Hannover to Vienna in a NightJet MiniCabin

I'm trying the NightJet New Generation Mini-Cabins from Hannover to Vienna. The Mini-Cabin is a modern variation of the couchette that gives the passenger more of a "capsule hotel" experience. Unlike couchettes, each Mini-Cabin is private and secure and yet it is still MUCH cheaper than booking a full-on sleeper compartment.
But is it OK? Is it too cramped? Can you actually get in and out OK and when inside can you actually get a good night's sleep?
Have ÖBB found an answer or is it an over-engineered solution looking for a problem? Join me as I try one out for myself.
Departure: Hannover, Germany
Destination: Vienna, Austria
Duration: 11 hrs 24 mins
Mini-Cabin fare: €79,90 / £67.20 or just €49,90 with Interrail discount applied
Date of Travel: January 2025
Operator: ÖBB NightJet
Thank you to everyone that supports the channel by subscribing, liking, commenting or just watching these videos. I really appreciate it!

[@webrarian]

So many people who do sleeper reviews seem to spend most of their time awake filming. It is very refreshing to see a review where your plan is actually to sleep. And to mention men of our age was the icing on the cake.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@webrarian haha! Thanks! I was tired after a couple of long days, so there was no way i wasn't going to try and get as much sleep as possible... besides, as you say, it is part of the review. You want to know whether you can get a lot of sleep in this train! Thanks so much for watching along 👍

[@miremica]

I take this train every month from Hannover to Vienna and back. Some protips: - Always take your key card when you leave your cabin. As the train moves, a sudden jerk can very much shut your door and get you locked out. Or just use the strap, there's a reason why it's there. - If you have larger luggage than airline carry-on, you can go to the carriage with the seats (number 416 usually) and there's plenty of lockable luggage space. You can either lock it with a code, or what I find best is using a NFC-compatible bank card. (I advise against using the key card as you have to return it after you get your luggage, and you don't want to squeeze back through the tight corridors with your luggage.) - The gendered toilets are identical on the inside and no one cares which one you use. Just pick the one that has less water splashed on the floor. (I asked ÖBB as I'm nonbinary, and they don't care either - they didn't even want the toilets to be gendered.) - For brushing your teeth, use the cabin with the sink instead of the toilets. You can't lean over the sink in the toilets and I presume that's why they usually have water splashed on the floor. - Use butter for one of the buns and jam for the other. Don't mix them, it won't be enough for both of them.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@miremica love all those! Thank you 👍 And thanks too for watching 👍

[@WhereNextAdventures]

Reasonably priced and an interesting concept. We've never done a sleeper train and wondered what its like actually trying to get to sleep on a train but that looked like a very smooth journey. Great video!

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@WhereNextAdventures Yes. Definitely worth a try and not too expensive too! Thanks for watching 👍

[@Fan652w]

Hello Johnny. Your videos just get better and better and better. This one had me on the edge of my seat, or rather my computer chair! And that is even though, for reasons you gave at the end of the video, I nowadays never use night trains! I particularly liked the map and schedule you showed at about one minute into the video. I think that the only down side of this service is that the shunting at Nuremberg inevtiably disturbs all but the deepest of sleepers.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@Fan652w oh thanks so much Roger. And yes, i liked the map with two arrows moving simultaneously... hints of the start of Dad's Army there 😉

[@horsehollerer]

Wow, what a bargain. Looks wonderful, too. This was a super watch, cheers! FWIW I took my first ever night train a couple of weeks ago, from Zürich to Cologne on a 1st class IR pass. Originally, I was booked into a 4-berth old-generation NJ couchette for a €40 suppt but didn't fancy sharing in the end and changed it for free to a first class SBB seat (no suppt!) and it was surprisingly good. I don't normally sleep on trains and planes but even I got 3 hours or so of shuteye.👍

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@horsehollerer I'm not sure i could function very well with only three hours of sleep! But i think at the prices i quoted this mini cabin is probably a good option for both you and me! Hope you had a great trip! 👍

[@horsehollerer]

@@JohnnyHooverTravels 100%, it looks perfect. Cheers!

