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I spent $1,000 for a 30-hour Amtrak ride in a private bedroom. Check out the 45-square-foot space with a full bathroom.

Insider's reporter spent 30 hours in an Amtrak bedroom while traveling from Miami to New York.
Business Insider's reporter spent 30 hours in an Amtrak bedroom while traveling from Miami to New York.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

  • I spent 30 hours on an overnight Amtrak train traveling from Miami to New York City in 2021.
  • For $1,000, I booked a bedroom, which is about the size of a king-size bed with a full bathroom.
  • At around 45 square feet, my cabin made impressive use of a tiny space without feeling cramped.

In October 2021, I tucked myself into a train bunk during a 30-hour trip from Miami to NYC.

I was on an overnight Amtrak train in the 45-square-foot accommodation I booked for $1,000 β€” a bedroom.

I thought it made great use of a small space by packing in amenities without sacrificing room to stretch out and move my body for the long ride.

Follow me into the overnight train accommodation for a peek at every detail of this tiny, moving hotel room.

For 45 square feet, the Amtrak bedroom felt spacious.
The author is seen laying down in a train sleeper car
The author relaxes during a 30-hour train ride home.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

My Amtrak bedroom had a sofa that folded out into a bed, a bunk that pulled down from the ceiling, and a chair that folded up out of the way.

Two wide windows and a full-length wall mirror made the space feel bigger. And even with all the furniture and amenities, there was enough floor space to stand up and stretch my limbs between hours of sitting.

Between seats, a table with folded leaves pulled out from the wall.
An aerial view of a laptop on the bedroom's pullout table
The author's laptop rests on the table.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Since I was working on my laptop sporadically throughout my trip, it was ideal to have a table that could be folded back into the wall for more space.

To the left of the sofa, there was a sink and vanity with a handful of small towels next to it.
The mirror and bathroom sink
Beneath the sink was storage for tissues and trash.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

There was a cabinet to storeΒ toiletries and other personal items, too.

There was also a private bathroom inside the bedroom with a door, shower, and toilet.
Side by side photos show the bathroom door opened and closed
The bathroom door is open (R) and closed (L).

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Only bedroom accommodations on Amtrak trains have private, full bathrooms inside, according to the train line's website.Β 

Next to the seating area, a small closet held three hangers.
Side by side photos show the bathroom closet opened and closed
The closet is open (R) and closed (L).

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

This may be especially handy for those traveling with jackets or formal clothing.

I noticed other details, like temperature controls and a button to call an attendant, who was always prompt and nice.
A close up of the thermometer, air conditioning, and attendant call button
Controls for bedroom guests.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

Another thing that surprised me was the variety of lighting options β€” more than I've seen in an economy seat on a flight.

When it was time to sleep, the sofa folded out into a bed on the bottom level, and another bunk-style bed came down from the ceiling.
The author lies on the bed looking up with the table on the left in the foreground. The curtains are closed.
The author lies on the bottom bunk when it's time for bed.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

On the top bunk, I saw more controls for air conditioning and lights and a small storage pouch.

My ticket came with meals ordered from a separate menu for passengers staying in a bedroom.
The author sits in the dining car with her meal
The author and her favorite meal.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I liked the braised short ribs meal with mashed potatoes and a roll that I had for dinner. To make it taste even better, I made a little sandwich out of the ingredients.

The bedroom is ideal for overnight travelers since it packs many amenities into a small space while providing enough room to stretch out.
The author sits on the train and plays her Nintendo with the sun peering through the window on the left
The author plays video games on the train home to New York.

Joey Hadden/Business Insider

I recommend the Amtrak roomette for those looking for a more affordable overnight accommodation. It's half the size of a bedroom but still includes two bunks with a daytime seating arrangement. And, in my experience, it costs half the price.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Foreign visits into the U.S. fell off a cliff in March

Data: Axios analysis of U.S. Customs and Border Protection data; Chart: Erin Davis/Axios Visuals

Foreign arrivals into major U.S. airports tumbled in mid-to-late March compared to the same time last year, based on customs pass-through data.

Why it matters: The findings suggest a sudden reluctance to visit the U.S. isn't a purely Canadian phenomenonΒ and should sound alarm bells for the country's $1 trillion-plus travel industry.


Driving the news: The number of foreigners passing through customs at the 10 busiest U.S. airports fell by over 20% year over year toward late March, based on a seven-day rolling average.

  • A sight uptick followed, but the number was still down 18.4% as of March 28 versus the same time last year.
  • Compare that to the number of U.S. citizens returning to the country, which was up nearly 14% by late March from the year earlier.

Between the lines: Trade wars, a volatile economic and political climate and fears of detainment or harassment may be dissuading foreigners from visiting the U.S.

