Don't Book An Amtrak Bedroom Do This Instead 

I have done both and find the bedroom much more convenient especially with nighttime bathroom visits.

I always get the bedroom as I prefer my own bathroom. My wife used to go with me, but got tired of the hard beds and constant motion. I am not so fussy. Roomettes are too small for two people and even larger people like me. I have never seen a toilet in a roomette. Yes, the bedroom bathroom is tiny, but there are tricks for getting around the negatives which, due to the delicacy of comment, will not be discussed here. When showering, put a towel on the floor right outside to catch the leakage through the door. Also, take the toilet paper out of the dispenser to keep from getting it wet. I always take my shower at about 4 pm. Many folks take showers in the morning so, if you use the public showers, use them before dinner. This precludes waiting in line. I have a whole list of suggestions for riding Amtrak in a room (either one) which I give to my friends who want to try Amtrak. Happy landings!

My son and I took the California Zephyr from Chicago to San Francisco and I booked a bedroom. We used the bathroom in the room most of the time but if there was solid waste involved 😊, we would use the community toilet. I did shower one day in tiny wet bath and it was a real challenge. I am six-feet tall and weigh 235. If you drop the soap, there is no space to bend over and pick it up. We did not have any water incursion into the room, but I would just use the community showers from now on. I love the idea of two roomettes! That would have made the trip go from good to great! We stood turns in the seat that faced backwards (which for us was the small jump seat). My wife can't sit still for more than an hour, so she has no interest being on a train for days at a time. For my son and I, it was a great chance to catch up (he is in graduate school, has a son, works part-time and lives 1500 miles away). We played some games, talked about life, marriage, etc. and just really enjoyed our time together. We want to do it again and when that happens, we will for sure be booking two roomettes!

I love the bedrooms . I get a bedroom even if I traveling alone. My husband and I have slept on the lower bed together. I have slept in the upper bed also because he is 6’2”. The bathroom may be small but I’m not sharing with people I don’t know. Thanks for sharing.

I love the bedroom. Being a senior, I'm not going to go out of my room at night to a bathroom. My husband and I both love the bedroom. We both can fit in the lower bunk. We are train people and love TRAINS AND AMTRAK!!!!!... and on to the Cheery Blossom festival this springvia the TRAIN!!!!

I really like the logic and flexibility of this strategy of 2 roomettes.

Great video. I see your point for couples or families traveling by train- using two roomettes could be a better option. I am a solo traveler and I love traveling by train. I always choose the bedroom over the roomette as I get a bit claustrophobic in the roomette. Also, I am an introvert and get uncomfortable having to constantly table share with strangers and make small talk at meals so I tend to take my meals in my room too. I have showered without any problems using the in-room bathroom however, I am only 5'3. And on smother portions of the track, with the extra bit of room, I can get a bit of a workout in the cases of inclement weather during the station breaks.

We love the bedroom! We find the shower and bathroom adequate and not too small and love the privacy and the ability to move around the room.

I respectfully disagree. We took the Texas Eagle from IL to LA. We really enjoyed our time in the bedroom. I am 6'2" and 215 lbs. I had no issues with the bathroom or shower. I have no desire to get dressed and walk to the public bathroom. Especially in the middle of the night. Also, the public facilities are never as clean as our private room.

As a solo traveler who has always booked roomettes, I find myself seriously considering a bedroom for future trips. The extra room would be very nice to have, particularly when trying to get dressed in the morning!

My wife and I took the Amtrak from Flagstaff Arizona to Chicago. We booked the roomette. Neither of us are tiny, I'm 6 ft 1 in and 250 pounds she 5 ft 4 and 230. We had a Great trip. Yes, the roomette required us to use the shared bathrooms for the roomette passengers and shower, but all were kept very clean and we had no problems, even had nice hot showers. Meals are all inclusive and we're delicious. The seats turned into beds with mattresses, even at my size I took the top bed. Of course you can't set up in it. And no one should expect to lol. But I still had a decent night's sleep and enjoyed the gentle rocking of the car. Maybe me having previously served in the Marines for 22 years Im not a spoiled civilian expecting hotel comfort on a train. And can sleep just about anywhere lol. All in all, I would do it again. I've gotten back to my old USMC weight again so will fit even better in the roomette. Happy travels.

