FWIW that's only true if you don't mind sitting in a coach seat for 2 days. If you want a bed, it's more expensive. And for a 2+ day train ride, you probably want a bed :-)

I would seriously consider doing it for the experience / as a vacation (I like trains), but not as a serious mode of transportation.

Am I missing something, or are you able to sleep in the coach seats?

I haven't had any issues sleeping in Amtrak coach seats the handful of times I've taken overnight train trips. I sleep much better than on airline coach. Amtrak seats recline pretty far and have much larger pitch than airline coach seats. It's quite comfortable for a single night, really.

Interesting; thanks for your reply. I guess I'm doomed to airplanes for work travel; I can't justify the added expense and time of the sleeper cars, and can't sleep in the coach seats :(

The Amtrak multi-day sleeper car trip is not the romantic experience you are imagining. It is one of mechanical breakdowns, unexplained delays, and reaching your destination hours if not days late.

The actual beds aren't bad though, and the dining car food is decent.

It's on my list of things to do someday when the stars line up correctly, but I do fear that it's the sort of thing that seems more exciting and romantic on paper than in reality.

What was the price?

At half the cost, I get it. It's not pleasant, but there are plenty of people for whom the money is a lot more important than the time. Particularly if you're not currently employed, for example.

I'm curious, how much did you pay? I do ORD-->SFO around monthly, and I've never paid more than $150 roundtrip. Amtrak is super expensive by comparison