I took a 52-hour Amtrak train ride from Chicago to California by myself. Here are 11 things that surprised me most.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
The silver, blue, and red Amtrak train at the concrete platform
I didn't know what to expect from such a long Amtrak ride, but it wasn't bad.

Sojourner White

I took a 32-hour Amtrak trip up the West Coast. It was great, but I wouldn't recommend it for routine travel.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
A woman sitting in a private roomette on an Amtrak train.
I took a 32-hour Amtrak ride up the West Coast.

Ripley Mayfield

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

We spent 92 hours in an Amtrak roomette. Despite our many struggles and the $1,765 price tag, we'd do it again.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
Man smiling on Amtrak train
I spent 92 hours on Amtrak's Sunset Limited with my girlfriend in a roomette.

Farrin Rosenthal

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

We spent 2 days in roomettes on an Amtrak train. Our trip was nice, but it cost more than our first-class flights home.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business, Style
Four people pose in Amtrak roomettes separated by a small hallway.
I booked Amtrak roomettes for our long-haul train ride.

Stephanie Vozza

I booked a roomette and a first-class seat on Amtrak trains. The cheaper ride was much more comfortable.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
A composite image of a roomette and a first-class seat on Amtrak trains
Business Insider's reporter traveled in a roomette and a first-class seat on Amtrak trains.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

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