[@alexkeel5121]

This reminded me of my first ever foreign holiday as a teenager on the night train from Amsterdam to Westendorf in Austria back in the early seventies. Two of my brothers and me in a couchette, but quite different from this one. There is nothing better than rail travel.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@alexkeel5121 yep. Riding on trains is the best! Pleased i brought back some memories. Thanks so much for watching 👍

[@derpderpderpityderp8848]

That lighting.. BOW-CHIKA WOWOW

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@derpderpderpityderp8848 could not have put it better myself! Thanks for watching too 👍

[@Pascal2993_H]

I am so happy that you were in my hometown of Hanover. I hope you enjoyed your stay. You are always welcome here!

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@Pascal2993_H thank you, that's lovely of you to say. I was only there for about four hours on a dark January evening, so i really should go back to see the place properly! And thanks too for watching the video 👍

[@adamcressy6227]

I very nearly went on a nightjet from Zurich to Amsterdam last year, but because my connecting train after nightjet was cancelled, and i would have missed my Eurostar, i didn't take it. Forked up for a hotel in Basel Switzerland and a train from there. Its something i want to do one day though and a private mini cabin seems ideal

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@adamcressy6227 sorry to hear you missed your chance! Better luck next time, and yes the mini cabin is definitely an option worth considering. 👍

[@clivelangham435]

That's great value for money. Also really clean. I am off to Akita on the Tohoku Shinkansen. Thanks for the video.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@clivelangham435 ooo.. Shinkansen! Maybe one day... Thanks for watching this one 👍

[@trailwayt9HG]

It is new different experience of your journey on new generation train to me. Waiting for your next upcoming videos.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@trailwayt9HG thanks! 👍

[@sandiandgregh]

Good price. Neat little cabin. My yoga classes would help me get in and out but I just know would still get a leg cramp. Lol.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@sandiandgregh haha, yes full marks for the yoga! Not sure we can do much about the leg cramps though 😉

[@enricomonti156]

I need to try these mini cabins. They are quite smart and seem pretty handy for every need.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@enricomonti156 Yes! I recommend you try them out! Thanks for watching this one too 👍

[@christinehodge3608]

Very nice,compact but looks comfy, 😊

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@christinehodge3608 Yes it was comfortable, if compact! I would definitely use one again 👍

[@daveatlantix]

Wonderful video, Johnny. I'm not quite in my 60s, but I appreciate your perspective on traveling at "a certain age." Keep up the great work!

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@daveatlantix Yes, think it does help to think about this kind of stuff ie accessibility - the mini cabin is a great idea, but you have to be realistic about who is best placed to use them. And yes, i intend to keep up the work (great or not!)

[@Sim0nTrains]

Does look cosy and a great price as well, great video

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@Sim0nTrains thanks Simon. Would definitely recommend, especially at that price!

[@MSS47Ag]

The best description is a combination between a night in a capsule hotel room which also includes your transportation from hub A to hub B all for one price.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@MSS47Ag Yes indeed. It is an excellent service at a reasonable price . Thanks so much for watching 👍

[@paulthiel5145]

You seem to have missed the third (and likely best) advantage of the lower bunk. It had additional storage space for medium sized suitcases or larger bags in a separate compartment underneath the mattress, which the upper bunk doesn't have 😉.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@paulthiel5145 whoa love that! I wish i had known that! I suppose the steward was never going to tell me as i only had a small bag with me 🤷‍♂️ Thanks for the tip! And thanks too for watching 👍

[@kevinellis8869]

Having seen previous videos of the mini cabins I was pleased that you showed us it's possible to sit up in them, but as you say, you need a little bit of flexibility to negotiate them. It's a shame OBB have gone for dynamic pricing but I suppose it's what the market will accept. Looking forward to the rest of your travels.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@kevinellis8869 incidentally another very helpful comment mentioned that the roof sloped inwards so that the ability to comfortably sit up like that it another good reason to pick the lower bunk!

​@@JohnnyHooverTravels The lower bed also has a storage space underneath the mattress.

[@sm6allegro]

Great to see they've fixed the issue with the door rolling shut 🤩

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@sm6allegro Yes. Simple and effective enhancement. Works fine. Thanks for watching too 👍

[@garybroadhurst3548]

I did one of these from Vienna to Rome back in October. I agree with everything you said, particularly that I'm now spoiled and do not want to go back to anything less. I was also on my Interrail ticket but I only paid 32 Euro supplement for a similar length journey. I think the pricing is dynamic as it was more on surrounding days.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@garybroadhurst3548 €32 is even better! Yes, with dynamic pricing you really do have to book early or shop around for different routes. Hannover was where i wanted to start from, but with Interrail i was prepared to alter my start/end station on the search if the journey offered was too expensive!

