Amtrak Overnight Coach Review 

I’m doing 3 nights in Coach across country because nothing else was available. Keeping my fingers crossed all goes well! It’s my first time to travel on Amtrack!

We've done the NY to FL down and back in coach, we prepped a snack sack with some fruit and snacks, travel pillows and small blankets, also a sleep mask. There's power at every seat so we brought our laptop and some movies. It was actually a pleasant trip, seats were comfy enough, we both fall asleep in a recliner at home. We prefer to fly whenever possible just for the time factor, but the train was different and we wouldn't mind doing it again.

Love your videos - they are always spot on! Happy to find experienced train travelers who love riding the rails as much as I do. I use Amtrak's USA Rail Pass for my cross country trips and it only allows coach seats. I add on Lounge Access for long layovers (New York/Chicago). So many people keep urging me to buy a roomette and I point them to this video.

You guys put very good video's together. So informative and to the point, thank you!

Thank you sharing (now subscribed). Used to European rail, booked my first Amtrak trip today. Looking forward to it!

I’m sitting here at the train station and I was panicking 😩 thank you guys for making this video! ❤️😩

Newb here! Thanks for the vid. I just booked MSP to SYR. Cost was definitely a factor. Plus, I camp! If I can sleep on the ground I can manage coach for one night. Plus I've never been on Amtrack before. I'm excited!

Enjoy your videos and I love riding the train. Most recent trip on the Carolinian in business class. Disappointed in the distancing. Never more than 8 or 10 in the car at a time, but we were all bunched up in the same area. I just kept moving to stay away from that situation. Not sure why they’d do that. I was planning another trip, but I’m going to have to see if I can get more information on seating. The train staff was great though!

Thanks for the train videos. Still wanting to take my first over night major train trip. On the bucket list.

I rode Coach pre pandemic on the Texas Eagle and it wasn't bad at all. I was pleasantly surprised. It was tons of leg room. I spent majority of my time enjoying the views in the observation car

I am literally watching this from my roomette on the Zephyr 2/9/22! I have been on since Naperville and going all the way to EMY/San Francisco. We just entered Utah. This train is full and I am glad I am not back in coach... I needed to relax and this is the way to go!!

This has been so helpful! My husband and I are traveling on Amtrak soon and fund this informative! Thank you!!

Great Information as always. It would be Great to see You guys do a VIA Rail video when things go back to normal. The Canadian and Ocean trains look Great.

Thanks for showing what the sitting/sleeping arrangements look like in coach!

I wish I had these on DVD for my customers, I’d play them in my station before train time . Great work as always !

Thank u for all this great info,you folks are so kind for making these vids.

Love your videos! Keep it up you guys are great!

I'm just glad you're not confined to sitting in coach and you can move where you're allowed. Plus, taking in the views sounds pretty goddamn amazing.

Awesome information guys, as always. 👍🏻💗

In 1993 I traveled from Southern California to Denver and back on Amtrack in coach. The first part of the trip we had only the snack car. In Salt Lake City the part of the train with the dining car joined us . I was able to eat in the dining car even though I was in coach. Yes, I had to pay extra for my meals but I didn't mind at all. It was not a bad experience traveling by train.

One thing I learned going from South Carolina to Tampa, FL to attend a concert is to leave two days before your event because most likely the train will be late, and you may be pushed to get ready for your event if it's that evening.

Doing Norfolk VA to Ft Worth Tx. These videos have been very helpfu

Exactly what I needed right now! Like your videos a lot thank you!!

There’s an informal option to have food delivered to the train. I’d check with conductor. I hope to try next month Boston to LA. The Superliner seats are nicely demonstrated in this vid. On the Viewliner seats there is no foot rest and it doesn’t swing down as far: in either type I slept fine.

you guys are AWESOME.... hope I bump into you both on the rails!!

A few years back my husband and I went from Chicago to Portland , Organ on Amtrak California, Zephyr on the coach. We had the opportunity to see the roomette. Some friends we were traveling with got the roomette. I had rather been in coach. There was more room in coach. I felt smothered in the roomette. I liked being out with other people.

