ÖBB Railjet Express Train Business Class Review [Zürich to Innsbruck]

Train: ÖBB
Train #: Railjet Express 167
Route: Zürich HB to Innsbruck HB
Date: March 17, 2023
Duration: 3hr 31min
Cabin and Layout: Business class, layout varies
Seat: 45
Cost: €147

After helping run a conference in Zürich, Switzerland, I had a few extra days at the end of my trip. I decided to explore the relatively nearby city of Innsbruck, Austria. I found that trains run approximately 2 hours between Zürich and Innsbruck, so I selected one after the end of my conference and spent the weekend exploring a new place.

Read on to find out what my journey on the rails was like.

Booking My Train

There are several operators that provide train service between Zürich and Innsbruck. Two of the major ones are ÖBB (Austrian-owned) and SBB (Swiss-owned), though it can be confusing as to what train you’re actually booking.

On the route between Zürich and Innsbruck, there are 2 types of trains:

• Railjet Express, which offers economy class, first class, and business class
• EuroCity, which offers economy class and first class

Most trains from Zürich will terminate in Bratislava, Munich, or Vienna, and make a number of stops en route, including Innsbruck.

The Railjet Express turned out to be better timed for me, so I chose that train. It also featured the greatest variety of service classes on board. On European rail systems, business class is actually the highest class of service — not first class. Because of this, you’ll want to pay special attention to what you’re booking and ensure you’re seated correctly.

I booked through the ÖBB Tickets app (iOS, Android) and paid the following using my Chase Sapphire Reserve^® since it earns 3 Ultimate Rewards points per dollar spent on travel:

• €71 for the standard ticket
• €61 for the first class upgrade
• €15 for the business class upgrade
• €147 total

I found the additional €15 to upgrade from first to business class well worth it, though it’s worth explaining the differences between the cabins:

• First class offers seating in a 1×2 configuration, with solo seats against the windows, and an aisle separating the pair of seats on the other side. There are power outlets at every seat and a drop-down tray table from the seat in front of you, similar to an airline.
• Business class offers an entirely different cabin style, with mini cabins that hold clusters of seats. There are 5 of these cabins. The first has 3 seats, the second and third have 4, the fourth has 3, and the fifth has 2 solo seats.

The business class cabin is a much more private area with larger seats that are conducive to working because you can be seated across from colleagues. If you’re traveling alone, you definitely want to look for seats 55 and 51 since these are single seats.

I was given seat 45 by the system when I booked, and because the train was sold out, I wasn’t able to move.

Bottom Line: In contrast to what you’d find on trains in the U.S., business class is the highest class of service on most European trains.

Zürich Hauptbanhof Station

Also known as Zürich HB, Zürich’s central station is like most European stations where you’ll find a row of tracks and trains departing to various destinations. You simply need to keep your eye on the departures board to see which track your train will depart from, and head to that track before departure. Most long-distance services, like mine was, are announced 20 minutes prior to departure.

It’s also worth noting that there is no lounge in Zürich for departing first or business class passengers, so there’s no incentive to arrive super early.

Boarding

Just about 20 minutes prior to departure, my track was posted on the board and I proceeded to the train. The business class cabin was the very last car on the train, meaning it was the first car I encountered as I walked up.

There was limited assistance boarding the train, so I had to haul my luggage onto it. However, this train originated in Zürich and there were very few people on board, so it was easy for me.

I proceeded to seat 45 and stowed my bags on the upper luggage rack. My compartment contained 3 seats — 2 facing forward and 1 facing backward.

If you can’t snag one of the 2 solo seats in the compartment, selecting a seat in one of the 3-seat compartments is best as these have the fewest people. During my journey, only 1 other person was seated in my compartment, which meant there were just 2 people in a compartment designed for 3.

Seat and Amenities

I was in seat 45 for this leg of my journey, which was in a 3-seat compartment next to the window.

The seats in business class are much roomier than those in first class and offer slightly better recline, too. Next to my seat was a large console that separated mine from the seat next to me and had a built-in power outlet. There were also buttons to recline the seat and engage the leg rest.

