Travelling across the
States by train:
Arguably the most scenic train route across the USA is
via the California Zephyr
linking Chicago, Denver, Salt Lake City, Reno, Sacramento
& San
Francisco. This shows a lunchtime view from the
dining-car as the Zephyr negotiates a Colorado
canyon. You'd be crazy to fly and miss it all...
Photo courtesy of Sue Smith. Coast to
coast by train, in pictures.
You'll see nothing of America at
35,000 feet, so come down to Earth and see the world
class scenery from an Amtrak train across the United States.
The USA has an excellent rail
network, and although it's only a skeleton network by European standards
it'll take you to almost all the towns & cities a visitor wants to
see. It'll take you from coast to
coast in comfort, by a variety of routes, at very affordable
prices indeed. Long-distance
trains in the USA are operated by the National Railroad
Passenger Corporation, better known as Amtrak,
www.amtrak.com. This page explains what you need to
know to plan and book a memorable trip across America by train...
This route map
shows where Amtrak trains run. Each of the very long-distance
transcontinental routes shown in blue has one daily train, except for New York to Florida
with 2 trains a
day and the Sunset Limited (New Orleans-San Antonio-Los Angeles)
which runs 3 times a week. Important short
distance routes (for example, Washington-New York-Boston or
Los Angeles-San Diego) have regular intercity services and are
shown in red. It's easy to check Amtrak train times at www.amtrak.com,
just use their online booking system.
Click here for a more detailed Amtrak route map.
Sponsored links...
New
York Pass - one card, one price, free entry to all New York's
major attractions.
Coast to coast, 3,397 miles from New York to San Francisco
in 3 days by train, a journey of a lifetime for as little
as $193 (£130).
This video gives a taste of what you miss when you fly, it
shows the
scenery in Colorado's canyons from Amtrak's 'California Zephyr', perhaps the most scenic of
their
routes across the States. A chance to chill out &
experience America at ground level, yet it costs no more than a
flight. Coast to
coast by train, in pictures.
The
3,000 mile journey across the
United States by train is one of the world's greatest
travel experiences. It's easy, comfortable, safe, and
an affordable alternative to flying. In fact, the fare from NYC to LA
or San Francisco starts at
an amazing $208 (£135) in a
reclining seat, booked at
www.amtrak.com,
surely one of the world's greatest travel bargains.
There is a choice of about 5 different coast to coast routes.
Free route guides are available on board each train, telling
you what to look out for from the window, and the scenery on
many routes is world class.
If you make the whole journey in one go it will take
3
nights: One night from New York, Boston or Washington DC to
Chicago where you must change trains, then two nights from Chicago to Los Angeles, San
Francisco or Seattle. You can also travel
coast to coast
via New Orleans, although this takes an extra night as you
need to stop for a night in New Orleans. Below is a
summary of coast-to-coast train times and a description of each train. Bear in mind that these
trains run for over 2,000 miles, although they usually arrive
on time or perhaps up to half an hour late, they can sometimes arrive
an hour or two
late, so don't book any tight connections. You can see
how your chosen trains have performed on-time-wise over the
last few weeks using
www.amtrakdelays.onlineschedulingsoftware.com. This will give you a good idea
of what to expect.
If you have a choice, one route stands out as the most
spectacular for both scenery & historical
significance. This is the 'California Zephyr'
from Chicago to San Francisco, which you can take in connection with the
'Lake Shore Limited' from New
York or Boston to Chicago, or the 'Capitol Limited' from Washington DC
to Chicago. The California Zephyr is
one of world's greatest train journeys, and in around 48 hours
you will cross the farmlands of Nebraska, scale the Rockies
beyond Denver while you eat egg & bacon for breakfast in the
diner, snake through rocky river valleys in Colorado and pass through the Sierra Nevada mountains to
reach Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay area.
The route covers much of the very first historic
trans-continental railroad route, and there's a commentary for
the most significant section. To give you an idea of
what a coast to coast train ride is like on this route,
see the California Zephyr
page. or for a snapshot of what it's like sipping a cocktail in
the sightseer lounge on the California Zephyr as it passes
through Colorado,
click here. However, all the trans-continental
routes are scenic, and all have their own character. The
Southwest Chief, for example, will take you from Chicago to
Los Angeles over the famous Santa Fe railroad, alongside the
equally famous Route 66, through Navajo Indian country,
another amazing trip, with a chance to
stop off at the Grand
Canyon on the way.
