My sister and I broke into a $600 Amtrak room for 35 hours. Discover 23 square feet of space with no closets, beds or bathrooms.


Sojourner White smiling on a coastal starlight

I rode the Coast Starlight from Los Angeles to Seattle and would love to go again.sojourner white

  • sister and me Traveled 35 hours on the Amtrak Coast Starlight To get from Los Angeles to Seattle.

  • We split the cost of the $600 Superliner roomette, which is private accommodation with two beds and a closet.

  • The ticket price included all meals in the train dining car.

Related video: Why amtrak tickets are so expensive

Sojourner White and her sister Amtrak Coast Starlight

We split the cost of a $600 room on the Amtrak Coast Starlight.sojourner white

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The corridors between the rooms were very narrow.

A berth and two suitcases on the Starlight Train on the coast

There were other cabins directly across the corridor from the superliner room.sojourner white

When I boarded the Coast Starlight, I walked down a small corridor to find a room directly across from another cabin.

The corridor was narrow. Travelers with backpacks could go inside it, but nothing else.

The room had 2 people and 2 backpacks so a small closet in the cabin was useful Maximize as much space as possible.

Passengers traveling with anything other than a backpack were able to put their extra luggage on the first floor by the bathroom.

The seating in the room turns into a lower bunk bed at night.

Amtrak sleeper seat left, Sojourner White smiling in front of bunk bed right

The seats in our room turned into beds when it was time to sleep.sojourner white

Upon entering the room, there were two seats. When it was time to sleep, it turned into a lower bunk bed.

A small convertible table sat between the seats. There was also a closet on the right side of the room and a mirror on the left side.

Our room suggested bringing a portable USB charger with multiple sockets. there was only one outlet.

The Superliner room did not have its own bathroom or sink.

amtrak train outside

The Coast Starlight had bathrooms on the first and second floors.sojourner white

In the Superliner room, It wasn’t a bathroom (it didn’t even have a sink) in the room.

However, passengers can use the toilets on the 1st and 2nd floors. The train also had a shower on the first floor.

if we were looking for something super liner bedroomwhich is one category above the room, and when you double the size, you get a private sink, toilet, and shower.

Dining car meals were included in our room rate.

Sojourner White laughing in the Starlight dining car on the beach (left) and a close-up of her meal (right)

The cost of breakfast, lunch and dinner was included in the ticket.sojourner white

Booking a room meant eating in the dining car was included in the overall ticket price.

The meals we had at Coast Starlight included an omelet for breakfast, chicken salad for lunch, and chicken tortellini (paired with wine) for dinner.

Desserts such as cheesecake, carrot cake, and chocolate cake came with lunch and dinner.

The upper bunk bed was comfortable but a bit small.

Sojourner White lying on the top bunk of a coastal starlit room

I took the top bunk bed and used safety straps to keep it from falling off the bed.sojourner white

At night we locked the door and closed the curtains for privacy.

When it was time to sleep, I chose the upper bunk. It was quite an experience.

We had to set up a safety strap, a harness-like contraption that hung outside the top bunk and connected to the ceiling to keep us from rolling or falling off the bed.

I’m only 5ft 1 tall so I still felt a bit cramped in the bunk bed but still comfortable enough to sleep.

I enjoyed my room experience and would book again

Sojourner Put your white feet up and look out the train window

I saw the sunrise on the Coast Starlight Observation Car.sojourner white

Overall, the room helped me get through 35 hours on the Coast Starlight.

When I woke up to see the sunrise from the observation car, I remembered why I chose this ride in the first place. I would totally do it again.

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