Sleeper Trains

Think of it as a moving hostel. You’ll have to share a room with a lot stranger, sleep in an uncomfortable bed. There will be very few, if any moments of complete silence. The bathrooms will be far away and sub par. But, in the end you’ll arrive in a new city slightly rested and ready for new adventures.

Sleeper trains allow you to leave one location late, and arrive in the next, early. Meaning, you’ll have full days to explore each location. If you’re really tired you can take an early night at a hostel in your new location or catch a nap there before painting the town all sorts of colors. Sleeper trains can give you more time and therefore more options.
If you are accustomed to sleeping wherever you get the chance than this is an especially good option for you because you will be subjected to; the sounds of other passengers getting on and off the train the all night, the bed moving as the train clatters along, and occasionally being kicked as someone climes on to the bunk above you.

In spite of how this may sound, sleeper trains can be a really good option for those trying to cover a lot of ground in a little time. Rather than paying for another night in your hotel or hostel and getting up in early hours of morning to catch a flight, this option allows you to combine your accommodation and travel costs. It is also a big time saver. Trains leave and arrive in the heart of cities, while airports are on the outskirts and require another train or bus ride to arrive at the real destination.

It is easy to be lured by cheaper flights or hostels, sleeper train are often not billed as discount transport. But, be sure to think of all the costs- the night at a hostel, transportation to the airport, the flight itself, and transportation from the airport. Consider this along with your time; will you need to be at the airport early? This will cut in to amount of time you are able to spend at a hostel making its overall value worth less. Even with an early flight it is unlikely that you will arrive in a city before the afternoon and that in turn cuts into the time you get to visit a new location.

Leaving at night is also not always an alternative. You’ll need to leave the place you are staying earlier, you will arrive in at a new airport at night and discount airports often have limited transport to cities during the night. Once you get to your true destination getting to the hostel might be more difficult as many cities close their public transport at night, which may force you to take a taxi raising your overall cost for transport, and of course you’ll still have to pay for that accommodation. Some suggest staying at the airport, but while this may eliminate accommodation cost you will likely get even less sleep than on a train and it will still cut down on your time in the next city. I recommended only staying in the airport if you are already there waiting for a connecting flight or transportation to the airport is difficult due to the time of your flight.

There is a catch with sleeper trains they can seem expensive. Like most things there are discounts if you plan ahead, have certain rail passes, or fall into a category like student or young person. They are best for travelers trying to cover a lot of distance in a short amount of time. When considering this option take into account, how much hostels cost in the cities you are traveling between, how much the flight plus the cost to and from each airport will be. Add in a little extra to compensate for the fact that you will spend less time in the cities. If it seems that you have spending a lot or not saving much then the sleeper train is probably the best option for you.