Trains are Cool: Amtrak Silver Star Roomette to Florida 

My husband has blood clotting issues that will manifest themselves at high altitudes so unfortunately we can't fly. So we're taking our first train ride together next year. I'm excited!

I’ve never travelled by train, but I’m enjoying these train videos. Train travel: THE View! Air travel: NO View

The best part of traveling by train is that you get to see how people truly live. When driving, you see people's front yards. You see the manicured lawns and picket fences and all the other aspects of the public face that they consciously present to the world. But from the train you see their back yards. You see the ramshackle sheds, two-foot-high weeds, broken-down fences and inoperable vehicles and all of the other elements of how they REALLY live when they think that nobody is looking. You ever want to feel a heckuva lot better about your own life? Take a train trip. It's better than a shot of Prozac.

I've taken trains often, the best aren't in the US, and we should DEFINITELY fund AMTRAK much much better, especially in crowded areas. If you're going fro downtown to downtown cities rails is the way--almost always you start/end in a downtown. Especially if you have no need to rent a car. Less hassle, people are much more civil and nice. No one is throwing a tantrum they're late or strangers around them are a bother. Food's good, you can walk around, staff are helpful, informative, and nice. And all the other reasons you mentioned. Thanks for opening some eyes to rail travel.

I’ve taken many Amtrak trains over the years, and for the same reasons that you stated. Because it’s very relaxing and enjoyable, and you get to see America.

Summer 2016 we took our family to Florida via the Auto Train. It was one of the highlights of our trip. The service was friendly, the view was interesting and always changing and the food was much better than we expected. I definitely recommend it.

I first got on a train due to a family medical emergency. Now that I can relax and enjoy the train I am hooked on running the rails. Thank you for helping us newbies to see the full picture. Happy and safe travels!

I'm looking into a train trip from Boston to Miami for my 50th birthday. This was great information!

Fingers crossed that Amtrak switches back to it’s classic dining option sometime later this year. Nothing beats that fresh cooked steak while rolling along at 70+ mph.

"Just took a shower at 60 mph." Subscribed.

Thanks for showing off the interior of the new Viewliner sleepers. Shockingly hard to come by visuals!

Some folks have a fear of planes. That alone is a reason why some prefer train travel.

I really enjoy train travel. I took the California Zephyr from San Francisco to Chicago and plan to so again this fall. One day I would like to take the Cardinal.

The new viewliner sleepers seem to be way better than the old ones. And the DAMN toilet is out of the roomette! Yes!!!!!!!

Amtrak travel tip - time your shower to when the train makes an extended stop at a (major) station, that way there's less back and forth bouncing around/swaying while showering.

Amtrak and CAF did a awesome job with the Viewliners II looks great inside the Roommette , hopefully soon I'll be able to purchase a Sleeper car Ticket. Nice Footage

Thanks for a really fun video! As you and some of the others who commented say, aside from the experience on the trains and in the stations (a quirky sort of thing the first time, until you get into the rhythm of it), there's the optics of train travel. I find it fascinating not only to see the often stunning and usually at least interesting scenery, but also the more mundane views of small town streets, with the front or rear sides of their business districts, brightly and dimly lit factories and warehouses on the outskirts of cities in the wee hours where you can see inside and wonder if there's anyone still on the job, skylines at night in the rain, quick glimpses of moonlight gleaming on a small river as you cross, and the people. All sorts of people walking, working, sitting, driving, railroad personnel on platforms and in railyards engaged in their own esoteric tasks, people totally oblivious to me watching them as I go and they remain, unless of course, they're watching the train and wondering about people like me watching them. And as you say, train travel is relaxing and virtually stress-free, you have privacy if you want it (yes, the roomette or even bedroom is worth the cost if you can afford it and/or manage to snag a good deal) but you can get up and move around at any time. I know the on-board dining has declined in quality, due to cutbacks as well as COVID restrictions, but hopefully, that will be reversed soon. Some folks complain about the noise but it never bothered me, and I slept pretty well in both bedroom and roomette, although there was one rough stretch of track that woke me up, but I had just fallen asleep, so maybe that doesn't count. I agree that one of the best things about an overnight trip is being able to lie in your rack with the lights out and the curtains open, seeing whatever there is to see. So yeah, trains are cool and everyone ought to give it a try, just once!

you have a natural ease in front of the camera. I hope your channel continues to grow.

