I've spent over 80 hours on overnight trains and made 7 big mistakes, from choosing the wrong bunk to not bringing a pillow

I've spent more than 80 hours traveling 2,800 miles on overnight trains in the US and in Europe.

Read more: I'm a seasoned train traveler. Here are 5 new trains and routes around the world that I want to take in 2023.

It all started in October 2021, when I took two 30-hour Amtrak rides between Miami and NYC.

Read more: 14 things that surprised me the most about overnight Amtrak rides after spending 60 hours in sleeper cars

A year later, I spent a total of 24 hours on two overnight trains while traveling from Berlin to Vienna, and Vienna to Venice on OBB Austrian Federal Railway's Nightjet trains.

Read more: I've traveled over 950 miles on business-class trains in the US, Canada, and Europe. Here's how they rank from best to worst.

Looking back, I could have been more comfortable and gotten more out of all these rides if I avoided a few big mistakes.

For one thing, when I booked my Amtrak rides, I could have saved money for future rides had I joined Amtrak's rewards program.

After my trip, I learned that Amtrak has a loyalty program that rewards passengers with two points for every $1 spent. Points may be used for tickets, hotels, shopping, and dining, and it's free to join.

Source: Amtrak

If I signed up, I would have earned 3,000 points toward my next Amtrak adventure. I missed out this time, but next time I book, I'll be sure to take advantage of this opportunity.

Source: Upgraded Points

And once on my first overnight train from Miami to NYC, I messed up by forgetting medicine for motion sickness. The ride was very bumpy, and I found myself feeling sick for the majority of it.

For all my overnight rides since, which have been similarly bumpy, I haven't forgotten to pack my medicine.

Another mistake I made on that first trip was choosing to sleep in the top bunk. I thought it made the ride feel even bumpier.

When I tried sleeping in the bottom bunk on my way home from Miami, it felt less bumpy, which made it easier to sleep. So when I later traveled to Europe, I made sure to select a bottom bunk.

Another mistake I made was not always splurging on the most comfortable space available. On Amtrak, for example, sleeper trains typically have a variety of accommodations, from regular seats to private rooms.

I traveled from NYC to Miami in a $500 roomette, which is a 20-square-foot enclosed private space with a fold-out table, two chairs that fold out into a bed, and an additional bed that pulls down from the ceiling.

Read more: I spent $500 for a 20-square-foot room on a 30-hour Amtrak ride, where no space was left unused. Take a look inside.

On my way back to NYC, I spent 30 hours in the next level up, a bedroom accommodation. It cost $1,000 for twice as much space as the roomette, with a private bathroom.

Read more: I spent $1,000 for a 30-hour Amtrak ride in a private bedroom. Take a look inside the 45-square-foot space with its own bathroom.

After these rides, I thought that the roomette felt more cramped and realized spending twice as much money for double the space in the bedroom was totally worth it.

I made a similar mistake on my first overnight ride in Europe. My sleeper trains did not have private accommodations like Amtrak, but rather, shared cabins. I learned some are more comfortable than others.

The Nightjet routes I booked had a choice of regular assigned seats in enclosed seating carriages of six, or shared sleeper cars with bunks of four or six. I tried both.

Source: Nightjet

For my ride from Berlin to Vienna, I booked a $40 regular seat inside a seating carriage with six seats facing each other.

Read more: I booked the cheapest sleeper accommodation on an overnight train in Europe. I got zero rest and wouldn't do it again.

Though the seats reclined, they didn't lay fully flat, and the small space felt like a tight squeeze for six people with limited legroom. I didn't sleep at all.

"The quality of travel depends not only on the carriages, but also on the route," OBB Nightjet wrote in a statement to Insider. "We recommend the sleeper or couchette car for night travel. There is enough space to stretch out. Seated carriages are recommended for shorter journeys."

A few days later, I slept in a bunk inside a shared sleeping cabin for up to six people when traveling from Vienna to Venice for $84.

Read more: I bunked with 3 strangers in a shared cabin on an overnight train in Europe. It was bumpy, cramped, and I wouldn't do it again.

I still felt cramped in the 74-square-foot space, but having a lay-flat bed made it a bit easier to sleep. I thought it was worth the higher price tag.

Read more: I spent 11 hours with 3 strangers in a shared cabin on a sleeper train in Europe. 6 surprises made me regret my choice.

Another mistake I made was when I traveled on Amtrak and didn't check if my ticket included access to the Metropolitan Lounge at NYC's Penn Station, where I departed.

The Metropolitan Lounge is a quiet waiting area that is free for first-class and sleeper cabin Amtrak customers. It has comfortable seats and free snacks and drinks.

Source: Insider

Since I didn't realize my ticket included access to the lounge, I waited in the seating area for all passengers and was less comfortable than I could have been.

I also made the mistake of not bringing my own pillow. No pillows were given in the seating carriage as an OBB Nightjet representative told Insider this cabin is not recommended for overnight rides. The other rides included pillows, but I thought they felt too thin.

Next time I travel by overnight train, I'll pack one of my fluffy, dense pillows from home in a vacuum-sealed bag to make my trip more comfortable.

Overnight train rides can feel exhausting, but I think avoiding these mistakes in the future will make me feel cozier and get more rest on my next sleeper train adventure.