Coast to coast by train via Chicago, westbound...
1. Take a
daily train to Chicago
Lake Shore
Limited
Lake Shore
Limited
Capitol
Limited
Cardinal
(Wed,
Fri, Sun)
Train number:
49
449
29
51
New York (Penn Station)
depart
15:45 day
1
06:45 day 1
Boston (South
station) depart
|
11:55 day
1
|
Washington DC
(Union Station) depart
|
|
16:05 day
1
11:10 day 1
Chicago (Union Station)
arrive
09:45 day
2
09:45 day
2
08:45 day
2
10:05 day 2
-------------- change trains
in Chicago & take whichever onward train you want ------------
2. Take a
daily Superliner train from Chicago
Empire
Builder
California
Zephyr
Southwest
Chief
Texas
Eagle
Train number:
7
5
3
21
Chicago (Union Station)
depart
14:15 day
2
14:00 day
2
15:15 day
2
13:45 day
2
Minneapolis/St Paul arrive
22:31 day
2
|
|
|
Portland arrive
10:10 day
4
|
|
|
Seattle arrive
10:25 day
4
|
|
|
Dallas arrive
|
|
11:30 day
3
San Antonio
arrive
|
|
21:55 day
3
Omaha arrive
22:55 day
2
|
|
Denver arrive
07:15 day
3
|
|
Salt Lake City
arrive
23:05 day
3
|
|
Sacramento
arrive
14:13 day
4
|
|
Emeryville (for
Oakland & San Francisco) arrive by train
16:10 day
4
|
|
San
Francisco (Ferry building) arrive by Amtrak bus*
* The California
Zephyr terminates in Emeryville and a connecting Amtrak Thruway bus
transfers passengers across the Bay Bridge to
the Ferry Building in downtown San Francisco. Amtrak has a
'station' at San Francisco Ferry Building, and tickets can be
booked through to (and luggage checked through to) San
Francisco Ferry Building as if it was a rail station.
** The Chicago-Los
Angles portion only runs 3 times a week, departing Chicago on
Tuesdays, Thursdays & Sundays.
Use these times as a guide, always check
current times
& fares at www.amtrak.com
as they change from time to time.
San Francisco (Ferry
Building) depart by Amtrak bus*
08:30
day 1 *
|
|
Emeryville (for
Oakland & San Francisco) depart by train
09:50 day
1
|
|
Sacramento
depart
11:49 day
1
|
|
Salt Lake City
depart
04:10 day
2
|
|
Denver depart
19:50 day
2
|
|
Omaha depart
05:54 day
3
|
|
San Antonio
depart
|
|
07:00 day
2
Dallas depart
|
|
15:40 day
2
Seattle depart
16:40 day
1
|
|
|
Portland depart
16:45 day
1
|
|
|
Minneapolis/St Paul depart
07:50 day
3
|
|
|
Chicago (Union Station)
arrive
15:55 day
3
15:30 day
3
15:10 day
3
13:52 day
3
----------- change trains
in Chicago & take whichever onward train you want -----------
2. Take a
daily train east from Chicago.
Capitol
Limited
Lake Shore
Limited
Lake Shore
Limited
Cardinal
(Tue,
Thur, Sat)
Train number:
30
448
48
50
Chicago (Union Station)
depart
18:40 day
3
21:30 day
3
21:30 day
3
17:45 day
3
Washington DC
arrive
13:10 day
4
|
|
17:55 day 4
Boston arrive
21:10 day
4
|
|
New York (Penn Station)
arrive
18:25 day
4
21:45 day
4
* The California Zephyr
starts in Emeryville. An Amtrak Thruway bus
transfers passengers from the Ferry Building in downtown San
Francisco across the Bay Bridge to Emeryville. Tickets
can be booked through from (and luggage checked in at) the
Amtrak station at San Francisco Ferry Building as if it was a
rail station.
*** The Los Angles
to Chicago portion only runs 3 times a week, leaving LA on
Wednesdays, Fridays & Sundays.
Use these times as a guide, always check
current times
& fares at www.amtrak.com
as they change from time to time.
Facilities on each train...