My very first trip from Chicago to Seattle I booked a roomette. When I got on the train I was put in the ADA room! you want to talk about a spacious toilet area! And yes its lower level, but a window on both sides.....It was pretty awesome!

I was the adult with 2 small children. I used the all-in-one shower and had NO problem. I was thankful to be able to shower without leaving the kids!

I've been a subscriber to your channel for some time now. Love your Amtrak advice. In the past I've done some limited Amtrak coach travel in the northeastern U.S. and mid Atlantic U.S. and also in between Atlanta, GA and Birmingham, AL. There is nothing that compares to train travel. You either love it or hate it. I love it! You definittely need to have a lot of time to travel by train because it can take you 3 times as long when compared to traveling by car. It's all about the journey when traveling by train. Love your roomette suggestion for long haul travel!

I found the suggestion of 2 roomettes across from each other very helpful. My brother & I are planning a trip from NYC to Tampa, FL next winter to see our sister, & neither of us can climb into the upper bunk. Since it would only be 1 overnight the shower wouldn't be an issue. I've taken the roomette myself previously & the in-room toilet was very convenient since I'm a bit unsteady walking around. Same for brother, so having his own roomette would also provide convenient privacy for him. Thanks for the advice! 😊

Thank you for this tip. We had a Bedroom booked for the California Zephyr, EMY to DEN in April and I just changed it to two Roomettes (7&8). I love the idea of each getting a bottom bunk and she won’t have to put up with my snoring. Haha😂

Great advice! I grew up around trains in the ’60s, when passenger trains were a thing and a big deal back then; but somewhere in the late 70’s, and 80’s, passenger trains diminished due to the reduction in air fares, but I’m happy the passenger train experience is back! Riding the train, especially overnight is a great and unique experience. Taking at least a 1-2 day train ride is on my bucket list at age 70; I can’t wait to hear, feel, and smell the train again, which I remember from my childhood… my grandfather worked for the Union Pacific Railroad for 50 years, so that is my childhood connection. Again, fantastic advice and recommendations! 😊

I've taken the Empire Builder and have always had the roomette. It IS small but it works just fine for me and I just use the restroom not included in the roomette have never had a problem. I've learned to take as little as possible in my carry-on and I've only ever had to be on the train for 2 days/nites and have learned how to dress to make my travel as easy as possible.

My mother and I did the two roomette option while taking my 6yo nephew on a trip- we loved being able to spread out with the doors open so we could chat across the hall and the little guy could visit and hang with Grandma or me whenever he pleased! We rode from Florida to DC and over to Chicago and had a blast.

Interesting you should say that. I’m working on a trip from Chicago to Emoryville and have been seriously considering doing exactly that. I just checked for September and it’s several hundred dollars cheaper to do two roomettes. Great minds think alike!!!

What I do in the Roomette !! Is I'am able to keep all My stuff up on the upper bunk. And than during the trip you just tip the upper bunk up to give you head room to sit Worked out really nicely.

As always, thanks for an excellent and informative video! I have to admit, my Amtrak experience has all been aboard Superliners out of Chicago and New Orleans. I've done Bedrooms and Roomettes, and while there might be some advantages to the Bedroom, I would not include the combo toilet/shower. As you said, it isn't for a larger person...I felt like needed to be greased up to get in and out. Since I mostly travel solo, a Roomette works fine, and the communal bathrooms and showers I've seen have all been clean. Even though I would be by myself, though, I'm giving serious consideration to booking two Roomettes, and as you suggest, using one as the day room and the other set up for sleeping the whole time. Thanks again for providing food for thought!

I'm booked on the WB Zephyr this fall in a bedroom and traveling solo. I wanted the extra space and privacy of my own toilet at night. I am also planning to eat my meals in my room. And I was willing to pay the extra amount to have windows on both sides of the car so I wouldn't have to go to the observation car.

I used bedrooms out West and found in room bathroom nice for getting up in middle of night. Was able to squeeze both of us in bottom bunk, head to toe diagonally. And sink in room is nice also.

