I’ll never forget my first train cabin. Before I’d spent 140 hours on overnight trains in the US and Europe, I had no idea what to expect of my 30-hour journey from New York City to Miami in October 2021.
For my first overnight Amtrak trip, I was set on having a bed in a private space. So I spent $500 on a roomette accommodation — the cheapest private cabin I could find.
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 along a narrow corridor and crossed three sleeper cars to get to my private room.
Inside the enclosed space with a sliding door, I found two seats, a table, and a bed above the seats that pulled down. The seats also pulled out into a bed.
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 door and blinds to cover up the windows.
Across from the window was a sliding door that locked and curtains for privacy.
The room had 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.
Due to the availability when I booked my ticket, I had to switch partway through my trip to another roomette, which didn’t have a toilet.
For that portion, I used a shared bathroom at the back of the sleeper car.
I was surprised by the roomette’s 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 came with dinner, 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.
After dinner, I was ready to rest for the night. The roomette seats folded into a bed on the bottom level, and another bed came down from the ceiling.
I decided to try sleeping on the top bed. I thought the available blankets wrapped in plastic were surprisingly soft and comfortable.
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.
Even though I didn’t sleep my best, I’m glad I went with the top bunk because of the blue light and the views I had in the morning.
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.
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