to allow them on board. Just goes to show railways in Europe are just as bad as they are in the UK. All this talk of how good DB/SNCF/OBB are is rubbish.
Well, I am seeking a refund of the Eurostar fare from ÖBB, not Eurostar; Moreover, SNCF is the partial operator, they would have the power to issue a free boarding pass for the eurostar train;
Have to agree with doc on this one, rail companies work together through different countries and they could easily have let the passengers on and as a matter of good will seek reimbursement from obb themselves as companies can get their money back quicker than most fare paying passengers
@@johnmehaffey9953 oh I totally agree and think that’s what the EU would love to happen, but actually getting it is another matter, companies think of themselves and no other, similarly on the UK railway. OBB should have told DB, allowing Brussels pax onboard, regardless of having no seat/couchette/bed. At least then they’d got home at a reasonable hour
I was planning my first overnight train from Venice to Vienna. When the Nightjet arrived in Venice, they said they had no sleepers to Vienna. Everyone was upset. I jumped off in Venice Mestre because I'm not riding coach overnight. I felt sorry for the families who had booked sleepers. There were a lot of people upset on the platform in Venice. I got a full refund from OBB, but I still had to shell out money for the hotel in Venice Mestre. But you're right, the families with little kids were effected and I felt bad for them. I was traveling solo so I somewhat dealt with it.
The new Nightjet I was planning to take from Hamburg to Vienna in mid-December got cancelled after waiting for 2 hours at the railway station. So I called the ÖBB support line and they told me I could take an overnight ICE which would have departed at midnight and arrive in Vienna by 9 a.m. the next day (I thought to myself that I’m not delusional) and so I stayed a night longer in a cheap hotel and took the ICE next day in the morning. An entire month went by since applying for reimbursement by filling out a form and because they didn’t answer I had to take the matter to the apf (the Austrian agency for passengers‘ rights) and after a week the ÖBB replied saying they‘ll reimburse me for the Nightjet ticket, the hotel and the ICE reservation as well as an ÖBB voucher.
I should have done that ( gotten hotel reimbursement)....my train from Venice to Vienna came in to station with no sleepers to Vienna. I jumped off in Venice Mestre and got a hotel. OBB only gave me a voucher for the price of my sleeper.
Very very sad. In Europe the more ecological train travelling is propagated but instead of having some standart, as a concurrence to the flights, it's probably getting worse and worse.. And they wonder why people take the plane.
Don't take planes in Germany. That's a real hassle. Swiss lost my bag once. Lufthansa staff is always striking. Staff working for various German airports strike every few months.
I was just saying to my wife that the next time we visit Germany we’ll go by sleeper train and then this pops up for me to view, think I’ll fly instead not only is it far cheaper it’s also more reliable and better customer service especially as I’m from Ireland and fly Aer Lingus, and to get first of all to London and then onwards and from your experience nope I’ll chalk it off my to do list, great informative post
Maybe they should react to unforeseen circumstances like Amtrak in the U.S. does: if the train can't run on the scheduled route, just cancel the run entirely and let passengers fend for themselves.
Biggest problem is obviously the amount of nationalism still present within the different operating partners of an international train. A defect of the climatisation in a hungarian carriage of a Vienna-Budapest EC at Wien Hbf? Oh, it's a hungarian car, it's not our fault, we don't know hiw to fix the problem! Information about a nightjet problem at a DB info counter? Oh it's an ÖBB product, wee don't know anything! 25 years ago I would never have wasted a moment of thought about if my night train would run indeed and if I would really have my assigned sleeping or couchette compartment. Today, if I'm willing to cough up the insane prices for a nightjet sleeping single or double compartment (€800 or so), it's still a bet on what kind if adventure I will go through this time.
EXACTLY! Omg u r so spot on. Also I feel that a lot of decision makers never travel by trains, they just repeat what is politically required of them to repeat to win elections. Serious lack of people who know what they’re doing, n it’s very apparent all around the continent.
1,5 years ago: Nightjet München - Venice cancelled. 6 months ago: Innsbruck - Amsterdam with a delay of 3 hours 45 minutes. For that I payed 250 euro (single cabin). And now they dare to demand 450 euro for the same journey. I booked day trains to go to Bologna in may. Amsterdam - Basel and hold your breath. Direct train, so no changes. But DB found another sneaky way to bother us: the through train doesn't go further than Karlsruhe. I wonder what will happen, will we reach the safety of Swiss soil?
