I booked a roomette and a first-class seat on Amtrak trains. The cheaper ride was way more comfortable.

Business Insider's reporter traveled in a roomette and a first-class seat on Amtrak trains.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

When I saw how much a first-class ticket on the Amtrak Acela train cost, I had to book it.This was in September 2025. At $450 for a three-hour trip up the East Coast, it was $50 more than the private cabin I booked for a 15-hour journey from Colorado to Utah in January 2025.The steep price point would probably deter the average person. As a travel reporter and train enthusiast, though, I wanted to compare the first-class experience with a more affordable, more private overnight train.

First, I took a 15-hour train ride from Denver to Salt Lake City in a roomette for $400 in January 2025.

The author lounges in a roomette.