Is ÖBB Railjet First Class Worth It?

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ÖBB Railjet First Class Review: Budapest to Vienna to Prague

Traveling through Central Europe by train is always a treat, but splurging on First Class on ÖBB Railjet trains made my travel this past October from Budapest to Vienna and from Vienna to Prague even better. Was it worth the upgrade? For me, absolutely. From extra leg room and solo seating options to perks like station lounge access and at-seat food service, ÖBB Railjet First Class delivers a more relaxing, stress-free experience, which is particularly welcome on longer routes.

Whether you’re considering the upgrade for the solo seats, the calmer atmosphere, or the little luxuries, I’ve broken down everything you can expect, along with why I think Railjet First Class is worth every extra Euro.

What is ÖBB and Railjet?

ÖBB, short for Österreichische Bundesbahnen, is Austria’s national rail service, and it’s known for being one of the most efficient and reliable train networks in Europe (95% on time!). ÖBB’s Railjet is their high-speed flagship service, operating on sleek, modern train cars with speeds of up to 230 km/h (about 143 mph).

Railjet trains connect major cities within Austria—like Vienna, Salzburg, and Innsbruck—as well as international hubs like Budapest, Prague, Munich, and Zurich. With three classes of service—Economy Class, First Class, and Business Class—there’s an option for every budget and travel style. (Note that unlike airline classes, business class on ÖBB trains is actually the level above first class.)

Both my recent trips on an ÖBB train —Budapest to Vienna (2 hrs 40 min) and, one week later, Vienna to Prague (4 hrs) —were on Railjet trains, and I opted for Railjet First Class to see how much of a difference it made. Spoiler: quite a bit.

Railjet Seating Options

Reserve Your Seat

Being able to choose your specific seat is a huge bonus for me, especially when traveling solo. For me, knowing I’ll have a solo seat and can choose the specific seat I’ll be in makes the entire journey that much more comfortable, especially on a 4+ hour train ride. Seat reservations are included with First Class tickets and you can choose a specific seat during the reservation process, or add a seat reservation after booking.

Railjet First Class Ticket Cost

The cost of a Railjet First Class ticket will vary depending on how close to the date of travel you’re purchasing the ticket as well as demand. I bought my train tickets a little over a month before I traveled, and the upgrade to First Class was about €12 per trip.

Can You Upgrade to a Railjet First Class Train Ticket?

Yes. If you’ve already purchased a nonrefundable Economy ticket, you can upgrade to First Class on the train with an attendant (if seats are available) or at the train station.

First Class Lounges: Budapest and Vienna

An unexpected bonus of traveling Railjet First Class is access to station lounges, something I hadn’t realized when I booked my ticket. If you’ve ever been in a busy European train station, you’ll know that there’s generally not much, if any, general seating to use while waiting for your train track assignment (or if your train is delayed), so having a clean, quiet, comfortable place to sit and wait was fantastic.

Budapest Keleti Station Lounge

At Budapest Keleti Station, the First Class lounge was a welcome surprise I hadn’t anticipated at all. I arrived at the train station earlier than I anticipated and discovered the lounge while I was exploring the station. Small but spotless, it offered:

• Complimentary coffee and snacks brought to your table.
• Clean bathrooms—a perk that’s easy to overlook until you need it. In many European train stations, public bathrooms come with a fee, and the quality can be… questionable.
• Air Conditioning/Heat—not really needed in October when I was traveling but having a temperature controlled place to wait would be lovely in the middle of July or the middle of January since most of Keleti station is largely open to the elements.
• Free Wifi.

Vienna Central Train Station (Wien Hbf) Lounge

Vienna Central Train station’s ÖBB Lounge is also compact, but it was not at all crowded when I was there (which is a stark contrast to the rest of the train station, which is modern and very, very busy). Located above the main station concourse (follow the ÖBB Lounge signs), it features:

• Self service complimentary coffee, drinks, and snacks.
• Clean, quiet bathrooms—again, a welcome change from the station public toilets.
• A great view of the station through a massive glass wall, perfect for people-watching or keeping an eye on the main departure board.
• Free Wifi.

Onboard Comfort: Railjet Economy Class vs. First Class vs. Business Class

Railjet Economy Class

If you’re debating whether to upgrade, here’s what to know about Economy Class:

• Seats: A 2×2 layout with less space overall.
• Crowds: Economy Class tends to fill up quickly, and the atmosphere is much… livelier.
• Luggage Storage: Luggage racks are available in the middle of each car, but more crowded than in First Class.

Railjet First Class

Let’s start with the best part: in Railjet First Class, you can reserve single seats on one side of the car. I found the seats to be very comfortable. On my Vienna to Prague leg, I chose the first single seat next to the luggage rack, which allowed me to keep an eye on my bags while enjoying my own private space. There’s plenty of room, a clear window view, and no risk of awkward elbow wars with a stranger.

Even the double seats in First Class are spacious, with enough legroom to get in and out of the window seat without disturbing your seatmate, no contortionist skills required.

