The Czech transport company Regiojet has been present in Austrian rail transport for several years. Two routes are currently offered from Vienna Central Station: Prague and Bratislava. Furthermore, one operates with mostly yellow long-distance buses from the bus station Vienna Hbf.

Regiojet is a subsidiary of Student Agency and originally comes from the long-distance bus segment. A few years ago, internal Czech railway lines were initially included and are now also expanding internationally. The range of services on the trains differs greatly from what one is used to, for example, with the Austrian Federal Railways.

All passengers - regardless of the booked travel class - will be presented with a small bottle of water shortly after entering. The higher the carriage class, the greater the selection of included drinks and snacks. Interestingly, even within second class, there are clear differences in service.

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Ex-ÖBB four-seater compartments as business class

In principle, Regiojet only has two official car classes. First class is referred to as business class and corresponds in terms of equipment one to one to the four-seater compartments that the Austrian Federal Railways offer in the Eurocity trains. This is no coincidence, because the rolling stock was purchased used by the ÖBB. Many drinks and snacks are included in the fare on the “Schienen-C” train. These can be ordered from the steward or stewardess. What exactly is included and what you have to pay for is in the Business class folder included.

Second class is divided into three subclasses by Regiojet, although this doesn't really matter to holders of the climate ticket, because this applies to the entire second class, regardless of how Regiojet divides it. However, you need a so-called seat ticket, because otherwise you can only ride in the low-cost or standard Astra category if there are free seats. More details on that in this article.

The Lowcost class offers pretty much no comfort or service at all - apart from a free water - and is the cheapest travel category of Regiojet. The seats are strongly reminiscent of former 2nd class equipment from Germany. That's no coincidence either, because these large-capacity cars were bought used in the Federal Republic. The seat quality can best be compared to that of regional trains. What is included or rather not included in the low cost can can be found in the folder under this link.

Two different standard classes and ex-ÖBB first class as a relax class

In the so-called standard class you should be wide awake when booking, because this is divided into two products that do not differ in price, but in terms of comfort they are worlds apart. On the one hand, these are used second-class ÖBB Eurocity carriages. These are divided into compartments with six seats each. There isn't much to say about it either, because these are quite cramped and there is a reason that many train passengers look in such compartments that they occupy their next seats with jackets, bags and other junk, because it can get cramped. What is included in the standard class (compartment) and what is not is fine out of this folder.

It is completely different in the open-plan cars. Regiojet occasionally calls these “Astra wagons”. These are new wagons that the Czech railway company had manufactured by Astra. These are equipped with leather seats, on-board entertainment system and large seat pitch. The standard is considerably higher compared to the compartments and one could actually think that these carriages would be "first class". No, it's second class and this is clearly superior to the Regiojet Business Class in terms of equipment. Regardless of whether you are sitting in a compartment or in the Astra open-plan car: hot drinks such as coffee and tea are included. These can be ordered via the app or directly from the steward. What is included in the Astra car and what has to be paid for is out this folder.

The so-called Relax Class corresponds one to one to the large areas of the ÖBB EuroCity trains. This is no coincidence, because these wagons were bought used by the Austrian Federal Railways. The compartments are marketed as Business Class (1st class) and the open-plan area as Relax Class (2nd class). In contrast to the Astra people carriers, the highlight of the entertainment here is the socket. There is no entertainment system in the leather seats. Coffee and tea, for example, which can be ordered from the stewards, are included. What is included and what is not is recorded in the Relax Class folder.

Some included, the rest very cheap

The Regiojet trains are a hodgepodge of wagons that could hardly be more different. All carriages offer free wireless Internet access, which can also be used for on-board entertainment, for example on a laptop or smartphone. This is installed in the front seat in the Astra large-capacity vehicles, similar to that in long-haul aircraft.

A look at the folders on the seats in the carriages shows that the price level for on-board service is surprisingly low. Unless already included due to the travel class booked, a piece of cake costs just 40 cents. Other food and drinks, which are not even included in Business Class, are also offered at very reasonable prices. In some cases, it is significantly below its competitors.

