{"id":18947,"date":"2026-11-05T12:39:46","date_gmt":"2026-11-05T11:39:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wobblyride.com\/?p=18947"},"modified":"2026-11-05T12:39:49","modified_gmt":"2026-11-05T11:39:49","slug":"taking-the-obb-nightjet-with-a-bicycle-my-honest-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wobblyride.com\/pl\/2026\/11\/05\/taking-the-obb-nightjet-with-a-bicycle-my-honest-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Taking the \u00d6BB NightJet with a bicycle – my honest review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cycling to the station, boarding the train with your bike, falling asleep, and waking up at the foot of the Alps – doesn’t it sound tempting? I wanted to try the \u00d6BB NightJet train with my bike for a long time, and this summer, during my<\/strong> cycle trip in the Austrian Alps<\/a>, I finally had the chance. Is the famous Austrian night train really good for cyclists? Will you get a good night’s sleep in the little pod? Or is flying actually easier and cheaper? Keep reading to find out whether the \u00d6BB NightJet works for cyclists.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After too much flying in the past four years, I decided to go for a bike trip somewhere I could reach without a plane. I didn’t have many days off, so it had to be fairly close by. I looked at the map, googled the train connections, and decided to start in Munich, cycle to Austria, and take the Innsbruck-Amsterdam night train (getting off in Essen).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When booking the tickets, I had some doubts. Won’t the trip just be super long and exhausting? What if the sleeping pod turns out too small and uncomfortable to even sleep a wink? What if we’re just overpaying and it would’ve been faster and cheaper to take a plane?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I was also excited. The last time I took a night train was when I was four, in Poland, in the early 90s, when it took a whole night to cross the country and get from the coast to the mountains. I suddenly remembered the big bunk bed, being carried to sleep by the rhythmical clickety-clack and the smooth swaying of the train car. Once the tickets were paid, it was this childlike joy and anticipation that dominated my mood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the \u00d6BB NightJet?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After air travel had become more accessible and affordable, European night trains began to gradually disappear. Why would someone want to spend a whole night travelling to a destination that could be reached by plane within 2 or 3 hours? Railway operators found the night trains expensive to operate, and the high-speed trains were so fast that on many routes it simply didn’t make sense to offer a night connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the tide has turned in 2016. Travellers became more environmentally conscious, and the demand for alternatives to flying was rising. So the Austrian Federal Railways (\u00d6BB)<\/a> stepped in and launched their NightJet network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The idea is simple: the passengers board the train in the evening, spend the night on a train (either in a private sleeping car, couchette, or in a regular seat car), and arrive at their destination in the morning. Instead of wasting the time during the day on travelling and the money on a hotel room, you can move across Europe in your sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which \u00d6BB NightJet trains allow bicycles on board?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Currently (October 2026), these NightJet trains have bicycle spaces:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6 bicycle spaces:<\/p>\n\n\n\n