Bedroom all the way! Worth every penny

Thank you for the recommendation to call to book 2 roomettes across from each other instead of a bedroom. We haven’t booked a trip yet but someday!

Solo traveler here with roomette on the upper level traveling from WA to MI. Bathroom and showers are on the same level. Awesome trip. People across from me came over for views and I went to theirs for views also, worked out well. Here to FL next time (I'm an older traveler and have no problems at all.

The Full Sized Bedrooms, on either Viewliners or Superliners, are indeed not such a great deal for most situations. People imagine that having their own private bathroom and shower, and having the "sofa", will make the experience better. What they get instead is a room with a tiny & awkward toilet where the floor seems to always be wet, less comfortable seats by the windows, a useless sofa they don't spend any time in, and no storage space for their (presumably) two suitcases (to clarify, the suitcases can make use of half of the sofa during the day, but at night there is ZERO floor space for luggage). When the lower bunk is folded out to be a bed, it is right up against the sink, making use of that sink very difficult, and blocking access to the aisle outside the room. A Bedroom is just the space of two Roomettes, with a miserable toilet and shower jammed into the same area. So, yes, for probably most situations, getting two Roomettes instead of a Bedroom makes a lot of sense. As for the Viewliner I Roomettes, those seem to be getting renovated to NOT have the toilet and sink in them. I have personally been in a renovated Viewliner Roomette that still has the sink, but where the toilet was is now just a step to upper bunk. Just like the Bedrooms seeming better until one learns their many downsides, having a toilet jammed into what is already a very small Roomette is really a bad idea, and I think AMTRAK has come to the same conclusion. Just think about how much urine and fecal matter has made it onto the immediately adjacent seat upholstery and down onto the carpeting, and you won't want to go into an un-renovated Viewliner I Roomette. As was pointed out in this view, it is really best to NOT have toilets in ANY of the Roomettes or Bedrooms; those should be the larger ones outside the sleeping rooms, which also have the advantages of being cleaned a few times a day and having non-absorbent flooring. And, yeah, for the small number of people in a given Sleeper car, one 'public' shower room per car is enough; no need to have them also in the Bedrooms.

Great and timely video as my daughter and I like to visit my mother in Austin. Flying has been extremely arduous. The most important part of this video I think is that people need to check out what works for them. Try each of the options, go with what works. Also, I think the couple here is adorable!!

Interesting concept, but we've never had enough points to consider more than a single roomette. Good tip about calling to reserve, instead of booking online. That's also a way to avoid being assigned to the lower level of a Superliner when you want the upper level (or vice versa).

We did the two roomettes thing on the Coast Starlight a few years ago and it was great! I don't like the connecting door between bedrooms, they always rattle and are very thin so sounds from your neighbor can be a bit of a distraction. The roomettes seem to be soundproofed better, in my experience.

I've taken Amtrak from Oakland to Chicago, and I totally used my bathroom and shower. I'm a big person and while it was tight, it was fine and such a luxury to have my own facilities.

My friend and I took the Zephyr to Omaha from Sacramento and booked 2 roomettes across from each other. It was great. The only annoyance was foot traffic but the pros totally outweighed the cons. Loved it!

I always ride the City of New Orleans from Memphis to Chicago and back. Since I travel alone and it's a nighttime trip I just get a roomette which doesn't have a toilet in it. It's more than enough space for just me. There is a small public toilet and what I call a big bathroom (toilet, sink and big shower) on each floor. I've never taken a shower on the train (only on it for like 8 hours) but I do like to use the big bathroom especially for brushing my teeth and washing my face plus it is more comfy. I enjoy eating in the dining car and meeting people I get seated with. One year there was this big group of retired people travelling together. They do this every year or every other year. This year they were doing the grand canyon/ghost town thing. Had to switch trains in Chicago. Anyway we were in the dining car talking and I asked if anyone had the song going through their heads. Next thing I knew one guy started singing City of New Orleans and the whole dining car including the staff joined in. It was a riot.

