Field report: By night train to Slovenia: What should you know?
Slovenia is a wonderful holiday destination. Located between the mountains and crossed by beautiful rivers, a holiday in Slovenia is an unforgettable experience. For many, however, the question arises as to whether it might make sense to forgo the car or plane for a trip from Germany to Slovenia and instead take the climate-friendly alternative of the train. The night train option in particular promises a time advantage, as it offers the possibility of spending most of the journey asleep and arriving fresh at your destination.
Based on a travel report of a journey from Osnabrück to Ljubljana/Tolmin, we would like to give you information on what to look out for when traveling by train from Germany to Slovenia (during the main summer holiday season). Depending on the route, you should definitely plan for a good amount of preparation time, generous transfer times, and an anticipation of surprises.
How to research train connections
Travelers from Germany may appreciate one aspect of Deutsche Bahn: the connection search, which allows you to enter not just a desired destination station, but even individual streets, even in smaller villages. As a rule, the connection overview also shows buses, regional trains, and walking routes. Unfortunately, you will miss this feature when searching across borders.
Tips for researching
When trying to find connections via the starting point and destination, it is essential to select a destination with a train station, otherwise no connection can be displayed. Before planning possible train routes, it's best to research several options for your destination station and, if applicable, options for local onward travel, which can prove quite cumbersome depending on your language skills.
For international trips, Deutsche Bahn offers an international website where you can book a journey with the railway. The advantage: if you miss a connecting train, there may be the option to use other means of transport or hotels. When choosing a route, you should still make sure to plan generous transfer times: after all, who wants to take a night train only to end up needing a hotel due to a delay? In our case, it wasn't possible to book a trip including the Nightjet via Deutsche Bahn's international website, so all journeys were ultimately booked with the individual providers.
Travel option with the night train: ÖBB Nightjet
For the journey to Slovenia by night train, the ÖBB Nightjet was the obvious choice, as it operates several night trains that run, among other places, through Germany to Italy and Croatia, making it a suitable option for a destination in Slovenia. Due to not overly extensive research, the decision fell on the night train from Stuttgart to Zagreb, more precisely from Munich to Ljubljana, since a direct shuttle bus option to the destination of Tolmin was also available. A more in-depth search would have also revealed options for a night train to Austria (e.g., Amsterdam - Innsbruck) with a day trip through Austria and Slovenia. In that case, we would have seen more of the beautiful landscapes of Austria and Slovenia, but we also would have had to look much more closely into the Austrian and Slovenian rail and bus networks. However, for the optimal route, it can be worthwhile to invest more time in researching possible (alternative) connections.
In addition, of course, the train from Germany to Munich and the shuttle bus from Tolmin to Slovenia also had to be booked.
The booking
Reservation options on the night train
When selecting the night train, the next decision had to be made: seat, couchette, or sleeper.
The sleeper offers a maximum of 3 sleeping places, its own washbasin (or even its own bathroom, if booked), and a comprehensive breakfast, providing maximum comfort at the most expensive price (in our case, over €200 per journey and person for the trip from Munich to Ljubljana).
The couchette car offers 4-6 spaces in a small compartment. At the time of booking, only couchette spaces in 4-berth compartments were still available, at a price of €100 per person and route. The couchette car in question was a 6-berth compartment, whose top berths remained empty, leaving room for luggage. Anyone carrying larger backpacks or suitcases should keep in mind that with all 6 spaces booked, there is hardly any room for your own luggage.
By far the cheapest category was the seat, which was already available for under €35 per person and route, but offers little comfort. Anyone wanting to save as much as possible while accepting significant comfort trade-offs can also choose the seating car.
Construction work as a minor inconvenience
However, the first setback occurred during booking: For the return journey, it was shown that the night trains would be rerouted due to construction work at the border via Spielfeld (on the other side of Austria), and the expected delay would naturally affect the choice of connecting train. Unfortunately, no information about a possible delay was available on the website. A friendly ÖBB employee gave, over the phone, experience-based estimates of 60-90 minutes, in rare cases even over 120 minutes, but no more than 180 minutes.
Did the booking go smoothly?
After careful consideration of sensible buffer times (due to the possibility of attending a festival, a very generous buffer of 5 hours was factored in for the outbound journey), 4 hours were planned for the return journey due to the expected delay. Booking from Osnabrück to Munich via Hanover proved to be unproblematic and was also displayed directly in the Deutsche Bahn app. The cost for a discounted ticket (train-bound, cancellation excluded) including seat reservation came to €60 per person and route.
With the booking of the shuttle bus from Ljubljana to Tolmin for €27 per person and route, the trip was fully booked just under six months before departure, and at under €200 per route and person, it was also cheaper than a flight (at least €300 due to the lack of a direct flight) and, according to a fuel cost calculator, cheaper than driving for up to 2 people, especially when vignettes are factored in. In terms of price, train travel can indeed compete with car travel under certain conditions (early booking, no option for cancellation), and anyone willing to accept comfort trade-offs can spend considerably less.
Surprises
The trip was booked, the transfer times generously planned – even with larger delays, there should have been no stress. So what could possibly happen, other than a complete cancellation of the night train?
Unexpected problems
Although the train was not completely canceled, three months before departure we received an email informing us that the booked couchette car would be replaced by a seating car due to maintenance work. We were offered either a free cancellation or a 50% compensation after the journey. Since the price of the seating car, even accounting for the compensation, was still cheaper than the original couchette price, we decided (not least out of convenience) to go on the trip and apply for the compensation afterward.