Right next to the seat was a built-in trash can attached to the wall that was meant to be shared among all the passengers in the compartment.

This 3-seat compartment was set up in such a way that the solo seat faces the 2 seats opposite it, and that passenger’s legroom essentially consists of the space under the console between the set of 2 seats.

Oddly enough, all of the solo seats in first class have direct aisle access, whereas a majority of the seats in business class do not, though the seats in business class are generally more comfortable.

In addition to the luggage rack up top, there were menus at each seat, a few magazines for reading, and a reading lamp at each seat.

Complimentary Wi-Fi is offered on all ÖBB trains, though speeds vary from train to train and from route to route. I found the Wi-Fi performance to be reasonably fast, though the company does note that the more users that are connected, the slower the connection may be.

Food and Beverage

Shortly after sitting down, I was greeted by the attendant in German. After informing him I only spoke English, he quickly asked me if I wanted a drink. I was never charged for this drink, even though the ÖBB website says welcome drinks are only provided for Austrian departures. I requested sparkling water and Coca-Cola, and both were brought out shortly after.

Outside of this initial beverage, I wasn’t proactively offered anything else for the entire ride, though I could see the attendant going back and forth to other riders at a regular clip with meals, drinks, and other items. I gathered that everything was offered on a per-request basis.

I got a bit hungry and looked at the menu. Everything could be ordered right from the train’s website. Meals aren’t included in first or business class, but I found the prices to be reasonable for a train.

I selected a salad, a schnitzel, and a cake for dessert, specified my carriage and seat number, and paid. A half-hour elapsed with no sign of my food, so I checked the website again and found that my order had timed out for whatever reason.

I placed it again, and about 45 minutes later the order was canceled again because it wasn’t accepted in time. I tried a third time just to see what would happen, and miraculously, that order did go through. However, the food arrived with only about 25 minutes of the journey left, which wasn’t ideal timing.

All in all, I paid about $20 for the salad, entree, and cake. I enjoyed the salad and schnitzel, even though I could tell the pork was microwaved.

I don’t know what was up with the onboard ordering system, but I had the exact same issues on my return journey. In fact, I tried several times and never got any food at all. Something was clearly wrong with the technology.

Hot Tip: You can always visit the dining car in person if the at-seat ordering isn’t available. You can either pick up food from the dining car or sit there and eat.

Service

I think it’s worth highlighting a negative experience I had on my return journey. I was seated in a 4-seat compartment and a family of 3 occupied the 3 other seats. Upon boarding in Innsbruck, I discovered luggage everywhere within the compartment, and that family had basically taken up every available space. While I boarded in the middle of a journey already in progress, it would have been nice for the staff to ensure there was still space.

That wasn’t the issue, however. It appears that somehow there were not enough seats onboard for everyone, as passengers were strewn about in the business class cabin, seated in the aisles, in the vestibule, and even by the restroom.

Perhaps more people boarded than there were seats for — and I was guaranteed a seat in the business class cabin — but it struck me as odd.

Service was nearly non-existent on both legs of my journey, aside from the ticket collection from the conductor and the initial greeting leaving Zürich when I was asked if I wanted a drink. Outside of that, nothing was proactively offered —I’m not sure if that was intentional or not. Regardless, I would have appreciated an attendant asking if I was okay at a couple of points throughout the trip.

Final Thoughts

Since the premium to upgrade to the business class cabin was only a few dollars more than first class, I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again, though I would be very mindful of the seat map and try to select my seats as soon as possible or choose a train with the most desirable seats possible.

While the seats are certainly bigger than first class, I’d almost prefer a single seat in first class over being in a compartment with strangers and having to hop over them to use the bathroom.

I’d definitely take a train on this route again. There are no nonstop flights between Zürich and Innsbruck, and the downtown-to-downtown service is simply unbeatable. I may opt to try the Swiss-owned rail company SBB next time for a bit of variety, though taking the train — no matter the line — will always be preferable to driving for me.