What’s your favorite seat and sleeping car space on Amtrak

[SouthernRailway]

Thought this might be interesting:

My favorite seats on Amtrak are:

1. Single seat in first class on Acela (seat is both aisle and window).

2. End-of-car seat on Amfleet, with tons and tons of legroom.

My favorite sleeping car space is the upper bunk (the light from the hallway doesn’t keep you up).

What are yours?

[ThirdRail7]

As far as sleepers and seats alike, I prefer something in towards the middle of the car towards the end of the consist.

[Greg Moore]

Hmm, Acela - yes, 1st class single seat, ideally facing forward.
After that, strangely Amfleet 1 regular class, but by myself. You'd think Amfleet 2, but except for sleeping, the tray table isn't in a great place.
And last time I round Acela Business class, I found the seat uncomfortable and the environment a bit sterile. I find Amfleets a bit cozier. But I could be convinced to change my mind on these.

After that:
Superliner Bedroom (or if the option like we did last summer, travelling with family, Bedroom Suite!)
ViewLiner Bedroom
Viewliner Roomette, upper bunk. For business travel, this is great, I have a 2nd floor bedroom over my 'office'
Superliner Roomette (upper level, lower bunk - only for the window access and extra hedroom). As a caver I don't mind the upper bunk TOO much, but I miss the window. And I like the swaying in both cases. I tend to get better sleep. I often wake up when the a Superliner/Viewliner stop.

Oh as an extra - Superliner Lounge looking out over the California coast!

[Wash]

Coach- In the cafe car, peppering the crew with questions . In all seriousness, I usually travel with a lot of large luggage, so I prefer seats towards the very ends of the coaches so I don't have to lift anything into the storage racks (Of course, I move if a wheelchair user or other passenger with mobility challenges needs the seats). If the train is empty enough, I just leave my luggage there and go find a seat near whichever passenger I end up talking with. There's always at least one interesting person on your train.

Sleeper- Viewliner upper bunk all the way. As others have said, you get a window to look out of, don't a faceful of bright light all night and there aren't any climate control nozzles blowing in your face. Also, you get to use the lower seats for additional bag storage if you're traveling alone.

[electricron]

I do not have a favorite seat, I would prefer a roomette over any seat. I prefer a "bottom bunk" of any bedroom on a Superliner's top deck, they are all great! Bedrooms are better than roomettes for more reasons than just being larger. They have their own showers and toilets, can have un-obstructed view out on both sides of the train from the sofa (admittingly through the passageway on one side). And yes I believe having a sofa during the day is a huge plus. But I would rather have a top bunk on a Viewliner over a Superliner because of the extra window when stuck having the top bunk.

[Tadman]

Regarding sleeper, some of my best rides have been when the algorithm sees cheaper bedroom than Roomette. I've had one ride to DC and one to New Orleans solo in a bedroom. There's almost enough space to do the Risky Business dancing scene...

Otherwise in sleeper I shoot for center of wheelbase and the second or third car. Being outside the trucks results in bounciness. First sleeper, especially on Eagle or City, is a loud ride. That said I have found that two scotches and some earplugs completely changes a ride in sleeper. Just make sure you know when to wake up.

As for coach, I sit as close to center as possible, facing forward if possible but no big deal, and the only way I sit in a 4-seat is if there's a table. Otherwise I'm hardcore 2-seat.

In business class, I prefer a seat alone unless I know the train is going to be very empty and I can have a 2-seat by myself. Having a 2-seat to myself is great. I can gauge the reality of getting a 2-seat to myself by doing a few checks of business ticket availability right before boarding.

Finally, a few route-specific seats. Hudson view on Empire Service, Pacific View on Surfliner (which is confusing because a southbound train faces north at LAUPT), Mississippi view on the Builder. If you can figure out where the Hiawatha conductors are magically going to open the doors at your stop, try to aim for those seats.

Also I assume many subway and commuter train rides have a seat near their friends. When I rode CTA daily, I knew where the stairs up/down from the platform were at my destination, and I found seats nearest. On South Shore, I'm usually in the first car, right side, aft end of car. East of Gary they only open a few doors at smaller stops.