I upgraded my room on a 30-hour Amtrak ride. The additional 20 square feet of space was worth the extra $500.

The Amtrak bedroom was twice the size of the roomette and included a couch and an enclosed bathroom with a shower.

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Feb 20, 2025 - 10:18
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I upgraded my room on a 30-hour Amtrak ride. The additional 20 square feet of space was worth the extra $500.
The author relaxes in an Amtrak bedroom traveling from Miami to NYC.
The reporter stayed in an Amtrak roomette on her way to Miami and a bedroom on her way to New York.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

  • I spent 60 hours on overnight Amtrak trains traveling between NYC and Miami.
  • I booked a 20-square-foot roomette for $500 and a $1,000 bedroom twice the size.
  • The extra 20 square feet in the bedroom — not to mention the private bathroom — was worth the cost.

In 2021, I traveled on overnight Amtrak trains from NYC to Miami and back. For each 30-hour journey, I had a private cabin in a sleeper car.

The ticket to Miami cost about $500 for a Viewliner roomette, and the ticket back to New York cost about $1,000 for a bedroom.

Read on to see how the two overnight train cabins compared — and which was more worth the price.

On my way to Miami, I booked a roomette for $500.
A view of an empty roomette with blue seating and curtains on an Amtrak overnight train
A view of a roomette across the way.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

A step up from sitting in coach, where you get a seat among other passengers, a roomette is a private space with a door and blinds to cover up the windows. Inside, I found two beds, two chairs, a table and a toilet.

According to Amtrak's website, roomettes are around 22.75 square feet, which, for reference, is a little bigger than a standard twin-size bed. The roomette sleeps up to two adults.

I booked a bedroom for the ride home, which was double the price for twice the amount of space.
Inside an Amtrak bedroom with blue seats and a big window showing nature outside
A view of the bedroom accommodation.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Bedrooms are around 45.5 square feet, which, for reference, is a little bigger than a standard king-size bed. Like the roomette, they sleep a maximum of two adults with two bunks.

The bedroom had a couch, an additional chair, a shower, and an enclosed bathroom.

Both rooms offered complete privacy, came with complimentary meals, and used smart storage hacks that reminded me of a tiny home.
The author takes a selfie with her food and a view of the sleeper car corridor
The reporter's meal and an Amtrak sleeper car.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Having a private space was the most important thing to me on this long train journey, and both rooms offered that.

Both rooms also had some clever storage hacks, like a table that pulled out between the chairs.

I think I woke up feeling more rested on my way home in the bedroom simply because I chose the bottom bunk, where I felt less swaying and bumping from the train.
A composite image of the author waking up in an Amtrak bedroom and roomette
The reporter wakes up in a roomette and a bedroom.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

You could select this option in either room. So, if you're bothered by the train's bumpiness during the day, as I was, I recommend sleeping on the bottom bunk in either accommodation.

While I was impressed with the roomette's use of space, I felt far more comfortable in the bedroom thanks to the extra 20 square feet.
A composite image of the author sitting in the roomette and dancing in the bedroom
The reporter sits in the roomette and dances in the bedroom.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

As someone who deals with travel anxiety, I found 30 hours on a train to be overwhelming.

But staying in a bedroom made me feel more comfortable than staying in a roomette. The bedroom offered ample space to stretch out and move about, which made all the difference to me.

I could get my body moving in the bedroom by dancing around, while in the roomette, I felt too cramped to move very much.
A composite image of the author dancing in labeled roomette and bedroom accommodations on Amtrak trains
The reporter attempts to dance in both rooms.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Frankly, I don't feel comfortable sitting for 30 hours.

To pass the time, get moving, and feel more at home, I took frequent dance breaks in my bedroom, where I closed the curtains and blasted music in my earbuds.

This felt freeing and satisfying, and if I wanted to, I think I could have even done some yoga poses, body-weight exercises, or practiced my karate moves.

It was also nice to have a big sofa in the bedroom to stretch out and put my feet up, whereas the roomette only had two single seats.
A composite image of the author sitting in both rooms
The reporter lounges in both rooms.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Having room to lounge in the bedroom made me feel more relaxed throughout my journey.

All bedrooms have a three-mirror vanity, a shower, and a toilet behind a locking door. Some roomettes have a toilet with a folding sink and a single mirror above it.
A composite image of amtrak bedroom and roomette bathrooms
The vanity is seen in the bedroom and roomette.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

After staying in a roomette with a toilet for the first half of my trip to Miami, I was moved to another room without a toilet for the remainder due to the availability of roomettes when I booked my ticket. I had access to a bathroom at the end of the sleeper car.

While traveling home in a bedroom, I appreciated that the toilet was separated from the rest of the room by a door.

I also thought the bedroom had a nicer vanity with three mirrors facing each other, which made it easier to wash my face in the morning.

I appreciated the private toilet in the bedroom, which is a great amenity if you're traveling with others.
A composite image of the author sitting on toilets in a roomette and a bedroom
The reporter poses on both toilets.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

However, with two seats and no privacy curtain around the toilet in the roomette, I was grateful to be a solo traveler.

While you may feel sticker shock at the $500 price difference, the extra space was worth every penny to me.
The author lies on the bed looking up with the table on the left in the foreground. The curtains are clossed.
The reporter relaxes in the bedroom.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The bedroom upgraded my 30-hour journey from anxiety-inducing to comfy and homey.

The bedroom is especially worth the splurge for those traveling with a buddy since there's more room to stretch out.

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