When I was a working family man, I travelled in Amtrak coach because it was the affordable option for my family and I. I have since retired and still don't like to fly. I travel to Florida from NY at least twice a year. I went coach 3 years ago and decided that long long uncomfortable night that I would never travel by coach again. Yes, a room is more money, but hey that's what I worked for all those years. I now book a room and won't ever go back to coach.

Two years ago I took a huge train trip (for the first time in 35 years) to NYC, and I have severe anxiety and because of my anxiety I have a lot of concerns about sleeping. If I have to be awake at a certain time (usually early) and/or if I am sleeping in a place that is not my own bed and/or i have any type of distractions (such as lights), I will have trouble sleeping. Also I can't sleep sitting up, because it just isn't doable for me. Surprisingly I slept rather well on my train trip, which shocked me lol. I think what helped is I had the window seat, which was perfect to keep me propped up so I don't fall over during my sleep. I was able to basically sink into that corner space which made things comfy. As for leg room, I was surprised at how much there was. I'm 6'4 and I was spoiled by how much space there was for me to stretch out. On the way back was even better because I was able to sit at the front of a car, which has all that extra space in front of the seats, which made things so much better, as if you had your own private area. I'd say the only problem I had was continuously hitting my head on the overhead compartment, which is not fun as a tall person lol.

Enjoy your channel very much, thank you! I miss traveling SO MUCH! Watching Amtrak videos is all I can do right now, alas. :) I've experienced all three of Amtrak's accommodation types--bedroom, roomette and coach. If I'm just traveling for one night, I usually go with coach. On my last trip from NYC to CHI (Lake Shore Limited), the train was packed, and I had a stranger beside me. Disregarding the noise (e.g., people getting on from Ohio deciding that 2AM was singing time) and the stops/starts, what bothered me most was having to sleep next to a stranger. It might just be my hangup, as I have social phobia anyway, but I couldn't relax. So I got up and spent the night hunched over a seat in the lounge car, trying to either read or doze. Ugh, I was so zonked the next day! If you can swing it, the roomettes are fantastic and the Sleeping Car Attendants have always been incredibly friendly, helpful and generous with their time. It's still hard to sleep on the train, and I rarely get more than a couple of hours of uninterrupted sleep at a time, but the privacy, the quiet (er, except for the huge train surrounding you) and comfort are, for me, definitely worth the price if at all feasible. That said, I think coach *is* a viable solution and for people without my hangups--lucky you!--it's a good choice. It's so much more affordable. With the pandemic guidelines, crowding probably isn't a problem. Give it a try if you get a chance!

I’ve done four cross country trips on Amtrak, all coach , it’s always an adventure and always fun . It gets cold at night

I am about to take a 26 hour trip on Amtrak. Thank you so very much for this information. I am an old lady, living on a fixed income, and as much as I would like to get a roomette, because I am traveling with my Mother, the $915 dollars each way is just way outside of my budget. This information is exactly what i was looking for. Thank you so much.

Hey guys. I can agree totally. I've been in coach on Amtrak several times. It's extremely comfortable. Although in 2021, the leather seats I'm not fully supportive of. Still comfortable, but I'd prefer the cloth seats. There was a time you would get a complimentary pillow in coach when traveling overnight. I guess when covid hit, or a year or two prior, that stopped.

Thank you for this information! Thinking about traveling from Chi-town to LA in coach! Already flown in tiny seats in airplanes for two days and it was fine. This sounds great. May have to bring my own travel blanket and pillow. 😍

Thank you for this, I travel alone and since we are in a pandemic, you sit with no one next to you, and that make the trip very doable. There are some snobs out there but trust me those coach seats keep Amtrak sustainable.

Thanks for the video! It answered a lot of my questions

I’m traveling Amtrak this summer. Florida to California - 4 trains. Mostly in coach. Only leg I upgraded to roomette for is the Chicago to Los Angeles leg…2 days long.

I’m about to spend 12 days riding all over the country in coach, so cool to see this!! Thank you!!

I’m planning a trip from SLC to LA with my brother and cousins, and part of the route is an overnight. Thanks for this video, now I’ll need to discuss it with them.

