Trains between Munich and Vienna just got CHEAPER. - Meet WESTbahn!

Let's look at the NEW Westbahn service from Munich to Vienna, which changes how you'll travel between these two cities!
With its low fares, and innovative on-board offers, the service is fantastic value. I'm travelling in Comfort Class, aboard one of their high-speed double-deck Stadler trains.
Also, there's one clever little trick that can help you to get an even better value fare.
Watch next: • Why you HAVE TO ride o... 👈 👀
Enjoy!
---
Journey Details:
Origin: München Hbf / Munich main station
Destination: Wien Westbahnhof / Vienna West
Company: Westbahn (WSTBA)
Train: ÖBB 4010 (Stadler KISS 3)
Accommodation: Comfort Class Seat (2nd+)
Distance: 285 miles / 459 kilometres
Price: €28.98 (£24.20/ $31.90)
Time: 4h06m + 8L
---
Find me elsewhere:
superalbs.weeb...
/ superalbs
/ superalbstravels
/ superalbstravels

[@rphxx6906]

4:43 I love how the City of Wels was translated to "catfish", which means "Wels" in german. The fish and city have nothing to do with each other though

[@SuperalbsTravels]

I did notice that when I was editing! 😂😂🙄

[@iangodfrey4518]

The Wels catfish is a major European freshwater fish. They used to be man eaters back in the middle ages, they were so big. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wels_catfish

[@rphxx6906]

@@iangodfrey4518 The name doesn't derive from the city's name though. It derives from the german word for catfish, which is also "Wels"

[@iangodfrey4518]

@@rphxx6906 yeah, i know.

[@mathiaspurner3791]

It is however fitting to the city, there is an inside joke that wels is the worst city in at leas upper austria

[@montgomeryscott1656]

A really perfect Austrian railway-company with wonderful trains. I hope there will be soon connections from Wien (Vienna) via Salzburg to Kufstein, Wörgl, Jenbach and Innsbruck (and maybe further to Landeck, Bludenz, Feldkirch and Bregenz) and vice versa!

[@chrislumpgod]

Everything behind Landeck-Zams is "impossible" because double-decker trains aren't allowed on the arlberg route. Another way to get to Bregenz though would be via Munich and Lindau.

[@montgomeryscott1656]

I look into the future. It isn't impossible WESTbahn will have one day single-decker-trains for Arlberg- and Gisela-line.

[@flopi04lp96]

To Zürich aswell, would be awsome!

[@quuaaarrrk8056]

They are looking to extend to Innsbruck (as in, they have announced to do so by next year)

[@dominic7523]

Ha

[@tryndaweniger8788]

I love Westbahn! I feel like Westbahn has a rather unique flair to it. It's almost like a elite feeling. The trains are super comfortable, very clean (in terms of hygiene and design), there's always a lot of train attendants woozling through the train and their optic and behaviour is... just different compared to other ÖBB/DB attendants. Always a pleasure using Westbahn

[@luke211286]

The Munich-Salzburg line was my first ever cross-border ride. If I remember right, I took the blue train. For someone who was born and raised in an archipelago which has no railways outside of our capital city, that concept was so alien to me. Can't ever forget how overjoyed I was. Hoping to try Westbahn soon enough

[@xshowda]

I take the Westbahn from monday to friday every week from Wels to Linz. 13 minutes for the approx 40 kilometer commute is very convenient compared to approx 30 to 40 minutes by car (traffic is hell especially in rush hour)

[@Colki12]

The blue-white car is a part of Siemens Velaro Novo, a high speed train which can go as fast as up to 360 (403 without any modifications) km/h

[@Brauiz90]

These new train sets look perfect. Some of the older 4-car units were sold to Germany's railway company "DB" to use as "Intercity 2". Rosenheim is now added as a stop for this route. They also stop in Freilassing (at least on the way to Munich) for border controls by the federal police. - I'm not sure if this stop is added in the other direction.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Yup, they're a good fit for Westbahn. On DB, less good.

[@Brauiz90]

@@SuperalbsTravels I've been thinking about taking the Westbahn from Salzburg to Linz - maybe I'll go this way soon.

