I took my first long-distance Amtrak trip. Here are 10 things that surprised me.

• I took Amtrak from Miami to Tampa for my first-ever train trip.
• Compared to air and car travel, my long-distance train ride was neither cheaper nor faster.
• There was more waiting than I expected, but I also experienced some surprising perks.

I wasn’t limited to my seat, and exploring the train was one of my favorite parts.

With each table having its own white tablecloth and rose bouquet, I almost forgot that I was moving at nearly 80 miles per hour during my meal.

However, the food options in coach and first class weren’t all that different during my trip.

Unfortunately, the train I’d booked a first-class ticket for was five hours delayed. By the time I boarded at Tampa, which was at the latter end of the train’s Chicago-to-Miami route, its complimentary first-class food options had run out.

While I was expecting a three-course dinner with options like steak or roasted salmon, we were instead offered a turkey sub, a ham sandwich, or a cheeseburger, offerings I recognized from my previous travel in coach.

While I expected fancier menu options, the cheeseburger I ordered came out looking (and probably tasting) much nicer than the microwaved version offered in the café car. It had toppings like lettuce, tomato, and pickles, and had a side of kettle chips.

I know my experience wasn’t typical and that the route was affected by mechanical and timing difficulties, and I received an apology email from Amtrak. I still enjoyed the food that was served, even if it wasn’t the three-course steak dinner I had expected.

Amtrak did not reply to a request for further comment.

Overall, traveling by train felt more like an experience in itself than just a way to get around.

Even with all its delays, inefficiencies, and dwindling food options, traveling by train gave me a more fulfilling and enriching experience than I expected.

From looking out the window at new rural landscapes to experiencing school-cafeteria-style communal eating, my train journeys felt more like experiences in their own right rather than simply a way of getting from point A to point B.