It’d be very nice if European leaders didn’t just talk about green solutions but actually take steps to make rail travel a practical solution. What European (mostly state) rail carriers do is an absolute joke for ridiculous prices.
@@doc7austin It's not too bad in Austria though. Any expenses (within reason) will be refunded. And if not, the (independent) APF can review the case for free.
I was convinced that similar circus acts only happened in Italy, particularly from Naples down, but obviously I have to change my mind! I think that in Europe (continent) only Switzerland is safe
Sadly in the last few year train service across the Europe has worsened. Many countries struggles with lack of properly maintained cars or locomotives and the infrastructure is getting to old so many closures happens. Tickets are more expensive and harder to get, as well as carreirs can't get along in many cases.
Oh dear. I’m doing a similar Nightjet journey in a few weeks (Strasbourg to Vienna, I had to buy a separate TGV Ouigo GV ticket from Paris to Strasbourg as engineering works means the NJ can only run as far as Strasbourg), hopefully it goes better.
It’s the new world. Cheaper to ignore and avoid customer issues. In years gone by some customer rep would have been woken up and told to get, sharpish, to some point on the route and work the issues out. These days you get a chatbot which in response to your question as to your need to find a replacement train the response is ‘So you would like to buy a ticket? If the is correct press 1 or press 2 if this is incorrect’
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Under those circumstances I suspect I'd have bought a ticket on the 1946 Berlin - Köln as soon as I got the cancellation email from OBB and booked a hotel in Köln. Failing that I'd have tried to get a hotel in Berlin or Hannover. I want to do the NightJet to/from Paris but this reinforces the need to include extreme amounts of slack in plans.
So wrong. There were the never smile guys in the good old days and financial compensation for delays was completely out of scope. However, delays were rare. Trains run slower and therefore it was easier to catch up with the scedule and the tracks were in better shape as lots of expensive people were taking care of it.
@@florianmeier3186 the smiling guys were indeed missing, but the other advantages you mention are now missing. Plus: The various state railways had a well organised cooperation.
@@florianmeier3186 Well, in the 1980s there were a lot of international trains passing through multiple countries, composed of carriages from various countries. I could easily buy in my resident country, the Netherlands, tickets for those international trains.All signs of good cooperation I guess ?
For someone who travels by rail as much as you do throughout continents dependent on rail travel, it's no wonder you don't experience more trips like this. But you're right. This would have been a nightmare for a family, especially if they required connecting trains or flights. I guess we won't be seeing any Nightjet videos from you for awhile!
Well, I went to Italy with NightJet from Vienna to Milan and from Rome to Vienna. The Vienna to Milan section went more or less smoothly. I don't even remember if we had delays. Probably not. But on the way back, we departed 30 minutes late from Rome due to the floods in Emilia-Romagna. It grew to 80 minutes when we reached Vienna. Fortunately, my connection was also late in Vienna.
I know OBB is like the gold standard for night trains, but I had a very similar issue this summer and, while staff was all ok (clearly overwhelmed and understaffed) OBBs compensation options where poor and incredibly unaccommodating compared to the amount of disruption they caused. Quite disappointed to be honest.
the gold standard for night trains is China Railways in my eyes; the problem is that ÖBB appears to have zero redundancy in times of irregular operations;
@@doc7austin The man himself! Didn't know about China Railways, I would love to try it one day. Let's hope OBB can solve these redundancy issues when they receive the rolling stock they're expecting...
Pls copy paste this to the biased ÖBB loving a*s who keeps telling everyone this is an unfair review of one-off event 😁 that’s all I read here, n on fb, how ÖBB disappoints a lot of pax n then doesn’t take responsibility.
