I paid $500 extra to upgrade my room on a 30-hour Amtrak ride, and I thought the additional 20 square feet was worth every penny
Date: 2024-11-01
The author stayed in an Amtrak roomette on her way to Miami and a bedroom on her way to New York.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
I spent 60 hours on overnight Amtrak trains traveling from New York City to Miami and back.
I booked a 20-square-foot roomette for $500 and a $1,000 bedroom twice the size.
The extra 20 square feet in the bedroom — not to mention the private bathroom — was worth the cost.
In 2021, I traveled on Amtrak trains from NYC to Miami and back. The rides took about 30 hours each way, and I had a private cabin in a sleeper car on both journeys.
The ticket to Miami cost about $500 for a Viewliner roomette, and the ticket back to New York cost about $1,000 for a bedroom.
On my way to Miami, I booked a roomette, an approximately 20-square-foot private cabin that cost about $500 and included two beds, a table, two chairs, and a toilet.A view of a roomette across the way.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
A step up from sitting in coach, where you get a seat among other passengers, a roomette is a private space with a door and blinds to cover up the windows.
According to Amtrak's website, roomettes are around 22.75 square feet, which, for reference, is a little bigger than a standard twin-size bed. The roomette sleeps up to two adults.
I booked a bedroom for the ride home, which was double the price for twice the amount of space, an additional chair, a shower, and an enclosed bathroom.A view of the bedroom accommodation.
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Bedrooms are around 45.5 square feet, which, for reference, is a little bigger than a standard king-size bed. Like the roomette, they sleep a maximum of two adults.
Both rooms offered complete privacy, came with complimentary meals, and used smart storage hacks that reminded me of a tiny home.The author's meal and an Amtrak sleeper car.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Having a private space was the most important thing to me on this long train journey, and both rooms offered that.
Both rooms also had some clever storage hacks, like a table that pulled out between the chairs.
I think I woke up feeling more rested on my way home in the bedroom simply because I chose the bottom bunk, where I felt less swaying and bumping from the train. You could select this option in either room.The author wakes up in a roomette and a bedroom.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
If you're bothered by the bumpiness of the train during the day as I was, I recommend sleeping on the bottom bunk in either accommodation.
While I was impressed with the roomette's use of space, I felt far more comfortable in the bedroom thanks to the extra 20 square feet.The author sits in the roomette and dances in the bedroom.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
As someone who deals with travel anxiety, I found 30 hours on a train to be overwhelming.
But staying in a bedroom made me feel more comfortable than staying in a roomette. The bedroom offered ample space to stretch out and move about, which made all the difference to me.
Frankly, I don't feel comfortable sitting for 30 hours. I could get my body moving in the bedroom by dancing around, while in the roomette, I felt too cramped to move very much.The author attempts to dance in both rooms.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
To pass the time, get moving, and feel more at home, I took frequent dance breaks in my bedroom, where I closed the curtains and blasted music in my earbuds.
This felt freeing and satisfying, and if I wanted to, I think I could have even done some yoga poses, body-weight exercises, or practiced my karate moves.
It was also nice to have a big sofa in the bedroom where I could stretch out and put my feet up, whereas the roomette only had two single seats.The author lounges in both rooms.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
Having room to lounge in the bedroom made me feel more relaxed throughout my journey.
All bedrooms have a three-mirror vanity, a shower, and, notably, a toilet behind a locking door. In some roomettes — mine included — a side table swings open to reveal a toilet. Above it is a folding sink and a single mirror.The vanity is seen in the bedroom and roomette.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
After staying in a roomette with a toilet for the first half of my trip to Miami, I was moved to another room without a toilet for the remainder due to the availability of roomettes when I booked my ticket. I had access to a bathroom at the end of the sleeper car.
While traveling home in a bedroom, I appreciated that the toilet was separated from the rest of the room by a door.
I also thought the bedroom had a nicer vanity with three mirrors facing each other, which made it easier to wash my face in the morning.
I appreciated the private toilet in the bedroom, which is a great amenity if you're traveling with others.The author poses on both toilets.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
However, with two seats and no privacy curtain around the toilet in the roomette, I was grateful to be a solo traveler.
While you may feel sticker shock at the $500 price difference, the extra space was worth every penny to me.The author relaxes in the bedroom.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider
The bedroom upgraded my 30-hour journey from anxiety-inducing to comfy and homey.
The bedroom is especially worth the splurge for those traveling with a buddy since there's more room to stretch out.
