I spent $518 for a 23-square-foot roomette on a 16-hour Amtrak ride. Take a look inside the space that was worth every penny.

Molly AllenOct 15, 2022, 19:04 IST

I recently took my first long-haul train ride on the Amtrak Coast Starlight.Molly Allen

I traveled 16 hours from Portland, Oregon, to Sacramento, California, on Amtrak's Coast Starlight.
I booked a $518 roomette so I could have a private space during my first overnight train trip.

I booked a roomette for my 16-hour journey from Portland to Sacramento aboard the Amtrak Coast Starlight.

For my first long-haul train trip, I booked a roomette.Molly Allen

My sleeping car ticket gave me access to the Amtrak lounge in the Portland train station.

I waited in the Amtrak lounge for about 45 minutes before I boarded the train.Molly Allen

Union Station was beautiful, but I was thankful that I could retreat to the Amtrak lounge.

The inside of Union Station was gorgeous, but I was happy to find some quiet in the lounge.Molly Allen

Sleeping car passengers had priority boarding and entered through a separate entrance.

There were two levels on the Coast Starlight.Molly Allen

Roomettes were located on the second level along a very narrow hallway.

The stairwell and hallway leading to my roomette were both extremely narrow.Molly Allen

Inside the roomette, two seats faced each other, and there was a small retractable table between them.

My roomette had two seats positioned directly across from each other.Molly Allen

My cabin only had one outlet, which might've been an issue if I'd been traveling with someone else.

I expected there to be more than one outlet in my roomette.Molly Allen

The roomette had a mirror, a closet, and a bit of additional storage space.

There was a small mirror in my roomette.Molly Allen

I kept my luggage with me in my roomette the whole time.

My luggage was in my roomette for the entire 16-hour trip.Molly Allen

Even though the roomette was a private accommodation, I still had to use a shared bathroom.

I could use the bathroom on my floor, or I could go to a different one downstairs.Molly Allen

The roomette's large windows allowed me to take in the views away from the crowds.

The windows in my room were massive and made it easy to admire the passing scenery.Molly Allen

The cost of dining car meals was included in my ticket price.

Dining car meals were included in the cost of my ticket.Molly Allen

When I was ready for bed, the two seats in my roomette folded down into a bed.

The two seats in my roomette turned into a bed.Molly Allen

The roomette door locked from the inside, so I felt safe when I slept.

The lock on the inside of my roomette door.Molly Allen

When my room was all ready, I watched a few episodes of a TV show and went to sleep.

I downloaded episodes of "Schitt's Creek" before I left since the train didn't have WiFi.Molly Allen

Having a private space on an otherwise crowded train made the higher price of the roomette well worth it.

I didn't mind the lack of Wi-Fi since I brought books and downloaded TV shows.Molly Allen

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