Staff on the ball – mint tea made with fresh mint

An interesting detail appeared shortly after serving an included mint tea. Instead of the expected tea bag or pouring from a thermos, this was served with fresh mint leaves. This is of course a great taste experience, although Regiojet should seriously consider using porcelain cups, because the feeling of a great tea made from fresh mint is somehow lost in the paper cup.

The train crew was multilingual and on the ball on both stretches of the test drive. The stewardesses and stewards spoke German, Czech and English. This is no coincidence, as Regiojet AT GmbH is responsible for operational management on the Austrian route sections. As a result, the train attendants come from this. In addition, there are service personnel from Austria and the Czech Republic on board, who come from Regiojet. At the Breclav train station, the Regiojet AT employees get off and colleagues from the Czech company take over. The other direction of travel the reverse game. This has to do with the fact that in rail traffic, personnel still have to be changed at the border stations.

The Czech student agency group, to which Regiojet belongs, now has an independent subsidiary in Austria that is licensed by the Ministry of Transport as a private railway company. This bears the name RegioJet AT GmbH, is based in Vienna and employs, among other things, train drivers, train managers and attendants in Austria. The background to this is that, despite the European Union, staff have to be changed at the border stations for reasons of railway law, because operations must always be carried out by a national company. In the past, Regiojet cooperated in Austria first with GKB and then with Westbahn.

Irrespective of this, all employees in the two Regiojet trains made a very good impression, because they not only proved to be friendly and helpful, but also proactively helped with loading and stowing suitcases or pointed out included services - for example drinks , which one would not expect in Austria on the train. As soon as the tea mug was empty, the friendly steward asked if you would like another one, and not intrusively, but in a friendly and service-oriented manner.

Tough competition in the Czech Republic has a positive effect on in-flight service

The question of why Regiojet serves free water and, outside of the low-cost class, tea and coffee, for example, is easy to answer. In the Czech Republic, the service standard in long-distance rail transport is way ahead of that in Austria or Germany. There, free coffee or tea is a given in most classes and not a surprise. This is of course fueled by tough competition from Regiojet, Leo Express and CD. This primarily affects the price for the passengers, because on routes on which all three providers drive, the ticket prices are in the basement. However, that's not all: every provider wants to offer a little more service in order to win over passengers. The result: good on-board service with a few things included, as well as a hodgepodge of different travel classes, even with differences within second class.

Regiojet scores on the routes from Vienna to Prague and Vienna to Budapest with low prices and very good on-board service. This is far above the standard of other railway companies operating in Austria. Everything on board is nice so far, but getting there in the first place is extremely tedious, to say the least. The reason for this is the Regiojet homepage, whose booking system is outdated and complicated. If you want to buy "normal tickets", it's a little easier, but still confusing. The language of the page also occasionally changes between German, Czech and English during the booking and purchase process. The app is only slightly better, but all prices are shown in Czech crowns and, on top of that, climate ticket holders cannot make reservations via it.

Regiojet is a partner of the climate ticket, even though it does not yet offer any routes within Austria. However, the network card is valid from Vienna to Břeclav vv, from Vienna to Hegyeshalom vv and from Břeclav to Hegyeshalom vice versa. In Eastern European countries, however, it is common for long-distance transport to require a reservation, also known as a seat reservation, in addition to the ticket. This is already included with normal Regiojet tickets and you can even choose your preferred seat in the respective class yourself.

Reservation for climate ticket holders extremely tedious

Climate ticket holders who want guaranteed transport must make a paid reservation. Without this, you can only travel if there are free seats in the low-cost and Astra large-capacity cars. However, you do not get the included services, because according to Regiojet these are linked to the seat card. So far not so wild, because with the ÖBB climate ticket holders also have to pay for seat reservations. Only the state railway does not make it as confusing and complicated as the Czech competitor.

First of all, you have to know in which wagons the climate ticket is valid, because there is no information in German on the Regiojet page. In the Czech language, however, they are: Lowcost, Standard, Standard (Astra) and Relax, all of which are listed as "Second Class", although there are the serious differences shown in this article.