Hey, I know I'm a bit late - I just discovered your channel a few months ago, and am just now seeing this. One thing I found helpful for a longer trip in coach is to avoid consecutive nights sleeping in the coach seat. I traveled from Flagstaff to Portland, Oregon several years ago, and I spent a night visiting friends in the Bay Area. Sleeping in a real bed in-between nights sleeping in coach helped my back immensely.

Wow. I stopped this video at the 4:38 mark to post this comment. You two have such pleasant expressions. Good for you. I have been searching for overnight coach trips; most overnights seem to be in sleepers. My best friend Brenda and I are flying to Portland this month, staying for 7 days, and returning to Atlanta via (coach) Empire Builder, Capitol Limited, and Crescent. The airfare is less expensive and much faster, but I just want another train trip. Brenda is quite concerned about 88 hours in coach and we are both concerned about wearing masks for so long. Three years ago (July 2018) I wanted to try a long train trip, so I took the bus to Chicago, Empire Builder to Seattle, great lunch in Seattle, got back on the train to Chicago and the bus to Atlanta. Three months later Brenda and I drove to Chicago and got California Zephyr sleeper service to Emeryville, walked to a hotel, returned the next morning and reversed the route back home. When we entered the dining car coming home it seemed like old home week - same dining car staff as the previous 2 days. What a nice friendly reunion. I remember being much more comfortable in coach than in the roomette and bedroom. Hope Brenda will be somewhat comfortable in coach. I'm planning another coach train trip in about 7 weeks - Atlanta to New Orleans, Los Angeles, Portland, Chicago, Charlottesville, Atlanta. Hope it's not solo. I'm going to view your Sunset Limited review next. Keep traveling and posting. -Bill

Just came back from riding the Texas Eagle…Chicago to Dallas and return. Seats are comfortable and the staff were very cordial. You can sleep in the seats and if not crowded you can find two seats for sleeping. Down side don’t drink the water that comes out of the spigot near the middle of the train. Restrooms get filthy as time goes on. If your coach is near the locomotive you will “hear the whistle blow” constantly day and night. Bring earplugs or headphones. I’ve found people in coach are sociable for conversation. Bon Voyage.

I have done this, Albany, NY - Chicago. Price was the decider. I was alone. I was comfortable sleeping. I normally get up 3 - 5x per night no matter where I am. A neck pillow is of great help.

One thing that is a must for coach is to have a pillow of sorts. I suggest a compact inflatable pillow. Others also bring blankets, but that depends on the room you have in your luggage.

Rode the Chief LA to Chicago because of price $135. I’m 6’4” 300 and the seat was plenty big. I chose a bulkhead seat all to myself. Brought my own snacks. Food was terrible and overpriced so I didn’t have any. Spent lots of time in the observation car. My first trip so though I thought I’d sleep, I didn’t. I’d do it again.

26 hour ride to VA from FL. Super excited now!

This was so helpful!! Thinking of going from Atlanta to New Orleans!

This is me & hubby's next ventire! Seems like fun.

Thank you for this information on traveling via coach. Planning a trip with my senior Mom and she wants to travel coach because she usually sleeps in her recliner on a nightly basis. We are traveling across country from DC to Seattle...ugh. Your videos are so informative and very well presented. Love your spirit!!

Thanks so much for the review, it was very helpful!

About to go on my first ever Amtrack trip, Redwing, MN to Harrisburg, PA, so an overnight trip. I'm happy to finally get to take a train ride, and happy to not need to drive through winter conditions. Thank for your guidance in all your videos!

I noticed that, at least on the Northern route I took (Empire Builder), there were not enough passengers to fill up all the seats. As a result almost everyone could sleep on TWO seats, like a bed.

Great video make me want to share my experience on amtrack same 2 times in Anaheim California and 1 time to Orlando Florida with 2 kids and a 1 year old back in 2019 thinking about doing it this year but scared of covid 19

Thank you so much for this video I am about to go to McAllen Texas from Grand rapids Michigan a 37 hour trip and then I have to do an hour on a plain because Amtrak doesn't go to McAllen Texas it goes to Galveston Texas so thank you for the review because I've never been on a plane and I've never been on a train so thank you so much

Thanks for the video. When I travel alone I usually skimp being a cheapskate that I am. When I’m with “the boss” it’s another story

Done it manyatome . . . Northeast Express, Boston, MA - New Haven, CT - Washington, D.C. Once overslept arrival into Washington, DC - from NYC . . . woke up, in Virginia ! 😎 🇺🇸

Thank you for your video. Very helpful.

