I paid $2,200 for a bedroom on a 53-hour Amtrak train. The 50-square-foot space with a full bathroom was worth the price.

Mon, 02/23/2026 - 13:01

Tech Insider

The author standing smiling in the Amtrak bedroom with a bunk bed in the background — Business Insider's reporter spent 53 hours on Amtrak's California Zephyr train in a bedroom accommodation.
Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I spent two nights in a private bedroom on an Amtrak sleeper train for $2,200 in February 2026.
The 50-square-foot space had a couch, a seat, a table, two beds, and a full bathroom.
It was worth the price for my 53-hour train ride on the California Zephyr.

When I decided to take the longest train ride in the US, I splurged on comfort.

The 53-hour journey on Amtrak's California Zephyr took me from snowy Chicago to sunny Emeryville, California, in February.

It was my first time spending two consecutive nights on the same sleeper train, so I wanted a private space with a full bathroom to ensure a pleasant trip. That's why I spent $2,200 on a bedroom accommodation.

While I was excited to stay in the tiny, moving hotel room, I wondered whether I'd regret spending so much. In the end, it didn't disappoint, and I'm so glad I booked it.

Here's a look inside the 50-square-foot bedroom.

My bedroom was on the second level of an Amtrak Superliner train.

The exterior of a double-decker Amtrak Superliner train with red and blue stripes — Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The California Zephyr is an Amtrak Superliner — a two-story train with coach seating, bedrooms, roomettes (a private cabin that's about half the size of a bedroom), a dining car, and a lounge car. There are also larger, family-sized bedrooms and accessible bedrooms.

I'd ridden the California Zephyr a year earlier, but I took a shorter trip in a roomette. This was my first time riding the entire route and booking a bedroom on the train.

It was a 50-square-foot, enclosed space with two bunks, a couch, a single seat, and a full bathroom.

The author lays on the top bunk in an Amtrak bedroom. There's a couch below and a ladder on the left — Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The couch folded out to form the bottom bunk, and the top bunk pulled down from the ceiling.

The Amtrak bedroom sleeps up to two passengers, though I traveled solo.

Perks of the booking also included a first-class attendant, priority boarding, lounge access at some stations, and complimentary meals on board.

When I first boarded the train, there were no bunks in sight.

Inside an Amtrak bedroom with two seats across from eachother in front of a wide window — Joey Hadden/Business Insider

During the day, the lower bunk was set up as a couch, and the upper bunk was folded up. A single seat faced the couch with a pullout table in between.

There was a pullout table between the seats that I used for working and eating.

The author sits at a table in a train bedroom next to a window with her laptop out — Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The table also had two foldout leaves for more space. I thought this was a smart space-saving hack.

There was also a narrow closet at the front of the room.

A composite image of a jacket and a pair of boots in a narrow closet in the Amtrak bedroom — Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The closet had two hangers inside. I used it to store my coat, sweater, and winter boots.

Across from the closet, there was a sink and vanity.

A composite image of the sink in the Amtrak bedroom viewed from the side and the front — Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The sink and vanity had two power outlets and an overhead light. Although the cabinets were stocked with extra hand towels, tissues, and soap, there was still enough space for me to store my own toiletries.

On the other side of the vanity, a door led to a compact bathroom with a toilet and shower.

A composite image of a toilet behind a shower and a close-up of the shower controls in an Amtrak bedroom — Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Only bedrooms on Amtrak Superliner trains have private bathrooms.

Showering next to the toilet felt odd, but I can't deny that it was a clever use of a limited space. And I certainly preferred it over having just a toilet or just a shower.

There was a two-step system to use the shower. First, I set the temperature. Then I pushed a button to get the water flowing. There was another button on the showerhead itself to turn the water on and off. On the wall above the toilet, I spotted shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.

There was a full-length mirror on the far end of the bedroom behind the single seat.

A composite image of the author taking mirror selfies inside the train bedroom — Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The mirror was not only useful for getting ready — it also made the tight space feel larger.

I used the shelf above the single seat to store my luggage.

A composite image of a suitcase on a shelf above a seat by the window inside the Amtrak bedroom and the same suitcase open on the seat — Joey Hadden/Business Insider

When I changed my clothes each morning and evening, I pulled my suitcase down to the single seat.

I found room controls on either side of the couch.

A composite image of room controls on either side of the couch in the Amtrak bedroom — Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Both sets of controls had a reading light. One had a power outlet and a temperature dial, and the other had an attendant call button and lighting options.

Among these controls was a night setting for the lights.

The author sits on the left side of an Amtrak couch in dim, blue light — Joey Hadden/Business Insider

The night setting was a dim blue light, which I thought added a dreamy glow to the space before bed.

When it was time for bed on night one, I selected the top bunk.

The author lies smiling in the top bunk in the Amtrak bedroom — Joey Hadden/Business Insider

When I pulled the top bunk down from the ceiling, I found a ladder on the cot, which I attached to the far side of the bunk. There were safety straps that I hooked onto the ceiling.

There was also a mattress topper, soft bedding, and pillows. I used a pouch on the wall to store a water bottle and my phone.

I liked sleeping on the top bunk — despite hitting my head on the low ceiling — because I could store my backpack and other belongings on the couch below, which kept the room neat. I got seven hours of sleep that first night.

I slept in the bottom bunk on the second night.

A composite image of the bottom bunk in the Amtrak bedroom with sheets and a blue blanket on top, and the author lying in bed looking out the window — Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I pulled a lever beneath each couch cushion to form the lower bunk.

Although the room wasn't as tidy, since I didn't have as much space to store my belongings, I appreciated that the lower bunk was slightly larger than the top cot.

I also liked being right next to the window when I woke up in the morning. I got eight hours of sleep in this bunk.

After 53 hours on the California Zephyr, I decided the bedroom was worth the steep price point.

The author sits looking out a window to the right in the Amtrak bedroom — Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Unlike most overnight trains I've taken, the bedroom was comfortable enough to actually enjoy spending 53 hours in a confined space. I arrived in California feeling well-rested and squeaky clean.

I'd book the accommodation again for any overnight Amtrak ride.

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I paid $2,200 for a bedroom on a 53-hour Amtrak train. The 50-square-foot space…