  • Several American allies, including Canada, France, Germany and others, recently issued new travel warnings or advisories about U.S. travel.
  • Some of those warnings focus on transgender and nonbinary travelers, following President Trump's recent order mandating that passports "accurately reflect the holder's sex," which his administration says is "not changeable."

What they're saying: "We're certainly starting to hear reports from international airlines about a softening of demand to the U.S.," Sean Cudahy, aviation reporter at The Points Guy, tells Axios via email.

  • "Based on some of the route cuts and overall sentiment we're hearing from airlines, I wouldn't be surprised to see the arrivals rates for international travelers drop even further in the coming weeks."

Zoom in: Some of the "divergence" between foreign arrivals and U.S. returnees (charted above) "is likely attributable to tighter immigration policy," reads a March 31 Goldman Sachs note.

  • "But the timing of the pullback in foreign arrivals β€” which emerged after tariff news escalated in both early February and early March β€” suggests that a more antagonistic policy stance by the Trump administration is contributing to a voluntary decline in visits."

Threat level: Goldman predicts a pullback in foreign tourism plus boycotts of American goods abroad will cause a "modest drag" on U.S. GDP of about 0.1%.

  • "Although small, this headwind provides an additional reason why U.S. GDP growth will likely underperform consensus expectations in 2025," reads the note.

What's next: Goldman's note predates Trump's sweeping new tariffs issued Wednesday, which stand to uproot the global economic order in unpredictable and chaotic ways.

  • If those tariffs hold, they could amplify any potential hit to U.S. travel businesses β€” but their impact remains difficult if not impossible to predict.

We asked BI's newsroom who is spending ahead of tariffs — and who is holding off

business insider newsroom
How is BI's newsroom thinking about their spending ahead of Trump's tariffs? Our reporters and editors weighed in.

Daniel Goodman

  • Trump's latest round of tariffs is expected to lead to increased consumer prices across a variety of goods.
  • We asked reporters and editors across BI's newsroom to weigh in on how they're thinking about their spending right now.
  • Some purchased items they think are likely to face price hikes. Others are holding off and avoiding the urge to use tariffs as an excuse to buy a non-essential item.

Let's get this out of the way from the jump β€” it's always best to avoid panic-buying and be strategic when making purchases.

But to get a sense of how people are weighing their spending right now, we asked reporters and editors across BI's newsroom to tell us what they're choosing to purchase right now β€” or why they're holding off β€” ahead of Donald Trump's latest round of tariffs.

For some, potential price hikes on consumer electronics out of China were the tipping point to pull the trigger on a gadget. Others purchased some extra daily consumables or said they were considering a similar move. And some said their spending habits remain unchanged.

Let's dive in:

Chief correspondent Peter Kafka: On Thursday, instead of checking out my 401(k), I bought a new MacBook Air from Apple, on their website. I have an Apple Card, so I was able to finance it at 0% APR.

It's possible Tim Cook will figure out how to get Donald Trump to exempt Apple from tariffs like he did the first time around. Maybe he won't. But either way my kid will need a new computer in the next few months, so I figured I should get one now.

I don't know when I'll look at my 401(k), though.

Editor Conz Preti: My husband and I are also stocking up on shelf-stable foods. With three kids who rip through food every week, we are keeping our pantry stocked with pasta, canned food, and baking supplies. For veggies, we are planting as much as we can (tomatoes, kale, lettuce, cucumber, peas, carrots) in our garden to offset some costs of things we can't grow, like berries and bananas that our kids love.

Trending reporter Ana Altchek: I will be taking a wait-and-see approach. I don't think it's possible to fully predict the market and prepare for possible price hikes β€” who knows how individual companies will be impacted and how they'll choose to respond? I definitely don't want to overspend in preparation for something that may or may not happen. Plus, I'd rather pay a little extra for some items I know I need in six months than overspend right now on items I may need.

Real estate reporter Alcynna Lloyd: I wear hair extensions and ordered some in case tariffs drive up prices or items stop shipping as they did during COVID-19. The wig and extension industry relies heavily on suppliers from China and other Asia-based countries, and during the pandemic, it was a nightmare to get products.

Editor Steven Tweedie: I'm ordering larger bags of cat food than I normally would since I know I'll go through it all, and it'll keep. Otherwise, I'm doing my best to resist using this as an excuse to spend on something I don't actually need, like a new Nvidia Graphics card for my PC β€” even though I'm guessing I'll end up spending more a year or two from now when I finally do upgrade.

Senior retail reporter Alex Bitter: I bought a new trench-digging shovel (made in China) on Thursday and will probably pick up another this weekend. I use them for metal detecting and want a spare or two in case one breaks.

In general, though, I'm not stocking up on much. These tariffs cover so many products that it seems like avoiding them entirely will be impossible, especially in the long run.