[@andywillis2650]

Nice one Johnny, glad mini cabin worked out well for you ! :)

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@andywillis2650 it did! And, of course, thanks for watching too 👍

[@g745-z2r]

That's not a bad price at all. Thought it would be much higher. I kind of feel myself priced out of private sleeping compartments these days so this might be ok if I had less luggage than usual.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@g745-z2r Yes it is a good way for a single traveller to get some privacy without breaking the bank. Incidentally, another commenter said that with the lower bunk there's also space under the mattress to place larger luggage items.

[@DJTrainBrain]

I have heard yet another reason to pick the lower bunk: you can't sit upright and lean against the wall comfortably at the head end of the bed, because the wall slopes inwards towards the top. The Man in Seat 61 has a picture on his Nightjet page that shows the head end situation, if you'd like to take a look. I bet you can imagine what that does to your neck. 🙂

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@DJTrainBrain oh wow. That is a huge bonus of being at the bottom. I shall definitely be staying in the bottom bunk in future. Great point! 👍

[@PlanesTrainsEverything]

That was a great, and well-timed, video. I was in Innsbruck last week, loitering around the station one night, when I found the Innsbruck-Amsterdam Nightjet with the MiniCabins. I looked at the costs, and ex-Innsbruck prices start at €99 which is still a great bargain. However, there are NO trains bookable in reverse Amsterdam to Innsbruck! There's a notification about a change of train equipment of something. Def on my railway bucket list though.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@PlanesTrainsEverything Yes, i think what you were looking at at Innsbruck was also the Hamburg part of the train which already had the new generation stock. As you say, they are due to have new generation stock running to Amsterdam from spring 2025. I think they are an excellent budget option for the single traveller. Thanks for watching and best wishes for your travels 👍

[@peterdnreynolds777]

Brilliant video as always!! Great review and love the snow and scenery!! Hope all is well, take care

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@peterdnreynolds777 thanks Peter. Lots more snow videos to come in the next couple of weeks ⛄️

[@Richjwade]

Great video and a possible idea for my next trip to Europe. Visited Vienna in 2019, a great City to spend a few days 😀

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@Richjwade Yes, this proved a very fun way of getting to Vienna. Thanks for watching too 👍

[@koeielul112]

This looks really good. I must try it one day. I travelled quite a few night trains like EuroNight, CityNightLine, Corail Lunéa and the ones in Finland, Norway and Poland, and last year the one between the Netherlands and Prague by GreenCityTrips but that was literally 1950s rolling stock so not really enjoyable. But this one looks really good!

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@koeielul112 Yes. Definitely the new gold standard of overnight trains... or at least the ones I've been on! Well worth trying 👍

[@PeteG143]

Watching this at 3am I can relate to the early morning trip to the loo. 😊 The cold and dark left me longing for the warmth of your southwest coast trip

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@PeteG143 ah yes. That series was a bit of an antidote to the cold and dark. Still, the summer will come back!

[@robertshaw7523]

Great review, as always.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@robertshaw7523 thanks! And thanks for watching another 👍

[@robertshaw7523]

@JohnnyHooverTravels Call me an addict.

[@TheChrisale]

Nice video and you are very well in your sixties! I will try this kind of trip too... it saves spend with accommodation

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@TheChrisale Yes it does save a hotel stay and for that alone it makes it a useful option! Thanks for the kind words and thanks too for watching 👍

[@onlyhappyonatrain]

Crikey - that's a ludicrously good price (especially compared to the cost of hotels in Vienna!)