Train travel is the best sauce. Even a trumped up lean cuisine takes on brio on the train. Bring back dining car, Amtrak!

Congrats dude... I’ve never commented on a video in my life. You just earned my first after a solid decade. But I feel what you are putting down. I can’t wait to book a vacation on the rails. That being the vacation!

Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video for your viewers. We will be riding the Silver Star for the first time in May. We have never taken a trip before on a train and we are so excited. We will be in coach seats to Raleigh, then we transfer over to the Silver Star. We will take it to Orlando. We have paid for a bedroom roundtrip, however, I now think we might have to try a roomette on our next trip.

What a GREAT job! Better than most reviewers of anything on the web.

I'm 42 and I've spent the last two years designing my life so I can travel and work while I do it. I've never ridden a long distance train but I've always wanted to. I'm leaving the States by the end of this year but you've convinced me to take a train trip before I leave. Thank you

HANDS DOWN my favorite "traveling in a roomette" video after YEARS of watching them! I've done Amtrak roomettes nearly a dozen times and you nailed all the highlights and foibles exquisitely! Instant Subscriber.

I took the Silver Meteor from Philadelphia 30th Street Station down to Savannah, GA for a trip with my girlfriend and it was an absolute BLAST. I got one of the refurbished Viewliner II roomettes like you're in and it was so comfortable and relaxing. I put some chill music on, got a beer from the cafe car, and read my book while the country rolled past. I wouldn't have traded it for any other mode of travel. I was cozy, happy, and despite taking 13 hours to get down the east coast, I loved every minute of it. Highly recommend train travel, and highly recommend getting a sleeper car on Amtrak if you can afford it.

Thank you for this great video of the Viewliner II! BTW the attendant will make up the beds for you, you don't have to do it yourself if you don't want to. (You may have wanted to, but for anybody reading the comments, it's not required!)

I took a Silver Star from Richmond, Va to West Palm Beach and sat in coach. Lesson learned…the upgrade to a bedroom for the return trip made a huge difference. I was disappointed it wasn’t renovated like the roomettes but still worth the $$ for the convenience of having a restroom and personal space.

We holidayed in the US in 1976, taking the sleeper from DC to Orlando. The compartment was great, the stewards polite and breakfast in the dining car while drifting through the orange groves was perfect.

Wow...riding in the newest roomette......Cool

Bruh. Guess where we are right now?! Viewliner roomette baby!! Thank you for inspiring us... It's Heavenly!!! Cheers 😍

Covid has definitely given me some wanderlust and thanks to your video a train ride should help fix it!

Headed on my first Amtrak in 10 years. Very excited. You're channel among others are helping immensely.

I just watched the Darjeeling limited and now I’m obsessed with the thought of travelling by train

It is perfectly legitimate to say it’s an experience. I live in Canada. Hubby and I have taken Amtrak four times. Each time it was the Coast Starlight from Seattle to LA. We usually like road trips but my husband gets tired of driving and not getting to relax and enjoy the view. We always get a roomette. It suits us just fine. Last spring we were on our way to LA and the train stopped south of Sacramento. We were told there were washouts ahead. We all had to get off. We could go back to Sacramento on that train or further south to Emeryville on a commuter train. We spoke to one of the car attendants and asked his advice. He said to go back to Sacramento because it’s a safer area and the station is bigger. So, we did that. Stood in line forever and asked the lady at the wicket if there was ANY way to get to LA (we had family waiting there and we were going on a cruise). She gave us tickets to go BACK to Emeryville where we could catch a bus overnight to LA. The wait in Emeryville was 10 hours so I rented a room nearby to have a shower and rest. We caught the bus that night and ended up in LA exactly 24 hours late of our intended arrival. Amtrak refunded the entire (one way) cost of our trip and still got us to LA so all was well in the end. The ride home was plagued with trees across tracks, a car crash on the tracks, down time waiting for cargo trains to clear the tracks etc. (none of it the fault of Amtrak) but at least we got back without having to get off the train. The point of this very long story is not to bore anyone with details. It’s to say that in spite of that, we still love Amtrak and are taking the train from Seattle to Fort Lauderdale in a few months. Then we will cruise back to Vancouver,BC. If we aren’t willing to accept that any kind of trip can have hiccups we will just have to stay home (where annoying crap can still happen). Try Amtrak if you are thinking about it. Just build a little extra time in to the trip to allow for delays. It’s a unique and pleasant way to travel. Oh, and the food is really good! Haven’t had a bad meal yet.

