I upgraded my Amtrak seat to a 23-square-foot roomette for just $110. Here’s what my 15-hour train ride was like.

• I upgraded my coach seat to a private roomette on Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited for an extra $110.

• The 23-square-foot space had two seats, an in-room toilet, a foldable sink, and a tray table.

• The roomette gave me a sense of privacy, but I wouldn’t stay in one with another person.

I upgraded my coach seat to a private roomette before my 15-hour trip on Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited Viewliner.

I originally planned on traveling in coach for my 15-hour trip from Cleveland, Ohio, to Pittsfield, Massachusetts, on Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited. I boarded at 1 p.m. and arrived at 4 a.m. the next morning

I’ve enjoyed traveling in this section of the train during past trips. Coach tickets are budget-friendly, the baggage allowance is generous, the seats are comfortable, and the café’ sells snacks and soda.

But on this trip, I decided to try and upgrade my ticket. Amtrak uses a bidding process called BidUp, and my $110 offer successfully bumped me from coach to a private roomette that measured about 23 square feet.

Here’s what it was like.

Amtrak passengers can place bids to upgrade their tickets, and my $110 offer scored me a roomette.

I upgraded my ticket through Amtrak’s BidUp program. About 37 hours before my trip, Amtrak provided a price range for bids and asked how much I’d like to wager for an upgrade.

Since I was traveling in coach, I had the opportunity to bid on a business-class seat, a roomette, or a bedroom.

After wagering $110, the minimum bid I could place on a roomette, I waited a few hours before receiving an email informing me that Amtrak had accepted it and upgraded my ticket.

Including the $110 I paid for the upgrade, I spent a total of $226 on my trip. If I’d booked a roomette initially instead of upgrading to one, I would’ve likely paid over $500.

The level of service in the sleeping car was exceptional.

Before I boarded the train, an Amtrak employee asked if I was traveling in a sleeping-car accommodation, checked my last name to verify that I was the passenger he was looking for, and led me to a roomette.

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The service remained wonderful throughout the rest of the journey, in part because each roomette on Amtrak trains has its own dedicated sleeping-car attendant.

While settling into my room in the sleeping car, the attendant assigned to my roomette walked over and informed me that breakfast service was starting. I thanked him and closed the door so I could get situated and put my luggage away.

Several times throughout the trip, the same attendant came by to check in, even taking my dinner order and delivering it to my room in the evening. I appreciated his attention to detail and courteousness.

The roomette was the perfect size for a solo traveler, as the two seats could fold into a bed.

Inside my roomette, two plush seats faced each other and looked out to a big window, where I could watch the world go by.

I could’ve folded these seats into a bed or lowered the upper bed with the help of an easy-to-use lever mechanism.

Since I wasn’t intending on sleeping during my trip, I raised the bed as high as it would go. I’m pretty tall, so I wanted to give myself more space.

Above the door, there was a storage space that was big enough to fit all my luggage.

Having in-room storage was an important perk, as I could easily access my belongings whenever I wanted.

The storage space, along with the full curtains and a lock on the door, made me feel very secure and gave my roomette a sense of privacy.

It was also convenient that I could keep my items safely stored and locked in my roomette while I was eating in the dining car or wandering the train.

The in-room toilet area was tiny, and I wouldn’t want to use it with another person in the space.

The in-room toilet took some getting used to, and I wondered how using it would’ve gone if I had a companion in the roomette with me.

It was such a small setup that we’d have to take turns going for walks whenever one of us needed to use the bathroom. Or, we’d use one of the train’s public restrooms for more privacy.

The foldable sink was a good idea, but the design was far from perfect.

The sink drained as I folded it, which meant I’d spill water in the room if I wasn’t careful.

The roomette had controls that allowed me to adjust the airflow, temperature, and intercom volume.

I was surprised to find so many comfort controls inside the roomette.

I had a personal thermostat that controlled the temperature, a device that managed the airflow coming into the room, and a nob that adjusted the intercom volume. I also had ample lighting options so I could create the perfect ambiance in my roomette.

All of the controls were pretty simple to use.

Thankfully, there was a poster with operating instructions for just about every bit of furniture in my roomette. I referenced it while setting up the space and adjusting the comfort controls as the day went on.

The dining car had a retro feel, and it was only accessible to passengers staying in the sleeping car.

Around 10 a.m., I walked to the dining car, which was reserved for sleeping-car passengers.

Because I was staying in a roomette, I had a flexible-dining plan. The food and soft drinks were included in my rate, and I didn’t have to make a reservation before popping into the dining car for a meal.

The dining car had a retro design that was very inviting and felt region-specific, with patterns of hills and deer etched into the glass above each bench.

My upgraded ticket came with complimentary meals.

The complimentary food was great, so I ordered breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the train.

For breakfast, I had pancakes, sausage, and coffee. I came back to the dining car for lunch and ordered Atlantic salmon and shrimp.

I even had dinner brought to my roomette.

Later in the day, my attendant took my order and brought my dinner — braised beef and short ribs — to my roomette. I ate it on a convertible tray that I could use as a table or desk and stow away when I didn’t need it.

The upgrade was worth the extra $110, but I wouldn’t stay in this accommodation with another person.

Even though Amtrak roomettes accommodate two people, I’d be hesitant to book one if I was traveling with a companion I didn’t know well. The space would probably feel too small with another person in there.

However, staying in a roomette for my all-day solo train ride was worth the upgrade.

The quality of the complimentary meals exceeded my expectations, and the roomette was a great size for one passenger. Plus, it gave me the ability to store my luggage and have some privacy during a long travel day.

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