Cardinal:
New York & Washington DC - Chicago
via Indianapolis, 3 times a week. (one night). Amfleet reclining seats,
Viewliner
sleeping-car. A slower train than the Lake
Shore Limited, and it only runs 3 times a week. No
full diner, only a cafe car. But a useful
alternative through great scenery if the Lake Shore is
full.
Chicago-San Francisco
daily (2,438 miles, two nights). Superliner train with
reclining seats,
sightseer lounge
car, sleeping-cars &
dining-car.
This train is one of the great train rides of the world,
and if you are planning a coast-to-coast trip, this is
the best route to take. It climbs through the
Rockies between Denver & Salt Lake City, and through the
Sierra Nevada between Reno and the Bay Area.
Illustrated account of a
journey on the California Zephyr.
Empire Builder:
Chicago - Seattle/Portland
(2,206 miles Chicago-Seattle, two nights).
Superliner train with
reclining seats,
sightseer lounge
car, sleeping-cars &
dining-car. This train winds its way past Glacier
National Park and through the mountains of Washington
state.
Lake Shore Limited:
New York - Chicago
daily (959 miles, one night), with through cars Boston -
Chicago daily. Amfleet reclining seats,
Viewliner
sleeping-cars, Amfleet lounge-café (Boston-Chicago)
&
heritage dining-car
(New York-Chicago).
This train takes the scenic route up the Hudson River
out of New York, with the train tracks running right
alongside the river, past Storm King Mountain and West
Point Military Academy. Try and get a seat on the
left-hand side of the train out of New York, right-hand
side heading to New York. The Boston-Chicago & New
York-Chicago sections are coupled together between
Albany & Chicago.
Illustrated account of a
journey on the Lake Shore Limited.
Southwest Chief:
Chicago - Los Angeles (2,256 miles, two nights).
Superliner train with
reclining seats,
sightseer lounge
car, sleeping-cars &
dining-car. This train
mostly travels via the Santa Fe
railroad, once used by the famous Chicago-Los Angeles
'Super Chief', the film stars' favourite. It will
take you through Apache Canyon and right through Navajo Indian country, with a
live commentary from an Indian guide over the train's
public address for the relevant section of line. The
train serves Flagstaff which is one hour by connecting bus from
the Grand Canyon, with day tours available, and
Williams, for the Grand Canyon Railway.
Texas Eagle:
Runs daily Chicago - Dallas - San
Antonio, but only three times a week between Chicago &
Los Angeles (westbound from Chicago on Tuesdays, Thursdays
& Sundays, eastbound from LA on Wednesdays, Fridays &
Sundays). Superliner train with
reclining seats,
sightseer lounge
car, sleeping-cars &
dining-car. 2,728 miles Chicago-LA.
What are the trains like?
To see what the trains are actually like inside & out, and to
understand the sleeping-car, lounge & dining facilities,
click here.
3,000 miles coast-to-coast overland for as little at $208
(£135) has
to be one of the world's greatest travel bargains!
Railpass options.
Round trip fares are twice the one-way fare.
Children 2-15 (inclusive) travel at reduced fare, children under 2 travel free (limit one child under 2 per
adult).
There is a discount (15% of base fare) for seniors aged over
62. The discount applies to the base fare but not to
sleeper supplements.
For sleeper travel, you add one sleeper supplement for the
whole room to the reclining seat fare for each passenger.
Sleeper supplements are per room per journey,
not per person, so you pay just one supplement for the room
whether two of you occupy it or just one, in addition to a
basic coach fare (or railpass) for each passenger.
Sleeper supplements vary
enormously by season and in accordance with demand, which is
why a range is shown. The sleeper supplements
include all meals in the dining car, morning tea or coffee and
fruit juice and various other first class privileges.
Roomettes are very small 1- or 2-berth rooms, bedrooms are
larger 2-berth rooms with en suite shower and toilet.
Can I stop off on the way?
Yes of course, but if you want to stop off you'll need to buy
separate tickets for each leg. To book a coast to coast
trip with stopovers at any cities you want, simply look for
the 'Multi-City' link at top right of the booking form on
www.amtrak.com.
This allows you to book a trip with up to 4 segments, and of
course you can book additional segments as separate bookings.
