I took the longest train ride in the US. 6 things surprised me about the 53-hour adventure across the country.

8 hours ago 9

The author sits in an Amtrak bedroom with a mirror on the left back wall and a window on the right

I took a 53-hour train from Chicago to Emeryville, California, aboard Amtrak's California Zephyr.
For $2,200, I booked a 50-square-foot bedroom accommodation, and my ticket included meals.
From the train station to the room amenities, six aspects of the trip were delightfully surprising.

I'd ridden the California Zephyr once before, but only for 15 hours. This time, I was in for the full 53-hour ride.

The California Zephyr is an Amtrak sleeper train that travels from Chicago to Emeryville, California. It's also the longest continuous train ride in the US.

In January 2025, I took the California Zephyr for the first time from Denver to Salt Lake City and stayed in a $400 roomette accommodation.

It was a stunning trip, from the Rocky Mountains to the red rocks in Utah. I enjoyed the journey, but I'd only experienced a portion of it. As an avid overnight Amtrak rider, I knew someday I'd take the full route.

That day came in February 2026. This time, I booked a $2,200 bedroom accommodation, which is larger than a roomette and includes a full bathroom. The trip from Illinois to California was full of unexpected delights.

When I entered the train station to begin my journey, it felt like I'd stepped into Europe.

A composite image of the exterior and interior of Union Station in Chicago

My adventure began at Union Station in Chicago. Unlike the modern Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station in my home city, New York, Union Station made me feel like I'd been transported to Europe.

I was stunned when I stepped inside the building. Towering pillars, marble floors, and intricate moldings reminded me of stations I've traveled through in Rome and Milan. It was a marvelous surprise to be in awe during the first moments of my cross-country adventure.

I got my dinner reservation before I even boarded the train.

Booking a sleeping accommodation on an Amtrak train comes with many perks, including lounge access at stations that have them. Lucky for me, there's an Amtrak Metropolitan lounge in Chicago's Union Station.

Sleeper cabin tickets also come with meals on board, which passengers can eat in the dining car or in their rooms. On all of the overnight Amtrak trains I'd taken previously, an attendant came by to schedule my first meal once on board, providing available times for me to choose from.

So I was surprised when an attendant approached me while I was sitting in the lounge to make my dinner reservation.

This may seem like an insignificant detail of my trip, but establishing dinner plans before boarding allowed me to settle into my room with a more relaxed mindset.

I knew my room had a full bathroom, but I didn't expect the train line to offer amenities like a hotel.

A composite image of a shower above a toilet and toiletries on the wall in an Amtrak bathroom

If you can ignore the tight space (and the toilet inches from the showerhead), my en suite bathroom may seem no different than the one in the last hotel room you booked.

It was stocked with neatly tucked and cleverly stored towels. Full-sized bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and bodywash hung from the wall (above the toilet). And the water got as hot as you could want.

I was surprised I preferred the top bunk.

The author lies smiling in the top bunk in the Amtrak bedroom

The last time I slept in the top bunk on a sleeper train was during my first overnight Amtrak ride in 2021, and I didn't get much rest. I wasn't used to the bumpy rails, and the upper cot felt shakier than the one below. I felt anxious throughout the night as I drifted in and out of sleep.

Back then, I thought I'd never climb up to a top train bunk again. But that was five years ago, and I'd taken several overnight rides since. So, because I had two nights on the California Zephyr, I decided to give the upper cot another shot. I spent one night in each bunk so I could compare the two.

To my surprise, I ended up preferring the top bunk. I've gotten used to the movement of trains. Now, the bumps rock me to sleep. I also appreciated having both a bed and a couch in my room while in the top bunk, as the couch pulled out to serve as the lower bunk.

I'm still baffled that I didn't get bored.

The author sits in an Amtrak bedroom holding a red book while looking out a window on the left

Don't get me wrong here — I made great strides to avoid boredom on this train. I packed plenty of activities and organized my time. But I didn't think I'd actually manage to keep myself entertained for all waking hours of the longest train ride in the country. And I'm pretty proud of myself for doing so.

I read and played video games while listening to podcasts. I looked out the window and took hundreds of photos. I journaled and worked on my laptop while listening to music, and I watched the comfort shows I downloaded on my phone. (I also packed a ukulele, which turned out to be a mistake I'll avoid in the future.)

And before I knew it, the journey was over.

I was surprised to find that most of the passengers I spoke with had never been on an overnight train before.

An outdoor train platform with a line of travelers walking on the left and a train on the right

I was hoping to run into some seasoned overnight rail riders aboard the train. I loved the idea of swapping travel stories and tips we'd learned along the way.

I talked to about a dozen passengers during my trip, and only one had been on overnight Amtrak trains before. So I didn't quite make the connections I expected on the California Zephyr, but talking to first-timers made me feel equally fulfilled.

I could relate to them by recalling my first overnight Amtrak trip five years ago. I gave them tips I didn't have back then, and I felt proud of myself for how far I've come as an Amtrak traveler by night.