Transportation researchers have tacitly marginalised passengers’ perceptions, experiences and emotions through a preoccupation with quantifiable and pragmatic data. We draw on autoethnographic research to ask How do passengers experience everyday train travel in Auckland?, a question prompted by the contention that everyday experiences influence decisions regarding modal choice. We present and discuss five themes relating to passenger experience that emerged from engagement with the transport geography and mobilities literature as well as field research. This analysis allows us to propose a more expansive and embodied understanding of commuting as a central element in the geographies of everyday urban life.