After the year 2021 without visiting my sister Florence in Zug in Switzerland, I finally returned to the Confoederatio Helvetica in March 2022. I stayed over a week. More than a family visit, I organised an excursion to French-speaking Switzerland, also known as Romandy to visit Maxime and the vineyards of Lavaux in the canton of Vaud, near Lausanne. I also booked a journey on the world-famous Glacier Express from Sankt Moritz to Brig. Furthermore, I looked for a nice way in and out. The ÖBB Nightjet night train from Amsterdam to Zurich and the voyage home via Lyon in France.

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I’m always on the look-out for ‘new’ ways to go to Switzerland and it was Danny who came with the idea I should take the Nightjet from Amsterdam Central Station to Zürich HB. And sure, why not? Even after the Innsbruck – Aachen debacle, we still love night trains.

Itinerary

• Amsterdam Centraal Station.
• Utrecht.
• Arnhem.
• Oberhausen Hbf.
• Duisburg Hbf.
• Düsseldorf Hbf.
• Cologne (Köln Hbf).
• Bonn Hbf.
• Offenburg.
• Freiburg im Breisgau Hbf.
• Basel Bf.
• Basel SBB.
• Zurich (Zürich HB).

About

The NJ403 was scheduled for a 8.28 PM departure. It arrived at platform 10 just after 8 PM. So it gave me time to make this Instagram reel.

The train consists of Nightjet couchette cars and Nightjet sleeping cars. There are Deutsche Bahn seating cars and SBB-CFF-FFS seating cars. This train is a real Austro-Swiss-German collaboration. 

There is no restaurant, bistro or bar car. But there is a menu. Staff can provide you with these items. 

Cabin

My car was built in 1975 but has been refurbished. I booked a solo bed, so only one bed was made up. There is no shower but there is a sink.

As you can see, there is a quite large table and a seat. There is one power outlet hidden next to the seat and there is a lot of light. There’s a closet. The wastebin is under de seat. 

Perhaps it’s dated but it’s clean and functional. 

Amenities

The goodie bag provided includes a towel, slippers, an eye mask, a pen, salty (bird seeds?) and sweet (chocolate and berry) snacks. You get two bottles of water.

Breakfast

You order breakfast the night before on a form.

Experience

Contrary to the before mentioned Innsbruck – Aachen debacle, staff was friendly, jovial and helpful. I did get my complimentary prosecco. I had to ask, but I had it. I received a key to be able to lock my cabin when going to the toilet.

That toilet was clean, put there was a persistent smell.

Sleep

Perhaps the 160 euro question: how do you sleep? I slept okay. I woke up a few time, but then again, I always do when it’s a ‘new’ bed. The bed is comfortable and the pillows are firm. The duvet is warm and cosy. You do hear and feel the train moving, but I can shut that down mentally.

So?

Will I travel by night train again? Definitely. On this route? Perhaps not, because it is an expensive detour. But I enjoyed it. On to the next night train.

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• 2021, European Year of Rail.
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• 2013 Scotland Rail Trip.
• 2016 America Rail Adventure.
• 2017 Eastern Europe, Balkan and Greece Rail Trip.
• 2018 Poland Trip.
• 2018 Rail Tour of France, Italy and Switzerland.
• 2020 Saxony, Bavaria and Tyrol Getaway.

Switzerland 2022

• Zandvoort, home of the Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix.