Save Money Overnight on the Train
Thursday July 10, 2008
If you're not a sound sleeper, spending the night on a noisy, jolting rail car might not be a good choice. But if you're willing to sacrifice some comfort, you can save time and money on your next trip. Few of us would want to spend every night trying to sleep on a train, but for those who average in a few low-cost nights with other overnight choices, the rewards can be significant.
Comments
I tried the overnight on a trail approach on a trip to Europe in 2001. I will never repeat this experience. In Italy, the berths were too short. I am 6 foot and the berths were designed for a 5′10″ person. In spain, the mattresses were heavily worn so that there was a thin spot in the centre of the matress and my butt was bouncing off the hard mattress base. In France the “included breakfast” was disappointing. The was no hot beverage to drink with a sticky bun in a celophane wrap, a bun that I would probably pay $1.50 for in North America. To call it a breakfast would be a stretch. The tracks in Spain were very noisy/bumpy compared to the smooth as glass tracks in France.