[@BobTravellin]

Excellent video as always. I have to say the quality of your foreign language pronunciation never ceases to impress - can't wait for some of the more toungue-twisting Polish names to come along! Thanks for sharing.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

You're gonna love next week. 😌

[@petershaw3456]

As a German speaker, I can agree with you Bob- this narrator is really good, and it’s great that he makes an effort to get the pronunciation right. He is a pleasure to listen too, and his English accent is pleasant too. Contrast this with many videos narrated by Americans whose pronunciation of foreign names is often atrocious!

[@SuperalbsTravels]

@@petershaw3456 thank you very much 😄

[@yakovgolyadkin]

​@@petershaw3456 I'm curious what dialect of German you speak, because I live in Munich and learned German here, and I found some of his pronunciations wrong to the point of being distracting.

[@einmuzi]

@@yakovgolyadkin It does not matter what dialect he speaks the point he is trying to make is a different one. As a native German speaker you can hear that he is putting in effort to pronounce things the German way. It is clearly audible that he is in fact not German but he clearly did not just pronounce it as if it was an English word. For example he nearly nailed the ü and ö and did not just pretend that the dots above the letters are just for decoration.

[@HoppouChan]

the Lounge area is particularly nice when commuting. As advertised on the door, you can sit in comfort with the Klimaticket (year ticket for the entire public transport network in Austria) so its easier to find a seat there in the crowded mornings

[@piedaderudman6043]

Absolutely stunning train. So clean and modern. Thank you for your great information. Would love to do that journey.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Thanks for watching. :)

[@khughes0402]

Your videography...as well as your voiceover...are flawlessly done, which makes watching a real pleasure. Thank you.

[@tommylaq]

Looks like a fabulous product! The interior looks very clean and I love their innovation as well as of course the very good price. Brilliant video as always:)

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Thank so very much!

[@nathanrickard]

Blue - White carriage @9:43 is part of the new Siemens Velaro Novo concept undergoing testing. The Velaro Novo has been presented to HS2 in the UK and listed for the role of ICE5 in Germany.

[@tenny_tenten]

Well the HS2 rolling stock were awarded to Hitachi/Alstom instead sadly

[@TexasCat99]

Which looks rather like the Siemens Mobility “Venture” cars for Amtrack in the USA. But with angled roof and bottom, rather than curved. + bottom bits being visible. Because in the USA, pretty covers for passengers cars = cost money. Overall, an easy improvement of our OLD OLD stock.

[@Felix-no7nx]

7:10 I live in Rosenheim and change trains at this station every day! Nice that you were there, even if only for a short time!

[@captainminecraft631]

The blue/white carriage, despite the intense glare, I can make out the words “velaro novo”, which is part of the Velaro family, the newest family of high speed trains in Germany. This car is a prototype since it’s only in the prototyping phase, however, these trains are fully customizable, delivered with completely empty interiors.

[@edwardvincentbriones5062]

Stadler’s trains have some of my personal favorite acronyms. But Westbahn is really moving ahead of time!

[@ianhelps3749]

I have seen the Westbahn trains at Munich. At first I thought they had been hired by Railjet before I realised that it was actually a new service. Would like to try it one day.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Haha, yeah give it a go! You can often get a bargain...

[@lindavainomae3489]

Thanks for another enjoyable video - good stuff! It is good to see Westbahn extending their network. I think the seats in Comfort class with the contrast stiching look really smart and the self serve cafe a great idea - there is nothing better than sitting back and enjoying the scenery fro a train with a nice cup of coffee in hand!

[@snarepusher]

It is actually possible to pay in cash in the catering area. The way it works is that you pay in person at the stewards (who are usually around that area between stations) and they confirm that it's paid for with their machine (which probably connects to the dispenser via RFID or some other protocol)

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Oh cool! I didn't know that.

[@michaeljackson2838]

Great journey. Cannot believe the pricing for food and drinks. Amazing value. Plus glad you were in Freilassing, as I watch their webcam above the station approaches most days to see quite the variety of freight and passenger trains. Keep up the great work. Happy to subscribe

[@omarhamid3638]

Great timing!! Thanks, am currently thinking of a trip between Munich and Vienna and wasn’t aware of this service. Brilliant review ✌️👍

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Thank you, hopefully I helped you decide then. :)

[@omarhamid3638]

@@SuperalbsTravels You’re most welcome and a big thanks to you! I’m pleased to say I hope to make the journey very soon ☺️

[@trueValara]

I used to ride Westbahn almost daily a few years back. Mostly sitting on the bench in that Lounge area. When traveling in the early morning, I would literally lie down there for a few minutes ,when there weren't many people in the wagon. Another plus is that you don't actually need to book your ticket beforehand, you can also buy it from the steward when he comes by, cost 1€ more that way. I would also have a spare ticket just for convenience, as they are valid on EVERY train for the next few months.

[@ChrisH-1952]

An excellent review and I think you have shown off a very good product well. I would definitely consider Westbahn if travelling this route on the basis of your video.

[@no-damn-alias]

The urinal is the best idea ever on a train. Keeps the normal toilet clean for when you really have to use it and that's a feature I'd like to see more on trains

[@mercanada2795]

at 11:10, I loved the product placement :D That was utterly iconic!

[@SuperalbsTravels]

What can I say? It's a non-stop hustle. 😅

[@CanuckJim]

Back in 2019, we used the Munich-Salzburg Westbahn (super cheap thanks to the DB Regional Day Ticket - you're allowed to go one stop into neighboring countries). Great trains, comfortable seats, friendly staff.

[@paraglenner]

You got it cheap! 44 euro Vienna Salzburg the other week and same back. Thought it was good value, comfortable, quiet, civilised. The OBB was good aswell on local lines. UK could do well to look at how they deliver.

[@robertomaggio6746]

Great and very interesting video. About Westbahn, great job, nice train and service. Yes. the strange car is the velaro novo prototype with the first livery. To the next video from Milan...

[@michaelhall8586]

Thanks for this, lovely video to watch to celebrate my birthday and dream of travelling to Europe

[@rrp1958]

hi felt like travellimg along with you thanks for joining me.😀

[@heidirabenau511]

I love the sofas on Westbahn!

[@WINGSANDRAILS]

Gonna be in Munchen in 2 weeks again. Arriving with ICE and forward journey on Local train which of course is very cheap now with the Deutsche Bahn 9,- euro ticket ;-)

[@lewis72]

Great to see Westbahnhof get some long distance services back. It was demoted to regional destinations in 2015 when Wien Hauptbahnhof replaced Westbahnhof and Südbahnhof (& Ostbahnhof station platforms). Before Hauptbahnhof, Vienna was like London in that it had numerous stations to serve routes to different destinations with no through-routes, so Bratislava to Munich would probably have meant getting a bus/tram from Südbahnhof (Ost) to Westbahnhof.

[@andrewpepper8031]

Very informative video,it looks like a great train and very reasonably priced as well. I liked those strange buses with a trailer attached.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Those hauled buses are mad, I wish I could try one.

[@fab555trainspottingandmore]

We have in Switzerland similar Trains from Stadler Rail which where build from 2011-2016 they are called RABe 511 RegioDosto Kiss for commuter train service (S-Bahn Zurich) and RABe 511 InterregioDosto (IR-Dosto) for RegioExpress and InterRegio services which don't stop at every station

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Ah yes, I have ben on them a few times. Not the best for comfort, but definitely get the job done reliably!

[@brian402]

Yet another awesome train journey trip report by you🚄👍

[@MovieFactory]

my westbahn experiences are so good, that every time i need to go to vienna, i dont even think about other trains, especially since the pricing is very good, its not a super long distance so its even pretty comfortable in 2nd class and you have access to all necessities

[@georgestiros4392]

THANK YOU great video. I am visiting Munich , Salzburg and Vienna in August. This was very informative.

[@19Raeken89]

did you like it?

[@georgestiros4392]

@@19Raeken89 wow wow wow.......it was phenomenal!!!!! cannot wait to go back........

[@benzfriends2531]

A great video! Very informative. I wasn't aware of this new train service between Munich and Vienna. By the way: if you ever visit the area of Freilassing again, take a train trip from Freilassing to Berchtesgaden. A local train service but a spectacular route.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Thanks for the tip!

[@JBS319]

Nice catch of the Velaro Novo test carriage

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Aha, thanks for the info! :)

[@hypernewlapse]

9:45 thats a “Siemens Velaro Novo” carriage, which they are testing. It’s the latest siemens high speed trainset

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Interesting, thanks for sharing the information!

