Soft Sleeper on Tibet Train

Soft sleeper on Tibet train is highly preferred by Tibet travelers because of its spacious and privacy compartment, cozy beddings, and wide berth, safe and tidy environment. Usually, a soft sleeper ticket costs about one-third more than a hard sleeper one, and it has considerate designs such as TV screens and a lockable door which guarantees your privacy.

In most cases, a Tibet train has 2 soft sleeper carriages and up to 64 soft sleeper berths. Each soft sleeper compartment has 4 berths, a small table, foldable ladders, luggage closet, TV screen and headphone, and a sliding door facing the aisle. You can close the door to enjoy you’re the quiet and privacy, or go to sit on the foldable seats with tables at the aisle to make new friends with others. With about 32 passengers in a carriage, the life in soft sleeper carriage is at ease and leisure.

Which Berth Should I Choose: Upper or Lower?

There are 2 upper berths and 2 lower berths in each soft sleeper compartment, and each soft sleeper berth is 75cm (29 inches) wide and 190cm (74 inches) long, and can bear a weight around 300kg (661.4ponds).

The spacious and cozy soft sleeper berth on Tibet train.

On the berth, there are delicate and soft bedding sets including a mattress, a sheet, a quilt, a pillow, and other bedroom decorative accessories. The lower soft sleeper berth also has back cushion so that you don’t need to lean against the cold hard train wall. Between the two lower berths is a small table on which you can place small items such as boxed food and bottled water. Beneath the table, you can find a thermos bottle to fill hot water and a small dustbin to throw in waste paper etc.

The corridor next to soft sleeper cabin

On the wall of each berth, there is a reading lamp, TV screen, clothes hanger, and foldable net shelf to put your general utility. You can also find a volume controller and alarming button on the wall.

TV screen is available in soft sleeper compartment on Tibet train.

In soft sleeper compartment, both upper berth and lower berth are comfortable and convenient. It is not hard to climb up to or sit straight on the upper berth because it has headroom of 80cm, and you can get a spacious room (headroom 90cm) as well as privacy at the lower berth when the sliding door is locked. However, if you are traveling with kids or elderly, the lower berth is more suitable for you.

Luggage Service in Soft Sleeper Carriage

You can put your luggage under the lower sleeper or in the overhead luggage closet inside each soft sleeper compartment. The space under the lower sleeper is about 30cm (12 inches) high and 75cm (29 inches) wide, while the luggage closet is 50cm (20 inches) in width and 40cm (16 inches) in height. For convenience, you can just place luggage underneath the lower soft sleeper berth.

You can put small items such as water flask on the table or on the net shelf if you like. However, it is advisable that you take valuable belongings with you whenever you go.

Facilities in Soft Sleeper Carriage

Video about soft sleeper compartment

Sliding door: The sliding door to soft sleeper compartment can be locked from inside, it isolates noise from the aisle and provides a quiet travel environment to passengers.

TV Screens and headphones: You can change the channel, adjust the volume on your own.

Air conditioner: All the trains to Tibet are air conditioned to maintain an agreeable temperature so passengers can enjoy the breathtaking scenery along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.

Oxygen supply on Tibet train

Oxygen supply: As the distinctive facility to alleviate altitude sickness when traveling on Tibetan plateau, the oxygen supply on Tibet train can increase the oxygen content of the carriage through air-conditioning system and provide oxygen to individual passenger by connecting a plastic tube to the oxygen outlets around berths and on the wall of aisle.

Attendant Room: The attendant room is located at the end of each carriage. You can resort to the train staff there if you need medical service or other assistance.

Hot water dispenser: The electric water boiler at the end of carriage supplies free boiled water for 24 hours a day. Bring your own water flask and get boiled water when the light on the dispenser turns green.

Light and broadcast controller on Tibet train

Lights: You can negotiate with your travel mates to decide when to turn off the main light in the compartment, and use the private reading lamp when you need. The aisle lights, toilet lights and light at the connection joint keep on the whole night.

Sockets: In soft sleeper carriage, you can find sockets at the berth wall, beneath the compartment table, on the wall of the aisle, and around washstands. By the way, you can’t count on the WIFI on Tibet trains and the cellphone signal is unstable when traveling through mountainous areas.

Toilets: There is one squat toilet and one western toilet at the end of each carriage. Passengers can push the “Flush” button on the wall every time after using it, and cleaner will come to clean it from time to time.

Washstands and large trash can: Both of them are adjacent to toilets. You need to bring your own towel, wet paper tissue and toilet articles. The trash can will be emptied by train attendant once it is full.

Which Kind of Ticket Fits Me Best: Hard Sleeper or Soft Sleeper?

There are three types of tickets on Tibet train: the hard seat, the hard sleeper and the soft sleeper tickets. Since the Tibet train journey is really long, hard seat is not recommended because sitting still for too long is not something all people can stand during the long ride to Tibetan plateau and there is little privacy as well, most travelers prefer the sleeper tickets.

A handy comparison between soft sleeper and hard sleeper

Apparently, soft sleeper enjoys many advantages over hard sleeper. Though the price of soft sleeper is the highest, it is definitely the best option a tourist can expect to have given the long ride at the roof of the world. Soft compartment has spacious room with only 4 berths. In addition, compared with hard sleeper compartment, soft sleeper has a door to close, which shields you from annoying passer-bys and makes the compartment safer at night.

Price list of Tibet trains

Notice: The ticket prices above are the net prices. In reality, since the demand for Tibet train ticket far exceeds the supply, to successfully book the train ticket for you, an additional service fee is involved. However, we will manage to secure the ticket and ensure you a seamless Tibet train journey.

If you travel with budget and are agile to climb up and down, you can choose hard sleeper. If you need privacy room, quiet sleeping environment, and more comfortable travel experience, or travel with family, the soft sleeper is the first choice.

Travel Tips on Tibet Train

Tibet Travel Permit: Tibet Travel Permit is required for collecting the train ticket and boarding the Tibet train. Once you book the train ticket with us, we will guarantee to get the Tibet permit for you. We will deliver the permit to your hotel or any other place you prefer in China. For some emergency circumstances, we can hand it to you personally at the railway station before your train trip.

Ticket availability: One thing to mention is that if one fails to book the soft sleeper, the hard sleeper should be another alternative. Please book tickets with us at least 3 months in advance in peak season.

Berth token: Soon after boarding the train, you will be requested by the train attendant to exchange the hard sleeper ticket to a berth token. The attendant will walk to your berth and return your ticket when the train approaches your destination. So please keep the berth token and don’t throw it away, you also need to keep your ticket because it will be checked when exiting railway station.

Food and Drink: You can pay cash to get 3 meals from dining carriage in the middle of the train or from the trolley pushed in by train staff during the mealtime. You can also bring instant noodles, snacks, and beverage on your own.

The considerately designed soft sleeper compartment allows you to have sound sleep and a comfortable environment without being disturbed by the curious or loud passengers. Having a good rest on the train, you are more likely to acclimatize to high altitude well and enjoy the Tibet trip as much as you can. Please feel free to share your travel plan with us if you are interested in visiting Tibet, with more than 10 years Tibet travel experience, we can book the train ticket, apply for the Tibet Travel Permit, arrange the most suitable itinerary and offer a satisfying Tibet tour for you.