Is ÖBB more reliable than DB?
At this point, it became clear that ÖBB was not necessarily better organized than its often-criticized counterpart, Deutsche Bahn. Delays were already expected for the return journey, and here too the couchette car was to be replaced by a seating car. Apart from an email about the rerouting via Spielfeld, communication overall remained rather sparse.
Experience with Deutsche Bahn
Deutsche Bahn also didn't consistently shine in terms of organization. The trip was planned for early August (i.e., during peak travel season), including a transfer in Hanover. To our surprise, the IC was almost on time, so the connection seemed reachable. However, previous cancellations and delays significantly delayed boarding, meaning we could only take our reserved seats after about 20 minutes. In addition, the Deutsche Bahn app showed that the booked train from Hanover would be cancelled, while at the same time displaying the same ICE as an alternative.
In Hanover, the information was contradictory. The display board advised against boarding, even though the booked train consisted of two coupled ICE trains. According to an external source of information, our reservations applied to the part of the train that was actually running. At the information desk, it was finally confirmed that we should board despite the contradictory displays (provided seats were reserved). The platform was correspondingly overcrowded due to previous cancellations.
After a rather adventurous boarding experience, we were fortunately able to quickly take our reserved seats. Once seated, traveling on the ICE is actually pleasant. Even the air conditioning worked reliably. Despite a delay of just over an hour in Munich, our time buffer was sufficient to store our luggage in a locker at the Ostbahnhof and visit the festival for almost two hours. Here too we were lucky: while hardly any larger lockers were still available at the main station, we found free ones at the Ostbahnhof.
Thanks to the frequent S-Bahn service, we remained well within schedule. However, finding the correct platform for the night train once again proved complicated. The booked night train to Zagreb via Ljubljana was not listed on the display board – instead, a train number with the destination Venice appeared. A railway employee finally clarified: the train sections to Venice would be coupled on in Austria, while the remaining carriages would continue toward Croatia. So the train was to be split during the night.
Experience with the night train (ÖBB)
When the night train arrived, there was a pleasant surprise: the booked car turned out to actually be a couchette car. Although space is limited, two free upper berths provided some extra storage space for luggage. However, you shouldn't expect a peaceful sleep. Especially at stations, the noise level can be disruptive, and without air conditioning, the compartment quickly became warm. Nevertheless, the journey was considerably more comfortable than a seat. The next morning, we arrived in Ljubljana relatively on time and fairly well rested.
Two hours later, the shuttle bus towards Tolmin took us over scenically impressive but sometimes winding mountain and country roads. Anyone traveling through Slovenia by car should therefore consider a digital vignette. After almost exactly 24 hours of total travel time, we arrived in Tolmin relaxed (thanks to generous buffer times).
Return journey
On the return journey, surprises were kept to a minimum. The shuttle bus took us back to Ljubljana starting at 11 a.m., where a day trip was planned. Upon our arrival, however, all the lockers were occupied, and private providers had unusual opening hours. After a café visit at the station, lockers fortunately became available again, so nothing stood in the way of our city visit in the summery 30-degree heat.
The night train was scheduled to depart around 10:15 p.m. This time the correct train number was displayed, and boarding the couchette car we had booked again went smoothly with only a brief delay. According to the conductor, the rerouting via Spielfeld was not due to begin until the following weekend, so despite the later departure, no major delay was expected.
In Munich, we finally arrived with a delay of around 40 minutes and had enough time for breakfast before continuing on with the ICE to Hanover. Occupancy was noticeably lower on the return journey, so we were able to take our reserved seats without any problems and arrived at our respective destination stations almost on time.
Overall, the journey from Germany to Slovenia went comparatively smoothly despite a few uncertainties. What matters most is planning generous transfer times to cushion delays or train cancellations.
Pros and cons of a night train journey
Night train journeys are fundamentally comfortable, but they do not replace a hotel stay. The biggest challenges lay less in comfort and more in the sometimes inadequate communication from the railway companies. Anyone willing to research thoroughly in advance, plan generous time buffers, and respond flexibly to surprises can travel comparatively relaxed and cost-effectively even during peak travel season.
However, the time advantage of the night train is somewhat offset by the necessary buffer times. From four people onward, driving can also be more economically attractive.
Car as an alternative
Traveling by car from Germany to Slovenia primarily offers planning certainty and flexibility. A one-time route plan including alternatives for traffic jams is sufficient, modern navigation systems minimize the risk of detours, and comfort as well as luggage capacity are significantly greater. Vignettes for Austria as well as vignettes for Slovenia can be conveniently registered online.
Important notes
Anyone who still decides to travel by train should keep the following points in mind:
Early and careful planning is essential.
Plan generous transfer times.
Expect limited communication and possible changes.
Seat reservations on long-distance trains are strongly recommended.
Couchette cars offer comfort, but are not comparable to hotel rooms.
Luggage capacity is limited.
Train travel is particularly attractive in terms of price when booked very early.
Anyone who takes these aspects into account can experience a scenically appealing and climate-friendly journey with a long-distance train trip including a night train. Nevertheless, due to organizational weaknesses in European rail travel, certain limitations must be accepted, which is why this mode of travel cannot be recommended without reservation.
The Europamaut team wishes you a pleasant journey!
We wish you a pleasant journey and hope that our insight into a night train trip has provided you with all the relevant information. If you are considering traveling by car, you can find detailed information on tolls in Slovenia and vehicle classes in our guide. You are also welcome to purchase your digital vignette from us. Should any of your questions remain unanswered, feel free to contact our support team at any time by email.