[@chrisdzierzon]

I really liked the video as I travel with these trains 2-3 times per week to work. I couldn’t figure out how to change the seat in the last year and now with your video I feel a little ashamed 😂

[@woemi1]

I use Westbahn on a regular basis and I enjoy every ride .

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Good to hear! 😁

[@Maximilian1717]

9:43 as it says on the side of the carriage, it's a prototype Siemens Velaro Novo car. Those will be next generation of the Velaro high speed train family (currently used in Germany (ICE 3 407), Spain (Class 103), UK/France (Eurostar 320) etc).

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Interesting, thanks for that!

[@Andrewjg_89]

Those WestBahn trains including double decker Kiss-3 are incredible trains. Quite like these trains. Very impressive video 👍

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Many thanks!

[@anthonywarrener1881]

Thank you for a great review. The fare was amazing, and the Stadler double deck Kiss unit really excellent. I would prefer a trolley service for such a long journey if it’s not possible to provide full restaurant facilities.I realise that is provided on the RailJet trains on this route, so it’s a question of how much you want to pay for your ticket !

[@SuperalbsTravels]

A trolley service might be good, but I can't imagine it would be fun taking it up and down those stairs.

[@pessipaivarinne3174]

@@SuperalbsTravels Don't know about those KISS trainsets but here in Finland our double decker ic carriages have small elevators for the trolleys :D

[@stephanweinberger]

@@pessipaivarinne3174 That would still be cumbersome on the KISS trains, as the corridor between the cars is mid-level. So for every car the Steward/ess would have to go up/down twice. Much quicker to just directly bring the items on request (which Westbahn does offer in all classes!)

[@stephanweinberger]

Westbahn offers at-seat service by the stewards (even in 2nd class!). Also there are "Westcafes" in all middle cars, so the next one is at maximum 2 car lengths away.

[@velikiradojica]

9:43 The carriage is Velaro novo by Siemens, a new lightweight version of the Velaro carriage, attached to two DB Systemtechnik carriages, which usually host rail test equipment and crew.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Oh right, thanks!

[@einfachjxnii4153]

Between Dresden and Warnemünde the Stadler Kiss (4 Car Train) drives on an intercityline... Really comfortable

[@lohovi6571]

back in the days (until 2017) you were allowed to smoke in special dedicated sections in-between the waggons of the train (3 or 4 in total, i can't exactly recall it). this was with the older train models which were replaced with the newer ones. for me as a youngster and back-then smoker, this was always a highlight hahaha though i prefer the decision that they got rid of it

[@ShunShufen]

This looks amazing! I'll definitely use them to go to Munich when I get round to it. :)

[@travelvideos]

It was really late when I took it. I thought it was canceled, but people were waiting on the platform. Nobody was panicking.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Oh dear, sounds bad! :(

[@oida10000]

I like the trains and find it great that ÖBB has some competition, how ever I find it also shows perfectly why you should not let rail services to private companies only: Salzburg - Wien is Austrias most important and most lukrativ line and conviently also the only line Westbahn serves, not Innsbruck, not Graz (the second biggest city in the country), that is real cherry picking. Also I was surprised that there was no clance into first class.

[@sircrittalotTV]

I agree, Westbahn is really exploiting the situation/law and it is shameful.

[@einmuzi]

Well that is not actually how it works. The cherry picking myth is not that true. The traffic on other tracks is ordered by the state which pays the ÖBB a fixed fee for running trains there. Only in long distance routes like the Weststrecke shown here there is actual competition.

[@oida10000]

@@einmuzi It would be new to me that other train providers are banned from these tracks, the state and thus the ÖBB are just tasked providing a reliable service.

[@lol-yx7hi]

around 10:00 Wow that was a carriage of the currently in developement ICE Velaro Novo. Should be the next generation ICE

[@sachabunniksglobaladventures]

Super cool train

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Sure is! :)

[@andrewmastrandonas5123]

Great job!

[@AnnabelSmyth]

I love that route - but you forgot to show us first class!

[@frettchen4473]

7:09 it's so funny to see the train station in the town i live in…

[@ramirogarai]

Can’t wait to try this ride!

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Sounds good, hope you enjoy!

[@sterlinghartley2165]

Would you be able to review some of the TransPennine Express Trains? Some of the Nova trains in particular, Leeds to Scarborough or something alone those lines. They are Class 80X for the most part but still quite nice.