I booked a bedroom for the first time when I took the Southwest Chief last year with my fiancé after having done roomettes in the past. I was a bit disappointed. The bathroom takes up so much of the space, and the bathroom itself is too tight to comfortably use for anything. Also, the chair in the room was pretty uncomfortable when compared to the couch. With that said, I had a much easier time sleeping on the bottom berth since it’s wider than the roomette ones, and sleeping perpendicular to the train’s movement eliminated the issues I’ve had with being rolled around since I’m normally a side sleeper. The two Roomette approach is a clever idea.

I always book 1 roomette for my husband & I & never thought about the tip of booking 2. I'm going to try this out on my next Amtrak trip!! Thank you!!

Excellent points in this video! Definitely things to consider when making our future Amtrak sleeper bookings. Thank you! Your Amtrak videos are super helpful.

These are fantastic tips for making a multi-day Amtrak trip a wonderful and comfortable experience. PLUS you wind up getting twice the points of a single roomette! Question - Is there any disadvantage of one spouse booking both Roomettes, or should each spouse book their own Roomette?

Thank you guys for sharing you nice observations of the train rides. Yes, the long-haul trips to Los Angeles are what my Mother liked. And she would always pay for the Sleeper First Class cabins. I have to say that my Mother was 5'5" tall and average weight so, my Mother would always give her report about the cabin and service. She had no problems sitting in her cabin. She liked being by herself when traveling. I had tried manyvtimes to give my Mother my former airline employee pass but she did not want or liked to be waiting at the airport with flying on "employees space available pass" with hoping she wpuld get on!!Also, back then as well, I had asked my Father if he want to use my former passes he said no also!😊

After watching your videos multiple times l took my first trip from LA to Chicago and also planning to take other 3 trips as per your recommendation

We are on the California Zephyr right now. We took your advice on getting 2 roomettes across the hall from each other instead of a bedroom and we are very glad we did. It was so beautiful going through the Sierra Nevadas today and not missing anything because we had views on both sides. Also, just having your own little paradise is so relaxing. Thanks, you guys! I’ve told all our meal partners about your RU-vid channel.

Loved the tips to get two facing room-ettes instead of one shared rooms and especially knowing to book by phone to ensure roomettes are opposite. But laughed about the bathroom. A wet bath is standard for a smaller RV or boat. Don't compare it to the bathroom in your hotel or on a cruise ship. Compare it to no toilet or shower at all. ... TY for the informative presentation.

Thanks for the Real info video. That upper berth reminds me of my USN shipboard racks. I remember my first night aboard, and assigned a top rack of 3 High. We were in the trough of Cape Hatteras, and I woke up to the sound of the props coming out of the water. I sat up and immediately slammed my head into a pipe that was routed across the rack. Definitely saw the stars! Tks again for an excellent video.

What a awesome idea getting 2 roomates makes it a lot nicer !!

Your advice is welcome. I’ve aways wanted to travel cross-country by train. It’s only as an adult that a passenger terminal is close enough to make such a trip feasible. Because I’m finding as I get older, the cattle call that is air travel is bothersome. My wife and I are both retired and I have some mobility issues with the larger airports such as Atlanta, Chicago, or JFK. So, every time we travel to visit our daughter and her medical resident husband-and the grandchildren-I check out the train. Hasn’t worked out yet, but I’m determined to make it happen.

This sounds brilliant! Something that I'm surprised they didn't mention is that by doing it this way, it seems that you could use the upper bunk for your belongings.

This video is very valuable to me! Thanks! We are selling our home in CO, and moving full time to our second home near Altoona PA - which is on The Pennsylvanian Amtrak line. I expect to do multiple train journeys in the next 5 years, and I appreciate your advice!

We always ordered a roomette going from SF to Chicago. No shower to worry about. Would much rather have the space in our room. We must have always been lucky and had a nice big window right beside our lounge chairs with table.

The top bunk has more room than the "coffin rack" than I slept in in the Navy. Of course, I'm also bigger than I was back then.

