I spent 60 hours on Amtrak trains with a carry-on bag and a backpack. Here are 7 things I regret not packing and 9 items I'm glad I brought.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
the author hold Poo pouri on the left, her open duffel is on the right
The author traveled 60 hours on Amtrak trains. Here's what she did and didn't pack.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I spent $1,000 for a 30-hour Amtrak ride in a private bedroom. Take a look inside the 45-square-foot space with a full bathroom.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
Insider's reporter spent 30 hours in an Amtrak bedroom while traveling from Miami to New York.
Business Insider's reporter spent 30 hours in an Amtrak bedroom while traveling from Miami to New York.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I spent $1,000 to have a room to myself on a 30-hour Amtrak ride. It was the best experience I've had on an overnight train in the US.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
The author relaxes in an Amtrak bedroom traveling from Miami to NYC.
The author relaxes in an Amtrak bedroom traveling from Miami to NYC.

Joey Hadden/Insider

I've spent 160 hours traveling by train. It's the best mode of transportation for 4 simple reasons.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
Left: The author in front of a blue train with a red stripe. Right: The author sits with her knees up in a train bed with blue cushions behind her and a window on the left.
Business Insider's reporter prefers traveling by train over any other mode of transportation.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I'm a New Yorker who visited Miami for the first time. The neighborhoods, social scene, and affordability surprised me most.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
Two images. Left: A grassy field full of palm trees with colorful buildings on a street behind it. Right: The author stands o a balcony with the ocean and palm trees in the background
The author is a New Yorker who went to Miami for the first time in October 2021.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I explored the ruins of an abandoned zoo on the coast of Florida, and it was completely overrun by nature

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
The author in front of an abandoned zoo enclosure (L) and another abandoned structure in the Crandon Park Zoo's ruins.
The author in front of an abandoned zoo enclosure (L) and another abandoned structure in the Crandon Park Zoo's ruins in Florida.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I took a 30-hour train from New York to Miami, and the motion sickness and terrible sleep were too much for me

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
The author is seen relaxing in a chair on the left and a bed on the right — both photos are in the romette of an Amtrak car
A Business Insider reporter took an overnight Amtrak train from New York City to Miami.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

What to pack to help you sleep on overnight trains, from someone who has spent 120 hours on them

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
Left: A navy blue sleeper train parked ar a platform with an opened door at night. Right: The author lies in bed wearing a tan sleep mask over her eyes.
Business Insider's reporter has a lot of experience sleeping on overnight trains.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

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