Background: I took the Amtrak train, the Southwest Chief, from Chicago to Albuquerque in April 2026. I am a 30 year old single / solo female with lots of experience solo traveling but no experience on a train. I tried to do my best to research what I could before the trip but found some things (like how far the seats reclined and what they looked like) difficult to nail down before I left.
Here are 10 things I wish I knew before my first Amtrak trip as a single female:
1. What bags to bring and where to put them: I brought one carry on sized suitcase, one oversized-ish tote bag (about the length and height of a laptop computer but about 6-8 inches wide), and a small insulated lunchbox and fanny pack (both fit inside the tote bag). Each train cart has two levels. In coach, you enter on the lower level and will immediately see space that will serve as a space you can put your suitcase. I chose to put my carry on suitcase here as there was nothing in it I would need to access during the ride. You will then walk up some stairs and find your seat and this part is much like an airplane. There is overhead storage above your coach seat but there are not doors that cover this space like on an airplane. Your carry on suitcase could fit here as well. I intentionally kept everything I would need in the tote bag which fit perfectly under the seat in front of me, again like an airplane. A backpack would fit under here, too. I had an option to bring one more carry on (you are allowed two carry ons AND an under-seat personal item) and if I did it again, I would probably bring a backpack instead of the tote and also a small cooler on wheels for snacks and meals.
2. Essentials for the “cabin” (These are some things I found essential for a comfortable ride along with things I realized would have made my trip better): change of clothes, toothbrush/toothpaste, hair accessories like bobby pins and pony tails, eyeglass cleaning cloth, book light (one of my best investments!), games/cards for friends you brought or friends you’ll meet (the train is not too shaky for games), a craft (sewing project, notebook/journal, although a little too shaky for watercolors, I still would bring my watercolor set next time and just know it’ll be an “abstract” piece 😂) , and Clorox wipes (the train is not very clean, I would say it’s one of the biggest cons. I would have felt more comfortable if I were able to wipe down a few spots here or there). Note specific sleeping essentials will be found under #4.
3. Seats: I had a really hard time understanding what the seats were actually going to look like in advance of my trip and therefore felt a little anxious about how well I’d sleep. It is true that there is much more space on the Amtrak than an airplane. On my train, there were only two seats on each side of a row. I am a 5’5” woman and when I sit my back directly against the back of the chair and stick my legs out, I am still not able to touch the seat in front of me. There are footrests both on your chair and on the back of the chair in front of you that make extending your legs very comfortable. The seats recline at probably a 45 degree angle, much more than an airplane but honestly it was still not enough for me personally to feel comfortable sleeping. I did feel like I was in a reclined chair but it in no way resembled laying flat. Windows are much larger than planes but you still have the option to shade them with a curtain. I spent almost no time in my seat other than sleeping (only because I enjoyed being in the observation car a lot). Generally fairly comfortable. See #11 for what to do if you get seated next to someone you’re not comfortable with.
4. Sleeping tips, experience and essentials: I highly recommend earplugs, eye mask, a neck ring AND a pillow/blanket combo. I have a travel pillow that unzips and holds a blanket and an inflatable pillow inside. Use as a pillow or unzip and take the blanket out, inflate the small inflatable pillow also found inside then put back in the pillow insert and zip it closed. Here is a link to the one I have: (https://a.co/d/05Gimm0f) I thought this would be enough but found I would have been substantially more comfortable if I also brought my U-shaped neck pillow. Now is where the fanny pack really comes in handy, too. I kept everything valuable in my fanny pack (that I mostly kept stuffed in my tote bag) but at night or when I was moving around the train, I kept it attached to me. This enhanced my sense of safety and security on the train. On my train, everyone was able to have a row to themselves for sleeping both to and from Albuquerque. This made sleeping much more comfortable. I did not find it comfortable to sleep sitting in the reclined seat with my legs extended. I didn’t feel like I was lying flat enough to be comfortable but possibly would have been better with a U shaped neck pillow. The best I found was reclining both seats and foot rests and laying down sideways on both of them, pretty curled up. This was fairly comfortable but I did wake up throughout the night with some uncommon hip pain, obviously due to the way I was laying. I woke up once every few hours and then pretty early morning. The train makes silent stops throughout the night but no noise was every really why I woke up, just general lack of comfort. I would do this again but not sure I’d ever opt for a train ride more than one overnight long due to the lack of quality sleep.
5. Snacks: I saw a man use a small cooler on wheels as one of his carry on items and I thought this was ingenious. The food in the cafe (if you’re trying to avoid dining car costs - Breakfast $20, lunch $25, dinner $45) was alright and fairly affordable however the cooler is a great option for better meal. The salads were okay and I liked the vegan burger; the mac and cheese I had had a pretty bad freezer burn taste on it. Here are some snacks ideas to supplement any additional food you may buy onboard: water bottle (you can refill on the train in the observation car), mini cucumbers, apples, fruit pouches with chia seeds, chickpea flavored snacks, mixed nuts, oranges, chips and sparkling water (a very nice treat to have on board!). I also brought tea (sleepy time and caffeinated) and the cafe car attendant was able to give me some hot water in a cup for free.