11:00 you guys have a great way of addressing everything...great point of the bright hallway lights and door rattling

Back in the mid-1990's I booked a bedroom for myself on the Sunset Limited when it went all the way from South Florida to LA. I left from Ft. Lauderdale. Loved the spaciousness of the bedroom and the convenience of having your own bathroom. Of course I slept in the bottom bed which was also very comfortable. I was a smaller person back then and the bathroom size was fine. In January, 2023 my partner and I took the California Zephyr from Chicago to Emeryville. Booked the bedroom again. I had to use the top bunk which was not comfortable at all. And now that I was bigger than I was in the mid-1990's, the bathroom was uncomfortable just using the toilet, let alone when I had to use the shower. Until Amtrak introduces updated sleeping cars, we will never book the bedroom again. Booking two roomettes across from one another sounds like a good idea. However, my partner does like to use public toilets on the train which is the main reason why we booked the bedroom on the Zephyr.

Thanks for the video. My wife and I travel by train occasionally and this is super helpful. 😊

I agree totally, thank you guys.. I moved to Nashville Tennessee from Fullerton California hoping Amtrak will come here so I can ride again.

Haven’t been on a train since I was a kid but I enjoy your videos… reminds me of my parents. RIP mom and dad. (I’ve traveled across the country by train a few times). We were a summer RV family and would often take the train to meet up with the RV.

You guys are awesome ❤

Awesome Idea, I hope to soon be traveling with my Grandson and this sounds like a splendid idea. Thanks for all your Videos and info . I enjoy watching them.

I recently did the Boston to Denver (layover and change trains in Chicago) round trip. Since I was traveling alone, the roomette was perfect.

That’s great advice. One of my issues with the bedroom is the lack of space after the lower bed is made up. Trying to squeeze between the bed and sink to leave the room is impossible.

It's good to hear different points of view about this, especially if you haven't traveled in a bedroom or roomette before. This allows you to weigh the pros and cons, although clearly this video is very pro-roomette and very con-bedroom. I think it all comes down to personal preference. If privacy is a top priority for you, then you may still prefer a bedroom.

This was a very informative video. I've gone in roomettes, and it has always worked well for me. I just use the showers on the lower level. Back in the '90's when I was on the Capitol Ltd, my roomette had a toilet and sink. Worked very well.

Thank you very much!!!! Very informative!!!! My Philippine wife and I will definitely enjoy our trip across America...she has never been here before and I like roomette idea...we will definitely enjoy that !!! Thank you for the tip!!!! Love you guys

Even though I disagree with you guys, I still love your video and the differing point of view. I like the privacy of the bedroom and having my own toilet. When I go into a hotel room, shop cabin, airplane seat, bus seat especially a tourist bus I'll be on for a while then I'm wiping stuff down as heartily as I can. I can maintain that in my own train room. I think it would be a fun experiment to try both just but I like my privacy and I like my attempt at cleanliness in the face of the mass transit.

You are so right. We have had a bedroom and roomette. After that we rent roomettes across from each other.

This is actually very helpful. I took a few Amtrak trains long distance and hate traveling in coach because they always sit you with someone and it can get very uncomfortable. I have not been back on the train because of that. I would love to take a ride and now that I know about the Roomettes. It would get expensive though.

Good idea on two roomettes. Thx!

Looking forward to an upcoming video where you actually explore this in person with video. I'm sure that video will be as fantastic as all the others. Always a pleasure to watch. Hope to see you on the train sometime! 🙂

Great suggestions and idea about 2 rooms across from each other. My 21 yrold son is 6-5” and this will work out perfect when we do the cross country train next year.

Good thing I travel by myself, as I have a bedroom booked on the Auto Train come September.

I've only been on an Amtrak train once, and it was in what I think you called a "roomette." I hadn't realized that there wire so many room options! My friend paid for the car, so I got the upper bunk. The only significant drawback I found to it was that there was no view. I'm about to watch your Sleeper Car Guide to get more of a feel for the options.

I have serious incontinence, so the in room bathroom is a must! I’ve showered without problems.

I've always wanted to travel by train, so I'm really glad I've found your channel. Thank you for the travel advice!!

I booked an Amtrak bed compartment from Portland Oregon to Miami Florida and just loved it.

My adult son uses a scooter. We rode from Philly to Orlando and were able to get a handicap accessible room. They actually called the bathroom the garage because it was large enough to store the scooter at night. It was a wonderful trip.

