I'll never forget my first Amtrak roomette.
Before I'd spent roughly 200 hours on overnight trains in the US and Europe, I had no idea what to expect on the 30-hour journey from New York City to Miami in October 2021.
It was my first overnight Amtrak trip, and I was set on having a bed in a private space. So I spent $500 on a roomette accommodation — the lowest-tier private cabin on Amtrak sleeper trains.
The 22.75-square-foot cabin contained two beds, a toilet, and basic amenities. Thanks to clever storage hacks, it felt like a tiny hotel room with no unused space.
See inside the most affordable Amtrak ride in a private cabin.
I walked down a narrow corridor through three sleeper cars to my private room.
Inside the enclosed space with a sliding door, I found two seats that could pull out into a bed, a table, and a bed above the seats that pulled down.
I thought this was a big step up from sitting in coach, where you get one train seat and sit with other passengers.
My roomette had a sliding door and blinds to cover the windows.
Across from the window was a sliding door with a lock and curtains for privacy.
I spotted clever storage features that reminded me of a tiny home, like a pullout table between the chairs.
The table also had two foldout leaves for more counter space. This feature came in handy to work on my laptop.
In some roomettes — mine included — a side table swings open to reveal a hidden toilet. Above it, I had a folding sink and mirror.
With no privacy curtain around the toilet, I was grateful to be a solo traveler.
It's worth noting that Amtrak is filtering out toilets in the roomettes, so you're less likely to find one today.
The train had limited availability when I booked my ticket, so I had to switch to a roomette without a toilet partway through my trip.
In this roomette, I used a shared bathroom at the back of the sleeper car.
I was surprised by the variety of lighting options, which seemed to be more than what I'd get in economy on a flight.
I was also surprised to be able to control the temperature inside my roomette with a dial and air conditioning vents. I kept it cool, about 66 degrees Fahrenheit.
My ticket included meals, which I ate in the dining car.
For dinner, I had braised short ribs, mashed potatoes, and a hard roll. While I didn't love the meal as it came, I made a little sandwich out of the ingredients, which tasted better to me.
I've seen great improvements in Amtrak's food since this trip, especially on overnight rides.
After dinner, I was ready to rest for the night. I opted for the top bunk.
The roomette seats folded into a bed on the bottom level, and a top bunk pulled down from the ceiling.
I decided to sleep up top, where I found a pillow and a blanket wrapped in plastic, both soft and cozy.
While I found the train movement through the night a little unsettling, I appreciated the dim, blue light on the wall next to me. It was my favorite feature of the roomette because it reminded me of my colorful night light at home.
I didn't get much sleep, but I'm glad I went with the top bunk because of the morning views.
Looking out the window reminded me I was going somewhere exciting, and I thought it was a welcome distraction from the tight quarters.
Though the roomette started to feel small as I neared the full 30 hours in it, I thought it made impressive use of roughly 20 square feet.
After 30 hours in a roomette, I would book the accommodation again. But for those looking for more room to stretch out, I recommend the Amtrak bedroom.
Read next
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 Business Insider in 2019, Joey has traveled by train in seven different countries, including overnight rides lasting up to 53 hours. She's ridden on many different train lines, including Amtrak, Via Rail, Nightjet, 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. When she's not taking trains, notes, or pictures, Joey spends her time singing and playing drums for the indie-rock band Blanket Approval.