[@saturnsandjupiters358]

He already has! Here’s the link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWTUaWWwa5eaoc0

[@AguadillaCGN]

9:44 thats a new test coach car, It is probably at the border station to get certified in Austria. for future high speed trains

[@BR218fan]

Another great and entertaining video! These trainsets seem to be of high quality and have a nice and comfy looking interior! Keep up these great videos! 👍 One thing I noticed: Some shots are shaky and blurry, especially the footage of the underground part of München Hbf. Maybe you could get a gimbal or something like that (I am not that experienced with this stuff) to stabilize the image? 😉

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Yeah, I was fiddling with my camera settings at the time, which lead to a few problems - oops!

[@jackfate478]

Great video. Looks great journey

[@EAFSQ9]

9:42 that strange blue/white carriage apparently is a tech demo / mockup of Siemen's Viaggio future designs (mainly interior) and supposedly has tilting tech

[@philipspecht3255]

The blue white wagon is the DB & Simens experimental train. „Advanced Train lab“

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Interesting thanks!

[@kjetilniki2302]

Nice video. To improve it, u would show the 1st class difference and price and compared the 3 with the competition.

[@dilekismail5943]

Hello from Freilassing 👋👋

[@MrShujinJonmichal]

Can we see some Japan Train video reviews?

[@historyliterature3611]

Rrally wonderful video.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Thanks!

[@strafrag1]

Your videos are terrific. Cheers.

[@alexandrexavier3273]

Wow, the price per distance is amazing given the absolute class this train is. 70+Mbps internet? That's almost what I have with Ethernet at home

[@truelove8345]

My personal trick are the L sharped seats on the upper level.. i use a sleeping bag and if i am lucky I can sleep all the ride in this sleeping position

[@justinsiemann7190]

Hey Pal! Im pretty Sure the trains in Freilassing we're used to measure Speed of trains and are also used to measure on what the train can Carry, Including braking and Speeding Up Comfort, They we're Put on locos to measure such Things, This was also used for the fastest loco on the world (Taurus 357km/h) In Order to measure everything Also called Messwagen.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Thanks for that! :)

[@EpicThe112]

The advantage of the competitor Austrian ÖBB is that Railjets tend to go towards Budapest Keleti from Both München Hbf and Wien Hbf while Railjet 63 & 66 run to Frankfurt Am Main Hbf and Airport winter time Innsbruck Hbf. Perhaps Westbahn Management should have gotten them capable to run 25 kv 50hz 2.050m Pantographs for Hungary to complete with OBB Munchen Budapest Keleti via Wien. One service should run Frankfurt International airport via Stuttgart if they want to compete with ÖBB

[@rphxx6906]

Its also faster than the Westbahn by quite a bit

[@samtrak1204]

Love interior design and decor.😀

[@SuperalbsTravels]

It's nice isn't it! Thanks!

[@eisenbahnerharthausen]

9:44 looks like an ICE car

[@gonatos21]

Railjet: in many times overcrowded. You have to climb stages to get on board. Bordrestaurant expansive. Westbahn: no barrier from plattform to train - not overcrowded -

[@SuperalbsTravels]

It will be interesting to see how the competition changes things!

[@RR-us2kp]

That blue white carriage was the test car for next generation Siemens velaro novo train

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Interesting, thanks!

[@pw7651]

The white and blue car you saw in Freilassing is a test car for Siemens next generation high speed trains

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Perfect thanks!

[@Zuuu40]

awesome video

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Thanks!

[@chanesy_]

9:42 damn thats rare theres only 1 of these in whole german, it's up for testing along with a 400kmh ffast ice

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Ooh, a lucky find!

[@nervun8097]

I think that weird blue coach is a prototype for a new Siemens Velaro variant

[@jassimmousamousa8102]

Good information

[@redhidinghood9337]

Props on the german pronunciations! They're not easy but there are so many people who don't even try to pronounce a non-english word correctly

[@felixtheodorwilliams3966]

Wow. This Train Is Even Faster Than A Danish Double Decker Train Which Runs Between Helsingør And Næstved And On Fridays To Odense.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Vectrons to Odense? 😯

[@felixtheodorwilliams3966]

@@SuperalbsTravels Yes!, but only on friday. About route: Every 30min to næstved from helsingør. Every 30 min to roskilde also from helsingør. In weekends, these routes drive every hour, except the roskilde-helsingør route, strangely with the helsingør-roskilde route is driven by the øresundståg every hour on weekends, the other half hour is driven by the vectron with the double decker cars.

