From Business Insider · Joey Hadden · · 3m
128 hours on Amtrak: what to pack for sleeper trains
A photographer who has spent over a week on overnight Amtrak trains shares the essentials she always packs and four items she discovered make the journey better.
In brief
A photographer who has spent over a week on overnight Amtrak trains shares the essentials she always packs and four items she discovered make the journey better. Joey Hadden, who has spent 128 hours on Amtrak sleeper trains across 15 states, shares ten packing essentials that make overnight train travel more…
128 hours on the rails
Joey Hadden has spent 128 hours on Amtrak sleeper trains traveling through 15 states from the East Coast to the West. She has stayed in roomettes and bedrooms, learning what makes overnight train travel comfortable.
What roomettes and bedrooms offer
Roomettes are roughly twenty-square-foot private cabins with two seats, two beds, a table, and a sink and vanity. Bedrooms are double the size and also include a full bathroom.
Always pack comfort clothes
Hadden packs a pair of sweatpants, basketball shorts, a soft T-shirt, and undergarments in a small packing cube at the top of her suitcase for easy access during the ride.
Entertainment for dozens of hours
Hadden always packs her Nintendo Switch, loaded with games from Animal Crossing and Pokémon to BioShock and Red Dead Redemption. The portable console slides easily into tight spaces in her bag.
A journal for solo travel thoughts
Hadden travels solo on overnight trains and uses the time to journal. The ever-changing view out the window provides constant inspiration for writing out her thoughts uninterrupted.
Two cameras for visual overload
Hadden brings two cameras on overnight trains to avoid phone battery and storage limits. She prefers manual control and multiple lenses to capture the distinctive train interiors and ever-changing landscapes.
Noise-canceling headphones required
Every overnight Amtrak train begins with an announcement requesting passengers use headphones even in closed sleeper cabins. Hadden uses them to watch TV, take calls, and listen to music and podcasts.
Skincare makes tiny rooms feel like home
Amtrak roomettes and bedrooms have a sink and vanity. Bedrooms include a full bathroom while roomette passengers access shared toilets and showers. Replicating her skincare routine makes Hadden feel more at home.
Waterproof clogs for shared showers
After her first overnight ride, Hadden started packing Crocs for train showers. She recommends them over flip-flops, especially in winter, because they slip on easily each time she leaves her room.
“I don't have the right shoes for this.”
Motion sickness medicine changed everything
Hadden's first two overnight rides from New York City to Miami and back were thirty-hour trips.Without Dramamine, she felt woozy and couldn't relax.
“There is nothing comfortable, easy, or enjoyable about motion sickness.”
Slippers add luxury to long rides
On the fifty-three-hour California Zephyr from Chicago to Emeryville, California, Hadden packed padded Muji slippers. They were thin enough to fit in her full bag and made her two-night stay feel luxurious.
Binoculars for closer landscape views
On the California Zephyr, Hadden thought at least a dozen times about wanting a closer view of passing landscapes through forested mountains, deserts, and canyons.
“I want a closer view of the passing landscapes.”
The takeaway
Joey Hadden, who has spent 128 hours on Amtrak sleeper trains across 15 states, shares ten packing essentials that make overnight train travel more comfortable and enjoyable.
