- I spent a night in a private bedroom on an Amtrak sleeper train for $1,000 in October 2021.
- With unparalleled privacy and space, it's the most comfortable Amtrak accommodation I've booked yet.
- It made spending 30 hours on a train from Miami to New York City feel a bit luxurious.
After several Amtrak rides in various premium accommodations, from business and first classes to sleeper cabins, I'm still thinking about the comfort the bedroom provides.
On a trip from Miami to New York City in October 2021, I booked Amtrak's bedroom accommodation in a sleeper car, which gave me my own moving hotel room for 30 hours.
Private rooms are available on sleeper cars for long-distance train rides, like my trip down the East Coast. At $1,000 for one overnight ride, it was easily the most expensive Amtrak ride I've ever booked. (A 2025 search for bedroom bookings on the same route showed prices ranging from about $1,500 to $1,700.)
It was also the most comfortable, thanks to the privacy and space it provided. According to Amtrak's website, bedrooms are at least 45.5 square feet, which, for reference, is a little bigger than a standard king-size bed. They can sleep up to two adults, and mine offered ample space for me as a solo traveler.
The furniture in the bedroom folded up and down for various configurations, including a workday setup.
After experiencing cramped seating arrangements on previous Amtrak rides, the bedroom was a luxury. Instead of having just two seats facing each other as I did in the roomette, it was nice to have a big couch where I could stretch out my legs and put my feet up. That same couch transformed into a bed in the evenings.
There was an additional chair on the left, too, which could be folded up and stowed away.
The bedroom also had a table that pulled out from the wall between two of the three seats, which made working from the rails more efficient.
A small closet with three hangers was available to keep clothing looking sharp.
I usually love unpacking upon arrival in my accommodations. The more I unpack while traveling, the more at home I feel.
Since I was only on the train for one night, I didn't use the closet — but it would have come in handy for storing jackets if I were traveling at a cooler time of the year.
Having storage spaces around the room made it easier to keep it tidy, which I've found essential in maintaining order in a tiny space.
The room featured a sink, a vanity, and small towels for freshening up.
The bedroom had a three-panel vanity mirror, a sink, and towels, making washing my face or brushing my teeth convenient. I joked that the setup was nicer than my bathroom at home.
I brushed my teeth and washed my face before bed and again the next morning, just like I would on any regular day at home. Feeling clean makes me more comfortable while traveling.
While I try to pack light, I always make room for my electric toothbrush, so having an outlet next to the mirror was great for keeping it charged.
To the right of the mirror was a cabinet where I stored my toiletries and other personal items.
This cabinet allowed me to unpack the way I would in a hotel room and easily see my items as needed. The cabinet snapped shut, so everything stayed in place as the train moved.
The roomette from my previous train ride included a small sink, leaving no room to unpack like this. The bedroom's vanity felt like an upgraded — and very welcome — amenity.
The room also had fluffy towels, as if I were in a hotel, not on a train.
Being able to control the temperature inside the room was a nice touch — and a luxury you don't get in business or first class.
The bedroom had other neat features, like a button to call an attendant for anything I needed and handy controls for the lights. There was a night setting and reading lamps in addition to the overhead light.
A dial controlled the volume of the speaker, where an attendant would make announcements about where the train was stopping.
I could also control the temperature in my room, as I had in the roomette on a previous trip. Picking my ideal temperature made me feel so much more comfortable on a 30-hour journey. Dealing with sweat or shivers would have made the trip feel much longer.
At about 8 p.m., an attendant came to my room to transform the sofa into a bed.
In the evenings, Amtrak offers turndown service. An attendant will come to your room and set up your bed.
When the attendant came into my room at about 8 p.m., they asked me whether I wanted to sleep on the top or bottom bunk. Since I tried the top bunk in the roomette, I went with the bottom bunk on this trip.
When I entered the room again, my first thought was that the bed looked bigger than the one I slept in on my way to Miami.
The bed and sheets were surprisingly soft, and I was happy to have more room to spread out as I slept.
Since there were outlets next to the sink, I propped up my phone to watch TV from bed, just like home.
The outlet I used for my electric toothbrush came in handy once again when I was ready for bed. I plugged in my phone to charge, propped it up on the vanity, and watched my favorite TV shows.
Watching my go-to shows relaxed me before I fell asleep.
Another key feature was the air vent above the bed. I prefer to keep the room cool for sleeping, so I pointed the air vent toward my face as I drifted off to sleep.
I woke up at about 8 a.m. in North Carolina to the sun beaming through my window.
When I woke up the next morning, I felt much more rested than I ever had on a train. I believe it was thanks to the bigger, more comfortable bed — and my privacy.
The bottom bunk felt less bumpy than my previous ride on the top bunk, so I recommend opting for the bottom bunk on overnight trips.
In the future, I'll definitely splurge on a bedroom booking on an Amtrak train. The privacy, space, and better sleep are so worth it.
