I paid $180 to sit in business class on a 9-hour Amtrak ride from Rochester to NYC. Next time, I'll stick to coach.

I took an Amtrak train to upstate New York.

Samantha Pettyjohn/Business Insider

In May of 2025, I was feeling a little stir crazy in New York City. I decided to take a quick break from the city's hustle and bustle to check out life upstate in Rochester, New York.Rather than schlepping to the airport, I took a more relaxing mode of transportation: an Amtrak train. I'm not an Amtrak newbie, but the ride upstate would be my longest to date. My journey to Rochester was scheduled to take seven hours, and the return was nine hours.As I prepared to book my tickets, I thought about all the hype I'd heard about business- and first-class experiences and wondered whether an upgrade would make the long ride more comfortable.I decided to check out both. I bought a coach ticket for my journey to Rochester and a business-class seat for my return trip to see which was better.Next time, I'll save the money and stick to coach.

My journey to Rochester started bright and early at Penn Station.

I traveled from Manhattan to Rochester.