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 paid $168 for a 10-hour Amtrak business-class ride. Next time, I'll stay in coach and save $100.

Tech Insider : Travel
People in backpacks walk towards a train stopped at a platform
Business Insider's reporter booked a business-class ticket for a 10-hour trip on an Amtrak train.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I've been riding trains across the US and UK for 26 years. I wish I'd known a few things before my first trip.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
people sitting in an observation car with lots of windows on a train
I love traveling by train.

Idealphotographer/Shutterstock

It takes most people 3 days to unwind on vacation. Meet the Slowcation.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
A turtle on a beach chair
"Slowcations" are long trips that are full of cultural immersion and relaxation in one country or destination.

iStock; Rebecca Zisser/BI

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 took a luxurious sightseeing train in Japan for just $12. The stunning views weren't even the best part.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
On the left, a purple train covered in floral decals at a train station in Japan. On the right, large green curved seats facing the windows on a train. The carpet is patterned and a maroon color.
For $12, I took a trip on a luxury Japanese train from Nara to Kyoto.

Anna Staropoli

I booked the cheapest accommodation on an overnight train in Europe. I'll never do it again.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
Insider's reporter got no sleep in a couchette on an overnight train through Europe.
Business Insider's reporter took an overnight train through Europe.

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

I paid $1 to see Zurich from a train that's been around for 130 years. It was unlike any railway I've taken.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
Left: A red elevated railway car, Polybahn, stopped at a station with trees in the background. Right: A view of a railway leading to a building with blue skies
The Polybahn in Zurich is a train that runs on a steep incline. It's also known as a funicular.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

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