I'm back! Took Amtrak in December 2022 from VA to FL and back in a roomette and it was fun! The funny thing is, I called ahead of time to see if my reservation was going to be in the old viewliner I or II and she said the old viewliner I both ways. I was surprised when I got on and saw it was the newer viewliner II going and again coming back! It was great!

You've convinced me. Trains are cool.

Thank you. I’ve always wanted to ride a long-haul train, so I took my stimulus money and my use-it-or-lose-it vacation time and booked a trip on the Empire Builder, from Chicago to Seattle. I’m in Texas. My plane tickets to Chicago and from Seattle together still came out to less than my Roomette ticket 😩. Your review, and those of others, makes me feel much happier about my upcoming trip.

Fun video, I am sold. I don't have time restraint (retired) and I do enjoy travel. Thanks for the review!

Thank you for this. We are taking the train for the 1st time this weekend from fl to ny. We did the math and with the flights being cancelled left and right I didnt want to fly. I was going to drive, we did the math though and the roomette with my 2 littles was going to be the same but less stress. So excited and my 5yr old is so excited after watching this.

Hey, there. I'm Jeff Osman from Chicago and yes, trains have been my passion since my first ride on the Santa Fe Chief back in the day. Cheers to a shared name and to the trains!

I agree with you. Travelling by train makes good experience.

This whole vlog made my heart so happy. I’m glad you had a lovely time.

One of the most important things for trains over planes. The environmental impact.

Nice and funny review! Glad you got one of the new sleepers and I'm so glad you enjoyed the trip, train travel is awesome and Amtrak tries its best to make the most of it (they're always underfunded). Hope you can experience the better food in the real dining car in the future. Also, subscribed because even though this is your only train video I hope to see more in the future! You're a good videographer and funny too. Enjoy your time in Florida and stay safe!

The end of the video. Priceless! I want to be brave enough to travel a little by myself.

You're probably the first to post an Amtrak Viewliner II roomette review. Awesome!

I truly enjoyed this video (and I’ve watched a ton of them about Amtrak’s roomette).

I've booked a roomette for my preschooler and myself for a winter holiday vacation this year (hopefully Delta doesn't completely ruin it...) but I am SO glad to see this video. I'll be showing it to her - she's going to love your goofy sense of humor and feel very at ease with the whole experience after having watched your video as a preview. Thanks for posting!

Love this video and you personality! Thanks for sharing!

Really enjoyed this.

Wonderful videography and your personality is the best! Before Covid, I travelled Amtrak's Palmetto and Silver Meteor from New York, City to Florence, SC at least 5 times a year. Looking forward to it again. I never travel for business but Business Class is spectacular and Coach works fine because Business Class is not available on the 11:37pm Silver Meteor from Florence to New York. The Roomettes are the best -- even before Amtrak's renovations. I once had a room across from a player of the Charlotte Bobcats who was riding Amtrak for the first time. I love when the train changes engines in Washington, DC from electric to diesel. Amazing to see how the engineers and track men disconnect, reassemble, etc. I always refer to my very handy "Where Am I" App when I pass through various towns. To be sitting in your seat, looking at the app and seeing the exact surroundings is fantastic. During my travel experiences, the train has stopped and cleared cows and horses on the track. Oh and when your hands are full coming from the cafe, you don't have to bother with your opening the door exit with your hand, use the toe/foot door exit.

This was great. Good showing of the food. Do more trains, yay.

Awesome video Tucker! Thanks for sharing the experience!

Stuck at home with foot pain...incredibly relaxing to watch!!!! "Beats a metal tube in the sky"

Good show. I am taking Amtrak soon, LA to Seattle. Roommette also. Good tips,. No dining car? Food did look good.❤️🌮🍔🥙🍀🦴💺,,,🚂🚃🚋

I haven't thought about this, but is now on my bucket list.

