>>1516831I splurged on the cabin with the en-suite shower when I took CZ Rail from Prague to Budapest. It's pretty great value for the IIRC $60-70 USD I spent. Saved a night at a hotel, got to Budapest the next morning and had a full day to walk around after plenty of rest, and the provided breakfast was decent. My only regret is that since I was on the top bunk I got to see all of zero of the Czech and Hungarian countrysides. So far my best ride is still the $90 single cabin on the Sunrise Express in Japan. I was on the upper level, and it was so cozy watching the dimly lit towns and stations roll past that I didn't want to sleep.
I realize that some places are trying to kill sleeper trains, but I honestly think that's a massive mistake. They essentially wrap the hotel stay and a plane/train ride into one for, at least in my experience, less than the cost of the two separately. It makes for a much more efficient use of time because instead of spending a day traveling, I can get to the station in the evening after work or whatever leisure activity I was doing and be at my destination well rested the next morning. It's basically the most efficient use of time and money when traveling when routes allow, and I wish Japan hadn't killed most of theirs.
