Instead of flying from Denver to Salt Lake City in January 2025, I took an overnight Amtrak train. I spent the 15-hour journey in a private 23-square-foot space with two seats and two beds — otherwise known as a roomette accommodation.
I was no stranger to the sleeper car environment. I had previously taken two other overnight Amtrak rides as well as a handful in Europe. And some of those journeys were twice as long as this one. So I thought I'd get through the experience well prepared and with no regrets.
However, I'm still learning from my travel mistakes. Here are four slipups from this long-haul train trip that I won't forget on future rides.
I should have called to request a room on the top floor of the train.
I traveled from Denver to Salt Lake City on Amtrak's California Zephyr — a double-decker train known as a Superliner. My previous Amtrak rides were on single-story train fleets, so I hoped my room would be on the top floor for a new experience.
It wasn't.
Although the views of Rocky Mountain National Park from my room were spectacular, I could see farther from the dining car's second-story windows, and I longed for a room with a higher vantage point.
Though Amtrak's booking platform didn't have an option to select a specific room, Amtrak spokesperson Marc Magliari told Business Insider that you can call the contact center, speak to a live agent, and request a particular room if it's still available.
He added that family and accessible bedrooms are on the lower level, regular bedrooms are on the top level, and roomettes are on both levels.
I should have brought snacks for in-between meals.
My Amtrak ticket included three meals. An attendant came by my room to reserve a seat in the dining car for each one. I had breakfast after we departed at about 9 a.m. I chose the noon lunch slot and the 5 p.m. dinner slot.
While I didn't get hungry between breakfast and lunch, my stomach started growling at about 3 p.m. In hindsight, I should have packed snacks for the ride.
The train had a café car selling sweet and savory snacks, candy, beverages, and microwavable meals, but I decided to save my money and fuel up at dinner.
I didn't realize I was supposed to wait for meal call before entering the dining car.
I entered the dining car hungry and eager a minute before 5 p.m. The empty tables were set with mini flower arrangements that looked charming against the rolling canyon backdrop out the windows.
At the other end of the car, I spotted a handful of employees looking at me and talking among themselves.
"I'm here for my dinner reservation," I said.
One replied that I was supposed to wait for an attendant to announce dinner over the intercom. Embarrassed, I apologized and started to turn back. They told me to stay and sit at the first table while another employee went to the intercom.
I'd had nearly a dozen meals in Amtrak dining cars before, but this was the first time I'd made this mistake.
I should have taken advantage of every rest stop.
Some stops on overnight Amtrak trains are long enough for passengers to get out and walk around the platform for a few minutes.
I typically take this opportunity to get fresh air and stretch my legs, whether it's sunny or snowing outside. But when this train made its final long stop roughly 15 minutes before dinner, I was engrossed in a book and decided to stay in.
After dinner, I regretted not getting off at that final extended stop when I craved space to stretch out and move my body.
When I arrived in Salt Lake City at about midnight, I was grateful for fresh air and open space.
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Joey Hadden is a travel reporter and photojournalist at Business Insider based in NYC. She covers transportation modes, alternative lifestyles, and luxury travel. Many of Joey's stories are visual features that give readers a front-row seat to her personal experiences at home and around the world.Joey graduated from St. Edward's University in May 2019 with a BA in Photocommunications. Since joining BI in 2019, Joey has traveled by train in seven different countries, from day trips to overnight rides as long as 30 hours. She's ridden on many different train lines, including Amtrak, Via Rail, and the iconic Orient Express of the 21st century, among others. During her travels, she's slept in countless accommodations — five-star hotels, unique tiny homes, and private train cabins, to name a few.When traveling in North America, Joey takes readers inside the continent's wealthiest enclaves where billionaires hide away, from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to Medina, Washington. She spends her free time singing and playing drums for the indie-rock band Blanket Approval. You can follow Joey on Instagram or send her an email at [email protected].Popular ArticlesI spent $1,000 to have a room to myself on a 30-hour Amtrak ride. It was the best experience I've had on an overnight train in the US.I booked basic economy flights with Delta and United. They felt like 2 completely different classes.I went on an adults-only cruise for the first time, and 8 things surprised meI spent 2 nights in a 2-story, 100-square-foot tiny home in Germany that was smaller than any I've seen in the USStep inside the richest city in Arizona, where wealthy Californians are flocking for private mountainside estates
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