Thank you for posting this

I actually prefer coach to the rooms. I'm a bigggg guy and those seats are incredibly comfortable. And although I'm something of an introvert, I enjoy interacting with fellow passengers. You meet some of the most beautiful and interesting people on a long distance train. Thanks for sharing this video. Keep on traveling.

This is so helpful! I will be riding the Sunset Limited all the way this weekend in coach - was nervous but great to hear it isn't so terrible.

Another benefit I enjoyed with a Roomette reservation was access to the Passenger Lounge in Chicago during a layover. Would love to see a video on what Passenger Lounges offer.

I LOVE to travel by train,i LOVE the sound of the tracks.Train travel beats Planes & busses by miles,if not in a hurray

I travel overland by train ONLY...I've made quit a few trips that are over nighters and because of my age and physical limits I always get the lower level seating. It seems to be far roomier and not as many people in 1 area. Also close to restrooms

Coach looks great. Thanks for posting it. I took a long distance ride in roomette and swear I will never do it again. It is crampy, with an obnoxious toilet, all I can do was to sit right there, cant move around. The idea of sitting right across a toilet or next to it just disgusted me. The wash basin doesn't help much either, splashing water everywhere when used. I swear to god will never take roomette ever again.

Amtrak should offer a self-service microwave for coach passengers.

Another reason for overnight coach, related to cost, is when there are more than two people in your party, particularly if there are three, because of the multiple sleeping units required if on Viewliner cars. My parents and I made two trips together in the 1970s, when I was fully grown. Sleeping accommodations would have needed to be two roomettes, at minimum. The trips were on either the Silver Meteor or Silver Star and the Montrealer (and beyond on VIA). Accommodation was, incidentally, almost identical to what you show, and quite comfortable.

Anyway you look at it Trains are great they are much more fun than any airplane. I hope people start using them much more often.

I’m going from New York to Orlando Florida and I’m looking forward to it

Thank you guys!!! 💕

Thank you for clarifying the price. My husband and I researched prices and asked two people for a private room; we don't know if it is for the cabin or per person.

I bring my ASK (Amtrak Survivial Kit) because I have travelled overnight (esp. NYC to Chicago)many times. The ASK consists of iPhone with ear buds for music and movies (pre loaded) eyeshades a blanket Food and a neck pillow. Depending on the train Amtrak will sometimes sort the cars by destination so one full car is people going to say Chicago from NYC to minimize noise in the car. Othertimes the conductor will quietly awake you say if you were getting off n Cleveland.

thank you, that's exactly we are looking for

I enjoyed the time I used to travel Amtrak. Trips in coach were about 12 to 16 hrs and it was OK.

Doing coach on the CZ in a couple months. Only one night from Chicago to Utah but am incredibly excited. With the roomette being $1,000 plus it didn’t seem worth it, especially since I’ve already done a cross-country trip in a family bedroom on the Empire Builder and this trip is also about getting from point A to point B. Also figured with the sleeper cars being right behind the locos the sleep benefits would be marginal at best

Conducting research for me first trip from Seattle to Los Angeles thank you both for sharing your tips, insights, and footage. Any advice for the Amtrak monthly subscriptions for multi trips? Thanks!

i was in coach from DC to Toledo in the lower level on the capital limited. every one in our car in the lower level was getting off in Toledo except one person. we were full from the time we left dc. I slept better in coach than I did in the handicap bedroom from orlando to dc. Bed was too hard for me to get comfortable. But food was alot better in the sleepers even with the airline style foos.

I have taken several one night trips in coach from Florida to new york or new york to Florida and find that it's ok. My mother and I took an three night trip from Florida to Kansas in coach the first night was ok by the second night I was ready to stretch out completely

On the Lakeshore Limited, from Chicago to NY, you'll save close to $1200 riding coach. You can usually find 1st Class round trip flights on that route for $600. So you could fly back and forth twice, for the same price (and theoretically back and forth twice before the train completes it journey one way.) I did a roomette during the pandemic, because wearing a mask for that long wouldn't be worth the savings. The roomette was cool, since you can bring some beers or a bottle of wine and enjoy the views in relative quiet.

