While we wait and wait for the new Amtrak sleepers, it appears at least one European country thinks sleepers have a future. This topic was on the Train Order website. The quote is from the Financial Times and I couldn't access it directly as it has a paywall.
"The sleeper carriages may soon start picking up speed again, however. ÖBB, the Austrian state-owned railway operator, on Friday announced a significant expansion and rebranding of its overnight passenger services across Germany, Italy and Switzerland, as well as its home market.
ÖBB hopes its new “Nightjet” services will prove a viable alternative to flying, even if rival operators in other European countries have shunted overnight sleepers into the sidings."
Perhaps Mr. Norman will have a new way to get to Salzburg.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Mr. Palmland, when the comparison is to some "econobunk" aboard a CityNight or the Junior Suite afforded to me by Crowne Plaza last August on my "classical music quest" at Salzburg, I'd take that latter any day.
I simply do not think that a Eurobiz traveler is about to forego either a flight and a night in a hotel for some "rocking econobunk". Once upon a time, they would have had no choice, but Today they do.
Personally, the odds are pretry good that during '17 (I have an $1800 voucher with United that expires May 11), I will make an overseas trip. My Niece wants me to come down to Australia where she now lives (her "punk" musician-spouse "couldn't make it in New York", so he went "back where he came from" in the quest of fame and fortune). But with the 15.hour time-diff and staying only a week, I could never get in sync, as even last night when I simply went into town for a Chicago Symphony concert, I got back here at 1159P and feel all "out of sync" today
It's just what happens when you're 75.
Posted by palmland (Member # 4344) on :
GBN, I understand 'out of sync' . I'm in recovery mode on the Palmetto today. Homecoming events in Ashland that included too much food and beer had their effect.
Posted by notelvis (Member # 3071) on :
In 2014 I briefly toyed with the idea of doing one overnight European train BUT it turned out that most of the places my family and I wished to be fell at places the City Nightliners called on during the wee hours. Our only single trip which exceeded more than 6 hours involved changing trains anyway. Daytrips and lodging down by the depot served us very well and will likely be the approach the next time we consider Europe.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :