It took me 16 hours from Portland, Oregon, to Sacramento, California.
I booked a roomette so I could have a private place to stay during my first train trip.
The room was much larger and more comfortable than I expected.
I booked a room on the train to go from Portland to Sacramento.
I traveled by train for the first time on a 16-hour trip from Portland, Oregon, to Sacramento, California, on the coast.
I booked a Superliner roomette because the majority of my first long-haul train ride was overnight.
The entry-level private accommodations that I traveled in were similar to this.
The lounge at the Portland train station is open to the public.
Portland's Union Station is home to one of the only seven Amtrak lounges in the United States.
The lounge was only open to passengers with tickets for business class, roomettes, or bedrooms. I also booked a room in the sleeping car.
An attendant greeted me at the lounge before giving me my boarding ticket and boarding time.
I was thankful that I could go to the lounge at the station.
The Union Station in Portland was built in 1896. I was thankful that I had access to the lounge at the train station.
The lounge provided a break from the crowds at the station. The temperature inside was cooler than it was outside. The lounge gave me a place to leave my luggage.
Drinks, snacks, and free wi-fi can be found in the Amtrak lounges. Coffee and small bottles of water were available, but there were no snacks in the lounge. I packed a lot of food in my bag to make sure I had everything I needed.
The signal in the lounge was not good.
The sleeping car passengers had priority boarding.
I was able to get on the Coast Starlight from the lounge. Priority boarding, thanks. The other sleeping car passengers were settled quickly.
Luis welcomed me onto the train, took my luggage, and showed me to my room.
The coach passengers boarded the train separately.
The roomettes were on the second floor.
I made my way up the stairs to my room after boarding the train.
It would've been hard to fit my suitcase and another bag in the small space that I had left. It was very difficult to pass by other passengers.
There were two seats facing each other in the roomette and a small table between them.
I was surprised by the size of the room. I was a 5-foot 2-inch solo traveler. The space didn't feel cramped and I was able to stand up.
There were two comfortable seats across from each other and a small foldable table in between them inside. It was difficult to type on an even surface because the table was too small for my laptop.
Two bottles of water and two pillows were waiting for me when I arrived at my room.
It might have been an issue if I'd been traveling with someone else.
The reading light and cabin temperature were controlled by a console next to the seat. There was a reading light, a call button, and a volume dial next to the other seat.
I thought the roomette only had one outlet, but I didn't need more. I was able to charge my phone and not use the outlet for anything else.
If I were traveling with someone else, I'd like to have more ports.
There was a closet and a mirror in the roomette.
The roomette had a small close. If I traveled with larger clothing items, I could've hung jackets or dresses from it.
I used a coat hook to hang my purse.
There is a small mirror on the wall.
I had my luggage in my room.
I packed my things in a bag that was small enough to fit under an airplane seat because I wouldn't have a lot of room in the roomette.
I packed my suitcase with clothes I didn't need until I got off the train because I thought I would have to store it downstairs.
I kept my luggage with me the whole time. I put it on the interior shelves of my roomette as a way to get to the top bunk. It fit under the seats when they were put into a bed.
I had to use a shared bathroom in the roomette.
The roomettes did not have private bathroom, sinks, and showers.
I had access to a shared bathroom in my car, which was just three doors down.
The bathroom felt like an airplane bathroom. I wish I had my own bathroom.
I was able to take in the views from the large windows of the roomette.
I took in the sites through the large windows of the observation car. The car was very crowded because the train was full.
I was grateful to be able to retreat to my private space and enjoy the scenery on my own. The large windows of the roomette were one of the best perks of staying in a private room.
The cost of eating out in a car was included in the price.
My meals were included in the price of my ticket when I booked a room in a sleeping car
The car attendant told me I could make it to lunch if I went to the dining car.
The option to have your meal delivered to your roomette was available.
There were two seats in my roomette that folded into a bed.
I asked my attendant to help me make the seats in my room into a bed after dinner.
There was an upper bunk in the roomette that made it possible for two people to fit. The bottom bed was taken because I was travelling alone.
He put the cot across the seats to make a bed. There was a warm blanket and a bottom and top sheet.
I brought my own blanket and pillow because of the negative reviews. I was surprised by the size of the pillows. The linens were very soft.
I could've traveled without my own pillows and blankets.
I was safe when I slept because the roomette door was locked.
There was no lock on the door of the room. I took my phone and wallet with me on the train, but some travelers put their own locks on their doors.
I closed the door to my room at night and the curtains were blue. I had a lot of privacy because they were held together with vechicle.
I was able to lock the roomette from the inside with the help of alatch on the door.
I went to sleep after watching a few episodes of a show.
I downloaded a few shows and movies to my account before I left my house because I didn't have internet on the train.
When I was almost ready to sleep, I turned on one of my favorite shows, even though I hadn't watched anything during the day.
I had a hard time sleeping in the roomette, but the bed was nice.
When I was horizontal, the feeling of the moving train bothered me more than when I was sitting. Lying down in bed made it feel like the train was moving fast.
I was able to take a break.
The higher price of the roomette made it worth it.
I didn't know what to expect when I boarded the train for the first time.
The privacy of a small room made me feel more secure and comfortable. I was happy that I didn't have to be in the same car as other people.
The shared restroom were clean and convenient. I didn't have to wait in line to use the train.
Luis, my sleeping car attendant, made the journey very pleasant and answered any questions I had. I didn't miss my stop in Sacramento because he checked on me to make sure I was ready to go.
The roomette was larger than I thought it would be.
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