However, if you buy a through ticket at the cheapest price
between an East Coast city such as New York and a West Coast
city such as Los Angeles, then no, you cannot stop off, you
must travel direct on your assigned trains. Although the
several hours between trains in Chicago is often time enough
to climb the Sears Tower (now owned by the Willis corporation,
see
www.theskydeck.com) and get great views over the city,
it's only 5 minutes walk from Chicago Union Station! As
you can see from the fares table above, separate tickets New
York to Chicago and Chicago-Los Angeles (so you can stop off
in Chicago) work out about $35 more expensive than a New York
to Los Angeles through ticket.
Amtrak's
self-service ticket machines: You simply pass
the barcode on your online booking printout under the
machine's scanner. It will ask you to confirm the
journey , then simply click 'print' to print your tickets.
Luggage...
All the trains shown here offer checked baggage. That
means that all passengers (both coach & sleeper) are entitled
to check in up to 3 large items of luggage free of charge,
maximum 50lbs (50Kg) per item, maximum dimensions 36" x 36" x
36". A name and address label must be attached to each
item. You can check it in to your final destination, so
for example if you have a New York to San Francisco ticket you
can check your bags in at New York Penn station all the way to
San Francisco Ferry Building. They will be transferred
for you from train to train in Chicago and from train to bus
at Emeryville, leaving you free of it until you arrive. Hand
luggage is limited to two items per passenger, maximum 50lbs
(23Kg per item, dimensions 28" x 22" x 14".
How to buy tickets...
You can easily buy
tickets online at
www.amtrak.com. You pick up
the tickets at the station any time before departure by going
to one of the self-service machines and passing the barcode on
your booking printout under the scanner. It will ask you
to confirm your itinerary then click the touch screen to
print your tickets.
Once in the USA, you can book online at
www.amtrak.com
or call Amtrak 24 hours a day on 1-800-USA
RAIL, picking up your
tickets at the station on departure.
This is the Southern route, a whole different flavour from the
transcontinental routes via Chicago.
Crossing the States via New Orleans
takes 4 nights coast to coast, making it slower than the more
usual transcontinental route via Chicago, as you need to spend
a night in New Orleans - but a stopover down south is hardly a
burden! For a taste of the deep south, this is the way
to go...
Coast to coast via New Orleans,
westbound
Coast to coast via New
Orleans, eastbound
1. Take the Crescent to New
Orleans, runs daily
The
Crescent
1. Sunset Limited. Runs
on Wed, Fri, Sun only
Sunset
Limited
New York (Penn Station)
depart
14:15 day
1
Los Angeles
depart
14:40 day
1
Washington DC
depart
18:30 day
1
El Paso depart
08:15 day
2
Atlanta
arrive/depart
08:13 day
2
San Antonio
depart
23:55 day
2
New Orleans
arrive
19:38 day
2
Houston depart
05:10 day
3
-----
change trains & stay overnight in New Orleans ----
New Orleans
arrive
14:55 day
3
2. Sunset Limited. Runs on Mon,
Wed, Fri only
Sunset
Limited
-------
change trains & stay overnight in New Orleans ------
Round trip fares are twice the one-way fare.
Children 2-15 (inclusive) travel at reduced fare, children under 2 travel free (limit one child under 2 per
adult).
There is a discount (15% of base fare) for seniors aged over
62. The discount applies to the base fare but not to
sleeper supplements.
For sleeper travel, you add one sleeper supplement for the
whole room to the reclining seat fare for each passenger.
Sleeper supplements are per room per journey,
not per person, so you pay just one supplement for the room
whether two of you occupy it or just one, in addition to a
basic coach fare (or railpass) for each passenger.
Sleeper supplements vary
enormously by season and in accordance with demand, which is
why a range is shown. The sleeper supplements
include all meals in the dining car, morning tea or coffee and
fruit juice and various other first class privileges.
Roomettes are very small 1- or 2-berth rooms, bedrooms are
larger 2-berth rooms with en suite shower and toilet.
Can I stop off? What about luggage? See the
advice in the section above.
Railpass options
How to buy tickets...
You can buy
tickets online at
www.amtrak.com,
just click on 'Reservations'. You can choose to pick
up the tickets at the station before departure.
Once in the USA, you can book online at
www.amtrak.com
or call Amtrak 24 hours a day on 1-800-USA
RAIL, picking up your
tickets at the station on departure.
Round trip fares are twice the one-way fare.
Children 2-15 (inclusive) travel at reduced fare, children under 2 travel free (limit one child under 2 per
adult).