Oooohh seems like an exciting video, I need to take a sit for this and watch it asap. I really have more and more negative thoughts on the Nightjet to be honest. The network is being extended rapidly however the rolling stock isn't, at elementary school I learned how to calculate and if you have 5 apples you can not sell 6 apples. Okay after seeing (most of it) an update (I also make a comment for this. Really the problem with NJ is extending the network too gast, introducing new routes while a lower number of new trains is introduced. To me the best solution would be to have some spare coaches (best is couchette, these can also function for seating cars) at all spots where there's more than one NJ departing from, same for the hubs where these trains will be combined with other trains. I honestly think, most of the problems (apart from the delay) would have been solved that way.
well, i think you and I would survive such an experience easily, as we are seasoned train travellers; however, I would not take my family aboard a trip with nightjet
Last year doc7austin was (according to him; no independent account is available) denied boarding on a Berlin-Stockholm night train; so he decided to board it neverhtless without first asking the train conductor, nor obtaining a replacement ticket; and then used that to create controversy on RU-vid and rail forums. Interetingly, one year later, the train he had a reservation for was cancelled (according to him, an email from OEBB said that, but no email is shown). Yet the train showed up as scheduled a the track. So he went to an InfraGO booth (why? InfraGo is the infrastructure manager, not a train operating company; if the had issues with his reservation, he was supposed to contact his train operating company, that is OEBB/DB) to ask for what? A substitute ticket? A refund? Then he boarded the train, in a seating area. And then we see him hopping on trains all over europe in a night; the only time he mentions he tried asking permission in advance to board a train was in the case of Eurostar... because he knew access to Eurostar trains is heavily guarded and enforced, and no-way he would have been admitted boardin with no valid ticket. To me, it looks like he travelled without paying, perhaps coming up with excuses during the trip or just sneaking in trains, and now he is using this footage to gratiously attack DB.
on hint: the berlin-brussels/paris train is operated by DB Fernverkehr between Berlin and Mannheim; the train is not reservation-mandatory on that section; hence, I am not required to ask for advance permission to board that train in berlin; secondly, of course I had a valid ticket, esp. for the berlin-mannheim segment; lastly, the newrest staff allowed to me stay on this train until paris; and regarding the berlin-stockholm train; that train was practically empty and the train staff assigned a whole couchette car compartment
Let's all be nice to each other please and also stick with the topic for this video, not things that happened in the.past. Okay after seeing (most of it) an update (I also adjusted the first comment for this) Really the problem with NJ is extending the network too gast, introducing new routes while a lower number of new trains is introduced. To me the best solution would be to have some spare coaches (best is couchette, these can also function for seating cars) at all spots where there's more than one NJ departing from, same for the hubs where these trains will be combined with other trains. I honestly think, most of the problems (apart from the delay) would have been solved that way.
BTW, such videos are very informative because knowing how to react when things don't work perfectly makes such a huge difference. ÖBB is very interesting as one of the more agressive "international" railways that runs trains between Germany and other countries without going through Austria and one wonders how/where maintenance is done and how much actual staff they have in Germany, France, Belgium to handle customer care when things don't work well. Wonder if trips that originate from Vienna end up being far more reliable because this is where ÖBB is based.
Some of those things happened on the (domestic) Bregenz to Vienna Route as well. Although that's not too bad, since there are two other night trains running between Feldkirch and Vienna.
OBB seem to be shooting themselves in the foot with the new dynamic pricing for Nightjet services and what seems to be appalling customer service to get you to your destination. Hopefully you get the rest of the compensation you deserve. I want to do a European sleeper train soon but will look at CD/PKP/MAV instead.
Trenitalia was decent. The rolling stock is old for the most part, and perhaps not the most comfortable, but it was reliable. Not to mention it was very affordable - I paid 79 Euros or so each way Milan to Naples and Rome to Venice - and that was for a single-occupancy deluxe sleeper. The arrival time in Venice was really early, but hotels were very expensive to begin with so it saved a night in one.
@@mozomenku MÁV used to be really decent (traveled with them in 2017 n it was superb) but the gov is cutting its budget left n right for easy votes (free travel, n use the money for propaganda instead) so now they’re suffering. Such a shame they had a really good direction before. Having said that I still hear much less drama with MÁV night services than with the new NightJet. I’m really disappointed with ÖBB, I expected much more intelligent management from them.
hmm thx for the video. watched it and read the comments (so far) and your answers... Öbb is not on their finest here and does a great job in anti-advertisment... I remember the time where overnight railtravel within Europe was pretty well established with many routes and pretty good on-time service.. sad to see that it no longer is 😞
Dispute on your credit card. I had success doing this. I was supposed to go Venice to Stuttgart but the train got cut short to Munich without any advance notice. They said there would be alternate transportation but there were no announcements as to what that would be. I made the most of the issue - eventually made it to my ultimate destination of Cologne several hours after I should have gotten there, but it allowed me to go to a water park I'd been eyeing for some time - after which I took an express ICE (I think there was only one stop en route) to Cologne. I had a rail pass so it wasn't the end of the world seeing as you don't need reservations - and I was able to get a seat without any issues.
