Amtrak

Even as an avid air traveler, I didn’t know what to expect when I embarked on this 52-hour cross-country train ride from Chicago to Emeryville, California.I’d booked a roomette for the trip aboard Amtrak’s California Zephyr, which is said to take one of the most scenic routes in the US.My…

With two nights on the California Zephyr and two beds to choose from, I picked both.In February 2026, I took the Amtrak sleeper train’s full route from Chicago to Emeryville, California. For the 53-hour train journey, I booked a $2,200 bedroom with a foldout couch and an upper bunk. As…

There were so many things I couldn’t have predicted about sleeper train travel before taking my own night rides.I slept on an Amtrak overnight train for the first time in October 2021. I booked a round-trip ride between New York City and Miami. Each ride was 30 hours.On the way…