I used Amtrak's USA Rail Pass to travel to 11 states in 30 days. Here are 6 things I wish I knew before buying it.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
Malia sits in a seat on a train with her legs stretched out.
I bought the Amtrak USA Rail Pass, and there are a few things I wish I had known beforehand.

Malia Yoshioka

I spent 2 nights in an Amtrak bedroom and tried both bunks. The smaller bed won me over.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
The author lays in the top bunk of an Amtrak bedroom
The author booked a bedroom on Amtrak's California Zephyr and slept in both bunks.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I've spent 128 hours on overnight Amtrak trips. I wish I had known 10 things before stepping aboard.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
A composite image of a train stopped at a snowy outdoor platform, and the author sitting with her knees up in an Amtrak roomette
A Business Insider reporter spent 128 hours in Amtrak sleeper cars and learned things about overnight train travel she regrets not knowing beforehand.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I upgraded my Amtrak seat to a 23-square-foot roomette by bidding $110. Here's what the 15-hour train ride was like.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
Amtrak Pacific Surfliner train passing through San Clemente Train Station
After an upgrade, I spent 15 hours in a roomette aboard Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited.

Getty Images

I spent 53 hours on an Amtrak sleeper train. I want to take it again, but I'll do 6 things differently next time.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
The exterior of a double-decker Amtrak Superliner train with red and blue stripes
Business Insider will do a few things differently the next time she rides the California Zephyr.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I booked bedrooms on 2 different overnight Amtrak trains. One key difference sets them apart.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
A composite image of the author lying in the bottom bunks in Amtrak bedrooms
A Business Insider reporter spent a total of 83 hours in two Amtrak bedrooms.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I took a 16-hour Amtrak ride in a roomette. Here are 4 things I wish I packed and 7 I'm glad I brought.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
A woman sitting on a train and writing in a journal.
I'm happy with the items I packed for my 16-hour Amtrak trip, but I wish I'd brought a few more things.

Molly Allen

We took a 53-hour Amtrak train from Chicago to California. It was a great way to see the country, but I'd never do it again.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
Paige and her sister stand in front of a train marked
My sister and I shared an Amtrak roomette on a 53-hour train ride.

Paige Allen

I took my first long-distance Amtrak ride on short notice. Here are 5 mistakes I'd try to avoid next time.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
Author selfie and view of Amtrak train from outside
I took a 20-hour Amtrak trip on a whim amid airport chaos. I made some rookie mistakes along the way.

Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

I'm a New Yorker who went to Seattle for the first time. Here are 9 things that surprised me.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
The author, wearing a camera around her neck, stands smiling on a Seattle rooftop with a view of the city behind her.
Business Insider's travel reporter took her first trip to Seattle, and it was full of surprises.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

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