I've spent 100 hours on trains in the US, Canada, and Europe. I found that trains abroad are more comfortable.

• I've taken trains around the US, Canada, and Europe in coach and business-class seats.
• During my abroad trips, the seats were comfier and the bathrooms were cleaner in my opinion.

Trains are my favorite mode of transportation.

I've taken local coach trains in the US throughout my life. Two years ago, I started taking long-haul train trips up and down the East Coast, trying out upgraded accommodations from business and first class to private sleeper cabins.

In October 2021, I spent a total of 60 hours on overnight Amtrak trains between NYC and Miami in Amtrak sleeper accommodations, including roomette and bedrooms.

Then, in February 2022, I rode in first and business class on Amtrak Acela trains between NYC and Baltimore. And in August, I spent 10 more hours in Amtrak's business class from NYC to Niagara Falls, New York. From there, I crossed the border into Canada and spent six hours traveling in business class from Toronto to Montreal, and then four more hours in coach from Montreal to Quebec City on Via Rail trains.

By October 2022, I was ready to experience something different: train travel in Europe. I rode the rails through four European countries over the course of two weeks — Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland — trying out classes on multiple different lines, including OBB Nightjet, Trenitalia, and InterCity Express, from coach to first class, and shared sleeper cabins.

Since I haven't traveled in private sleeper cabins abroad, I can't speak to how they compare. But when it comes to day trips, from coach to business class, I found that train travel abroad is more comfortable than it is in the US.

"We are constantly evaluating ways to improve the customer experience, including further differentiating the classes of service across the network," a representative from Amtrak told Insider of the following critiques.

Europe and Canada had the most comfortable seats

On a long train ride, nothing is more important to me than a comfy seat.

In the US on Amtrak trains, I expect to feel slightly uncomfortable in coach since the chairs are less spacious than in other classes. But in first and business class on Amtrak trains, I remember thinking that the chairs appeared to be big, so I expected them to be comfy and plush. However, once I sat down, they felt stiffer than I thought they would be.

During my first rides abroad on Canada's Via Rail trains, I was surprised by how comfortable I found the seats in business as well as coach classes. Unlike Amtrak seats I've sat in, the top of my Via Rail seats was curved, so I was able to rest my head in a comfortable position for lounging. In business class on the same train line, I was surprised to find that I had a side table in addition to a tray table that pulled out in front of me which felt like a luxury.

In Italy, I sat in the most comfortable train seat I've ever experienced in Trenitalia's business class. With a soft, cushy exterior and a curved headrest, I thought it felt like a small couch. In coach, I thought the seats on my European routes were less stiff than those in the US, though still thought Canada's train line had the most comfortable seats of the bunch.

The business-class bathrooms were cleaner abroad

Another key factor for a comfortable train ride, in my opinion, is a clean bathroom. On my business-class rides, I compared bathrooms because I figured they would be an upgrade from coach-car restrooms.

On my business-class Amtrak ride, I thought the bathroom looked like a typical train restroom you would find in coach.

Since I was underwhelmed in the US, I didn't have high expectations for the business-class bathroom on my Canada train. I was right — just like in the US, the bathroom on Via Rails felt like a standard-sized train bathroom without any noticeable business-class perks. But it did seem cleaner than the Amtrak bathroom that I experienced, which I appreciated.

After two experiences in average train bathrooms, the business-class restroom on Europe's Trenitalia train surprised and delighted me. It was at least twice the size of those in Canada and the US. It felt clean, and there was blue lighting as well as a large mirror above the sink.

I also noticed that in all classes, the trains in Europe had other high-tech features I hadn't seen on US trains, like touchless doors for the bathrooms and between cars. I preferred these doors because they seemed more sanitary.

Although train travel has been less comfortable for me in the US than my abroad experiences, my love of the rails will keep me choosing Amtrak to get around my country. My rides in Canada and Europe also made me excited to keep trying more routes abroad to see how they compare.