I am going to Germany on business in the Fall and tacking on two quick weekend trips. Flight is paid for, I am paying for my rail transport to and from the work event.
I'm heading from Frankfurt to Berlin by train overnight and there is a 39 euro option that I'm planning on taking (9 pm departure, 6 am arrival) ... it has two changes including a three hour layover transfer from 1 am to 4 am on the way. It saves on a hostel that night and also is half as much as the direct route on the fast train with no changes, which costs 95 euros (departs at 8 pm, arrives at 12:30 am).
I am having pre-buyer's remorse thinking of those early morning hours in a train station but it's also part of what makes travel fun for me, in some ways. I'm youngish, and really don't have the money to indulge on convenience here. But that said I clearly won't be sleeping much if at all on the cheaper train trip.
Think I just need a push off the ledge away from the spendier option which would be three times as much money after factoring in an extra night's hostel cost. I just don't see how I can justify spending more and don't think it will ruin my trip to have an inefficient local trip to Berlin...but, I have to admit that I'm tempted by the direct train, and I'm trying to figure out if there might be some logic afterall in the more expensive, shorter ride since I don't know the next time I'll be over there. Then I think about my budget and realize it's that kind of thinking that got me into a hole with debt to begin with!