Very informative👍

Thank you for the information

Thank you so much for this video, I'm getting ready to do a over night trip from Washington DC to Florida ( about 20 hours) and I wasn't sure if I should do the coach or roomette. I wanted to do the roomette but the price was just to high for me.

Two nights in coach is doable. Last year--just about a year ago, in fact--I took a long trip, all in coach. I was using a Rail Pass (purchased on sale for $299!), so no upgrades were possible. I went from Cincinnati to Chicago (Cardinal), Chicago to LA (Southwest Chief), LA to Portland (Coast Starlight), Portland to Chicago (Empire Builder), Chicago to NYC (Lake Shore Limited), NYC to White River Junction VT (Vermonter), VT to DC (Vermonter), and DC to Cincinnati (Cardinal again). There is no way I could have afforded that trip if I'd paid for roomettes on the overnight legs. They probably would have cost me between $2500 and $3000. I learned a few lessons, though. If I were to do it again, I would bring more of my own food, perhaps in a small cooler. Amtrak's baggage policies are so generous that one could easily do this. One gentleman on the Empire Builder had a whole comfort setup, including an electric fan. I would bring more pillows, especially a lumbar pillow. The seats have no lumbar support, and a wadded-up sweatshirt is a poor substitute. I might also bring a pillow to put under my knees, as the angle was a bit uncomfortable for me. I will include baby wipes and some dry shampoo with my toiletries. I had a few nights in hotels, so I wasn't filthy the whole time! I had only two long layovers, both in Chicago. I bought lounge passes both times and consider it money well spent. It's the only place with outlets and reliable Internet, and I didn't have to babysit my luggage.

Thanks for this info.😊

Did 2 nights in coach Sacramento to Chicago it was awesome . First thing I did arriving at the hotel was take a shower tho 😹😹…. But the experience was great I slept well lots of space to stretch and move around never got bored

Love your review! Unfortunately the Northeast Regional from New York to Orlando is not nearly as big or beautiful as your train. They do not have a viewing car and you can only eat in your seat. I still enjoy the train over flying because I have a fear but with Covid the mask all day and night is awful. I do always enjoy the relaxing ride and I agree, coach is very comfortable.

I am going to try coach from Philly to Chicago

1:02 "if you're trying to get from a to b, and you want to c something" 😂 i see what you did there

Very informative video. Thank you so much. Iam also planning to go to Florida from Newark penn station. How do we get to know at which track our train will come. Does they notify via msg.

I rode Denver to Emeryville in 2011, overnight in coach. Bring an eye mask (I was right next to the stairs and the all night light) Bring books/tablet Bring a warm blanket (it snowed a good part of the trip) Water bottle Know exactly where the restroom is. Double check that. Pick an offset sleep pattern, so you can get down to brush your teeth and wash up before you sleep.

I've been looking for this!!

Thanks for your opinion on coach seating

We traveled three times on the Amtrak Auto Train and rode in coach to save money. It wasn't bad at all except for the one guy who decided to read all night and keep his reading light on. I brought an eye mask and that helped! Oh and sometimes people snore. 🙄 Bring ear plugs.

It did not take me long to decide that the best way for me to travel with Amtrak is to take coach (up to about 10 hours) to a city, stay there in a motel (as well as seeing some of the sights), then taking coach to another city and so on. I don't want to pay extra for scenery that goes by at night when I am asleep. I am also in no hurry to get anywhere, and I like the idea of exploring multiple cities in one trip.

Thank you! Great videos. Can someone who is over 6' fall lie down comfortably??

Doing 4 nights in coach, I can’t wait

In about 3 weeks I'm taking a train from Oklahoma to Illinois and I'll be riding in coach

I have been able to use dining car and pay for meal [it is not included] when in coach. Typically, I use cafe car for breakfast or lunch, then reserve a dining car seating for dinner.

I like coach. Very comfortable. Can you explain the sleep quality more and how that can be maximized (earplugs and face mask, etc)

Great video

Thank you for sharing

Spent 3 days in a coach seat. Best sleep of my life. Definitely slept through some of those night stops