When you spend dozens of hours in a 50-square-foot room, every detail counts — especially when you’re stuck on a train.
In October 2021, I spent 30 hours in a tiny Amtrak bedroom while traveling from Miami to New York City. Then, in February 2026, I spent 53 hours in another Amtrak bedroom traveling from Chicago to Emeryville, California.
The bedrooms were similar in size and layout, though there were some differences, from the seat cushions to the windows.
I booked my first Amtrak bedroom in 2021 for a 30-hour ride from Miami to NYC.
This ride was aboard a Viewliner, Amtrak’s one-story train fleet that primarily serves sleeper routes east of Chicago. I paid about $1,000 for the one-night ride in a bedroom. My ticket included three meals on board.
Five years later, I booked a bedroom again for a 53-hour trip from Chicago to Emeryville, California.
This time, I was on board an Amtrak Superliner, the train line’s double-decker sleeper fleet used for routes west of Chicago. My bedroom for the two-night ride cost $2,200 and included six meals.
The Viewliner bedroom was about 45 square feet with a private bathroom.
Inside, there was a fold-out couch, a single seat, a pullout table, an upper bunk that pulled down from the ceiling, and a bathroom.
The Superliner bedroom was 50 square feet and had the same layout.
My bedroom was on the top floor of the two-story train.
Only the Superliner bedroom had upgraded interiors.
Amtrak Superliner trains recently got an interior upgrade, including new vinyl seat cushions with more lumbar support, an Amtrak spokesman, Marc Magliari, told Business Insider in 2025.
I thought they felt smoother and more comfortable than the ones in the Viewliner bedroom. Viewliner trains are also being upgraded this year, according to Magliari.
The sinks and vanities differed in style but were otherwise similar.
In both bedrooms, the sink and vanity were compactly situated by the entrance, and the toilet and shower were behind a closed door.
Though they had different fixtures and counter shapes, both sink areas had a trifold mirror and a cabinet where I stored my toiletries.
The bathrooms looked similar, save for some upgrades in the Superliner bedroom.
Only the Superliner bedroom had full-sized toiletries hanging from the wall.
To me, the key difference between these two bedrooms had nothing to do with upgrades.
You’d be surprised by what a difference one window makes.
In the Viewliner bedroom, I had two wide windows stacked on top of each other — one for each bunk. This extended my view, added natural light, and made the space feel bigger, though I didn’t truly appreciate it until I stayed in the single-windowed Superliner bedroom.
While the Superliner bedroom was more comfortable, thanks to recent upgrades, the Viewliner bedroom’s additional window added a brightness to the experience that no interior alteration ever could.
So, I’ll be sure to book an overnight ride on an upgraded Viewliner in the future.
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