For sleeper travel, you add one sleeper supplement for the
whole room to the reclining seat fare for each passenger.
Sleeper supplements are per room per journey,
not per person, so you pay just one supplement for the room
whether two of you occupy it or just one, in addition to a
basic coach fare (or railpass) for each passenger.
Sleeper supplements vary
enormously by season and in accordance with demand, which is
why a range is shown. The sleeper supplements
include all meals in the dining car, morning tea or coffee and
fruit juice and various other first class privileges.
Roomettes are very small 1- or 2-berth rooms, bedrooms are
larger 2-berth rooms with en suite shower and toilet.
How to buy tickets...
You can buy
tickets online at
www.amtrak.com,
just click on 'Reservations'. You can choose to pick
up the tickets at the station before departure.
Once in the USA, you can book online at
www.amtrak.com
or call Amtrak 24 hours a day on 1-800-USA
RAIL, picking up your
tickets at the station on departure.
A fast and frequent inter-city
service links Boston, New York, Newark, Philadelphia,
Baltimore and Washington DC. New York to Washington
takes as little as 2 hours 48 minutes, New York to Boston just
3 hours 30 minutes. There are two types of train:
'Acela Express' 150mph high-speed trains with 1st class &
business class (premium fares apply) and regular trains with
coach class and (in most cases) business class. There
are also services from Boston to Portland (Maine) and from
Philadelphia to Harrisburg. See
www.amtrak.com
for times, fares and online booking.
Fares...
Normal one-way fare:
Coach class:
Business class:
First class:
New York - Washington DC (normal train)
$73-$143 ($49 weekends)
$111-$180
-
New York - Washington DC (Acela Express)
-
$135-$225
$237-$327
New York - Boston (normal train)
$64-$124 ($49 weekends)
$96-$156
-
New York - Boston (Acela Express)
-
$95-$158
$166-$229
Fares vary like air fare, with cheaper fares available the
further ahead you book.
Round trip fares are twice the one-way fare.
Children 2-15 (inclusive) travel at reduced fare (except on
Acela Express where there is no discount for children), children under 2 travel free (limit one child under 2 per
adult).
How to buy tickets...
You can buy
tickets online at
www.amtrak.com,
just click on 'Reservations'. You can choose to pick up
the tickets at the station before departure.
Once in the USA, you can book online at
www.amtrak.com
or call Amtrak 24 hours a day on 1-800-USA
RAIL, picking up your
tickets at the station on departure.
Acela Express
travels at up to 150mph, and has first class & business class.
There's no coach class, and premium fares apply, with no
discounts for children.
Acela Express, Amtrak's 150mph business train...
Business class seats on board an Acela Express...
Northeast
Regional trains...
Cheaper but slower
than Acela Express, with coach class & business class
between Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore & Washington
DC.
Coach class
seats in an Amfleet car as used on Northeast
Regional trains...
Northeast Regional train composed of 'Amfleet'
cars about to leave Boston South station for New York &
Washington DC...
Three daily trains link New York
via Albany with Niagara Falls. Journey time is a
leisurely 8 hours 30 minutes, a relaxing journey along the
Hudson River Valley out of New York, past Storm King Mountain
and West Point Military Academy, a very scenic route, highly
recommended.
See www.amtrak.com
for times, fares and online booking.
New
York - Toronto, Montreal (Canada)
A daily train (the Maple Leaf)
links New York with Toronto via Niagara Falls, and another
daily train (the Adirondack) links New York with Montreal
via the scenic Adirondack mountains. Both trains travel
along the Hudson River Valley out of New York, past Storm King
Mountain and West Point Military Academy, a very scenic route,
highly recommended.
See the Canada page for train times.
Regular trains link Los Angeles,
Anaheim (for Disneyland), and San Diego. Regular trains
link San Francisco (Oakland) with Sacramento, Bakersfield and
San Jose. A daily train links Los Angeles with San
Francisco (Oakland). See
www.amtrak.com
for times, fares and online booking.
Short distance trains come in
various types, all with comfortable air-conditioned
seating and often with a café car. On the Boston-New
York-Washington DC route, there is now the premium fare,
150mph 'Acela Express' high speed train, based on
French TGV technology, but running on conventional
tracks.
