Terribe Train Trouble

So I was taking the train a couple of days ago from Krakow to Berlin. I had gotten a first class ticket for that particular trip because it was cheap. I went to the conductor and he said that I wasn't on his car because it was the sleeping train. Fine. I go to the conductor he points me to, and that conductor says that I'm in the sleeping car (apparently triggered by the 1st class). So I go back to the first conductor and he still says no. He points me to a third conductor who speaks better English, so I go and talk to him. He says I'm in the sleeping car. At this point, I don't care so much about the sleeping car, I just want to know what the difference is between first and second class and if I should ask the company I bought the tickets from for a refund (apparently there were only two cars going directly to Berlin and one was the sleeping car). I go back and talk with the conductor of the first car and he's being very stubborn. He says I can be on the sleeping car if I pay more money. At some point, he says I can take the train to Poznań and get a sleeping car there. I ask if I can just get on the non-sleeping direct Berlin and he says to just get on the train to Poznań. So I do.

Right, so I'm on the train and it goes for 4-5 hours or so. Eventually somebody gets on who says they have a reservation for that seat, so I have to get up and look for another compartment. I try finding another compartment, but all I find are Polish speaking people who seem to indicate that their free seats are reseved. So I end up standing at the end of one of the cars with my luggage. This doesn't turn out so bad as I hang out with two Polish guys who share their beer with me (Zubr). We don't really speak each other's languages, but we have a resonable good time. Eventually, a couple of hours later, I end up in Poznań, where I find that the car that the conductor was talking about is an all-sleeping car and they still want me to pay more money. A bit frustrated, I find a very helpful person at one of the ticket booths who tells me that there is a train leaving for Frankfort in 2 and one half hours, and after there there is a train leaving for Berlin. Strangely, at 4 AM I'm able to keep myself awake (for an hour at least) with the Joel on Software book DJ lent me (thanks DJ!). I eventually catch the train and arrive in Berlin exhausted. The train never stops at the station I was expecting, so I end up on the wrong side of the city. After 30-60 mins training around Berlin, I finally make it to my destination and go to sleep.

I want to note that in Krakow and Berlin, they seem to never check for proof that you bought a ticket, but you need to pay to use the bathroom in a train station. There are some messed up priorities there.

Sorry, but I don't have time to proofread this. I'm keeping myself quite busy, but I am making notes of what is going on while I'm on the train in between cities, so I'll probably be doing a lot of post-trip posting (which will allow me to post pictures easier, too). I'm having a blast though. See you all soon.