How I did it: Basically you just have to pay.  A sleeper on Amtrak is in addition to the regular fare, and the prices can fluctuate up and down quite a bit, but it's about $400.  They treat you real nice, you get extras besides the bed like champagne when you first get on and all your meals free.  There's an attendant, too, who comes by occasionally.  The space is tiny but well designed, make sure if you have a bag that you want with you in the sleeper that it's SMALL.  There was plenty of storage elsewhere for bigger suitcases.

Lessons & tips: A sleeper costs the same from New York to Chicago (one night) and from Chicago to Portland (three nights) so spend your money wisely.  They have even bigger rooms if you have more than 2 people, that cost of course way more money.    My friend who has lots of physical health problems said she never needed any special accommodations, she only had to go up the stairs at the start of the trip and down them at the end, everything is on the upper part of the train, and she was comfortable in the regular room and bathroom, she didn't need the accessible ones.  They do have them, though, if you use a wheelchair on the train, and they'll bring your meals to you if you can't go to them.

Oct 17, 2011, 08:38AM PDT | 0 comments | 5 cheers