I made 3 mistakes in 48 hours when I visited Berlin for the first time

My 48-hour trip to Berlin started the way it ended — with exhaustion. And I didn’t even make the most of the time in between.

In October 2022, I took a two-week train trip through Europe. Berlin was my first stop, followed by Vienna, three Italian cities, and Zurich.

Berlin was full of historic landmarks, intricate murals, street performers, lush parks, and canalside neighborhoods. Unfortunately, I made three mistakes that kept me from truly appreciating my surroundings and making the most of my short stay.

I should’ve purchased bedtime amenities on my red-eye flight to Berlin.

Sleep deprivation keeps me from being present. So, I should’ve made every attempt to prioritize my rest during the eight-hour night flight from NYC to Berlin.

It was my first international red-eye flight. However, since my plane departed past my bedtime at 12:30 a.m., I thought I’d be able to get a decent night’s rest.

I felt even more confident when I realized my row of seats was otherwise empty, as this meant I could lie down.

My overnight flight had an amenities menu, so I could’ve purchased a blanket, earplugs, neck pillow, and sleep mask on the flight for about $15. I decided I didn’t need any of those things — this was a mistake.

Though I was able to lie down across three plane seats, I wasn’t comfortable enough to sleep. The night felt so long because I only managed to doze off for short periods of time. I felt more like I was sporadic napping than deeply resting.

As the sun rose, I thought that if I had gotten the amenities, I might have been comfortable enough to sleep for more than half an hour at a time.

Staying outside the city for such a short trip was a mistake.

When I landed in Berlin, all I wanted to do was rest. However, I wasn’t finished traveling yet — I still had to take a train to my Airbnb.

I stayed at a tiny-home hotel in Neustrelitz, a small town about an hour away from Berlin’s city center by train.

I booked the accommodation for two reasons — to save money and have a unique experience. I got both, but not without sacrificing something I hadn’t even considered: time.

If I’d taken a weeklong trip to Berlin, I would have checked out of my Airbnb with no regrets.

However, since I only spent two nights in Berlin, commuting two hours per day made me feel like I was wasting my limited time in the German city.

On my way out of Berlin, I chose the wrong room on an overnight train.

When I booked my 12-hour overnight train from Berlin to my next stop, Vienna, I had two options: a bunk in a shared cabin for three to six passengers or a reclining chair in a seating carriage for six.

I went with the latter for $40. It was the cheapest overnight train trip I’d ever booked — once I boarded, I saw why.

Enclosed spaces with sliding glass doors lined both sides of the car’s narrow corridor. Inside each, two sets of three seats faced each other.

I found it impossible to sleep while sharing a tight space with five strangers and their luggage filtering in and out through the night.

Though my seat deeply reclined, there wasn’t enough leg room for everyone to stretch out. Regret consumed me as I sat awake until morning.

After my trip, a representative of the rail-line operator, Austrian Federal Railway’s OBB Nightjet, told Business Insider in an email that seating carriages are not recommended for overnight rides.

This only confirmed to me that I should’ve paid more to book the bunk.

Next time I go to Berlin, I’ll make smarter choices that prioritize rest in transit and maximize my time.

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