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Tired of checking Nightjet prices manually? Built a simple tool to help.

  • May 30, 2026
  • 8 replies
  • 90 views
T

Hi everyone,

I'm a software engineer based here in Linz and a huge fan of the ÖBB Nightjet network. I kept finding it frustrating to track price changes and availability for my own trips, so I built a small tool to automate the price checking for me.

It’s a personal project, but I’ve cleaned it up enough that I think it could save others some time, especially when planning multi-city routes.

You can access the live preview https://refactored-invention-sigma.vercel.app/.. . Please note this is currently hosted on Vercel’s deployment environment while I finalize the custom domain

I’m not selling anything. Just trying to make rail travel a bit less of a headache. If you have any feedback on routes that aren't showing up correctly or features you’d love to see (like price alerts), let me know. Happy to hear your thoughts!

    8 replies

    R
    Railmaster
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    • rvdborgt
    • Railmaster
    • May 30, 2026

    Thanks, interesting.

    One question though: since one of the price-determining factors for NJ is the number of requests ÖBB receive, how does this tool influence the price?

    Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.
      ralderton
      Railmaster
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      • ralderton
      • Railmaster
      • May 30, 2026

      Nice idea, thanks for making it. Can’t wait to check it out.

      I don’t see any way to input a date, or get any results. Unless I’m missing something? The ‘Search’ button just brings up a calendar with no data.

       

      T

      Thanks, interesting.

      One question though: since one of the price-determining factors for NJ is the number of requests ÖBB receive, how does this tool influence the price?

      Good question. The tool doesn't continuously query ÖBB every time someone opens the page. Users still perform searches manually, similar to using the official website.

      To avoid unnecessary requests and frequent price lookups, I cache previously searched routes. If a route has already been checked recently, the tool displays the cached result instead of making another request. The cached data is refreshed periodically (currently around every 30 minutes), so users are typically seeing prices that were updated within the last half hour. This helps reduce the number of repeated requests while keeping the information reasonably up to date.

      T

      Nice idea, thanks for making it. Can’t wait to check it out.

      I don’t see any way to input a date, or get any results. Unless I’m missing something? The ‘Search’ button just brings up a calendar with no data.

       

      Thanks for reporting that. There does seem to be a bug with some station names. For example, "Hamburg" may not currently return results, but searching for "Hamburg Central Station" should work. I suspect there is an issue in how certain station names are mapped internally. I'll look into it and push a fix as soon as I can.

       

      T

      Really appreciate everyone taking the time to test it and provide feedback. It's a hobby project that grew out of my own Nightjet travel planning, and every report helps improve it.

        ralderton
        Railmaster
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        • ralderton
        • Railmaster
        • May 30, 2026

        Got it. I really like the colour coding - it makes it very easy to scan. Are your price bands based on anything concrete? Maybe they should be based on the mid-point of published fare for each accommodation type.

        I guess the headline price in the grid is whatever is the cheapest price - which is usually going to be a seat. So it would be nice to see some choice, and break it down by accommodation type. I will travel in anything from a 6-bed couchette to a private sleeper, depending on the price!

        Thanks for creating this. I could really see myself using it - especially when comparing two or three routes, over a few days, in all cabins.

         

        T

        Got it. I really like the colour coding - it makes it very easy to scan. Are your price bands based on anything concrete? Maybe they should be based on the mid-point of published fare for each accommodation type.

        I guess the headline price in the grid is whatever is the cheapest price - which is usually going to be a seat. So it would be nice to see some choice, and break it down by accommodation type. I will travel in anything from a 6-bed couchette to a private sleeper, depending on the price!

        Thanks for creating this. I could really see myself using it - especially when comparing two or three routes, over a few days, in all cabins.

         

        The price bands are currently based on static thresholds that I chose to make the grid easier to scan visually.

        Breaking this down by accommodation type (seat, couchette, sleeper, etc.) is definitely on my list, as I can see how that would be useful when comparing routes and travel dates.

        Really appreciate the suggestions and the detailed feedback! :)

          T

          Got it. I really like the colour coding - it makes it very easy to scan. Are your price bands based on anything concrete? Maybe they should be based on the mid-point of published fare for each accommodation type.

          I guess the headline price in the grid is whatever is the cheapest price - which is usually going to be a seat. So it would be nice to see some choice, and break it down by accommodation type. I will travel in anything from a 6-bed couchette to a private sleeper, depending on the price!

          Thanks for creating this. I could really see myself using it - especially when comparing two or three routes, over a few days, in all cabins.

           

          I applied the feedback. I hope you like it with the latest update. Now, it has more display options based on the type of accommodation and their individual prices.


           

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