I compared coach and business class seats on a 4-hour Amtrak ride. One perk made the $120 upgrade worth it.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
A split image showing Talia Lakritz and an Amtrak train.
Is upgrading from coach to business class on Amtrak worth it? I traveled in both to find out.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

I chose a 20-hour train over a 2-hour flight to avoid airport chaos. See what the experience aboard was really like.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
Split image of Amtrak train from the outside and author selfie.
Perks like comfortable seats and spacious bathrooms made my train trip enjoyable.

Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider

I've let my kids take Amtrak by themselves since they were 13. I love giving them independence.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
Sara Clarke's son in front of an Amtrak sign
The author's son has taken the Amtrak alone since he was 13.

Courtesy of Sara Clarke

I canceled my flight and paid $200 for a 20-hour Amtrak ride to avoid TSA airport chaos. It was better than flying.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
Photo composite of the author in Amtrak and long TSA lines at airports
I took the Amtrak to avoid airport chaos. It took 10 times as long and cost twice as much as flying.

Kristine Villarroel/Business Insider/Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images

I booked a bedroom and a roomette on the same overnight Amtrak train. The bedroom is worth the splurge for longer rides.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
A composite image of a train seat with pillows on them inside an Amtrak roomette accommodation and the author standing smiling in the Amtrak bedroom with a bunk bed in the background
The author stayed in a roomette and a bedroom on the California Zephyr, an overnight Amtrak train.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I've taken over 20 Amtrak routes around the US and Canada. These 5 offered the most stunning views.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
Sojourner looks out the window of a train.
As a frequent Amtrak rider, I've found some of the most beautiful train routes in North America.

Sojourner White

I spent 53 hours on the longest train ride in the US. Here are 10 ways I made the 2-night Amtrak trip more bearable.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
The author sits looking out a window to the right in the Amtrak bedroom
The author took Amtrak's California Zephyr train from Chicago to Emeryville, California.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I spent 53 hours in a bedroom on an Amtrak train for $2,200 and made 5 mistakes

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
The author sits looking out a window to the right in the Amtrak bedroom
The author made some mistakes on board the California Zephyr.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I traveled over 8,000 miles on Amtrak in one year. These are the 10 items I never board the train without.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
Kylie holds a bag on top of a suitcase on a train platform.
My travel bag is one of my favorite things I pack for train rides.

Kylie Stoltzfus

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.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
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

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