Editor Andy Kiersz: I bought a new gaming laptop in December. I'd been considering upgrading at some point but had originally planned to do so later in 2025. The election and subsequent threat of tariffs spurred the move. I'm actually now somewhat regretting not also replacing my still-functional but definitely showing-its-age iPhone 11.

Senior correspondent Katie Notopoulos: On Tuesday evening, I did a last-minute shop for things I thought would be most obviously sensitive to the tariffs β€” cheap fast-fashion clothing made overseas. I hit up the H&M near the BI office for three polyester shirts and a pack of socks. I placed the Old Navy order that I've had in my cart for two weeks for kids' swimsuits and summer clothes.

Finally, in a last moment of panic and extreme dopamine low, I went onto Temu and ordered a few cheap toys for a kid's upcoming birthday.

On Wednesday, talking with coworkers about how they had bought new laptops and TVs, a flash of Bad Ideas went through my mind. Did I need a new phone? (No, my iPhone 14 is working just fine.) Computer? (No, mine is working fine.) Surely, electronics will go up in price β€” perhaps now is the time to get a new Kindle? (No. Stop!)

Editor Brad Davis: I'm not buying anything special β€” and I won't! Will my stubbornness come back to bite me, like when I refused to stock up on masks in March 2020? (I really wished I had bought those masks by April of that year.)

Editor Ashley Rodriguez: I'm thinking about stocking up on diapers and wipes. My Costco stashes on both are running low. It's a tough decision because my 7-month-old has been growing so quickly that I worry she'll outgrow the diapers before I have a chance to use them all.

Reporter Alice Tecotzky: As a devoted baker, I bought an extra bottle of vanilla Thursday despite still having some left in my pantry. Much of our vanilla comes from Madagascar, which was hit with a 47% tariff, and I anticipate the already pricey product will only get more expensive (and derail my long-awaited summer baking plans).

Other than that, I'm not stockpiling too much, both because the economic future seems impossible to predict and because I don't have space in my small Brooklyn apartment.

Editor Monica Melton: When my 2020 HP laptop gave up the ghost in February, I promptly handed it over to an e-waste recycling program. Since then, I've been borrowing my husband's MacBook Pro, telling myself I'd do research on the specs and best deal for my next personal computer. While this has taken me months to get around to, given how tariffs will impact the price of consumer electronics, I feel a renewed urgency to get that laptop this weekend.

I'll likely choose a refurbished MacBook, which I reckon would hold up better than another HP. The resale market for electronics is looking a lot more appealing these days!

Senior correspondent Emily Stewart: I am … not buying anything. Not because I'm not worried about tariffs! But honestly, I do not need anything right now, and I'm trying to fight my consumerist, "What should I buy about this?" tendencies. Obviously, price increases are bad. But I don't think it's bad to take a beat and think about whether I actually need to be drowning in even more stuff, especially as I stare at the robot vacuum I panic-bought during the pandemic that I have used a handful of times and is now broken.

Editor Paige DiFiore: Earlier this week, we replaced our dying air fryer β€” it might've lasted us a few more months but we'd rather buy a new one now before prices could go up.

Now, I'm stocking up on household essentials that won't expire, like toilet paper, dishwasher pods, and laundry detergent at BJ's. My fiancΓ© and are I big coffee drinkers, so we just ordered some bags of espresso from our favorite Italian brand β€” but we can't buy too much because its shelf life is only a few months. I'm very concerned about how expensive coffee could get since it's not something the US produces on a large scale.

We're getting married this year, so I'm relieved most of my guests purchased bridal shower gifts before the tariffs were announced. I'd feel bad if items on the list, like small appliances, cost even more than they already do.

Editor Leena Rao: On Wednesday afternoon, shortly after the tariffs were announced, my husband went to the Apple Store and bought a new iPhone 16 Pro and a MacBook Pro. These weren't time-sensitive purchases, but given the potential rise in costs of hardware, we wanted to preempt any price increases.

We are in the process of leasing a new car (a Volvo) and have one on order that's supposed to arrive in the next two weeks. I don't believe the model of our car is made in the United States. I'm hopeful we won't incur any additional costs for our monthly lease price, but we won't find out until the car arrives and we officially sign the paperwork for the lease.

Editor Debbie Strong: I replaced my dishwasher last week and splurged on a slightly fancier model. The motor had broken on our old one, so this was less of a "tariff panic" purchase and more of an "I refuse to hand-wash another dish" emergency buy. Still, I'm relieved at the timing, as dishwashers have been repeatedly flagged as an item about to get way more expensive. I don't have any other plans to stock up on goods, mainly because I don't have the headspace for it right now. We'll see if that changes next time I'm at the grocery store.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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