"In October 2021, I booked a round-trip ride between New York City and Miami on Amtrak's overnight sleeper train for the first time. In total, I spent 60 hours on the rails. On the way to Miami, I spent 30 hours in a $500 roomette accommodation, a 20-square-foot enclosed private space with a foldout table, two chairs that fold out into a bed, and an additional bed that pulls down from the ceiling."
"On my way back to NYC, I spent 30 hours in the next level up, a bedroom accommodation that cost $1,000 for a private 45-square-foot room. It was double the cost of a roomette for twice as much space and a private bathroom. Most recently, in January 2025, I took another overnight Amtrak train from Denver to Salt Lake City in a roomette for $400. This ride was 15 hours long."
"I regret not knowing a few things ahead of my long-haul, overnight Amtrak rides in 2021 and 2025. I spent 75 hours on Amtrak sleeper trains and noticed that time seemed to pass slowly on the rails. I wish I knew internet service wouldn't be reliable, among other lessons I learned the hard way. There were so many things I couldn't have predicted about sleeper train travel before taking my own overnight ride."
Two overnight Amtrak sleeper trips totaled 75 hours across 2021 and 2025. The first trip included a 30-hour, $500 roomette — a 20-square-foot enclosed space with a foldout table, two chairs that convert to a bed, and an overhead pull-down bed. The return included a 30-hour, $1,000 bedroom with 45 square feet and a private bathroom. A later January 2025 ride from Denver to Salt Lake City was a 15-hour roomette for $400. Internet service proved unreliable, time on the rails felt slow, and several practical travel details would have improved preparedness.
Read at Business Insider
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