Long-distance
trains east of Chicago (such as the New York-Chicago 'Lake
Shore Limited', the New York to Florida 'Silver Star' &
'Silver Meteor' or the New York to New Orleans 'Crescent', but
not the Washington to Chicago 'Capitol Limited') have
Viewliner sleeping-cars,
Amfleet reclining seat cars,
an Amfleet lounge car serving snacks and drinks, and a
heritage dining car serving full meals at
very reasonable prices.
If you have paid for a sleeper, meals in the dining-car are included in the
fare.
These distinctive stainless-steel coaches have
comfortable reclining seats with loads of legroom, drop-down
tables & 120v power sockets for laptops & mobiles.
Drinking water is available in each coach. Unlike in Europe, your reservation does not secure a specific
seat in a specific coach, you can sit where you like once on
board. An attendant looks after each seats car, and will
place a 'seat ticket' above your seat to indicate that the
seat is taken.
Amfleet cars.
This is the New York to Chicago 'Lake Shore Limited' at
its service stop in Albany, after a scenic run down
the Hudson river valley. It'll reach Chicago's
impressive Union Station next morning.
Reclining seats on long-distance Amfleet
cars. There's loads of legroom, 120v power
sockets for laptops & mobiles, drop-down tables.
All the most
important Amtrak long-distance trains have a dining-car.
These stainless-steel dining-cars date from the 1950s, but
they have been fully refurbished inside. The dining-car
is open to all passengers, both coach class & sleeper.
Meals are included for sleeper passengers (although drinks are
extra), but must be paid for by coach class passengers.
There are usually several sittings for dinner, for example at
5pm, 5.15pm, 7pm or 8pm in the case of the New York to Chicago
'Lake Shore Limited'. The dining-car manager will come
down the train (starting with the sleepers) to take dinner
reservations for your chosen sitting. Note that couples
and singles won't get a whole 4-seat restaurant table to
themselves, you'll normally be seated with other passengers, a
great chance to meet people even if you're travelling solo.
The food is surprisingly good: The herb-roast chicken &
rice ($14) was a good choice, and for breakfast next morning a
cooked breakfast of eggs, bacon & potatoes ($9 including fruit
juice & coffee) hits the spot. A domestic beer costs
$4.75, premium beer $5.75, a half bottle of very good Cabernet
Sauvignon or Merlot costs $13. There is also a
children's menu. Credit cards are accepted. You
can find sample menus on the Amtrak website
www.amtrak.com,
click 'plan' then look for 'meal & dining options.
Heritage dining car.
The restaurant car on the New York to Chicago 'Lake
Shore Limited', serving dinner & breakfast. . This stainless-steel dining car
dates from the 1950s.
The food on Amtrak
isn't bad at all. The cooked breakfast is good. You can
wash dinner down with a half bottle of Cabernet
Sauvignon or Merlot...
Long-distance
trains in the East have Viewliner sleeping
cars. The
distinctive double row of windows on these cars makes them
light & airy during the day, and gives both upper & lower
berths a window for star-gazing at night. Travelling
by Amtrak sleeper is a real treat. All sleeper passengers get
complimentary meals in the dining car, and a 'coffee
station' provides complimentary
tea/coffee & fruit juice throughout the journey. You return from dinner in the
diner to find you bed made up for the night by the sleeper
attendant. A hot shower is available at the end
of the corridor if you're travelling in a roomette, or en
suite if you are travelling in a bedroom. All necessary
bedding, soap and towels are provided. However,
sleeper travel isn't cheap. In Europe you can pay a
small supplement for a berth in a shared couchette or sleeper
compartment. In the US, you have to pay for the whole
room whether there are two of you or just one. To give
you a rough idea, some sample sleeper supplements are shown in
the fares section above. Viewliner
sleeping-cars
have:
Roomettes (previously called
standard bedrooms): Each Viewliner sleeping-car has
ten very compact
2-berth compartments called 'Roomettes' arranged either side of a central corridor.
They're just big enough for two
seats facing each, and at night the seats pull together to
form the lower berth, an upper berth drops down from the
ceiling. The beds are alongside the windows, and take up most of the room! Roomettes have a
fold-out washbasin, concealed toilet (your companion
may have to leave the room while you use it) & fold-out
table. There is a shower at the end of the corridor.
