Take a rail tour across America for your trip
The Top Scenic Train Trips Through the US
Thanks to great plains, grand mountains, sweeping vistas, and a varied selection of things to see, you can take a memorable scenic train trip through the continental United States and have a great time by simply just taking a seat and kicking back. There are train tours that constantly operate during the year, and they will last anywhere from seven to ten days. These train tours also have featured stops at popular tourist destinations, overnight stays at hotels and resorts, visits to national parks and historic sites, and other amenities that you will enjoy. So all you need to do is book the tour, relax, and get packing!
If you’re not ready to spend over a week on the road, you can still get short train rides that will allow you to comfortably board your train and sleep in it over a few days. This means that you don’t need to spend a lot on hotel fees or worry about what to eat – and all you need to do is to look for these short trips and plan your own walking tours when you reach your destination.
There are many different scenic train trips that you can take. Tostart your California vacation, you can take the California Zephyr, offered by railway giant Amtrak. This popular trip takes a two day, two night scenic route from Chicago, Illinois to San Francisco, California. While on board the Zephyr, you can view the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevadas, pass through scenic plains, view deep canyons, and go through waterways. Another top tour is the Southwest Chief, also by Amtrak, which goes from Chicago to the United States’ West Coast. This tour goes through eight states, and goes through a variety of scenery, from mountains to plains, fields to deserts.
Love the colors of the Fall? There’s nothing like Autumn in New England and Canada, and you can take foliage tours during the fall months across several states, and across the border. You can go through historic Massachusetts, scenic Connecticut, sea-swept Maine, picturesque New Hampshire, and beautiful Vermont. If you’re more for the bluegrass and the Blue Ridge Mountains, you can take scheduled tours through the Deep South and take a Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia vacation, and adjoining states.
If you’re after lakes and the plains and fields of the Midwest, then take scheduled train tours through Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Wisconsin, and nearby states. And if you want to view scenic, historic canyons, take Canyon railways and ride the sky tram as you go through Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Even the Grand Canyon has its own planned out scenic routes. In the mood for some snow? Then ride the Polar Express on an Alaska vacation. And if you’re up for a brush with the fine, good life, then take a scenic route through Napa Valley, which will allow you to stop at wineries, and even sample wines with your food on the train!
These are only a few options for scenic train trips through the U.S. Thanks to the hand of Mother Nature, the U.S. is gifted with a lot of scenery and landscapes that will allow you to relax and enjoy your ride without worrying if you will have time to see anything. So do your research, plan out a great scenic route, and you will soon find yourself enjoying your train ride!