As the train sped up to the platform, the cabin I stared at in front of me had flowers sitting in the window. Upon a little table was a hot water kettle. I could make out television screens and a little bench couch. Fairly cush in my book – this adventure was going to rock.
Private cabin train travel is not typical in our American lives but on voyage from Nanjing to Chengdu I was ready for a great adventure. For about $200 I grabbed a Luxury Sleeper on the one of the new bullet trains. Reasonably priced for 13 hours of quality accommodations and transportation across the middle of China. I couldn’t wait to try it out.
Entering the cabin, the set up is nice. Mind your head in the doorway if your above 6’2 but once you’re in the space, there’s plenty of room to stretch.
A Cabin Built for Two: A bottom and top sleeping area, a couch, table, complete lighting set up for the cabin as well as individual TV screens and stereo system. Doors shut and lock for complete privacy, one of the few places on the train aside from the bathroom. I did end up having a cabin mate but they hung out with friends next store, only popping into sleep from midnight to 6am. Never saw him (or her) face to face the entire time.
Long Enough Bed: Each sleeping space has a whiter, than white duvet and pillow. At 5’8”, the bed looked to have at least another 8 inches of give, enabling a man approaching the low to mid “sixes” to fit.
The Low Bunk Rules: This is the primo spot to get when booking a sleeper spot. Otherwise you can risk smacking your head on the ceiling when you use that little jimmy step. And the bathroom? A streamline commode is shared amongst several cars, it was decent with minimal train dribble (you know what I mean) thanks to constant cleaning crews.
Tunnels & Ears: Feel like you’re diving? That’s only the train going into a mountain. It comes and goes and then eventually you drift back to sleep.
Food: You can get a complete meals, snacks and drinks. Watch Chinese dramas and play cards at your leisure. Click here for a more detailed food write up.
My night’s rest was a 5-star affair in the end! Finally over jet lag, I probably slept the best yet and it was nice to be out of the hotel. I saw my first Walmart from the road – it was dark out and the building had a Ceasar’s Palace glow to it. The sun set and then rose again, providing me a quiet look of misty way of life in China as it repeats itself day in and day out.
