I spent $1,000 to have a room to myself on a 30-hour Amtrak trip, and it's simply the very best in a single day prepare lodging I've ever booked

I desire to journey by prepare after I can — even when it means taking an in a single day trip.

As a journey reporter at Insider, the place I take 4 journeys a 12 months, trains are my most popular mode of transportation. 

Along with being extra sustainable than driving or flying, touring by prepare has given me unparalleled views of the world, with landscapes altering each second. And being caught on a prepare for lengthy durations of time forces me to take a seat again and do nothing, which is one thing I do not typically prioritize in my each day life.

It began in October 2021, after I took two 30-hour Amtrak rides between Miami and NYC. I spent my trip to Miami in a roomette lodging and booked a bed room for the way in which residence.

A 12 months later, I deliberate an intensive prepare journey in Europe, the place I spent a complete of 24 hours on two in a single day trains touring from Berlin to Vienna and Vienna to Venice, Italy, on Austrian Federal Railway’s OBB Nightjet trains with sleeper cabins. 

I’ve taken 4 in a single day prepare rides within the US and Europe, and the very best lodging by far was Amtrak’s bed room on my 30-hour journey from Miami to NYC in 2021.

Whereas I booked a tiny, non-public $500 roomette for my journey from New York Metropolis to Miami, I reserved a $1,000 bed room lodging, the subsequent step up after a roomette, on the way in which again. 

Based on Amtrak’s web site, bedrooms are not less than 45.5 sq. ft, which, for reference, is just a little greater than an ordinary king-size mattress, Insider has reported, and so they can sleep as much as two adults.

Whereas the trip residence was bumpy and lengthy, the roomy bed room made me really feel relaxed, and two years later, I am nonetheless fascinated by it.

As somebody who offers with journey nervousness, I discovered 30 hours on a prepare to be overwhelming, particularly since, on the time, I had solely taken one different in a single day prepare. The fixed movement of the prepare did not assist, both. In reality, I ended up feeling just a little queasy.

However staying in a bed room made me really feel extra snug than staying in a roomette, a less expensive lodging about half the scale. I believed the bed room supplied ample area to stretch out and transfer about, which made all of the distinction to me.

I believe I might comfortably do a 30-hour prepare journey once more, so long as I guide a bed room. And to make it extra inexpensive, I would guide with a pal to separate the price and have some firm subsequent time. 

My journey started on the Amtrak station in Miami.

I arrived at Miami Amtrak Station at 11 a.m., 50 minutes earlier than my prepare was scheduled to depart. The constructing’s inside jogged my memory of a Greyhound bus station, and I sat in the one ready space I might discover within the station till it was time to board.

As soon as on the prepare, I discovered my bed room, which had a settee that folded out right into a mattress, a mattress that pulled down from the ceiling, and a chair that folded up out of the way in which.

For double the value of a roomette, the lodging I booked for my earlier prepare journey, the bed room lodging additionally supplied double the area, in keeping with Amtrak’s web site. 

Immediately, I knew this journey could be extra nice than my trip to Miami since I had extra room to stretch out. 

The bed room had a desk that pulled out from the wall between two of the three seats.

The desk jogged my memory of storage hacks I would look forward to finding in a tiny residence. I used it to carry my laptop computer whereas working and appreciated that I might merely fold it out of the way in which when it was time to chill out. 

To the left of the chair in my room was a sink beneath a mirror with a handful of small towels subsequent to it.

Beneath the sink, there was a trash can and a spot to carry tissues. 

To the suitable of the mirror was a cupboard the place I might retailer my toiletries and different private objects.

This function allowed me to unpack just a little, the way in which I might in a lodge room. Inserting my toiletries on the cupboard cabinets made me really feel extra at residence.

Subsequent to the seating space, there was a small closet with three hangers for clothes you’d need to preserve trying sharp.

I did not use the closet, however I believe it could have turn out to be useful for storing jackets if I have been touring at a cooler time of the 12 months.

There was additionally a personal lavatory contained in the bed room that had a door, bathe, and bathroom.

On the toilet door have been hooks to carry towels and clothes objects. On a shelf above the bathroom have been two towels for drying your self off after a bathe.

I appreciated that the bathroom was separated from the remainder of the room by a door and assume it is a nice amenity in case you’re touring with others.

The bed room is your most cost-effective possibility in order for you a personal lavatory, in keeping with Amtrak’s web site.

Different bed room options included temperature controls and a button to name an attendant.

Having the ability to management the temperature inside my room was a pleasant contact that made me really feel extra snug throughout the journey.

I might additionally modify the amount of the overhead speaker, by way of which prepare stops have been introduced, which I discovered notably useful.