I always get a room with a bathroom because I get up often at night and don't want to keep getting dressed. Buy the large body wipes that are used for bedridden people. They work so well to clean your entire body! You can use dry shampoo, if you need to clean your hair. Chances are you won't need to because cross country trips are only about 4-5 days. I guess most people don't go camping.

I've only ever traveled Amtrak in the desert southwest, so I've only had a roomette. Because my husband had mobility issues, I always wound up sleeping in the top bunk. Additionally, I only travel overnight from Albuquerque to LA, so not a lot of views and really didn't need the hall shower, because we'd shower the next morning/afternoon at our destination.

I have done all the long haul trains in roomettes and bedrooms. I like the cosy roomette but it does feel a bit small and I dislike having to go down to the bathroom all the time. I prefer the bedroom. I really like the extra room to stretch out. I very much like the sink and toilet. I have showered many times in the bedroom with no problems, I didn't find it that cramped and no water sloshing problems. I love the bigger bed in the bedroom. I also like being able to see out both sides and have never had a real problem with people standing in the hall. So, bottom line is that I will do a roomette for one night, but anything over one night I prefer the bedroom. However, all that being said, what you describe here for a couple sounds VERY good. especially if you are in a viewliner 1. Thanks for all your good info.

Your tips are most appreciated. Thanks

We took the Empire Builder from Chicago to Seattle in a bedroom, and you are right about the bathrooms being super tiny. We want to do the trip from Seattle to LA in the future, and we have discussed getting the two roomettes. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you for the great advice. My daughter and I willl do that later this year. Thanks, again!

I love your videos and totally respect and appreciate your advice! I am taking my young son on Empire Builder from PDX to CHI in a bedroom on Wednesday. I have to accompany my kiddo to the bathroom on trains still, plus I get up to go to the bathroom nearly every night, so I think the bedroom is still the best all-around option for us. We took a roomette from PDX to OKJ last year so I am looking forward to the comparison! Keep making great Amtrak videos.

My husband and I take the auto train out of Lorton to Florida. We enjoy the bedroom and have no problem with the bathroom. We did wonder about the space because most adults our age are heavier. I would rather be in one room because I’m not sure if theft may be an issue having two rooms.

Looking forward to see your video of how you used the two roommettes as a suite!

What a great idea! Thank you for the suggestion.

Thank you for your honest and candid review.

Think we saw you in Lorton today, while waiting for our car. We stayed in the roomette and had the bathroom right outside our door , which was super convenient. I would recommend the roomette to anyone whose partner is able to scoot up and out of the loft

I like the idea of two roommates instead of the bedroom. Great idea 👍🏼👍🏼

Thank you so much for all the great information! Happy traveling!

I want to do some train trips, esp cross country! Your channel is very informative....thank you

When I was a kid my family had a travel trailer, so I'm used to showers that make the one in an Amtrak bedroom look luxurious. That said ... For couples, booking a family bedroom is 1. definitely cheaper than either a bedroom or two roomettes, 2. it goes the full width of the car so it has windows on both sides automatically with no special hassle in booking, and 3.it's got enough extra room to keep your suitcases in the room with you (under and at the ends of the bed) so if you need something from your suitcase it's right there as opposed to having to go out to the common luggage area to get it (or worse, do without because it's in checked baggage). (This advantage may not apply if you're one of those "I must have at least three separate outfits for each day I will be away from home" type of people, but I'm more on the "I'm going to be gone for two weeks so I guess an extra full outfit, and maybe even one more shirt on top of that, might be nice" end of things.) 4. You also get to sleep together in the same bed (and at "ground level"), if that appeals to you, even if one or both of you are on the larger side. Downsides: 1. You won't have an en suite bathroom (or shower) and will have to use the public ones, but they're only a few steps away in the hall. (The two roomette solution where the roomettes have a toilet has a clear advantage here; if you need to pee in the middle of the night you won't need to put your shoes back on.) 2. You get to sleep together but you also HAVE to sleep together (unless one of you is small enough to climb into one of the kids' bunks), and the layout means that one of you will be between the other one and the wall/bulkhead; if you're claustrophobic this might not be good, and if you're the one against the wall you will almost certainly have to wake up your partner to get out. 3. The bed is oriented crosswise to the direction of travel, which means that when the train rocks it's jostling you head to foot instead of rocking you side to side, and if you have a bad back this can be uncomfortable.