@@to_loww not referring to disputing the charge for Eurostar... But rather the payment for OBB. It's quite simple. OBB advertised a service and there were issues with it. Truthfully I only claimed a portion of the cost, but the CC company, on their own initiative, managed to get me everything back. That said, it was a US issued credit card, and there are a set of laws that apply as well with respect to charges. I will say that, in my case, OBB did offer to refund 75%, but the international transfers did not go through, but the dispute was successful in any event so they basically just left it at that. Notably, this would be a very last resort.
@@to_loww I am not suggesting disputing the Eurostar charge, but rather the OBB charge. The logic is this. It would be disputed on the basis that the services were not as described or provided. OBB did not get you to your destination, and, accordingly, you have the right to redress on this basis. Perhaps rules vary by country but in my case it was a US credit card that was used to buy the ticket, and there are certain consumer protections that apply to transactions using a US card. I have also provided an email address for someone that I was dealing with. Perhaps this is an avenue to take before doing so. I also had a nightmare out of Brussels a few months ago when my ICE was cancelled. In fact multiple trains were canceled that day and I almost didn't make it to my destination. The only reason I made it to my destination that day was because the train that I was originally supposed to take from Frankfurt Airport to Karlsruhe was running a few hours late. I had to get myself from Brussels to Cologne through Verviers and Aachen - all on local and IC trains, and I somehow made the ICE 205 at Messe-Deutz by about 10-15 minutes - and by pure luck. I had a rail pass so this all wasn't a problem - just very frustrating.
@@nanderv that's illogical seeing as they are two different companies. Though MAYBE IF can show that something like HOTNAT applies and wasn't honoured. Small Claims might also be an option.
on SNCF staff not giving you a Eurostar Paris-Bruxelles ticket: Your ticket is issued by ÖBB. You wanted to travel on Eurostar. Had SNCF issued you a ticket on Eurostar, it would have been complex accounting of SNCF having to beg ÖBB for the money and then pay Eurostar for ticket (and make your reservation). Much simpler to have Eurostar issue the ticket and beg ÖBB for the money (which in the end they didn't do). Out of curiosity, do the EU consumer protection rules differentiate between classes of trains/service? For instance, if you are booked on a conventional train that is cancelled, does that grant you the right to board a normally more expensive and faster high speed train? I can understand refunds when the new train is less than when you paid for (seats instead of sleeping car). But curious what happenes when replacement service is an upgrade. For airlines, when such snafus happen, the originating airline will rebook you on new flights/routing (possibly involving other airlines at which point the originating airline undertakes to pay for that travel) so there is a strict record of what flights you took and where you transfered. And if midway, your connection fails, they do the process again to rebook you on another flight(s). You wouldn't be allowed to board an "unreserved" flight with another airline's ticket. That other airline would need to book you on that flight first and endorse the ticket so the new airlne gets paid. The freedom to switch trains like that in EU is likely an accounting nightmare for the railways.
Yes, they do, and Nightjet is in the Intercity class, not ICE/TGV/etc. class. The "Hop on the Next Train" rule applies to the same class of train (or lower). The rules on onward travel are not EU-wide btw, but go per group of railways. The most infuriating bit: Oebb, SNCF, NMBS, DB, Eurostar are all part of the Railteam alliance, so they should have rebooked. The biggest issue here is the complete lack of spare capacity, and total lack of creativity and/or willingness to solve issues (and fight about the costs later). NMBS could have just sent a couple of seated carriages (type i11 for instance) up to Berlin the day before (instead of cancelling a return trip), DB could have done the same. DB/Oebb could have booked all them passengers in a hotel as well. But instead of working on making the service bearable (if not great), they fight about who has to foot the bill....
Another thought is this. I suspect it would have been easier if SNCF issued a ticket from CDG to Brussels since it's not Eurostar but regular TGV Inoui. Yet another option would have been to disembark in Frankfurt and take the ICE 18 that leaves around 6:30am. Those going to Amsterdam could take the ICE 222 around 5:30am. No reservations required for either.
