What is railjet?

Railjets are Austrian Railways (ÖBB's) premier high-speed trains, capable of 230 km/h (143 mph) where the route allows.

small bullet point  Where do railjets run?

small bullet point  What are railjet trains like?

small bullet point  Travel tips

small bullet point  How to buy tickets

small bullet point  What's the Munich-Vienna-Budapest journey like?

Where do railjets run?

Munich Hbf - Salzburg - Linz - Vienna Hbf - Budapest Keleti

Zurich HB - Innsbruck - Salzburg - Linz - Vienna Hbf - Budapest Keleti (see the Arlberg Railway page)

Zurich HB - Vienna Hbf - Bratislava Hlavna (1 per day)

Vienna Hbf - Klagenfurt - Udine - Venice Santa Lucia 2 per day (see the Vienna to Venice page).

Prague Hlavni - Vienna Hbf - Graz (some trains on this route are blue Czech Railways railjets)

Berlin Hbf - Vienna Hbf (1 per day, via Prague)

What are railjet trains like?

Railjets have 3 classes, economy, first & business (in that order!), all with free WiFi.  Business class is a premium first class, called Premium class until 2012.  The trains are all non-smoking.  Wheelchair-accessible toilets and several wheelchair spaces are available in each train.

A railjet train about to leave Vienna

A railjet at Vienna Hbf.  Railjets are push-pull, with a locomotive at one end & a driving cab (shown here) at the other.

Railjet train boarding at Vienna Hbf

Economy (2nd class)

Economy (2nd) class has open-plan seating arranged 2+2 across the car width, most unidirectional but with some tables for 4.  All seats have power sockets and a fixed or drop-down table.  Large luggage racks are located at various points within the seating area, see the photo of the luggage rack in 1st class below, it's the same in all classes (in fact there's a luggage rack in the photo below left, behind the table for 4).  See the seat numbering plan hereClick the photos for larger images.

Economy class seats on a railjet train   Economy class seats on a railjet train

First class

First class has reclining leather seats arranged 2+1 across the car width, with tables for 2, tables for 4 people and some unidirectional seats.  There are power sockets & tables at all seats.  Food & drink orders are taken from the restaurant menu & served at your seat, although meals aren't included in the fare.  See panorama photoSee the seat numbering plan hereClick the photos for larger images.

First class seats on a railjet train   First class seats on a railjet train

1st class on a railjet.

 

1st class - note the large luggage rack.

Business class (premium 1st)

You pay an extra €15 on top of any 1st class fare to get a business class seat, which automatically includes a reserved seat.

The first batch of railjets (used Munich-Vienna-Budapest & Zurich-Innsbruck-Vienna-Budapest) have 16 business class seats in half a car at one end of the train:  A carpeted corridor runs down one side of the car, off which open several spacious 3 or 4 seat semi-compartments, semi because the compartments have no door and partitions are not ceiling-high.  Each semi-compartment has very comfortable reclining leather armchairs with adjustable footrests & fold-out armrest table.

Later railjets (used on the Vienna-Graz-Venice & Vienna-Berlin routes) have just 6 business class seats, arranged open-plan 1+1 across the car width at one end of the train at one end of a first class car.

If you don't mind the extra cost, business class is highly recommended.  There are power sockets & reading lights at all seats.  A complimentary welcome drink of wine or fruit juice is included.  Food & drink orders  are taken from the restaurant menu and served at your seat, although meals aren't included in the fare.  Note that only certain booking sites can book business class (for example www.thetrainline.com & www.oebb.at where you select a 1st class fare then choose a business class reservation), but if you have a first class ticket you can find any empty seat and ask to pay the €15 supplement on board. 

See panorama photoSee the seat layout & numbering plan hereClick the photos for larger images.

Business class on a railjet train, showing aisle   3-seat semi-compartment, business class on a railjet train

Business class in the original railjet trains:  Side corridor with 14 seats in two 3-seat & two 4-seat semi-compartments, plus two solo seats at one end.  See seat layout & numbering plan.

Business class seats on a railjet train   Business class on a railjet train, showing aisle

Business class in later railjet trains:  Just 6 seats, open plan at the end of the train.

Restaurant car

Anyone in any class can buy food & drink at the counter to take back to their seat or you can sit down in any free seat in the 14-seat restaurant area which has table service.  However, in 1st & Business classes there's no need to go to the restaurant car, a steward will take your order and serve you from the restaurant menu at your seat - or you can order food & drink on your phone, see the travel tips section below.  Food is served on proper china with metal cutlery - no airline plastic here.  The Austrian wines are excellent, as is the beer.  You can find the current menu at www.oebb.at/en/.../im-zug/bordservice - please let me know if that link stops working.

Railjet restaurant car   Meal & drinks are served at seat in first & premium classes

Restaurant & bar counter.  Larger photo.

 

Food orders are taken at seat in 1st & business.

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Travel tips

Infopoint on a railjet train   Large luggage rack on a railjet

Infopoint - the train manager's office.

 

Large luggage racks in first & economy

Wheelchair space on a railjet   Kids cinema on a railjet train

Wheelchair spaces.

 

Children's cinema, family zone in the end car.

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How to buy tickets

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What's the Munich - Salzburg - Vienna - Budapest journey like?

The train soon leaves the Munich suburbs behind and snakes through pretty Bavarian countryside, past tiny villages nestling in green valleys, picturesque chalets and Bavarian churches with tall, slender spires.  Approaching Salzburg the Alps come into view, making a great backdrop to your train ride, often with snow on the highest peaks even in June.  Just before arriving at Salzburg the train crosses the Salzach river - look to the right for great views of Salzburg's citadel & castle (see the photo below).  Soon after Salzburg the train leaves the Alps behind and snakes through hilly Austrian scenery, past Austrian churches with their bulbous spires, so different from those in Bavaria.  The train calls at Linz before reaching its maximum 200 km/h (125mph) speed on the fastest part of the journey, then it slows down again through more green hilly countryside into Vienna's new main station.  From Vienna to Budapest the landscape is flat, wide open farmland, now sporting more wind turbines that you've ever seen before, allegedly over 200.  Just before arriving in Budapest the train crosses the Danube, although a modern road bridge obscures the view along the river.  The train normally keeps good time, so expect an on-time arrival into Budapest's historic Keleti station, built 1881-1884.

Scenery on the Munich to Budapest train route

Bavarian scenery between Munich & Salzburg.

View of Salzburg from the train   TV screen showing the train's location   TV screen showing speed

Salzburg.  This is the view of Salzburg as the railjet crosses the Salzach river approaching Salzburg station.

 

TV screens show the arrival times at the next station stops, the train's current speed, and maps show your current location.

Scenery between Munich and Salzburg

Pleasant farmland scenery in Austria.

Wind farms seen from the train between Vienna and Budapest

Between Vienna & Budapest it's largely flat.  This photo pretty much sums up that whole route!

A railjet driving trailer end   Food served on a railjet

A railjet driving trailer end.

 

A meal served at one's seat.


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