6. Layout of train: During my journey on The Southwest Chief, the layout of the train was as follows. The very last two to three train cars were coach seating. The lower level of each of these cars held luggage, bathrooms and some seating but I think may cost extra. Peak around at several of the bathrooms in these lower levels if you are coach; there are several sized bathrooms including a changing room. I didn’t realize this at first because all of the doors were closed. The next car is the observation car; the upper level is seating that faces the almost completely windowed walls of the train. This seating contains a variety of options including chairs and booth style seating with tables. The lower level of this car is the cafe which features more booth style seating with tables and this is where you can find cheaper snacks, meals and drinks while on board. Some people thought it was pricey but I thought compared to airplane food it was affordable. You can find the menu for the cafe car on the Amtrak website or here: https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/menus/national/national-cafe-menu.pdf. The next car (working towards the front) is the dining car where higher end meals are served for a higher end price with more booth seating. I didn’t see what was in the cars beyond this cart; I believe that is where private rooms and sleepers are housed.
7. Bathrooms: Most of the bathrooms are very small; probably smaller than airplane bathrooms. They aren’t really cleaned through the duration of the trip and although not horribly dirty, I also wouldn’t call them clean. They do have running water and always were stocked with TP and paper towels. During my first trip, I wore wide legged sweatpants and this was a mistake! There wasn’t really an easy way to not have them drag on the floor while using the restroom and I quickly realized I would prioritize wearing pants on future trips that had tight fitting bottoms; whether leggings, sweatpants that pinched at the legs, etc. The bathrooms are fairly old and outdated which honestly add to the unpleasantness. They weren’t horrific but it certainly wasn’t my favorite place to be.
8. Watch a YouTube video beforehand of your exact route. My friend suggested looking up the exact train I would be on (I.e. The Southwest Chief) on YouTube before I left to get a better idea of what to expect. I found this to be a really helpful suggestion as there are many different videos of every route of Amtrak train. I also made a Youtube video on my ride home that may add more context to this post: https://youtu.be/mqMAbq-kXuk?si=7bsqpI3moa9duZyv
9. Observation Car: People can be fairly conversational in the observation cart so if you’re looking to connect, this is a good place to go. Very soon in my trip I connected with two older women who taught me how to quilt, shared snacks with me, and invited me to play games with them. We ended up spending most of my entire first trip hanging out together! I also noticed other solo travelers connecting in wholesome ways in the observation car.
10. Safety / Security / Kindness: One thing I noticed throughout my trip that I did not expect was the general friendliness and kindness of the staff and riders alike. Every staff member I talked to was not only helpful but also very calm and kind. Most were friendly, funny, and interested in engaging in enjoyable conversation. I also had this experience with many riders. I didn’t experience grumpy passengers or if I did, I didn’t notice them because most people seemed to be either sleeping or enjoying their trip. Because of all of this, I felt almost completely safe and secure on the Amtrak. I was warned there would be some “characters” and there were but if you focus on the 97 - 99% of people who are just enjoying the ride, all will be well.
(Bonus): Talk to a staff member if someone has made you uncomfortable: Full disclosure, on my very first trip I was seated next to another solo male traveler. It was immediately obvious to me that he was intoxicated, had bad boundaries, and was trying to hit on me. At one point in my life this could have really soured my experience but I decided to be proactive and seek out one of the train attendants. I was planning on sitting in the observation car for most of my trip anyway but my biggest concern was the overnight trip and being in a position where I would have to sleep next to this man (much less any man at all). I finally had one of the attendants walk passed me in the observation car and I asked them if I could speak with them. I told them as a single female traveling alone I didn’t feel comfortable being seated next to a man overnight. The attendant was very understanding and made a point several times to communicate that I would be moved to my own row for overnight travel. I did not fully disclose that this man was drunk and doing other things that made me uncomfortable but on my way home I again sought out an attendant and out of an abundance of caution told them about my experience on the first train; asking that I would please be placed next to a female overnight. The attendant assured me that it was very important to communicate if someone was making me uncomfortable and that they would never expect a passenger to stay in a seating situation that made them uncomfortable. All this to say, if something happens while you are traveling alone that you don’t like, please have the courage to speak up for yourself so the very friendly and kind staff can find something more safe and comfortable for you!
PROS / CONS:
I found the overall pros of traveling by train vs. air to be the following: It was very relaxing especially compared to airplanes. I loved the opportunity to spend a whole day not really doing anything but read, write, craft, chat and look out the window. The people and the general air of friendliness and openness to conversation. It felt very safe. It is more environmentally friendly than air and car travel (which was the main reason I tested out this way of transportation). It was a fun experience in itself!
I found the overall cons of traveling by train to be the following: The general cleanliness was a turnoff but not enough that I wouldn’t do it again. Coach is not the most comfortable sleeping arrangement. The tiny bathrooms were not fun. Lastly, on my ride home, for some reason the coach car I was in specifically started to smell strange. I never addressed it with anyone but I did not go back and sit in there because the smell was bad. Not sure how often this happens, but definitely could turn people off if that was a regular issue/occurrence.
Others please feel free to add and share thoughts that may complement or offer more details into these points specifically if experiences may be different on different train lines (ex. The Southwest Chief vs. The Hiawatha). Wishing you happy, safe and more environmentally sustainable travels!
***Update after posting: I learned in the comments that trains have “Cars” not “Carts”. Oops. Also, lower level seating in Coach is also just Coach.