This got here in useful after I needed to get off the prepare for a minute and stretch my legs. Due to the overhead-speaker quantity management, I at all times knew when the subsequent cease could be and the way lengthy we had at every station.

The bed room additionally has useful controls for night time, studying, and ceiling lights.

The very best factor the bed room supplied was area. I had room to face up, stretch, and dance. This made my trip rather more pleasing.

I attempted to make the prepare really feel like residence, and at residence, I dance just about all day. 

I reside alone and take heed to music always, so shutting the curtains gave me a second of privateness to only be my goofy self. This helped me preserve shifting, too, which I discovered to be important for surviving a 30-hour prepare trip.

It was additionally good to have an enormous couch the place I might stretch out and put my ft up.

Having room to stretch out made me really feel extra relaxed all through my journey. I appreciated that the sofa was lengthy sufficient to lie down on.

Through the day, I spent numerous time engaged on my laptop computer, which made the time go by shortly.

Due to all of the work I needed to do, the primary chunk of my journey residence glided by fairly shortly. 

However when the workday was carried out, I needed to discover different methods to go the time.

I made a decision to lie down on my stomach and look exterior the window for a bit.

Exhausted from my travels, I spent a lot of the night reclining on the seats and gazing out the window.

Throughout my journey residence, I noticed forests, cities, and factories exterior my window. This made me take into consideration how touring by prepare offers you a railroad view of the nation that may’t be replicated in a automotive or on a flight.

When it was dinner time, I headed to the eating automotive and obtained some braised beef brief ribs and mashed potatoes.

My meals got here with the ticket, and I might choose from 5 objects. Since I loved the braised beef brief rib dish on my journey to Miami, I made a decision to get it once more on my means residence. 

Earlier than mattress, I brushed my enamel and washed my face in entrance of the sink.

Since I’ve an electrical toothbrush, it was good to have the ability to cost it with the shops within the lavatory space. 

At about 8 p.m., an attendant got here to my room to rework the couch right into a mattress.

My first thought after I entered the room once more after receiving bedside service was that the mattress regarded greater than the one I slept in on my method to Miami in a roomette.

Since I had bother sleeping on the highest bunk on the way in which to Miami, I opted for the underside bunk on this journey.

The mattress and sheets have been snug, and I used to be pleased to have extra room to sleep.

Had I slept within the mattress that comes down from the ceiling, I might have had management of the air-con and lights, in addition to a spot to place my telephone close by.

I used to be ready to make use of the foldout desk for my bedside belongings, although.

Since there have been shops subsequent to the sink, I propped my telephone up there so I might watch TV from mattress.

There might need been shops on the opposite facet of the mattress, too, however I wasn’t capable of finding them. 

By the point I sat in my mattress at about 8:30 p.m., I spotted my physique was already aching for sleep.

I believed I would keep up and watch TV for some time, however my physique was telling me to only go out.

I had deliberate on having a shower, however after trying down on the ground, I wanted I had introduced sandals and determined to skip my bathe.

I used to be excited to take a bathe after having been on the prepare for almost 24 hours, however the bathe appeared too dirty to really feel snug, and I wanted I had introduced flip-flops.

Amtrak didn’t instantly reply to Insider’s request for remark, however, in keeping with its web site, it sanitizes rooms between guests.

I often put on flip-flops in public showers, although, since specialists say that it is fairly straightforward to choose up germs from locations the place many individuals have walked round barefoot.

Since I forgot them, I made a decision that not showering could be higher.

Breakfast and lunch have been additionally included in my ticket on my closing day of journey, and I believed they have been fairly tasty.

For breakfast, I went to the eating automotive and obtained the continental possibility. For lunch, I made a decision to attempt a unique entree from the braised beef brief ribs I had the night time earlier than.

I selected a rooster fettuccine dish with broccoli and sun-dried tomatoes, and I believed it was first rate. 

Of all of the meals I had, I discovered the continental breakfast to be essentially the most filling and satisfying.

The breakfast got here with a sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich, oatmeal, Greek yogurt, and a blueberry muffin. For the oatmeal, I had the selection of maple and brown sugar or apple cinnamon.

I believed this meal was essentially the most filling I had the entire journey, and in the event that they served all of it hours, I would most likely get it for each meal.

Spending 30 hours on a prepare actually is not paradise, however reserving a bed room made it really feel just a little shorter to me. So I will be stretching my funds to guide it once more the subsequent time I need to bop across the nation.

After we arrived in New York round 7 p.m., barely later than scheduled, I spotted I had by no means been extra grateful to be residence.

However I used to be additionally appreciative of the room and privateness I had getting there.