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@onlyhappyonatrain Yes it is! I would definitely do it again should i need to 👍

[@gregepps4710]

great video, thank you

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@gregepps4710 you are very welcome. Thank you for watching 👍

[@77smp]

Well Johnny was a big fan. I liked the privacy but storage was an issue and I found the flooring to be quite unforgiving. Like Johnny, I camp a lot and it was a lot less comfortable than my sleep system. Admittedly, I was wearing a moon boot due to a broken ankle and the shuffling in and out will likely have a bias on my opinion. I'll just finish with that the following evening I got the sleeper from Hamburg to Stockholm and I found the traditional set up to be more comfortable, even though it was 6 hours late ! 😩

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@77smp i was told by another commenter that you can also store bags under the mattress in the lower bunk, which is dead handy. Appreciate that the couchette mattress isn't perfect, but it was ok for me. Hope the foot got better! Thanks for watching 👍

[@Kulla1berg]

As always you are on an interesting movements in Europe, wondering were you going next, might be for Budapest

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@Kulla1berg haha! No. I was actually catching a morning ČD comfort jet to Prague. I flew SmartWings from Prague to visit my son in Dubai. Didn't do a video of the flights but i would recommend the route. Best wishes to you! The next video will pick things up a week later after i flew back into Prague!

[@tonyowens40]

Very enjoyable trip cabin a little small!

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@tonyowens40 i suppose it is called a mini-cabin, so they aren't pretending it will be anything else but small. Good value though i reckon. Thanks for coming along (virtually that is, there's not room for anyone else in there 😂)

[@ampersand.]

Apparently the waffer-thin wafers were originally supplied to wedge the door open... That`s a great price for a cosy mini cabin and a mini breakfast! Thanks for sharing your trip and opinions, always excellent viewing :)

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@ampersand. haha! Yes, it seems quite a bargain price. Hopefully the dynamic pricing won't push these prices up... Thanks as always for your kind words too 👍

[@samueltcv3350]

I travelled from Frankfurt to Prague on Nightjet a month ago and it was awful. The cabins are like they are 20-30 years old. But you had a nice train!

[@samueltcv3350]

and it was 150 euros for one person omg

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@samueltcv3350 yes. As i say at the end, i think i will stick with the New Gen trains now! Thanks for watching too 👍

[@tonys1636]

Not for me, not agile enough to get in and out and I awake every two hours to use the loo and only have a minute maximum to use it or an accident may occur. If no normal sleeper cabin with a toilet then a first class rearward facing seat will do close to the toilet as can sleep on any train at any time. Something to do with the movement that induces it as no longer the clackety clack that did before welded rails.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@tonys1636 I'm pleased i have done it so that you don't have to! I totally agree that these cabins are definitely not for everyone. Mind you, if you sleep ok in a seat, then you are sorted! Thanks for watching along. It is very much appreciated 👍

[@paulgibsonphotography]

Great Video Johnny

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@paulgibsonphotography thanks Paul 👍

[@kevincollis2632]

Excellent JH

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@kevincollis2632 thanks Kevin. Much appreciated 👍

[@77smp]

Before I watch, I got one from Vienna to Hamburg back in December. Very stylish with many gadgets but ultimately, I found it quite uncomfortable and would likely prefer a traditional 4 berth sleeper. Now, what does Johnny think?!

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@77smp haha! Johnny likes it!

[@arthurtownsend8843]

Well done. Not so much for the video, but for making it to 0530 before needing the trip down the corridor.............. ;-)

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@arthurtownsend8843 haha, yes! Maybe i was bit dehydrated 🤷‍♂️

[@andrewlong6438]

Thanks

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@andrewlong6438 gosh, thank you so much. That's really kind of you. And thanks too for watching!

[@colinriley123]

Well not for me! Wind the clock back and anything to save a few quid, then yes. Nowadays I want some sense of occasion on a rail trip. Doesn't have to be luxury, but something special, like the old branch line feel of Exeter to Okehampton. To save a few quid I travel EasyJet.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@colinriley123 haha! And we usually agree on things! I mean i do agree with the easyjet part. I use them regularly too. But yes, crawling into a sleeping pod is not everybody's idea of fun!

[@Fan652w]

When you showed the stop at Linz i thought.'Why does he not hop off here and get the train which goes to Ceske Budejovice, known as Budweis until 1918? He could then enjoy a Budweiser beer int its home town!''

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@Fan652w let's just say, that your powers of future divination, though not perfect , are pretty sharp... just editing Prague to Linz! No beer stop though. I did think about it, but I was quite tired as i had just flown in late to Prague the previous day after visiting my son in Dubai. Didn't video that Smartwings flight, but they were just fine and for £200 return it was a bargain.

