Sleeping on Trains

Sleeping on trains, surprisingly, does not save money so much as time. Especially on a short trip, days wasted sitting in a train are frustrating, and some people recommend traveling almost entirely by night train so the days can be spent sightseeing. If you could get a decent night’s sleep, this might be true, but the various noises, stops, border crossings, and other disturbances that occur on any train journey mean this can be difficult for all but the heaviest sleepers. Bear in mind, also, that taking night trains cuts down on some of the best times to see Europe: mornings, and especially at night, when most cities come alive. That said, a night train here and there can be a sensible use of limited time. If you want to sleep on a train, on a budget at least, you have three options: a seat, a reclining seat in a compartment, or a couchette. There are also “hotel trains” and sleepers in first class, but you could charter a plane for the cost of one of those beds.

Sleeping in an upright seat is recommended only if you are Catholic and doing penance - and you must have done something pretty bad to deserve this. Reclining seats are better, especially if you arc in a group, and especially if your group has the compartment to itself. However, whether or not you get a train with reclining seats is a matter of luck and simply depends on how the train happens to be constructed.

They very rarely cost any extra. Note that the six seats in a compartment usually convert into only three “beds” (the bottom part of the seat pulls out, while the backrest can be pushed down), and you then have a choice of either sleeping foot to head to foot, and smelling feet all night, or head to head to head, and waking up with a person who mistakes you for their spouse or sweetie. Note also that if the train is half full or less, everyone can stretch out, and if it’s completely full, nobody can. It is therefore worth your while to get in an empty compartment as early as you can, and then to look as unsavory as possible in the hope of warding off people. Groups of three or more should try to reserve seats in a single compartment for the same reason.

If you’re prepared to pay a little extra, couchettes are, in my opinion, the way to go. Couchettes are benches that convert to separate bunks and are grouped four or six per compartment. It is always worth paying a few dollars more for a four-bed compartment. If you’re in a large enough group, by all means try to get a compartment to yourselves and whoop it up. Sheets are supplied, and there is a total charge of about twenty dollars for bunk and linen, whether or not you have a train pass. Couchettes are sold without regard to age, sex, or marital status, and I truly believe the reservation agents delight in mixing strange groups together. When you are making a couchette reservation (and you should do so as soon as you know when you’re leaving), ask for an upper bunk. These are quieter and a bit less liable to theft, and you don’t have people climbing past you at odd hours.