A journalist who spent 53 hours travelling solo on Amtrak's longest US train route has described the journey as a uniquely immersive and restorative experience, stating she would "jump at the chance" to do it again. Joey, a reporter and musician based in New York City, took the California Zephyr from Chicago to Emeryville, California, in February 2026, having previously spent 140 hours on overnight trains across the US and Europe.
For Joey, the appeal lay in the enforced slowness and disconnect. "Although you're travelling far, there's nowhere to go as the country passes you by," she wrote. The trip provided a rare 53-hour period with no WiFi, no familiar faces, and no plans, a stark contrast to the "hustle energy" of her daily life in New York.
The Case for Splurging on a Bedroom
The California Zephyr offers coach seating and sleeping accommodations, including roomettes and larger bedrooms. Joey booked a bedroom for $2,200, a decision she deemed "worth it" for a journey of this length. The bedroom, approximately twice the size of a roomette, provided ample space and included a full, private bathroom with a shower, significantly enhancing comfort over shared facilities. "After experiencing this ride in a bedroom, there's no way I wouldn't splurge on it for my next trip," she concluded.
Surprisingly Good Meals and Forced Socialising
Meals are included with sleeping accommodation tickets. Joey reported being "impressed by how good the food was," with a changing menu for each service. Highlights included French toast, a Caesar salad with grilled chicken, and a flat iron steak, with a coconut shrimp appetizer named as her favourite dish. The variety left her wanting to return to try other options, such as the grilled patty melt and breakfast quesadilla.
Socially, the experience reminded her of "the first two nights in a freshman dorm." Communal dining, where Amtrak seats four strangers together, facilitated conversations. "Nothing gets you talking to people you don't know like sitting across from them while you wait for your food," she noted, adding she enjoyed the chance to practice social skills and would welcome meeting a new group of travellers on a future trip.
An Unmatched Tour of Western Landscapes
The most compelling reason to take the journey, according to Joey, is the scenery. The route offers a continuous, immersive view of the American West, passing through plains, the Rocky Mountains, and deserts. She observed snow-capped forests, red canyons, alpine lakes, and waterfalls. "There's no other way to see all of these defining landscapes of the American West in just two days," she stated, already planning a return visit to see the landscapes in different seasons.
Ultimately, the trip was so impactful that Joey expressed a desire to share it. "If I'm fortunate enough, I'd like to take loved ones on the California Zephyr throughout my life and try to see it for the first time through their eyes," she wrote, cementing the 53-hour train ride as a repeat-worthy travel experience.