Compared to Economy Class, the Railjet First Class feels open, airy, and calm, and it’s much less crowded. The seats recline a bit (not fully, but enough for a comfortable nap), and the curved headrests are helpful if you’re trying to sleep. There’s also noticeably more legroom, making it easy to settle in for longer journeys (and a huge plus if you’re really tall like me).

Railjet Business Class

Railjet Business Class offers even more privacy than First Class and slightly cushier seats with leg rests and a welcome drink. But in my opinion, the price difference—about €20 more than First Class when I was traveling—isn’t worth it. The upgrade from Economy to First is significant, but the step from First to Business feels minimal. Unless you’re craving maximum exclusivity or need the welcome drink (though drinks from the Railjet restaurant are only about €6), you’ll likely find First Class perfectly comfortable for a lower cost. (Pics below are from a more recent ÖBB Railjet trip from Munich to Salzburg.)

Quiet Cars

If peace and quiet are a priority, consider booking a seat in the quiet car. On my Vienna to Prague trip, I was not in a quiet car and the couple in front of me talked loudly for the entire four hours, which was… less than ideal. If I were to do either trip again solo, I would 100% book a quiet car.

As an added bonus, in the quiet car, you can anonymously report noise issues through the ÖBB website (once connected to train Wi-Fi), and the crew will make a reminder announcement to the entire train (which actually happened twice on my trip from Vienna to Prague). Quiet cars are available in both Railjet First Class and Economy Class.

Food and Drink

Service at Your Seat in First Class

In Railjet First Class, attendants will bring food and drinks directly to your seat, which is a nice touch. You can technically order through the app if you can get the train Wi-Fi to work, but there is also a dedicated First Class attendant who was walking through the First Class section taking orders the whole trip.

On my ride from Vienna to Prague, I ordered a ham, pickle, and horseradish sandwich that was shockingly good—fresh multigrain bread, spicy horseradish, and tangy pickles. At €6, it felt like a good deal. Pair it with a 0.25L bottle of Grüner Veltliner (a solid Austrian white wine) for €5.10 and you’ve got yourself a simple but satisfying train meal.

Railjet Restaurant Car: A Nice Change of Scenery

One of the pleasant surprises on both my trips was the Railjet dining car. Open to passengers from any seating class, it has five booth-style tables and is a welcome change of scenery during a long train ride. It’s the perfect spot to stretch your legs, sip a coffee, or settle in for a meal while watching the countryside roll by (though you can also bring food back to your seat, or order from your seat in First Class).

The menu was surprisingly extensive, with both hot and cold options. You could grab something simple like a sandwich or a coffee, or go all-in with a full meal—including schnitzel (though I guess that shouldn’t have been a surprise on an Austrian train).

Luggage Storage

Both First and Economy Class have large luggage racks in the middle of each car, which easily accommodate full-sized suitcases. Carry-on size suitcases will also fit on the overhead racks, which are much larger than those on many other European trains where they’ll generally only accomodate a small bag.

The plentiful luggage storage was a big reason I opted to book both train trips with ÖBB rather than RegioJet (a private Czech rail line that also runs from Budapest to Vienna to Prague). From all my research, RegioJet doesn’t really have dedicated storage for large suitcases even in first class cars and I didn’t want to have to leave my suitcase in an entirely different train car. Regardless of the class you’re in, ÖBB Railjet trains have a good amount of luggage storage.

Note that the steps to board Railjet trains are very steep (see pic below) and going up and down them with a heavy suitcase is no joke. The doorway is also a bit on the narrow side, which doesn’t make lugging a large suitcase any easier either.

Wi-Fi: Manage Your Expectations

I’m not going to sugar coat it, the free Railjet Wi-Fi was abysmal on both my trips. It was slow to the point of being unusable on both of my journeys, so I ended up relying on my phone’s data instead. For me, this wasn’t an issue because I have unlimited international data with Google Fi (which is, in my opinion, the best phone plan for international travel with unlimited international data and no roaming fees – more on why Google Fi is amazing in my post here). But, if you don’t have data to spare, don’t count on being able to use the internet very effectively on the train.

Final Verdict: Is ÖBB Railjet First Class Worth It?

If you:

• Are traveling solo and value personal space (hello, single seats!);
• Are traveling on longer routes, like Vienna to Prague (4+ hours);
• Can swing an extra €15-30 per ticket for the upgrade (though sometimes more); and/or
• Appreciate a calmer atmosphere, at-seat food and drink service, and little comforts like access to station lounges…

…then YES, ÖBB Railjet First Class is absolutely worth the upgrade. The solo seats alone are a game changer, and the extra space and quieter experience make longer journeys far more enjoyable.

I don’t, however, think the extra charge for an upgrade from Railjet First Class to Business Class is worth it. The seats aren’t hugely different than First Class, and the price difference can be significant.

For shorter trips or travelers on a tight budget, Economy Class is absolutely fine. But for a more peaceful, stress-free ride, Railjet First Class is hard to beat.

Have you traveled First Class on ÖBB Railjet? Did you think it was worth it? Share your experiences below!