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'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 went on a 3-day solo trip designed to unplug — just as we were negotiating an offer on a house, and my son got sick

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
The author on board a train.
The author went on a 3-day train trip with no WiFi.

Courtesy of Alesandra Dubin

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 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 the longest train ride in the US. 6 things surprised me about the 53-hour adventure across the country.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel, Business
The author sits in an Amtrak bedroom with a mirror on the left back wall and a window on the right
A Business Insider reporter spent 53 hours on Amtrak's California Zephyr train.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

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 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

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