The problem I had with using the toilet in a bedroom sleeper room is that there's no way to vent the bathroom smells outside. That means that the entire bedroom area fills up with toilet smell. If you do #2, it gets bad. It's actually better to use the public toilets downstairs and leave that smell down there. I didn't find that showering in the bedroom sleeper's bathroom was any better or worse than using the one downstairs except that I needed to lay a towel down outside to wick up any excess water. I actually had to do the same downstairs, but because the downstairs shower has both a prep area and a separate shower room, the water stayed contained to that room. The best part of having the bedroom was having the sink. This allowed me to brush my teeth and and easily wash my hands without having to traverse down that treacherous little staircase to get to the restroom downstairs.

We learned the two roomette approach years ago. There was a time when it was cheaper than a bedroom. That said, if traveling solo I will always get a bedroom with points. I find that the orientation of the bed perpendicular to the rocking motion of the train makes for more restful sleep. More space is nice and I never use the bathroom/shower in a bedroom.

Texas Eagle has been my worst experience. I hated the Flex dining for the first 2 days and no observation car for the 1st 2 days.

Incredibly helpful. Thank you, and happy trails to you.

This is very helpful my husband and I are thinking of doing a train trip next year 👌

I took a Viewliner from Portland to Chicago twice, once in 2022 and once in 2023. On the first trip, my wife accompanied me, and we shared a roomette. It worked for us, but we are used to living in close quarters, as we both work from home in a tiny apartment. Our roomette did not have a toilet; we used the "community" bathrooms and showers, and had no issues with access or having to wait. On the second trip, I booked a roomette for myself alone, but I was upgraded to a room because of availability (not sure how that happened.) I'm 6 ft and 280lbs. Using the bathroom as a bathroom was a challenge, but because the car for this trip had toilets in the roomettes, there really weren't communal toilets in the car, and it was quite a walk to find a communal bathroom (several times, I had to use the toilet in the first class car, which was huge fwiw.) For the Chicago to NY leg on my second trip, I had a roomette with a toilet that was utterly worthless (it was tiny, and impossible to use in a sanitary fashion.) On top of which, the roomette layout left the toilet right next to where my head would be with the bed extended. I didn't use it at all, and fail to see any circumstances where it could be used.

Great tip on the cross hallway roomette. Thanks for the video.

I haven’t made my trip yet but middle of the night bathroom visits don’t appeal to me, nor do shared showers. I’ll try the bedroom but I appreciate all the consideration in your suggestions.

Great tip. Would definitely try that for a couple. I take the auto train to Florida and back and get a roomette for myself. I love it. I take my own pillow, eye mask (because the hallway lights are sometimes hard to block out with the curtains and earplugs and noise cancelling headphones . I also use their pillow under the hips as the mattresses can be thin. Using bathroom in middle of night no problem just down the hall. Wouldn't recommend one roomette for 2 people---I would feel like I was in prison if I was on the top bunk.

I am so happy you enjoy your Amtrak adventures. We all have our pleasures in how we travel. Not in anyway to dissuade you from yours, but I’ll rent a luxury car first. Enjoy your trips!

A family of three traveling from a station that doesn’t have checked baggage. We got 2 roomettes close to each other (didn’t know we could ask for opposing rooms after booking). My son and I stayed it one room acting like boys, my wife got the other room to herself as her “woman cave”. Her top bunk held the bags we couldn’t check, raised up high so she never noticed them. That’s one thing I wish Amtrak would change, having some sort of baggage checking for the smaller stations. I’m ok with getting my bags to and from the train, but it would be nice if they had a segregated storage area for larger bags (like they have on the Superliners) on the Viewliners. Or maybe the sleeper attendant could open the baggage compartment to let a bag or two in (if arranged in advance so they could plan on the slight delay)