I spent $500 to have my own room on a 30-hour Amtrak ride. Take a look inside the 20-square-foot private cabin.

Before I'd spent roughly 200 hours on overnight trains in the US and Europe, I had no idea what to expect on the 30-hour journey from New York City to Miami in October 2021.

It was my first overnight Amtrak trip, and I was set on having a bed in a private space. So I spent $500 on a roomette accommodation — the lowest-tier private cabin on Amtrak sleeper trains.

The 22.75-square-foot cabin contained two beds, a toilet, and basic amenities. Thanks to clever storage hacks, it felt like a tiny hotel room with no unused space.

I walked down a narrow corridor through three sleeper cars to my private room.

Inside the enclosed space with a sliding door, I found two seats that could pull out into a bed, a table, and a bed above the seats that pulled down.

I thought this was a big step up from sitting in coach, where you get one train seat and sit with other passengers.

Across from the window was a sliding door with a lock and curtains for privacy.

I spotted clever storage features that reminded me of a tiny home, like a pullout table between the chairs.

The table also had two foldout leaves for more counter space. This feature came in handy to work on my laptop.

In some roomettes — mine included — a side table swings open to reveal a hidden toilet. Above it, I had a folding sink and mirror.

With no privacy curtain around the toilet, I was grateful to be a solo traveler.

It's worth noting that Amtrak is filtering out toilets in the roomettes, so you're less likely to find one today.