I took a 15-hour Amtrak train from Colorado to Utah. Here’s how I spent every hour, from boarding to bedtime.

Sleeper trains can be many things — comfy, cramped, awe-inspiring, mundane, isolating, social, luxurious, and hardly bearable.

I’ve spent nearly 200 hours traveling 6,400 miles on overnight trains in the US and Europe, and I’ve fallen in love with it.

I prefer long-distance trains over any other form of travel because, unlike most things in my life, they force me to be still and enjoy the view. And even the most insufferable nights on the rails have helped me truly appreciate the great rides, like the one I took on a frosty day in January 2025.

I boarded an Amtrak in Denver for a 15-hour ride to Salt Lake City...