Bedrooms (previously called deluxe bedrooms):
Each Viewliner sleeping-car has two Bedrooms, which are much larger than roomettes,
and they have a private shower & toilet. Bedrooms have freestanding chair
& sofa in daytime mode, and upper & lower berths at
night. The lower berth is extra wide, almost a
double bed by UK standards!
Special
bedrooms:
Similar to a bedroom, with private shower & toilet, but fully wheelchair-accessible.
Each Viewliner sleeping-car has one Special Bedroom.
Viewliner Roomette, in
daytime mode. This photo shows the size
of the room. Two comfy seats...
Viewliner sleeping-car,
with its distinctive double row of windows. They
are light & airy, even the upper berths
get their own window!
Viewliner Bedroom,
in daytime mode. Sofa, armchair, sink, and private
shower & toilet. Much more space than a roomette,
but twice the price...
Viewliner Roomette showing
the toilet lid open & the drop-down sink folded
out. All of life's necessities in a very small
space!
Viewliner Roomette in
night-time mode. The door to the central corridor is on the right.
Long-distance
trains between Chicago & Los Angeles/San
Francisco/Seattle/Portland, also the New Orleans-Los Angeles
'Sunset Limited', Seattle-Los Angeles 'Coast Starlight' and Washington
DC-Chicago 'Capitol Limited' use impressive double-deck Superliner cars. Superliner
trains have coach class reclining seats,
sleeping-cars, a
dining car & an
observation-lounge
car. A route guide
is available free on these trains, telling you want to look
out for along the way.
Coach class reclining seats
are spacious with lots of legroom, comparable with business
class on an airliner. Don't worry if you can't afford a
sleeper, these seats recline to about 40 degrees,
and are quite easy to sleep in, in fact if there is any train
in the world where I wouldn't much mind not having a sleeper,
Amtrak trains are the ones I'd choose.
There are 120v power sockets for laptops & mobiles at
each seat, and drinking water is available in each coach. Unlike in Europe, your reservation does not
secure a specific seat in a specific coach, you can sit where
you like once on board. An attendant looks after each
seats car, and will place a 'seat ticket' above your seat to
indicate that the seat is taken. Pillows are provided at
night, and you can either bring a blanket or buy an Amtrak
blanket from the lounge car.
Panorama photo of Superliner coach class.
Superliner cars...
Even in 'coach class' these double-deck cars are
spacious and comfortable. This is the 'California
Zephyr' from Chicago to Oakland (San Francisco), at a
station stop at Galesburg.
Superliner coach class reclining
seats on the upper deck, showing just how much legroom
& recline you get! There are 110v power sockets
at every seat.
See panorama photo
On the upper deck
is an observation lounge with armchairs & tables and huge
windows for sightseeing. On the lower deck is a cafe
selling drinks & snacks. All passengers can use the
lounge car, whether they are travelling in coach class or in
the sleepe
rs. You end up spending most of your day here,
watching America unfold in front of you! Seats are
available on a first-come, first served basis, but it's not
usually too difficult to find a seat or two free.
However, they do fill up for the most scenic sections of the
journey!
See panorama of a Superliner lounge car.
Superliner 'Sightseer'
lounge
car. Pictured above left, passengers look
out of the lounge car's huge windows as Amtrak's
'California Zephyr' from Chicago to San Francisco
crosses the Mississippi river, and so enters America's
Wild West... You see it all from Amtrak, but
nothing from 35,000 feet!
Panorama photo of a Superliner lounge car.
Like the lounge
car, the dining-car is open to all passengers, both coach class
& sleeper, for breakfast, lunch & dinner. Meals are included in the fare if you have a
sleeper (although drinks are extra), but must be paid for if you're in
coach. However, the food isn't expensive, so treat yourself.
All the tables in a Superliner dining-car are on the top deck
for great views while you eat - the kitchens are downstairs. In the sleepers, the dining-car manager comes down the train
asking each passenger which sitting for lunch or dinner they'd
like, and issuing table reservations. An announcement is
made at the start of each sitting. In coach, a steward
may also come down the car asking if you'd like to reserve a
seat for lunch or dinner, or you can simply go along to the
diner at meal times and ask if a table is free. If one
isn't available, they may take your name and announce when
your table is ready over the p.a. Note that couples and
singles don't get a whole 4-seater restaurant table to
themselves, you'll normally be seated with other passengers. This
is a great chance to meet people, even if you're travelling
solo.
