I've spent 95 hours on Amtrak trains in 5 different classes, from coach to a bedroom. The best deal was a premium cabin.

Business Insider

14-07-2025

Over the past four years, I've spent roughly 95 hours crisscrossing the US on Amtrak trains, and each time, I've had a different experience.
I've lounged on a couch in a private bedroom with a full bathroom, transformed two seats into a bunk in a 20-square-foot cabin called a roomette, and received complimentary meals in the dining car on overnight trains.
I've also saved money in coach and upgraded to business and first classes on shorter rides.
In total, I've sampled five different booking types on seven trains from the Northeast to the Southwest.
Of all the booking types I've sampled, one offers the best value. Here's a breakdown of the five seating types on Amtrak trains and which premium seat is most worth the upgrade.
In 2022, I spent $120 on a two-and-a-half-hour ride in business class on Amtrak's Acela train from Baltimore to New York City.Unlike regular Amtrak trains with several coach train cars, the Acela fleet has only business and first-class seating.The Acela is also faster than Amtrak regional trains. My trip from Baltimore to NYC was 20 minutes shorter than it would have been on a regular Amtrak train.A few months later, I booked a 10-hour ride on an Amtrak Maple Leaf train from NYC to Niagara Falls, New York. I paid $168 for a business class seat, which was $100 more than a coach booking on the same train.Both tickets included one plush seat with extra legroom and a complimentary drink. A representative of the train line told Business Insider that business-class perks on all Amtrak trains also include fully refunded rides if they're canceled before departure and a 25% point bonus on Amtrak Guest Rewards.The business-class seats were wider than the ones in coach, but they weren't significantly more comfortable, in my opinion. The ticket did not include a meal or in-seat service like the higher-tier cars.Overall, the bookings didn't have as many perks as I expected in a premium cabin.While I wouldn't upgrade to business class on most Amtrak trains, I would still book a seat on the Amtrak Acela train again. I think it's worth paying a little extra to save time and arrive at my destination sooner than I would on a regional train.
The Acela train is the only Amtrak train with a first-class seating car, according to Amtrak's website. I took it from NYC to Baltimore in 2022.As a New Yorker, part of the allure of a first-class ticket for me was having access to Penn Station's Metropolitan Lounge, a quiet waiting area for select Amtrak customers with comfortable seats and free snacks.First-class passengers and those traveling in roomette and bedroom accommodations get in for free on the day of their trip, while business-class passengers can pay $50 to access the club.Anyone traveling from Philadelphia, Boston's South Station, and Washington, DC, also has access to a lounge. But there are 10 other stops on the Amtrak Acela that don't offer this perk.First-class seats are slightly larger than business-class seats, although I found them to be just as stiff. The first-class ticket also comes with a complimentary meal and in-seat service. According to a press release, the train's menu got an upgrade in 2023 in collaboration with STARR Restaurant Group.Although first class had more perks than business class, comfort on the ride is the most important thing for me when traveling by train. And while the first-class seat was larger than the business-class seat, it wasn't comfortable enough to make the upgrade worth it.However, I couldn't help thinking that splitting a private roomette with a friend might be even cheaper (more on that later).
I've taken two overnight rides in Amtrak's roomette accommodation — a private cabin that's around 20 square feet. I'd booked an Amtrak roomette before, so I knew what to expect when I entered the 23-square-foot space — two seats facing each other that formed a lower bunk by night, a pullout table between them, and another bunk that pulled down from above.It had been nearly four years since my last overnight Amtrak ride, and as soon as I sat down, I could tell the seats were newer and far more comfortable.An Amtrak spokesman, Marc Magliari, told Business Insider that the entire Superliner fleet was getting an interior refresh, and 76% of them — including my ride — had already been updated."The seats have the same frame, but the cushions are new, and there's more lumbar support in this current seat cushion design than the old seat cushion design," Magliari said. "If you see gray, vinyl seating, then you know that you are in a fresh room."The vinyl felt much smoother on my skin than the pilled, blue fabric seats in my previous Amtrak accommodations. The upgraded seat cushions weren't stiff like the old ones either. I thought the seats alone made the new Amtrak roomette cozier for a long ride.
I paid $1,000 for a 30-hour ride in an Amtrak bedroom, which is similar to a roomette, but it's double the size — and price. In October 2021, I spent 30 hours in an Amtrak bedroom accommodation on a train from Miami to NYC.At 40 square feet, the bedroom is the biggest train cabin I've booked. And I used the additional space to dance around and get my blood flowing throughout the trip.Inside, there was plenty of lounging space — a couch transformed into a bed, another bunk pulled down from the ceiling, and a chair pulled out from the back wall. Beneath the wide window, there was a foldout table, too.This room also had a feature I've never experienced on another overnight train — a full bathroom, including a shower, a toilet, and a wash basin on a wide vanity with three mirrors and ample storage for toiletries.Having my own private bathroom made this one of my best overnight train experiences so far. And like my ride in the roomette, this ticket included meals.
While I'd splurge on a bedroom for long-haul trips if my budget allowed, I think the roomette is the best deal Amtrak offers.