Got sent here by the algorithm, but seriously, very well done. A great take on classic travel, and you're a very personable host. Keep it up! Subscribing to see what you become!

Great video - new subbie. As a fellow introvert it’s cool that you do t have to sit next to another person

Sheldon Cooper needs to see this video ;) Well done mate, great content!

Great video. Informative and images helped a lot. Thank you. I'll be in a roomette from Philly to Tampa in June.

Trains! Rolling hotels!

This video popped up in my "recommended" and I loved it. I've always wanted to do an overnight train trip and you really did a great job of showing the room and doing a review of what its like to travel by train. Hope you get to take more trips soon.

I love train travel, and could not agree with you more. You see so much of the country, it's comfortable, relaxing, and the food is far better than anything I've ever eaten on a plane. I've met a lot of amazing people traveling by train. It's fantastic.

I’m so glad you showed to top bunk! Saw a different video about this train but they never showed it. I was wondering how anyone fit in such a tight space but, it pulls down lol

First time seeing a train travel video like this. Great job! The food actually looks pretty good.

Back in 1992 I won a trip for two on Amtrak from Chicago to Flagstaff, AZ. I took my mom with me. We had a great time! On the way out there, we had the “family” car that slept 4-5, had windows on both sides of the cabin and we had a bathroom with a shower just steps from our cabin. It was a really fun trip. The food and service were great. What we ran across was a majority of the passengers were taking the train one way and flying the other way. I am going to take another long train trip as soon as this COVID crap is over. I would really like to do a trip from Chicago to San Francisco then a trip from San Francisco to San Diego then back to Chicago. Definitely will get a roomette.

The Chicago to Portland run is epic... it runs thru Glacier National Park .

Thank you for filming the new viewliners! They look amazing! So glad they got rid of that awkward toilet in the room and added restrooms! Also, you’re one of the only video reviewers who has not complained about the food situation! Thank you for that!

I love this so much. I am a certified Amtrak Geek, but up to this point I have only taken coach because of cost. Next month I'm taking my first roomette trip from Chicago to New Orleans, and I am just as excited about the train as I am about NOLA. TRAIN TRAVEL FOREVER!

I already like train travel. I use it more than flying because you can get it more last minute and its comfy... but the room thing, I've never seen that before... that's sooooo cool!

"Do you have to be mentally broken to enjoy it"? 🤕 Odd that you would ask this question. 🤔 I have been watching roomette videos. Asked myself the same questions. Why not fly it's cheaper and faster. But one night before my reservation expires my mind is made up. Your video banished my indecision because you asked the same questions I'm asking. I think I will take the top bunk too. Looks cozy up there. Wonderful video! Thank you Tucker. Like your flamingo shirt. 🦩

The vibes I get from this video are immaculate. Subbed.

I already wanted to do this. Now I am GOING to do this! I've been obsessed with trains since I was a child

Silver Star Roomettes are real definition of railway comfort.🔥🔥

I've taken two overnight trips on trains with friends in sleeper cars and it was a lot of fun. By comparison traveling with friends by plane kind of sucks. It's so much more stressful an on half the fights I've taken I couldn't even gets seated next to the folks I was traveling with. Not that talking is easy on a plane anyway. So yeah thumbs up for trains man!

Thank you so much for this! I'm going to be on one of the Silver trains at the end of this month and I was really concerned about the mask while in a roomette situation. Thankfully everyone I've seen is unmasked while in the room so for me, its worth it because, while necessary, I'm not a fan of wearing my mask. It triggers my suffocation fear. So I'm fine masking up while in the public areas of the train and unmasking while in my room.

Brings me back when I took an overnight ride from Raleigh, NC to Boca Raton with my dad almost 43 years ago. I didn't know this at the time, but the reason we went by train was that my dad was afraid of flying during that time.

Im taking a train from boston to Savannah and out if all the countless videos I've watched , no one has mentioned sitting on the left side. Great tip.

Great video - it is hilarious to me because I watched it before taking the Silver Star (which I have done 50+ times in coach to Tampa) from Sebring to Union Station in DC in a Viewliner. Which is what you did in reverse but also like who goes to Sebring, FL from anywhere out of the South so that made me laugh. IDK about the quality of the food - looked like microwave dinners to me - but glad that you enjoyed it and had a safe and fun trip.

