The Austrian Delights of the ÖBB Dining Car
One of the real delights of travelling by train in Austria is the opportunity to use the excellent dining cars of ÖBB, the Austrian Federal Railways.
These dining cars can also be found on a number of international services to and from Austria.
Whenever I am travelling around Austria, I make a point of visiting the dining car if there is one on the train.
As I have discussed before in my Substack article about dining cars, they offer a uniquely enjoyable way to travel by rail, and I would strongly encourage others to spend some money on food or drink in them to help support their long-term future.
The dining car on a Railjet train. ©AndyBTravels
On which Austrian trains can you find a dining car?
First and foremost, a dining car is available on every Railjet train, ÖBB’s premium high-speed service.
Railjet (RJ) and Railjet Express (RJX) trains operate the majority of Austria’s long-distance services, as well as a number of international routes.
Among others, Railjet trains connect Vienna with Budapest, Prague, Munich, and Zurich.
The dining car on Railjet trains is relatively small, with five tables, which are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
If the dining car is fully occupied, food and drinks can be ordered at the counter and taken back to a seat in second class.
Passengers travelling in First or Business Class can order food and drinks via the train attendant, with items delivered directly to their seat.
Cappuccino and a Linzer Torte (traditional pastry from the Austrian city of Linz) in the dining car. ©AndyBTravels
Dining cars on EuroCity trains
On some EuroCity services to and from Austria, full-carriage-length ÖBB dining cars can also be found.
These Austrian dining cars are particularly pleasant to visit, as they evoke the old-world charm of rail travel even more strongly.
Among others, such dining cars are used on the EuroCity Transalpin, the Zurich-Innsbruck-Graz service, as well as on certain services heading north from Vienna towards Poland.
This includes the EuroCity ‘Porta Moravica’, which links Graz and Vienna with Kraków and Przemyśl, although the dining car is only attached as far as Bohumín on the Czech-Polish border.
It is a good idea to check online timetables and route planners, such as the one of Deutsche Bahn, to see whether a dining car is attached to your train.
Vagonweb is another excellent resource for looking up train formations.
The Austrian dining car on the Transalpin EuroCity. ©AndyBTravels
Dining car availability
Although Railjet trains are guaranteed to have a dining car, as they have a fixed formation, it can sometimes happen that a EuroCity service does not carry one, even if it is normally scheduled to do so.
Similarly, a dining car may sometimes not be fully catered or have some operational issues, with some items unavailable.
It is therefore always sensible to bring your own snacks and drinks when making a long-distance train journey, rather than relying entirely on the availability of a dining car.
A look at the dining car menu
The Austrian dining cars on ÖBB trains are currently catered for and operated by the catering company DoN’s.
The dining car menu changes seasonally and always includes drinks and food items typical for the time of year.
That said, around three quarters of the menu remains the same throughout the year.
There is a wide selection of hot and cold drinks, including beer, wine, and spirits.
As you would expect in Austria, the coffee is of good quality, and there is also a good range of snacks and sweets if you only want something small.
Hot dishes are available as well, including Austrian classics such as Wiener Schnitzel.
For vegetarians, vegans, and passengers with dietary requirements, there are always suitable options on the menu.
You can find the current menu of the Austrian dining car here.
Wiener Schnitzel in the dining car of an Austrian Railjet train. ©AndyBTravels
Book Austrian train tickets online
You can buy Austrian train tickets for ÖBB services through the reliable booking platform Omio.
A single search allows you to view not only ÖBB trains, but also those operated by the private Austrian company Westbahn and other railway operators from neighbouring countries.
Instead of checking multiple websites to find the best ticket for your international train journey, you can instantly see which option suits you best in terms of price and schedule.
Use the search tool below to find your train ticket online.
Learn more about train travel in Austria!
Want to learn more about the Austrain Railways? Make sure you also read my Substack article about train travel in Austria!