When selecting the train, you have to select the last item "Seat reservation only" and then you will be asked for a ticket number. The number of the climate ticket printed on the back must be entered here. You can then choose the seat, but there are seriously different prices: “Standard” costs two euros, “Relax” costs 2,80 euros and, curiously enough, “Business” only costs 1,30 euros. However, the climate ticket is not valid in the "Schienen-C" train. Reserving in the Lowcost also costs two euros, but seats are rarely available there at short notice, since most normal-paying passengers use the cheapest class.

It turns out to be extremely annoying that after purchasing the seat reservation you have to start the booking process again to reserve the return trip, because booking the outward and return trip together does not work. When purchasing normal tickets, however, this is already possible. If you want to continue from Břeclav to Prague, for example, you need a regular ticket from there, which means that you have to start the third booking process from the beginning. A customer-friendly solution definitely looks different. Incidentally, the seat reservation (reservation) and the climate ticket must be presented together on board. You don't have to print it out, you can also show the QR code with your smartphone.

Normally, an online specialist medium should recommend more towards online and smartphone bookings, but climate ticket holders who want to travel with Regiojet can only be clearly and unambiguously advised to make a reservation at the station counter, which is available at the main stations in Vienna and Prague and Břeclav can be found. It is much faster there than on your own via the Internet and the counter staff is also friendly and knows all about bus connections within the Czech Republic.

Conclusion: good service, booking process in need of improvement

Regiojet offers a great on-board product that scores particularly well with good, extensive and friendly service. The employees leave a very good impression and seem to enjoy their jobs. A pleasant train journey simply needs a nice conductor. In addition to the formal train attendants, who primarily take care of the tickets, Regiojet also has so-called stewardesses and stewards on board who serve tea and coffee, for example. A great idea and apart from the low cost, a lot is also free. The free water that is handed out in all classes shortly after boarding is a great gesture and certainly very pleasant, especially in summer.

The hodgepodge of wagons and the very strong fragmentation of the transport classes is both the result of purchasing the wagons and the strong competition in the Czech Republic. Regiojet obviously wants to cover all the expectations and budgets of potential passengers at the same time. But to be honest: do you really need second class to be divided into low-cost, standard (compartment), standard Astra and relax? Four classes of travel within the 2nd class and then serious differences between standard (compartment) and standard (Astra). Yes, the Astra cars are really great and it is incomprehensible why they are in the same price range with the, well, ex-ÖBB six-seater compartments. In any case, the Astra wagons look more like first class than the actual business class (1st class).

In terms of seats, the Relax Class (2nd class) is - as described in detail - one to one the first class of the ÖBB EuroCity trains. The only difference is that you can select included drinks from the on-board brochure and Regiojet has placed these spacious compartments within second class. In short: Regiojet's in-flight product is highly fragmented, but scores with good in-flight service and cleanliness.

Many a potential passenger who loses patience with the reservation required for a guaranteed seat with the climate ticket will probably not experience all the plus points that Regiojet can collect on board. As mentioned: For the outward and return journey separately, back to the beginning and if you have to continue driving within the Czech Republic or Hungary, everything again from the beginning. This is tedious and actually unreasonable in today's world. By the way, the ÖBB and the Westbahn show that there is another way. Yes, the state railway can sell tickets in combination with the climate ticket better than the private challenger from the Czech Republic. Luckily, Regionjet also has ticket counters, where the staff will take care of booking requests.

Regiojet can be recommended due to the high standard of service. It is a bit reminiscent of the past in aviation, when pretty much everything was included on board. You have to make very clear deductions in the area of ​​booking or reservation in connection with the climate ticket. Far too complicated and tedious.

Reading tips: Find out how Westbahn's "Premium Economy Class" fared in the product test with this link. Why the railway companies, especially in Germany, have a lot of catching up to do analyzed in this article.

Please note:

The tickets for the test drives on which this article is based were not provided by Regiojet. Aviation.Direct didn't ask for free tickets or anything like that either. The company was not informed in advance about the time of the product test and has not influenced this article in any way. All costs incurred for this trip report were borne by Aviation.Direct itself or are covered by the existing climate ticket.