I spent 20 hours in a roomette on an Amtrak train from Chicago to New York City, and thought it was worth the $800 price tag. Check out the 20-square-foot room.
I booked a roomette on Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited, a 20-hour train from Chicago to New York City.
It was part of a cross-country trip from Montana to New York, which took 60 hours and cost $800.
As Amtrak's mid-tier accommodation, I thought it was leagues above traveling long distances in coach.
I recently spent three days traveling across the country by train. The journey was broken into two segments: a 32-hour train from Montana to Chicago, and 20 hours from Chicago to NYC. In total, the one-way trip cost $800.The author in the Amtrak's dining car.
Jordan Parker Erb/Insider
In comparison, coach tickets — where you'd only have a single seat in a shared car — cost around $315 at the time of writing.
After a five-hour layover in Chicago, I boarded Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited train. To get to my room, I walked down a hallway lined with other private rooms and roomettes.The dark wood in the Amtrak train's hallway made it feel more upscale than other trains I've been on.
Jordan Parker Erb/Insider
As I arrived at my private roomette, I was struck by just how nice the little room was. At just 20 square feet, it felt cozy yet spacious.The room felt cozy and comfortable, with enough room to spread out.
Jordan Parker Erb/Insider
On either side of the roomette was a fairly plush seat, which folded down into a bed when it was time to sleep.The seats were comfortable and soft — and great for napping.
Jordan Parker Erb/Insider
The seats had large armrests which were great during the ride, but they also took up a few extra inches, which made the bed feel smaller. In a room this small, every inch counts.Insider's author felt the armrests took up too much valuable space when it came time to sleep.
Jordan Parker Erb/Insider
Because of that, I slept on the top bunk, where there were no armrests and it felt a bit wider.The top bunk, where Insider's reporter slept, felt more spacious than the bottom bed.
Jordan Parker Erb/Insider
In between the two chairs was a large table that pulled out from the wall, which I used for working and writing.The table was huge, offering plenty of space to work or write.
Jordan Parker Erb/Insider
The steps leading to the top bunk transformed into a sink.Insider's author felt the sink came in handy for brushing her teeth and washing her hands.
Jordan Parker Erb/Insider
It even came with small cups that you could presumably use to drink the sink water, but I didn't try it.Insider's reporter thought having cups in the roomette could have come in handy.
Jordan Parker Erb/Insider
A trash can pulled out from beneath one of the chair's armrests.The trash was discreet, tucked away under an armrest.
Jordan Parker Erb/Insider
There were several hand towels and washcloths, as well as a thin but functional mirror.The towels came in handy for when Insider's reporter needed to wash her hands.
Jordan Parker Erb/Insider
There was even a thermometer and vents to adjust the airflow.The thermostat (left) and air vents (right) helped keep the roomette at a comfortable temperature.
Jordan Parker Erb/Insider
When the overhead lights became too bright, there were small, dimmable reading lights that I used before bed.The reading lights were useful when Insider's reporter didn't want to use the bright overhead lights.
Jordan Parker Erb/Insider
No space in the roomette was wasted: Across from the top bunk was extra storage, but since I was traveling light, I didn't need it.Extra overhead storage meant no space went unused in the roomette.
Jordan Parker Erb/Insider
Down the hall, there was a bathroom about the size of those on airplanes. Since I didn't spend a lot of time in the loo, I didn't mind the size.The bathroom was small but functional.
Jordan Parker Erb/Insider
I didn't use the shower, but there was one available — except it seemed to be being used as storage for towels and other cleaning supplies.When the author checked out the shower room, it was filled with bags of towels and cleaning supplies.
Jordan Parker Erb/Insider
Overall, the room was cozy and comfortable — and my favorite part of the trip was relaxing in privacy and watching the views fly by.A view of the sunset over the Hudson River during my final night in the roomette.
