Around India In 80 Trains

Indian trains have a variety of different berths in each class, but here's a condensed explanation of them:

UPPER BERTHS: As a girl I felt much safer sleeping in the upper berth, out of reach of wandering hands. There is also the added advantage that you can stay in your berth at any time of day or night and not be in the way of anyone else. Occasionally you might find elderly people booked into the upper berth who find it hard to climb up, so be nice and swap with them.

LOWER BERTHS: The downside to a lower berth is that if you are tired and want to have a nap during the day you will have to put up with other people sitting there until around 9pm when berths have to be put down and most people head to bed.

SIDE LOWER BERTHS: These berths are not in the main curtained compartment, but are against the other wall of the train, by the aisle. They are good fun during the day as you are guaranteed a window view, but they aren't great at night. If the person above you wants to climb down at 8am, you will have to pack your bed away and put the berth back up, but you are also in the firing line for being whacked with luggage as people pass by.

SIDE UPPER BERTHS: These have the same benefits as the normal upper berth, so you can stay in for as long as you like, and climb up whenever you want. However in general, the side berths are around 8cm narrower than the berths in the 2AC compartment so beware if you turn over a lot in your sleep. They are less comfortable. They also feel shorter as the ends are closed off, unlike the main compartment where your feet can dangle off the edges.

MIDDLE BERTHS: 2AC does not have middle berths, but 3AC downwards does. They aren't too comfortable and don't have the same advantage as upper berths as they still have to be put away first thing in the morning to allow for everyone to sit comfortably.