Rail Trip Recommendation

[z4driver]

Hi all, I hoping next year to finally get to visit the US. This will probably be my one and only visit due to age and finances. I'll be able to do one Amtrak long distance journey as part of the trip. Which one would you recommend?

 

Cheers Lee

[dave1905]

Do you have an idea where you want to enter the US and where you want to end up?

 

If you also want to visit New York, riding the Sunset limited will be less convenient.

[long island jack]

I had a trip booked which we had to cancel due to the pandemic

 

fly into Boston for a few nights, Amtrak to New York 3 nights then train to Washington DC for a few nights and fly home.

[z4driver]

3 hours ago, dave1905 said:

Do you have an idea where you want to enter the US and where you want to end up?

 

If you also want to visit New York, riding the Sunset limited will be less convenient.

 

Hi Dave, no real preference for where I start or end. Having never been to the US, everywhere will be a new experience. Where I go is dictated more by which train I end up going on rather than the other way around.

 

Cheers Lee

[roundhouse]

We have travelled on virtually all Amtrak long distance routes.

 

My favourites are:

 

California Zephyr runs daily from Chicago to Oakland (just across the bay from San Francisco). The first part to Denver is fairly flat but its mostly done overnight. From Denver its superb varying scenery.  Its a 3 day trip so a sleeper is advised. Denver is a worthwhile place to take a day or two break the trip.

 

The Coast Starlight runs daily from Los Angeles up to Seattle with the first day hugging the coast for a  part of the time then the next morning you wake up in the Cascade mountains arriving into Seattle late afternoon / early evening. We have often broken our trip at either San Jose (where you can change onto the Caltrains service to San Fransicso but best to stay a night in San Jose incase the train is late) or Oakland where there is a Thruway bus to San Fransciso but the train is due in late evening and Oakland station is not in the downtown area. The station area is pleasant in the day but not so nice at night.

 

 The Sunset is good but it doesnt run every day so a carefull bit of planning is required especially if you want to have a break enroute.

 

Just bear in mind that Amtrak long haul trains can often be late by some hours, so allow at least a day where you get off so that you can relax.

[Mike_Walker]

Add the Empire Builder, Chicago to Seattle.  Like the CZ it's a mixture of prairies and mountains, the latter including Marias Pass.

A triangular trip taking in the CZ, Starlight and EB might be worth considering flying into Chicago, SF or Seattle.  Generally speaking the west is more interesting for a first/only visit than the east.