I booked private cabins on overnight trains in Europe and the US. The more expensive ride was a better deal.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I travel by night in tiny, moving hotel rooms, so I can fall asleep in one city and wake up in another. I squeeze into cabins smaller than a king-sized bed and look out the window at passing landscapes while I brush my teeth. With the rumble of the rails beneath me, I've found that the most exciting way to travel long distances is by overnight train.