I took a 19-hour overnight Amtrak train from New York to Chicago and found it wasn't worth the $550 price tag
I stayed in a small room on an Amtrak train for 19 hours from New York to Chicago.
The room felt like a tiny house with a small bathroom and a bed that descended from the ceiling.
Although the ride was easy and smooth, I don't think it was ultimately worth the $550 price tag.
On a recent trip to the Midwest, I decided to take the road less traveled and booked a 19-hour train ride from New York to Chicago.
Recently I've seen people on social media taking Amtrak trains across the country and glamorizing their experiences. As someone who loves to travel by plane, I've always been wary of a long-haul train ride. But on this trip, I wanted to try something different, so I gave this new travel trend a shot.
I booked a small room - which Amtrak calls a "roomette" - that sleeps two people for $550.
At first I was surprised by the price of the trip. Flying from New York to Chicago could cost as little as $70 on a good day, which means it would cost significantly more to take the Amtrak.
When the day came, I was eager to find out whether the price of the ticket was worth it.
On the afternoon of my trip, I arrived at New York's new Moynihan Train Hall to catch the Lake Shore Limited train.
The Lake Shore Limited Amtrak train runs from Chicago and splits in Albany for Boston and New York service. I caught the train in New York's Moynihan Train Hall — which opened earlier this year and sits next to Penn Station — at 3:30 pm.
After going the length of the train to the sleeper car, I walked through a labyrinth of tight hallways.
The cars at the front of the train were for coach passengers, but the sleeper cars were all the way at the end of the track.
Once I finally found the appropriate train car, I had to walk down several hallways to find my room. The hallways were so narrow that I could barely fit my suitcase down them.
After finally locating my room, I found it to be much smaller than I expected.
When I entered, two seats were facing each other, but there was basically no room to move around. I was immediately worried I might feel claustrophobic in the room for 19 hours.
But I've stayed in a tiny house, a camper van, and a houseboat in the past, so I'm no stranger to tiny living situations. I hoped those experiences would help me during this train ride.
I was surprised to find a small bathroom in the room.
Next to one of the seats was a toilet and above that was a fold-down sink and mirror. I was even supplied with soap and clean towels.
I was pleasantly surprised I didn't have to go down the hall to use one of the shared bathrooms because Amtrak bathrooms aren't the cleanest. Despite the convenience of the bathroom, I realized the space is best for solo travelers like myself because otherwise I'd be doing my business right next to my traveling buddy.
When I looked up, I saw storage space for my luggage, a bed suspended in midair, and a control panel.
The bed had straps attached to the ceiling and a crank that would lower it for sleeping. Just below the bed was a control panel affixed to the wall. On this panel, I was able to call an attendant, change the temperature of my room, and adjust the lighting.
I worked on getting comfortable in my new home for the next 19 hours.
I took out the folding table, which was stored beneath the window, and placed my laptop on it. I sat in one of the chairs and put my feet up on the other. After that, I closed the door and shut the curtains so I could have some privacy.
Once I was settled, I enjoyed the views of New York City as they flashed across the window. I also turned on Netflix for some needed entertainment.
At that moment, I realized I would not have any problem with the size of the room. In fact, it started to feel cozy.
Strangely I was served dinner at about 5 p.m.
An attendant knocked on my door and offered me a bag full of my dinner, which came with my ticket. I thought it was strange to be offered dinner that early, but I gratefully accepted.
When I unwrapped the meal, I found pasta with chicken and veggies, a small salad, and a roll. The pasta was passable, but the chicken was basically inedible. I didn't eat the salad because it was just a couple of pieces of lettuce. Frankly the best part was the roll with butter.
Thankfully I brought snacks for the trip because I wasn't expecting much from this meal.
As the sun set, I left my room to explore the train car and found larger rooms that were empty.
Toward the front of the car were larger rooms that could fit families or bigger parties. These rooms cost more than $1,000.
During my tour, I also noticed my train car was mostly empty except for a few people who remained in their rooms. I also found a communal shower in the back and a coffee station.
Five hours into the trip, the attendant came back to my room and offered turn-down service.
The room actually has two beds. The seats at the bottom can be folded down to create a bed on the ground floor, and the bed from the ceiling can be pulled down for a second sleeping area. I chose to sleep on the bed suspended from the ceiling.
I had to use the toilet and a shelf to climb into the bed.
When I crawled into the mostly comfortable bed, I found clean blankets and pillows wrapped in sanitary plastic.
I turned off the lights and continued watching Netflix, which was the biggest help in passing time on the long-haul journey.
When it was time for bed, I noticed it felt extremely strange to be sleeping in a suspended bed.
The bed moved with the train, so it kept rocking back and forth. At times I felt motion sickness because of the rocking. It took me a while to fall asleep, so I stared out the window at the dark landscape until I finally passed out.
When I woke up in South Bend, Indiana, I had only a few hours left of the ride.
Although the rocking of the train woke me a few times throughout the night, I was grateful to have missed several hours of the trek. In the morning, I realized the 19-hour journey was completely doable because I got to sleep a large chunk of it.
After staring out the window at the passing farms from my bed, I climbed down and brushed my teeth.
After freshening up in the makeshift bathroom, I put on my face mask (which was mandatory outside of my room) and went for a morning walk up and down the hallway to stretch my legs.
The attendant informed me that I'd slept through breakfast, so I was served a cup of oatmeal.
Much like my dinner, this breakfast left a lot to be desired.
I started packing my belongings as Chicago appeared in the distance.
For the first time on the trip, I was eager to get off the train, stretch my legs, and finally enjoy a proper meal.
After 19 hours, the train finally pulled into Chicago Union Station.
As I left the room where I'd spent 19 straight hours, I realized the experience wasn't as awful as I thought it would be. Much like a tiny house, every corner, every piece of furniture, and every feature of the room was multifunctional. Framing the trip as an interesting living situation instead of a cramped travel compartment really helped me get through the experience.
Overall, the 19-hour train ride was smooth and easy, but was it worth the price?
The Amtrak train was a fun and unique experience made easier by a smartly designed room and comfortable bed. But at the end of the day, the length of the trip and the cost of the room just aren't worth it. It's important to note, though, that you could take the same journey for about $100 if you want a coach seat on the train, but I don't think that would be worth it either.
I'd recommend an overnight, long-haul train for anyone who wants to splurge on a private room and wants to try something different.
But for practical reasons, there's a faster and easier way to go, so next time, I'll stick to the skies instead of the rails.
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