Nightjet Releases Hundreds of Cheap Night Train Tickets

Nightjet has finally lowered its pricing and released a large number of cheap night train tickets across its route network.

The problem with Nightjet pricing

Nightjet, Europe’s largest operator of night trains, has long been a great way to travel long distances across Western and Central Europe.

Tickets were reasonably priced, and from the comfort of your own couchette or sleeper compartment, you could conveniently travel overnight to your destination, saving the cost of a night’s hotel stay in the process.

However, this changed when the operator of these night trains – ÖBB, the Austrian Federal Railways – introduced dynamic pricing for Nightjet, similar to how flight fares are determined.

As a result, night train ticket prices skyrocketed, leading many people – myself included – to complain that the Nightjet was becoming too expensive for the average traveller.

When you charge €500 for a single sleeper, who on earth would pay such a price – apart from government employees with expenses covered or people with more money than sense?

For that amount, you could also travel first class on a daytime train or fly business class, then stay in one of the best hotels at your destination with a nice meal included..

Nightjet has now released hundreds of cheap tickets

I’m not sure whether Nightjet has finally realised that its train tickets had become far too expensive, or if dynamic pricing is at last working in the customer’s favour, but the sleeper train company has now significantly reduced its fares.

To be precise, Nightjet has now released plenty of cheap ‘Sparschiene’ (saver fares) on routes across its network.

With prices starting at just €55, you can now book a berth in a 4-person couchette or one of the Mini Cabins on the New Generation Nightjet trains, which are similar to the sleeper pods in a Japanese capsule hotel.

Starting at just over €80 per person, you can even book a private sleeper compartment with an en-suite bathroom on the Nightjet, if you manage to secure the lowest Sparschiene tickets.

Examples

There are many dates in December and January when you can find these cheap Nightjet tickets, regardless of the route.

For example, on the Hamburg-Vienna route, operated by the New Generation Nightjet trains, you can book a single sleeper for private occupancy for €119.90.

If two of you are travelling, you can book this compartment as a double for €179.80, making the price per person even lower.

Both a berth in a couchette and a Mini Cabin on this train can be booked for just €54.90.

It’s not only the Hamburg-Vienna route that suddenly has plenty of cheap tickets, as similarly low fares have appeared on routes as diverse as Amsterdam-Innsbruck, Brussels-Vienna, and Munich-Venice, to name just a few.

Needless to say, it helps to be a little flexible with your travel dates, as fares are still higher on some peak days.

That said, it should not be too difficult to find these cheap Nightjet tickets during the low season.

Simply visit the ÖBB website, search for your connection, and look for dates showing the green-labelled “Sparschiene” text beneath the Nightjet option.

A permanent change?

It will be interesting to see whether the current avalanche of low Nightjet fares continues into 2026, or if they will eventually be readjusted back to the previously sky-high prices.

Of course, ÖBB is entirely within its rights to set Nightjet ticket prices as it sees fit.

The company made a substantial investment in night train operations at a time when most others, such as Deutsche Bahn, were phasing out their sleeper services.

ÖBB even procured brand-new rolling stock to bring night trains up to the comfort levels expected in 21st-century rail travel.

In ÖBB’s defence, there were clearly enough people willing to pay the extremely high fares they charged in recent years, so why wouldn’t a company aiming to make a profit set prices that high?

On the other hand, the high ticket prices caused quite a stir even among frequent train travellers, many of whom were either priced out of night train travel or simply unwilling to pay them.

Just as airlines need to maintain the loyalty of their frequent travellers, so too does ÖBB as a rail company.

Lowering Nightjet fares – even if only for the off-season or as teaser prices to win back former customers – is therefore the only sensible move.

Conclusion

Nightjet has released hundreds of Sparschiene (saver fares) across its entire night train network, allowing travel in a Mini Cabin from €55 and in a sleeper compartment from €80.

It seems that dynamic pricing is finally working in the passenger’s favour, as it should not be too difficult to find a cheap ticket for winter travel on your chosen Nightjet route.