Sleeping in coach vs room for single overnight trip

Now that I've taken my first overnight train trip in coach, I'm more likely to book a room next time for that, but it's not necessarily a given. However, if the trip is two or more nights each way, I will definitely get a room in that case.

(My trip was between NPN and ORL on the Northeast Regional/Silver Meteor and then Silver Star/Northeast Regional.)

So how many of you take coach for 1 night and how many will always get a room?

Thanks!

I've done coach twice for one nighters. The first time was just a one night trip (did a roomette for the return trip). The 2nd time was the first leg of a cross country trip. Had roomettes for the rest of the trip both ways.

Roomette, or I fly. There is no in-between. I turn into a raging hellbeastie if I have to spend the night in Coach. :unsure:

One reason that I'd get a room for a single overnight is because when I was on the Silver Meteor, my assigned seat was at the front end of the car, where one of the safety lights is. Those lights are kept on, even during quiet hours. I could hardly sleep. On the Silver Star, it was a little better because my seat was near the center of the car.

I expect I'm about 60:40 coach:sleeper. I find the chances of taking a sleeper have a direct correlation to my AGR points balance.

Though I have done Coach over night years ago, my body just couldn't do it when I got close to 50, the day after I was never fully awake to enjoy the day. Too many distractions on some trips, people talking, people having to get up too often, sometimes too cool even with a cover. I will say that some have little trouble traveling overnight by coach, in fact a couple guys do just fine missing a night of sleep, but that isn't me.

I take the Crescent to Atlanta pretty much once a year. On the way do, coach because it's cheap (though Business Class turned out to be worth the upgrade!) and on the way back, sleeper because I'm often dirty from caving and want to take a shower.

I was once forced into riding coach for two nights due to being reaccomodated on another train due to the first one being cancelled and there being no sleepers available on the second train. Never again! I have no trouble riding coach during daylight hours but will not do overnight for one night, much less two, in coach, again.

Once I went to a room there was no going back to Coach for an over night trip. Granted it depends on the cost but I'll usually wait until I can afford a room for an entire trip. While the coach seats are much better than Airline economy seats, they can't compare to having a bed where you can lay flat!

A related question: which LD route is the best to book a room on, or does it matter?

LookingGlassTie said:

A related question: which LD route is the best to book a room on, or does it matter?

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I no longer ride overnight in Coach due to my age and health, but have in the past all over the world.If the Sleepers are too expensive, I Fly or don't go!
If you can only pick one Route to ride in a Sleeping Car, go for the Coast Starlight from LAX to Seattle which includes the Pacific Parlor Car ( most trips).

I've done coach once for one night, on the Crescent from New Orleans to New York City. Never again! I prefer Roomettes or Bedrooms.

I agree with Bob Dylan: The Sleeping Car including the Pacific Parlor Car on the Coast Starlight is pretty good. I enjoyed it very much.

I do NYC-Atlanta once a year. Always did it by coach, and I turn 49 this month. Never had a great deal of trouble with it (and I typically have about 90+ pounds of baggage with me). Then again, I also do a NYC-Montreal trip by Greyhound once a year, so maybe that keeps things in perspective for me. Also, I've sat down in a Roomette (NTD display), and I think I still prefer haviing a reclining seat

As input to the OP's question, my experience is probably a moot point given the majority of other responses.

---PCJ

The rule here is 5 hours or less in coach and beyond that a bedroom. On our planned trip to OMA next spring, we have bedrooms (both ways) booked on the CL, a roomette from CHI-OMA on the CZ and a Bedroom back on the CZ to CHI. CHI to OMA is 9 hours and its always good to have the beds in case we need to rest up a bit. The CZ pulls into OMA from CHI around 11 PM and leaves back for CHI at 5:15 AM. If it were a 9-5 run we may have taken coach but at those ungodly hours a room offers more comfort for middle age folks.

RailRide said:

I do NYC-Atlanta once a year. Always did it by coach, and I turn 49 this month. Never had a great deal of trouble with it (and I typically have about 90+ pounds of baggage with me). Then again, I also do a NYC-Montreal trip by Greyhound once a year, so maybe that keeps things in perspective for me. Also, I've sat down in a Roomette (NTD display), and I think I still prefer haviing a reclining seat

As input to the OP's question, my experience is probably a moot point given the majority of other responses.