[@felixtheodorwilliams3966]

@@SuperalbsTravels Could you maybe make an video danish double decker train?

[@Max_Jeko]

The strange Wagon was in testing you can see it at the DB Systel Wagon behind it they did test tours to see if it can be allowed in the Network of the DB Netz AG

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Interesting, thanks for the information!

[@timlilijinsheng4070]

9:43 Siemens Velaro Novo test carriage, it can operate at speeds of up to 360 KM/H as the next generation of the Siemens Velaro lineup, there are only a few of course, pretty lucky...

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Thanks for that! Glad to see it. :)

[@Zyphera]

The self serving machines would be perfect for an introvert like me.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Haha, fair point!

[@1258-Eckhart]

A good introduction, but you didn't show us the first class seating.

[@playerscobongameplay]

2:47 that train remember the train wich i went from bologna to venice

[@WINGSANDRAILS]

Beautiful train!

[@iceprincess3981]

Westbahn is an OK product and the staff is usually very kind. But in terms of comfort and service it canˋt compete with the railjet trains, even in you consider the price difference. I prefer Railjet trains any time.You just shouldnˋt forget to reserve a seat, then everything will be fine

[@PitoftheVid]

I took a ride on an westbahn train to salzburg to münchen hbf

[@RailTracks]

Imformatic video💌

[@ho7019]

Hello love the video. A suggestion however, could you add how long the journey are for intermediate stops. curios how long it took from Munich to Salzburg.

[@Wommy05]

9:43 that's a test coach for a new generation of ICEs.

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Interesting, thanks for that!

[@MARK-nh4hx]

It travelled slowly approx 100 per hour for 400klm..

[@xXDrocenXx]

But steady and only 8 minute late. A crash on the Autobahn and you lose easy an hour. Would you do a break, 20 minutes more 🤣

[@nerd2814]

Considering all the stops on the way, honestly not bad. If they wanted to go faster they'd probably do express/limited express services. Boom, faster, same rolling stock.

[@haripraji]

Visiting in May/June 2024..🎉🎉

[@fischgriller_unmarkiert]

Die Preise für eine WestBahn-Fahrt können unvergleichlich niedriger sein als für eine ÖBB-Fahrt, und der Komfort ist bei der WestBahn fast der gleiche, vielleicht sogar besser.

[@srikanthshastry4546]

Was that the next gen ICE coach being tested at 9:43 !

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Ah. Thanks for the info!

[@lws7394]

@ superalbs travels , were those tickets bought on the day or in advance? And what do you pay extra for flex time tickets If these are day price tickets, that is a really good train. It is not really high speed ( to me then journey time should approach to 200 km in an hour), but the price and train are great value ! The problem I have with a lot of ' high speed lines' is that they are not 'high speed', but at hi speed premium prices ! For example The 500km Hamburg-Frankfurt with ICE is in the same 4hrs as here mün-wien, but at prices €137-80(in evening) and €80-90 with 10 days advance ! That is just ridiculous, at only nu 125km per hour journey speed! The 220km A'dam-Brussels with Thalys in 1:54m, but at a price of €80-90 ! That is only about 15-20min faster than a regular dutch IC can do such distance. ( There is an IC connection , but the belgians rip you by doing the 40km Antw-Bru section as a stop train in 60. minutes !). Sort of the same A'dam-Paris Thalys is just an hour faster (27%) than the old Etoile du Nord (until 1996), but the fares ar 2-3 times more expensive .

[@SuperalbsTravels]

Booked these tickets a few days before. :)

[@frauleinbird]

Westbahn doesn't really have much fluctuation in ticket prices. You have special offer time slots/trains and pay less if you hold an ÖBB discount card, but you will always pay the same no matter how much time in advance you buy your ticket. Tickets used to be extremely flexible (you would for example pay for the route, no matter the direction), but I've recently overheard train staff talking about how Westbahn wants to limit this in the future. Edit: I forgot to add that the best way to buy their tickets is to use their app. Better pricing than buying in a third-party cigarette shop and you can upgrade to first class without losing any before-mentioned discounts, which is still not possible when you buy your tickets on the train afaik.