Leave your car at home and explore these magnificent train routes in the U.S.
I know you’d be more tempted to go on a road trip, but what do you think about a change? While you shouldn’t anticipate train travel in the US to be as quick as it is in Asia, choosing the train is an excellent choice.
Though you will eventually reach breathtaking locations like the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone, the real attractions are the cities and parks you will (slowly) pass through en route. It’s also environmentally friendly!
Here are some of the most picturesque train rides in the nation that are just as romantic as the Orient Express—but at a far more affordable price point—whether you’re looking for a quick trip through the mountains, a cross-country journey through deserts, or want to get on board for an opulent dinner with a view.
So, because I don’t want to bore you with a huge paragraph let’s get to the subject and see what magnificent train routes in the U.S. you don’t want to miss!
California Zephyr (from Chicago, Illinois to Emeryville, California)
I begin this list of magnificent train routes in the U.S. with the California Zephyr, which travels a distance of 2,438 miles. The California Zephyr, which will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2024, was the first transcontinental train to regularly use dome carriages because of the visual pleasure it offered.
The fifty-plus-hour trip is a fantastic opportunity to appreciate not having to do this in a covered wagon if you wish to complete the full route and follow the path pioneers took when populating the American West. I’d say what a time to be alive! But in a good way.
On the route, you will be admiring the towering Rocky Mountains, and then you’ll get to the red rocks of Utah, through Ruby Canyon, the Sierras, Donner Pass, and, finally, San Francisco Bay.
The Ski Train (from Denver to Winter Park Resort, Colorado)
Who loves winter? Because I have good news for you. Colorado is stunning all year round, but in all its wintertime, it’s especially fascinating. Amtrak’s Winter Park Express travels from Denver’s 1914 Beaux-Arts station through breathtaking, snow-covered Colorado, passing through the Rockies, the state’s renowned Flatirons mountains, and the Continental Divide via the 6-mile-long Moffat Tunnel to reach the nation’s best ski resort, Winter Park Resort.
You may still enjoy the train trip and everything that the surrounding landscapes have to offer, even if you’re not a lover of the winter and don’t ski. Bonus point: You can get some awesome window pictures because it moves kind of slowly.
Cascades (from Eugene, Oregon to Vancouver, British Columbia)
One of the most magnificent train routes on the list is Cascades and if you’re not going anywhere, I’ll tell you why I think that. The long journey from Eugene to Seattle is through evergreen trees that skillfully cover the dense communities along the I-5 corridor. But the real fun begins when you get to Seattle.
Passengers on the western-facing side of the train get a front-row seat to the Olympic Mountains on clear days, and the train passes near a shipwreck and potentially orcas. You’ll spend four hours using the in-train Wi-Fi to conduct real estate research for this moving postcard.
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Glacier Discovery Train (from Anchorage to Grandview, Alaska)
Last but not least of these magnificent train routes is the Glacier Discovery train which allows you to enjoy the amazing scenery from Anchorage to Alaska which is one of a kind!
Travel to the extremities of the world to witness the mighty and magnificent polar glaciers, and you’ll be able to travel through a rural area only reachable by rail.
Leave Anchorage and go south via Girdwood and Portage, stopping at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center along the way to see bears and cute and cuddly porcupines. You’re not convinced yet? Travel to Whittier, where you may join a coastline cruise along glaciers.
Do you know any other magnificent train routes in the U.S. that I forgot to put on the list? Let me know in the comments.
If all these magnificent train routes from the U.S. convinced you to pack your bags and buy the tickets, then you’re going to love this article too: 15 Efficient Ways to Pack Your Suitcase for A Proper Vacation.
