taking the sleeper train from beijing to shanghai. my honest review.

Tom

i took the overnight train from beijing to shanghai last month because i wanted to save on a hotel and also try something different.

i booked a soft sleeper which has 4 beds in a room. there is also hard sleeper with 6 beds but my friend did that and said it was loud and not comfortable.

the soft sleeper was okay. bed was fine. they gave me a pillow and blanket and a small bottle of water. the room had a door so noise was not too bad.

what i did not expect was how early they wake you up. like 45 minutes before arrival the attendant comes by to swap your ticket for a card. so do not plan to sleep in.

the train left at 8pm and arrived around 8am. timing worked well. i saved one night of hotel and did not lose a full day to travel.

would i do it again? maybe. if i was on a tight budget yes. but if you can afford the high speed train which takes 4.5 hours just do that. it is much easier.

one tip. bring earplugs. the snoring is real.

also bring snacks. the food cart has instant noodles and drinks but that is about it.

overall a fun experience to try once. but not something i would do every trip.