@@nanderv exactly, it’s the attitude and pointing fingers, as well as ÖBB again not taking any responsibility. Not the first time I hear ÖBB takes zero responsibility for their criminal night service, and they feel they can get away with it. Oh n then they increase the prices. After all the sh*tshows I wonder which idi*tic manager thought it a good idea to increase the prices?!
It gets worse, now we reached the "absurd" level. Our Berlin-Brussels NJ was scheduled to depart at 20:18... it was pure coïncidence that I noticed a NJ train at the platform and thought it must be a different line, leaned over to check out the boards and noticed it was OURS... due to depart at 19:28 !!! Without any prior information. Me and my family and heavy luggage rushed to the train (it was 19:27 btw) and made it... I asked the attendants about this. The first one eluded my questions only saying "yes yes you are on the right train". The second one told me that it was written 20:18 on his schedule too, and all he could give as explanation was "Deutsche Bundesbahn is chaotic". So, i thought this was a good thing after all, as the train ended in Aachen due to works, and i had booked 3 seats on the next ICE to Brussels (only reservations, as i was told the NJ tickets are valid). But of course, the other NJ was delayed and we arrived in Aachen almost 5 hours late ! I just filled the form, let's see if i get some reimbursement. I don't even know the NJ ticket was really valid as nobody controlled us on the ICE.
Adding to the "absurd" level, our Brussels-Berlin NJ gave me nearly a heart attack. 4 hours before departure, as we were finishing our luggage, i received a message saying the service was interrupted. 10 minutes later, i received a message saying that this was a technical error and the service is NOT interrupted. And then 2 hours before departure, i again receirved a message saying service is suspended... Well, we still went to the station and the train departed on time. But can you imagine the stress level (after that we had to take a train to Warsaw and had scheduled a whole trip around Poland).
Sleepers are great - but if cancelled, are a 'single point of failure' which can leave passengers stranded late at night. This has has happened to us. When booking a sleeper - or travelling in general - think about 'what if' and try to have a plan. Finding out about cancellations as early as possible is helpful, i.e. giving time to to find a hotel room and/or alternative route. Also, be clear on what the Terms and Conditions of your ticket are, so you know what your entitlement is for compensation.
I don't understand why ÖBB could noy have booked passengers on the 18:56 ICE 552 to Köln arr 23:15, into a hotel near Köln Hbf and onto the 07:42 ICE14 to Brussels Midi arriving 09:35.
@@doc7austin That's extremely unlikely. Both classes? Which day of the week was this? Even then, that does not mean there are no seats on the train. There is also a Thalysstar around that time.
As verdict you say: "For family travel OBB Nightjet is to be avoided at all costs." But which other options are there today for international night travels through Europe? Not many.....
And anyway European Sleeper only travels between Brussels, Holland and Berlin-Prague. And what about Paris, Switzerland, Austria, Italy? What is the alternative for night travels?
The doc7austin approach was unfair and very subjectiv , i must say . OBB NIGHTJET brought to life a service that was dying in Europe . I don't know any night trains better than the Nightjet that run across Europe . Do you ? Tell me about it . 🤔
Betweem Mannheim and Paris, did you have to do anything to reserve a seat? or did crew allow anyone and everyone to board ven if some would be left standing? (unlike the Mannheim Bruxelles where you mentioned they didn't allow standing people).
Shows that just because it's technically possible to run cross border services in Europe it doesn't mean it's a good idea, untill the various operators take collective responsibility for good cusotmer service no matter which operator set the service up , i.e. SNCF should help out OBB where necessary and vice versa , this kind of poor customer experience will continue to be made worse by wrong attitude of all participants in such a service.
1. I’ll spread this video among my Hungarian rail groups so that people see what an irresponsible, incompetent, unapologetic and criminal service ÖBB n DB provide. 2. Thank you so much for letting us know, I’ll book EuropeanSleeper. 3. How on Earth do governments and rail companies expect us to take the international rail solutions seriously if they let sh*tshows like this happen?!?! 4. Hats off to your calmness. This was criminal what they did to u n many others.