[@WINGSANDRAILS]

Did it last year, really liked it. Reviews here on KZbin are mixed feelings. Think it depends on which day, and what people are on board

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@WINGSANDRAILS Yes, i can imagine the mixed feelings. But like you, we can only share our own opinions and let the viewers make theirs. Thanks for watching and best wishes for your travels too 👍

[@WINGSANDRAILS]

@ planning right overland by train to Istanbul. But still not sure what starting point will be!

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@ sounds great fun!

[@ALB437]

So good you could turn off the rainbow light while sleeping

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@ALB437 most definitely. Love a good dancefloor, but don't want to sleep on one 😉

[@ALB437]

I’m not a camping lover, but love small tents. This kind of tubes - snack space in the middle and a sleeping zone on each side. Now I’ve just read that rainbow lighting is available for tents! Could not avoid thinking that if all tents in a camping fitted with a rainbow lighting could create a « Notting Hill Carnival London »

[@ALB437]

@ - I was obviously thinking that if it had not been possible to turn off the rainbow lighting - no staff around - you would have discovered Vienna with kaleidoscope eyes !

[@kevanhubbard9673]

That partition is bad news,a bit like a hotel room with one of those ajoining doors.

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@kevanhubbard9673 well i think it is ok. Someone moved in next door in the night and i was completely unaware of them. They must have been talking about for a while but i never heard it. There are dual locks. But yes, i appreciate (just like with connecting doors) your subconscious will not like the idea! Thanks so much for watching 👍

[@tjmtamas7233]

Sorry to say: I was in this nightmare claustrophobic hole from Hamburg to Vienna. There is no place to change your clothes, there is almost no soundproofing. I was in the top one. Climbing up and down was a scary exercise. Never again!

[@phronsiekeys]

They bring you breakfast? Sign me up! Where did you put your bag (s)?

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@phronsiekeys they do indeed being you breakfast (and coffee!!) There's the lockable cupboard by the cabin entrance. Oh and another commenter tells me if you lift up the mattress there's also a space under the bed for larger items. Neat.

[@Eurobazz]

I'm not sure if I like the idea of the flimsy concertina pod divider Herr Staubsauger. Surely you can hear noises emanating from the fellow pod traveller?

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@Eurobazz i think that's a fair assumption, although in my case I did pick up a neighbour at a later stop and heard nothing at all from them. Of course, if you interviewed them, maybe they would have something to say about my snoring 😉

[@WINGSANDRAILS]

The sleeping sheets are really confusing to put on the bett

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@WINGSANDRAILS haha yes! It took me a while to work them out!

[@horace650]

The onboard staff seem like they can't get rid of you quickly enough!

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@horace650 well yes maybe. But they have to have the train prepared for cleaning and they have been working all night so it isn't really a problem. They were efficient rather than pushy i would say. Thanks so much for watching too 👍

[@antoniodimascio5340]

The mini cabin is great for agilie people i am obeses and I would find it difficult to get in i prefer to buy a single couchette cabin when I travel through Europe

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@antoniodimascio5340 Yes, i agree they are only good for more agile people, so it would be wrong if this was the only couchette offered by ÖBB. Hopefully they have got the balance right so we all get what we need. Oh, and thanks so much for watching the video 👍

[@stevecooksley]

Wouldn't it be amazing if OBB ran NightJets to and from St Pancras? We can but dream.

[@ahumphrey6737]

Despite living close to St Pancras, I'd even be happy if the Nightjets worked to/from Stratford International, Ebbsfleet or Ashford. But as you may know, the safety requirements for the Eurotunnel are that the driving power has to be distributed along the train (powered axels), rather than a power car at either end push/pulling the train along. Not sure if they (Siemens or whoever) could build a sleeper carriage with motorised axels that would be acceptable in terms of noise (sleeping pax) and space (the motorised axels may be bigger and the double decker cabins already take up enough space).

[@JohnnyHooverTravels]

@@stevecooksley ah, that would be nice, but there are sleeper connections at Paris and Brussels, so we don't do bad 🤷‍♂️

[@Eurobazz]

​@@ahumphrey6737 Surely that's not the case for the car and lorry transporter trains, or is it?

[@mackieap]

@@ahumphrey6737the original Eurostar have a power car at either end

[@BsBsBock]

Leider nicht mehr Hildesheim