---PCJ

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HInt, you can recline the roomette seats - still probably not as comfortable as the coach seats, but it's doable.

I've done both coach and sleeper. There are two big unknowns in coach: 1) who's going to be in the seat next to you and 2) how well the restrooms are maintained. If you're willing to take the luck of the draw, coach can be fine. I find it's easier to wear a light jacket with a hood than to bring a blanket.

I go to Jersey on the train from NO, I enjoy the sleepers and must lay my body down flat as I am older. I do coach to ATL sometimes,but I now know I probably can't do that as you don't know who will sit behind you. Coming back this year I had a little kid behind me messing with my head,hair and seat and his mom was on the cell phone. Thank goodness they were not on for very long. I tried the roomette and was kinda cramped,but maybe it was because I was supposed to go alone and my friend came along and decided to bring a lot of luggage. I love having my own bathroom and sleeping on the top bunk is awesome,Just can't get used to the toilet being next to my seat in the roomette.

PDX-WFH: Coach. Not worth the extra dollars (and no diner on the PDX leg). PDX-LAX: have done coach, might do again but sleeper is much preferable. If you cannot handle "interesting people" go sleeper and lock yourself in the compartment.

I've done overnights in coach before. I don't mind it, though my significant other has a hard time getting a good night's rest in coach. If it was just me traveling, I'd do a single overnight in coach again, but any more nights than that if I don't get a roomette I'll just fly unless the train is significantly cheaper. I could probably sleep two overnights in coach (I've done it before and didn't mind it) but at two overnights a flight is significantly faster. I'd rather pay for the roomette if I want the train to be part of the journey, and by two overnights the train is definitely considered as part of the vacation instead of just being the method of travel to the destination. With my significant other along, it'd be unlikely we'd do any overnight in coach, though if need be we might do it as long as there's plenty of resting time at the destination.

I get a sleeper for anything overnight and for long day trips (chicago to Omaha, chicago to St. Paul) because after I eat in the diner, which I would do anyways, I'm only spending $50-70 more for a private room plus I have acess to any first class lounges and priorty boarding. To me, that's easily worth it.

On my last trip, 5 consecutive nights on an Amtrak long distance train, I did the first 2 nights in coach, a night in a sleeper, and then 2 more nights in coach.

I slept good enough to be sufficiently rested the entire trip.

GBB - LAX - ALP - CHI.

I usually ride the California Zephyr OTM to DEN (DEN - OTM) in coach . I book a sleeper from DEN to SAC (SAC DEN).

I typically travel coach overnight. And, while a Roomette is certainly more comfortable (especially on a two night trip) coach is do-able to save on costs. Plus, I like the camaraderie which evolves among fellow travelers. But, admittedly, my sleep is usually sub par. If I manage to get two seats together to stretch out upon, that definitely helps. And I've slept in Superliner lounges.

At our age (70s), sleeper is a must when overnighting.

I will usually observe the 5 hour rule for a maximum in coach; I think that's a good line of demarcation. As with others, I can't sleep well in coach (if at all) and I don't sleep well on trains--or planes, for that matter--to begin with. So having sleeper accommodations is a must. Plus, when I'm ensconced in a roomette (or on very rare occasion, a bedroom & up), I feel like a bug in a cocoon. It's totally relaxing with just me and my thoughts. [Even more so, when I recline the seats as Amtrak Blue suggested, enabling me to put my feet up for stretches at a time.]

I concur with the "interesting people" comment regarding coach travel. On a trip from EMY to FMG a couple of years ago, I was in coach from DEN to FMG and I was panhandled by my seatmate. I couldn't have assisted him if I wanted to, as I didn't have any cash on me at that point, but it made for a slightly uncomfortable trip, even though short. It reminded me of why I travel in sleepers to begin with.

When I was young and broke, riding on a 14-day $150 USA Railpass, it was coach coast-to-coast and everywhere in between. I survived. Some trips I even thrived! Those were the days of Heritage cars and Vista Domes!

Then the Railpass disappeared, and my income increased. But mostly, I got OLD. Coach is for hearty young people, and if I couldn't afford a sleeper at my age I'd stay off LD trains. With apologies to anyone of any age who has no choice.