Trains are not that cool anymore

I have loved taking trains all through the Czech Republic until I decided to take an overnight train back from Venice, Italy. I waited basically all afternoon in the train station since it was raining. I met a very nice couple from Seattle, Washington who were my age and traveling through Europe for two weeks. They were waiting for their train to take them overnight to Budapest. They were telling me their experience on overnight trains and said it's not so bad but just watch your valuables.

I got on my 9pm train to Salzburg. I didn't know the trains final destination was to Vienna which meant I had to get off the train at 3am in the morning alone. I find my train cabin and it looked like it just had two couches. I was like, "hmm that's really nice". Another couple came into the cabin and I was wondering how all three of us were going to sleep here. Then 3 more people came in dropping their stuff off. I was so confused until I saw the couple take apart the "couch" and make it into three beds stacked one on top of the other. So it turned into 3 beds on each side of the cabin. And I am not sure if you would call them beds. I had to sleep on the bottom and I could not see out the window, it was cramped, it was dirty, so I would call it more like a coffin. To make matters even worse, the "couple" decided to sleep in the same TINY bed that was on top of mine! So it dipped down over me and I just wanted to shoot myself. Oh it gets better. The other two in the cabin were very...how shall I say, not aware of personal space. For instance, the girl spilled water in her backpack so she frantically tried to take everything out. While I'm still in my bed, she puts her wet stuff on my bed like it was nothing. I really didn't know how to respond to this but I didn't care at that point. She kept throwing her dirty tissues that she blew her nose with all over the room. People these days...gross.

So I didnt sleep A) I was in a coffin B) I didnt want to miss getting off the train earlier in Salzburg. It was 3:30 and I hear a knock on the door. It was pitch black and I could not open the door. I felt so bad since I woke the guy and he helped me open it...oops. The tenant was there to wake me up and he had a slice of wheat break and tea as my breakfast. Well that's nice but how am I going to eat and drink tea when my bed is a coffin and you must lay down and there is no room in the cabin. Was a nice idea but I just left it on the floor. I get off the train at 4am and realized our train was late getting in. I had 5 minutes to find the train that goes to Praha. Looking at the departures I begin to panic because I see that it's the only train going to Prague for awhile and scared I would miss it. I ran and made the train to Prague (phew!) and shared a cabin with a very nice family. A mother and her two kids from Australia. I find people are so friendly when you travel and I guess it's because they want to communicate and share as much as you do. Still didn't sleep but my goodness I had another 7 hours train ride from Salzburg to Prague. My tooshie was killing me and I was getting so restless. I finally arrived back in Prague where I looked and felt a mess. I stopped at BurgerKing and I think I inhaled the burger I was so hungry.

As far as train rides, they do not cost more than airplane flights and in fact can cost more! I guess I see lots of backpackers in the train station because you can buy a Eurorail pass and travel all over Europe which can make it worth it. But 14 hour train ride from Venice to Prague...NO THANK YOU! At least I can say I survived and did it but I think I'll be flying from now on.