@@doc7austin definitely!!! How on Earth does the EU wish to encourage people to take the trains if they’re this behind with so many things, especially in mentality
trainsandmodelshungary doc7austin had a bad experience and got mad . But I don't think he was correct in saying that the OBB Nightjet service is no good at all . I watched many vlogs about the Nightjet and all of them praised their service . I believe that of austin7 was an exception . It happens with all the transportation systems . The night trains were practly dead in Europe and OBB brought them to life again . Do you know better night trains across Europe than the OBB Nightjet ? Hungarian night trains ? Maybe one of your train toys ... 🙂
@@carlosrosas7249 “one of your toy trains” and coming with the Hungarian system… wow, u r just an online troll aren’t ya! Sorry if u refuse to see all the videos that highlight the ÖBB n DB shortcomings recently on the night service. Feel sorry for biased trolls like urself.
It's great to see night trains back in Europe even here in France we are getting some back ,thanks to the success of nightjet? Maybe they tried expanding to quickly
At 03:13, you state "I got lucky now,I've secured a free seats on Berlin-Paris. Reading comments, you stated that Berlin-Mannheim is unreserved so you used your original ticket to board it. Did you tell staff you only needed to go to Mannheim, so they let you board as there were free seats, but any passenger asking to travel beyond Manheim was told "sorry, no room"? (is that why most were left behind?). Once train departed Berlin with you on it, how does it work when conductor passes to check all tickets? Curious how the accounting works behind the scenes. Had you boarded an DB train from Berlin to Mannheim (as most others did), what happens when your ÖBB ticket is scanned on the DB train when the ticket destination is Bruxelles with no mention you intend to get off at Mannheim? Eventually I assume DB would want to invoice ÖBB for having carried you part of the way? In your case, you stuck with ÖBB to paris, but you still ended up traveling on the wrong trains with multiple ticket scans. Since you boarded unreserved portion of Berlin-Mannheim-Paris train, isn't it normal that you'd be downgrated to a seat instead of your original couchette reservation? If you are unreserved, I take it there is no guarantee there is space in the originally booked accomodation type?
holy shit, those eurostar vultures charging you such a high fare for the route. high time for the eu to take sncf's monopoly on brussels paris away from them.
@@doc7austini wouldnt call it competing if it takes twice as mucht time, but still it is a good thing, finally the north of france gets better connections with belgium and the netherlands. But the sncb is just as guilty as the sncf of monopoly practices.
Why would anyone think that it is more efficient to spend 14 and a half hours on a train versus 1 hour and a half flying.Now, as a tourist I might prefer the train but I still wouldn't travel by night. I'd miss the scenery. Thus, night trains to me are like feeding a dead horse. Worthless.
Seems you got the whole package... 😵💫 Nightjet is more of a Nightmare. Thank you ÖBB, DB and SNCF, not for me. I'll take the car/plane and stay in a hotel.
I suspect that some of the problem is that one agency(OBB) is operating over another's infrastructure (DB, SNCF and SNCB). No one agency has complete responsibility and can blame one of the other agencies for the problem(s). There are probably some scheduling conflicts between agencies, so the natural tendency would be to prioritize their own movements to the detriment of others.
But it looks like ÖBB is again not taking any responsibility, this is why in my earlier comment I mentioned word has to get out and the public shaming will force them to do something. Scum companies who do this listen to nothing else, only public shaming.
oh man... the experience got me tired just by watching the video. Talking from experience... What can I say? Rail travels seem to get sloppy. Superficial car revisions, lack of comfort and poor railway management. It is years ahead of what the East has to offer. But refund shenanigans, pointing fingers and all that... takes you by surprise. Anyway.. to me the new Nightjet (and Railjet)looks more like a photo opportunity than client-needs-oriented. Chairs seem more dull and stiff, the new Business class is just a joke, for some reason rubbish bins were removed (very ergonomic by Japanese standards, I guess?) and the sleeping compartments, especially those single sleeping capsules... those look SUPER uncomfortable. The personnel wouldn't stretch in those capsules to put the bedding sheets and if they can't/won't do it, why could the passenger? But hey! Did you check OBB's Insta photos? The pictures are lit!!! To me it feels like the new Railjet and Nightjet are very much of a hipster. They look cool, but lack comfort and paired with the poor management you reach your destination tired. Just a good publicity stunt. I'm sorry for what you had to go through. I'm sure it was a tiring but a needed experience. To show us what could go wrong. Is this a reason to pick the car? I don't think so. Is this a reason to better the service? Absolutely yes. I highly encourage you to file a complaint to all 3 operators: OBB for the lit carriage, DB for traffic management and SNCF for the finger-pointing. You are not OBB's representative or lawyer, you are a mere European passenger and you demand to be respected. Any issues they have to sort between themselves should be sorted inhouse not with you. (I'm talking about the pointing-fingers moment, which truly doesn't help you in any way for OBB's fuckup, when you just need to reach your destination)
act 3 happened to me too on SNCF with a couchette to a bus seat... 30% refund... spontaneous strike in Germany 25% refund... Those trains : enough is enough... where I can take a plane I will... Brussel - Amsterdam => Brussel - london -Amsterdam :D as cheap as the expensive train
The European Sleeper and NightJet operate between Brussels and Berlin on different days. European Sleeper operate from Berlin to Brussels via Amsterdam on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. This was a Friday.
