- I take annual two-week train trips and rarely book sleeping cars, preferring coach instead.
- Traveling in coach allows me to meet interesting people from around the world.
Each year since 2015, I've taken at least one two-week trip where I spend about 80 hours on trains.
My annual train rides really immerse me in an area. Sometimes, I travel a train's entire route, like when I rode Amtrak's Southwest Chief from Chicago to Los Angeles, but more often, I take trains through one US quadrant at a time.
Since I live in Kansas City, Missouri, I depart from there. It's not a particularly central station or major train hub, but I've found creative routes to get wherever I want to go by rail.
After going on more than 25 of these long-haul train rides, I've saved money by using rail passes and riding in coach instead of booking a sleeping car.
In many ways, I actually prefer coach seats over sleeping cars, as they offer a way to see a large portion of the US at an affordable price and meet interesting travelers.
When I'm in coach, I spend more time in the observation car with other passengers
It's easy to get comfortable in a sleeping car and only branch out to the dining car for meals. Or worse, you have an attendant deliver your meals to your private room and never see the rest of the train.
I tend to explore more parts of the train when I'm in coach.
I spend some time sitting and sleeping in my seat, but for the rest of the day, I'm in the observation car chatting with others, watching the scenery pass by, working at a table on my laptop, or eating a meal from the cooler I always bring onboard.
The light from the tall windows, the people, the energy in the room, and the scenery make the observation car my favorite spot to park for a few hours each day. In my experience, train travelers are often enthusiastic and love sharing stories.
Sometimes, the decision between sitting in coach or booking my own sleeping car is easy to make. When I spent two weeks traveling through Virginia on Amtrak's Northeast Regional, the segments I took were all daytime trips, so I didn't even consider a sleeping car.
Coach seats are cheaper than a sleeping car, especially for solo travelers
Although I'll admit that sleeping in a private room is heaven, it's an expensive way to travel.
It's even more expensive for solo travelers because, in a roomette, you're technically paying to sleep two passengers.
Two people can split the cost if they stay there together, but if someone is traveling alone, they have to pay for the entire room, even though one of the bunk beds will go unused.
Sometimes, I'll upgrade to a roomette on the final leg of a two-week trip if I'm feeling especially tired.
I meet so many interesting people in the coach section
I joke that I should write a column titled "Sleeping With Strangers" about the people I've met on trains. It's a play on words, but it's rooted in truth.
In coach, you sleep next to other passengers, or at the very least, share personal space with them. Even during the day, it feels intimate.
This stranger sees your sleeping habits, knows whether you snore, learns what you enjoy eating from your cooler, and finds out how much space you take up.
If you aren't prepared for these encounters, they can be awkward. However, I've always found that I'm seated next to the exact person I'm meant to meet.
On my train ride from Chicago to New Orleans, passengers boarded the train at 8:05 p.m. As I arrived at my coach seat, I realized it would be the first time I'd be sleeping next to a passenger who was a man.
Luckily, my seatmate was gracious and announced he was going to hang out in the observation car. I appreciated this chance to go to sleep on my own.
When I awoke the next morning, we started to chat, and it turned out he was a schoolteacher in Jackson, Mississippi, on his way home from visiting his parents.
As the train rattled along, this man pointed out historical landscapes, such as catfish farms and the Blues Highway, along the way.
No longer feeling awkward, I took his photo as he departed in Jackson. I wouldn't have met my new friend if I'd spent the extra money on a sleeping car.
Next year, I'm planning a long-distance train ride to see the upper northwestern region of the country. I'm looking forward to relaxing in coach, saving money, and making more friends along the way.