Rachel’s Interrail Adventures

My first night train in Europe! I booked a ‘couchette’ cabin to Vienna back in March. Other options are a sleeper cabin (better bed/more expensive) or a ‘seating carriage’ (sounds very squashed and described as a nightmare unless you are with family). You can also choose between a 4 person couchette or 6 person couchette, female, male or mixed gender.

The time of the train had been changed a month earlier – I had received an email about this and the new time was an hour earlier. 2 out of the 4 people in my cabin were no-shows though and I wonder if it was because they hadn’t read/received the email.

The cabin had potential for six bunks actually (even though on this trip only four would have been used). It would be fine but a bit squashed with six I feel. The back rest in the pic is converted to be the third bunk in the middle.

So there were only two of us and that was perfect. Toilet at either end of the cabin, no shower.

I had a lovely cabin mate called Dalilah who chatted about her travels and listened to my plans too. She gave me some great recommendations for Vienna as she lives there. Thanks Dalilah!

Apparently there is a catering service on the train but I didn’t use it. I brought a salad from Carrefour Express in Brussels Station and ate that.

The guard constructed the beds when I asked and I slept on the bottom bunk. The beds are across ways to the direction of travel. The only other night trains I’ve been on have been in Thailand and those beds are longways to the direction of travel. I seem to prefer a crossways and slept pretty well.

There seemed to be only 2 plug sockets (EU plugs) in the cabin – please be aware of this.

In the morning a small breakfast was delivered of coffee, bread and butter/jam. There was also a complimentary bottle of water in the cabin.

All in all it was a pleasant journey, I slept better than expected and I felt super glad that there were only 2 of us in the cabin.