Why You Shouldn’t Book a Shared Room on an Overnight Train

Have you ever been so tired that it made you cry? I can remember a time when my body and mind were so exhausted that I could almost hear each limb begging me to fall asleep. My eyes watered as I failed them and the sun rose above Vienna.

This was back in October 2022, during a two-week backpacking trip through four European countries by rail. I was on an overnight train ride from Berlin, Germany, to Vienna, Austria, operated by the Austrian Federal Railway’s OBB Nightjet. I’d regrettably booked the cheapest accommodation for $40.

Nightjet trains have sleeper cars with bunks of three, four, or six and seating carriages. I booked the latter; they’re cabins with six regular assigned seats that deeply recline. Some routes have private cabins, but mine didn’t.

I was no stranger to overnight trains — I’ve spent 140 hours on them from the US to Europe. On most rides, I’ve booked private cabins where I had an enclosed room to myself.

With bumpy tracks and stiff beds, I think it’s hard enough to sleep on a train in a private room. But those nights were a breeze compared to my experience in a sleeper carriage for six.

The cabin felt too crowded for comfort

When I boarded the train in Berlin, dimly lit corridors opened to these small enclosed cabins with two sets of three seats facing each other inside. I immediately thought the room was cramped and lacked enough legroom for each traveler.

During my 12-hour leg of the journey, three travelers were already there when I boarded, and two others arrived within the first few hours.

I thought the seat looked slightly wider than a typical train coach seat. It had two cushions and could recline, but not far enough to be completely flat. When reclining it all the way, the gap between the seat back and the bottom of the seat made it tough to get comfortable. I didn’t see any pillows or sheets provided for guests, either.

A representative for OBB Nightjet told Business Insider that pillows and sheets are only provided for guests in the bunk-style sleeping cars because the seating carriage is not recommended for long-haul trips.

The room lacked some key amenities

While there were no pillows or blankets, the seats had some amenities. Each came with a small table that slid out from the armrest. It was large enough to fit my ticket and phone, but not much else. There were also outlets in the carriage, but not enough for everyone. Passengers had to take turns charging their phones with the two outlets available.

An OBB Nightjet representative told BI the cars were updated in 2023 and have more outlets.

I couldn’t sleep at all

Although seats were assigned, I quickly noticed that other passengers were moving around the car to find less-crowded rooms. I followed suit and switched to a different cabin with only two other people. But I knew that someone boarding at one of the many overnight stops could kick me out at any time if I were in their assigned seat.

Even in a less-crowded cabin, I couldn’t get comfortable — especially knowing that someone might wake me up to move. I ended up staying awake until the morning.

My train arrived in Vienna at 7 a.m., and I was so exhausted that I ran around town looking for any hotel that would take me in so early in the morning. Splurging on a hotel room upon arrival for a few hours of sleep made me feel like the cheapest ticket on an overnight train ultimately wasn’t worth it. And my exhaustion from lack of sleep made my time in the Austrian city less enjoyable.

“The quality of travel depends not only on the carriages, but also on the route,” OBB Nightjet wrote in a statement to BI. “We recommend the sleeper or couchette car for night travel. There is enough space to stretch out. Seated carriages are recommended for shorter journeys.”

A year later, I took another Nightjet ride on a train with private cabins. I booked a room from Venice to Vienna and fell asleep easily without shedding a tear.