I slept in private rooms on overnight trains in the US and Europe. The experiences were completely different, but I'd book both again.

Business Insider's reporter booked overnight train rides on Nightjet and Amtrak trains.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

One was a means to an end. The other was a destination in itself. I'm talking about two overnight train journeys I took three years apart.In the fall of 2023, I spent 11 hours in a private cabin on a European sleeper train traveling from Venice to Vienna for $200. Then, in the winter of 2026, I took a 53-hour train journey from Chicago to Emeryville, California, in an Amtrak bedroom for $2,200.While I had a room to myself on both rides, my experiences on each couldn't have been more different.

First, I took an 11-hour Nightjet train from Venice to Vienna.

A Nightjet train arrives at the station.