@@doc7austin I was under the impression the EU (not austria, germany or france) has some of the best consumer protection laws. like how if a flight is delayed, canceled or diverted, the passengers are entitle to compensation. Is there anything for trains?
I avoid Deutsche Bahn and German airports and Lufthansa as the plague. When is the next strike by DB, Lufthansa and Co and just everyone represented by the verdi union? DeadSure at the beginning the European Championship, just in time. No more travel from/ to Germany this year. I was stuck 2 days in Germany on the last Blitzstreik of BOTH Deutsche Bahn and Lufthansa. Flights on other airlines were sold out. I made it back with Flixbus to Munich from Cologne and home to Italy taking the BRB Regional which is a private regional train to the Austrian border Kuftsein and then on to Italy via Innsbruck and Bolzano with OBB. Once in Italy, Trenitalia was superb all the way to Rome.
Here maybe both. ÖBB has currently a problem with lacking cars. They ordered new ones, but till all is delivered they face difficulties. They even now rent some German cars... Germany has issues with its tracks.
It's interesting, people are always raving about how European rail is much better than ours in US, but it doesn't seem so from this video. I know Amtrak would have gotten you there without extra cost, and they would have given you refund for the couchette also.
N yet our lovely politicians in their Audis tell us to be environmentally conscious n take the train. How about having decent state train companies then?
@@trainsandmodelshungary that's what I'm trying to say, they keep pushing the train services but the infrastructure and service are sub-sub-par, to where people would rather pay more for peace of mind and speed of planes over trains, though I will say, having worked for an airline, the aviation industry is especially vulnerable to delays and cancellations as well, though not as common as with trains.
This is not a question of European trains, but of German trains. In other European countries such as France, Italy and Switzerland trains usually work as they should.
Well things can sometimes go wrong, but they usually go right, so let's all chill. It's not like the planes and cars don't break... Nightjets are constantly improving, having purchased the new trainsets recently that will certainly improve things on the whole network. Anyway I'd say you made a mistake in going from Mannheim to Paris if your target destination was Brussels. While you mention it at 10:41 that the ICE wasn't an option, there are more ICE options that could get you atleast to Köln and there's a train to Brussels almost every hour. Being at Mannheim at 6, you'd get to Brussels atleast two or three hours earlier than with the Paris detour.
cologne wasnt an option really; most ICE trains cologne-brussels were marked as sold out in the db navigator; of course, i could have taken the eurostar cologne-brussels, but i would have had to buy a new ticket for that train
@@doc7austin which you still would have to, and ulimately ended up doing anyway from Paris :) Hence why I'd skip the French scenic detour. With the way things were going, maybe even breaking earlier at Frankfurt. But I agree that thats atleast partly in "the adventure mode", the ideal of course is having actually helpful staff and better backups...
You're using a terminology here that not everyone will know. "Pax" is an aviation term. What context are you using it here ? What is a "car group" ? A group of cars ? What does "went tech" mean ?
@@mozomenku Well I didn't and I've worked for a company that deseigns and builds aircraft seats. It IS an aircaft-specific term, so wondered if it meant something else here.
@@doc7austin I get that... But my wife & I are well over 60 y/o and have some health issues. The portrayed fuckups would be devastating for us. . Keep up the nice reports about the, once glamourous, sleeper trains. 👍
This is what you take from this mess? This is obviously a lack of coordination between operators. And ÖBB is among the better ones in Europe. If not THE best in some regards.
Total one-off, bull hockey clickbait video since OBB and NightJet are known for providing reliable service. Doc, stick with reviewing Russian train travel, which is your specialty.
