I traveled in business class on an Amtrak Acela train for the first time. Here are 6 things that surprised me about the trip.

Earlier this year, I booked a business-class ticket on an Amtrak Acela train traveling from Baltimore to New York City.

Two weeks before my trip, I booked a standard, business-class Amtrak Acela ticket for $121. For full disclosure, Insider paid for the trip in accordance with our reporting standards.

A coach ticket on a regular Amtrak train costs around $62, according to a search on Amtrak's website for February — the same month I traveled — of next year.

My trip left me thinking I'd travel this way again, but I did experience a few surprises along the way. From booking my ticket to taking the journey, here's what surprised me the most about traveling in business class on Amtrak Acela.

I've traveled on many Amtrak trains in coach and also spent 60 hours on Amtrak trains between Miami and NYC in bedroom and roomette accommodations, which cost hundreds more than my Acela ticket. These were long-haul routes that offered private accommodations in sleeper cars.

Traveling between Miami and NYC, I realized I wasn't cut out for long-haul train travel, but I was more willing to try it on a shorter route for my Baltimore trip. My Acela trip from Baltimore to NYC was about two and a half hours.

Acela is an Amtrak express option for regional trips around the Northeast with stops in 13 cities. This particular ride was 20 minutes faster on Acela than it would have been on a typical Amtrak regional train.

Read more: 14 things that surprised me the most about overnight Amtrak rides after spending 60 hours in sleeper cars

Every Amtrak I've been on previously has had coach seating, but Amtrak Acela trains only have two types of cabins: business and first-class seating.

On the first leg of my travel, from New York City to Baltimore, I upgraded to first class, which cost an additional $152 because it comes with bigger seats, meal service, and access to lounges at some Amtrak stations.

But for this second leg on the way back, I kept my original business-class ticket to see how it compared to the first-class experience.

As I boarded the train, I noticed that the seats looked larger than those on other Amtrak trains I had been on in the past. They also seemed to me to be closer together than seats on other trains I'd been on.

For the first couple of hours, I had plenty of room with an empty seat next to me. But when someone sat there towards the end of my ride, I felt crammed in without much personal space.

A representative for Amtrak told Insider that seats in business class are 20 inches wide and 26 feet deep.

Although the seats were close together, I still had a lot of legroom. Below me, a footrest pulled out from the seat-back chair, as well.

A representative for Amtrak told Insider that seat pitches in business class are 42 inches.

Amtrak Acela's business class tickets do not include a meal like first-class, roomette, and bedroom accommodations do.

So for the first time, I ordered off the menu in the cafe car. The cafe had tables and stools, I could take my food back to my seat to eat there.

Since the complimentary meal menu I had in first class was pretty limited, in my opinion, I was pleasantly surprised by all the menu options in the cafe, from salads and sandwiches to cheeseburgers and hot dogs. But since I wasn't that hungry, I got a cheese and cracker plate for $5.75.

It was good and filled me up for the price.

Only first-class passengers receive at-seat service on Amtrak Acela trains, according to their website. I was surprised that this was the case in an elevated cabin offering such as business class.

Overall, business class had less perks than I thought it would, but the time saved on an express train would be worth it to me to take the Amtrak Acela again.