I spent 75 hours on overnight Amtrak trips. I wish I had known 9 things before taking long-haul journeys.

I spent 75 hours traveling in Amtrak sleeper cars and learned some lessons about overnight train journeys the hard way.

Mar 24, 2025 - 20:26

I spent 75 hours on overnight Amtrak trips. I wish I had known 9 things before taking long-haul journeys.

The author is seen inside (L) and outside (r) the Amtrak train — Business Insider's reporter spent 75 hours in Amtrak sleeper cars and learned things about overnight train travel she regrets not knowing before.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

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.

In October 2021, I booked a round-trip ride between New York City and Miami on Amtrak's overnight sleeper train. 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.

While I enjoyed these trips, there are some things I wish I had known about this type of travel before that would have made me more prepared for the ride.

I thought the train rides felt bumpy the whole time.

A photo showing outside the train window — A view out the window as the train is moving.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

This is not an exaggeration. I found my Amtrak trips to be as bumpy as a flight with turbulence where the seatbelt sign is on from start to finish. The motion sickness and terrible sleep were too much for me, and had I known this before my trip, I might have packed some medicine to prevent motion sickness.

Regardless of where I slept, I felt bumps throughout the night. But the top bunk was the shakiest.

The author lays in the train bed looking out the window on the left side — The author lies in the top bunk during her first overnight train ride.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I've tried sleeping on both the top and bottom bunks on overnight Amtrak trains.

I experienced bumps along the journey in both cots but found it easier to sleep on the bottom, where I thought it felt a little less shaky. Next time, I'd skip the top bunk entirely.

While the bed, sheets, and blankets were comfier than I expected, I didn't think much of the provided pillows.

The author wakes up to morning light in the train bed. — The author wakes up in the morning during her second overnight train ride.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The beds on the 2021 Amtrak trains were firm and slightly cushy on top, just the way I like a bed. But when I was drifting off to sleep each night, I thought of my fluffy, dense pillows at home and wished the ones provided to me on the train were a bit softer.

Luckily, the pillows on my 2025 Amtrak ride felt thicker and softer.

Although the roomette sleeps two, it can feel cramped even for one person.

The author sits in a roomette with a window on the left side and a duffel on the right. — The author sits in the roomette.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I am 5-foot-3 and of average build, and I felt cramped in the roomette's 25 square feet of space. If I were taller or larger, I imagine I would feel even more cramped, especially if I had to share the room with another person. This makes the upgrade to a larger bedroom worth it, in my opinion.

My WiFi service was spotty throughout my trips, which made getting work done a little tricky.

The author uses her laptop while sitting in a blue seat with a window showing greenery outside on her right — The author works during her ride.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I planned to spend several hours of each journey working on my laptop. Amtrak provided WiFi on the first two trips, but I thought the train's internet connection wasn't consistent, so I had to adapt my workflow to do work that didn't require it. And on the 2025 trip, there was no WiFi at all.

My cell-data service was also in and out throughout the journeys.

The author plays on her nintendo on the left and phone on the right — The author uses her Nintendo Switch and her phone on the train.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The internet wasn't the only service that was spotty. I noticed that the cell service on my phone seemed to come in and out, too. I wished I'd downloaded more movies and shows from streaming apps to keep myself occupied when my phone and internet weren't working.

I didn't realize that time would seem to pass more slowly on my long-haul journeys.

The author is relaxing on the left and dancing on the right inside her tiny roomette — The author passes the time on her first overnight train ride.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I knew 30 hours would be a long ride one way, but time seemed to pass so slowly that 30 hours felt twice as long as it usually does in my regular daily life.

I was glad that I at least packed other things to keep me occupied with spotty WiFi and cell service, such as my Nintendo Switch and music.

The cupholders in Amtrak roomettes and bedrooms fit a standard 12-ounce water bottle. I didn't know mine wouldn't fit.

The authors water bottle is seen next to a cup holder that's too small — The author's water bottle didn't fit in the cup holder.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I brought a big water bottle to stay hydrated on my long journey, but it was too large to fit inside the cupholder, meant for a standard 12-ounce cup.

I would have packed a few smaller water bottles if I had known this.

I think you have to view the ride itself as part of your vacation to really enjoy it.

The author sits in a train car with graffiti out the window on the left — The author sits in a roomette on an overnight Amtrak.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I'm someone who deals with travel anxiety, and so I found the length of the trip initially overwhelming. It's tough for me to relax when I am between destinations, and for some reason, I struggled to view the train as a destination in itself.

But after spending 75 hours on long-distance Amtrak trains, I've realized that if you can think of the train ride as part of the journey, you'll find it much more enjoyable.

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