Great video. The only thing I didn't care for was the "whispery singer" interlude. PS. you're cute!

Wow I've been thinking about doing this for a while and I think this just pushed me over the edge of "Why not just do it". Thanks for this video man!

Forgot some key points of doing the roomette as compared to flying. It is extremely quiet. Planes are noisy. Loads of leg room. Electrical outlets are easy to access vs plane You don’t have to stand up when the person next to you wants to go to rest room You can take your own liquor. No more $5 beers. Your larger bags are accessible during the trip. Where I store my wine. Pre-COVID : The dining cars with shared tables are a great experience as you get to meet other travelers. You can get up and walk around ANYTIME. Coffee and bottled water available in each car at all times. Roomette purchase allows you free access to the club lounges in the larger stations during you wait between trains. Also gets you priority boarding. Yes trains are not for business travel or if on a tight schedule, but actually that is a GOOD thing. HAVING traveled on HSR High Speed Rail in Japan, China and Taiwan the US trains are slow. 200+ MPH vs 60MPH and must share tracks with freight trains that are given priority. If we ever get HSR in the US, airplanes will become a relic, except for long distance business travelers.

8:40 yes!!! I thought GA/ Southern SC was bumpy for me too. I woke up a few times as well. 😅👍🏼

Four weeks from today I'll be taking a train (my first train trip, opted for the Roomette) from Tampa to Portland, ME...very excited! Have to spend the night in NYC then catch the morning train to Boston, from there it will be a bus to Portland. I think the older Roomette has a toilet in the room if those are still in service. I'm fine with whatever option I end up with.

Your delight is delightful.

We love trains... best way to travel

Thank you so much for this video. Looking to take my first train ride with the wife and this answered almost all my questions. Great job.

We took the Auto Train from Virginia to Florida, round trip in a roomette and it was terrific. Especially since our own car took the train with us. No rental car to deal with……

I took a train from CO to KY right after 9/11. Best travel experience ever. Went into Chicago and changed trains with a layover and since the train station is right downtown all sightseeing was within walking distance. Even sitting in coach the whole way was not a bad deal as had way more room than on a tube in the sky ever afforded. I will take train to Alaska before I die for sure.

loved this. my family,minus me, has done extensive train travel. I am hard core airline but with covid and all the craziness on airplanes, this just might be the way to go. seems way safer than air travel no matter how many swedish studies they trot out. thank you so much for this.

Awesome video! My dad and I took the lake-shore limited this year in a roomette and it was probably the most fun travel experience in my life. The food was meh but the blondie made up for it. Also the complimentary drinks were awesome cause I get thirsty when traveling.

I'm a veteran of multiple AutoTrain trips between DC and Sanford FL. Awesome way to travel. The top bunk is kind of coffin-like on the double decker cars. But then, that's what the club car is for!

I took this same route end of 2019 and it was awesome!!!! I didn't travel in a room, but economy. I would totally do it again. Wayyyy less stress and restrictions than an airplane.

My first long haul train trip was the California Zephyr in 2019! Can’t wait for more 🐻❤️

The scenery is beautiful

So I booked my first train ride for March 4th from Palm Springs, Ca. - Cinci., Oh. a 72 hr trip, before watching any RU-vid videos, and I am now kinda stoked to try it out, thanks to videos like yours. There are still restrictions for Covid so the rider count in coach is halved which, I hope, will make the cheapy seat tolerable.

Never done the Amtrak thing but iv rode the rails on boxcars & grainers countless times, your in the hi'life my fren....🤙

At the 5:05 point that's definitely a Matty Matteson moment. lol. LOVED your video. thanks for sharing as my teen son and I will be doing Phil to Tampa in a few months. On top of that, taking Amtrak/ FL transit bus from Tampa to Port Charlotte to get to our destination. I'm torn between coach and this sleeper car. Not quite sure which is best, this will be a round trip too.

I did a trip from NYC to FL few years ago on Silver Star too and I can agree all you say: it was so much fun! Nice experience and it was also nice to see your video. Thanks. 👍🏼😀

Thanks for the great video. I did alot of train travel in the 60's and 70's across the Midwest. I adore it. So relaxing.