Panorama photo
of Superliner dining-car.
What's the
food like? The food is surprisingly good: The
Angus Steak Burger ($7.75) is great for lunch, for dinner the
herb-roast chicken & rice ($14) is good and the garlic butter
marinated New York Strip Steak ($22.50) is excellent. A
beer costs around $4.75, a half bottle of very good Cabernet
Sauvignon or Merlot costs $13. For breakfast next
morning a freshly-cooked breakfast of eggs, bacon & potatoes
($9 including croissant, fruit juice & coffee) hits the spot.
There is also a children's menu. Credit cards are
accepted. You can find sample menus on the Amtrak
website
www.amtrak.com, click 'plan' then look for 'meal & dining
options'.
The Garlic-Marinated
New York steak... Not
bad at all!
Travelling by
Amtrak sleeper is a real treat. All sleeper passengers
get complimentary breakfast, lunch & dinner in the dining car,
and each sleeping-car has a 'coffee station' with
complimentary
tea/coffee and fruit juice available throughout the journey. You return from dinner in the
diner to find you bed made up for the night by the sleeper
attendant. All necessary bedding, soap and towels are
provided. Superliner
sleeping-cars are double-deck, with 10 very compact 2-berth
roomettes and 4 larger 2-berth bedrooms on the upper deck,
whilst the lower deck has another 4 roomettes, 1 family
bedroom & 1 special accessible bedroom. The bedrooms
have a private shower & toilet, for roomette passengers there
are toilets on both upper and lower decks, and a hot shower on
the lower deck. The gangways to the adjacent cars are on
the upper deck. However,
sleeper travel isn't cheap. In Europe you can pay a
small supplement for a berth in a shared couchette or sleeper
compartment. In the US, you have to pay for the whole
room whether there are two of you or just one. To give
you a rough idea, some sample sleeper supplements are shown in
the fares section above.
Superliner sleeping-cars offer:
Roomettes (previously called standard bedrooms):
Roomettes are just big enough for two seats facing each
other with a small table by day and 2 berths at night.
Toilets are available along the corridor and there's a
shower cubicle on the lower deck. There are ten
roomettes on the upper level, and four downstairs,
arranged either side of a central corridor.
Panorama photo of Superliner roomette.
Bedrooms (previously called deluxe
bedrooms): Bedrooms
are much larger than roomettes, and have an en suite shower and
toilet. All five bedrooms in each car are on the upper level,
off a side corridor.
Bedrooms have freestanding chair and sofa in daytime mode,
and upper and lower berths at night. Like the Viewliner
bedrooms, the lower berth is extra wide.
Panorama photo of Superliner deluxe bedroom.
Family
bedroom:
Located at one end of the lower level, taking up the
full width of the car, the
family bedroom has two adult beds and two
child beds. There is no shower or toilet in a family
bedroom, but these are nearby outside the room.
Special
bedroom:
Located at the other end of the lower level, also
taking up the full width of the car, the special bedroom
is wheelchair accessible, with two berths & private
toilet. There is no shower in a Superliner special
bedroom, but a (non-wheelchair-accessible) shower is just
outside the room.
Superliner
sleeping-car...
Superliner Bedroom...
...with en suite shower &
WC.
Superliner Roomette... The photo shows its size, it's just big
enough for two comfy seats facing each other. At night,
the seats pull together to form the lower berth, which takes up most of the room,
and the upper berth folds out from the wall above the
window.
Washrooms, toilet & a hot
shower are just along the corridor.
See panorama photo.
Family
Bedroom, in daytime mode... It takes up the full width of the
car at one end of the lower deck, and has a
sofa and jump seat that becomes 2 adult & 2 child berths
at night. Toilets & a shower are nearby.
There are two main ways to reach the Grand Canyon as part of a
transcontinental train trip. One is to get off Amtrak's
'Chief' at Flagstaff Arizona, and use a bus to and from the
Canyon, journey time 1 hour 45 minutes each way. The
other, more interesting way, is to get off the 'Chief' at
Williams and use the historic Grand Canyon Railway to and from
the Canyon, journey time 2 hours each way.
Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon by bus...
Buses link Flagstaff's
Amtrak station (which also houses the excellent local Visitor
Centre) with the Grand Canyon's South Rim, with an 8am bus
departure from Flagstaff conveniently connecting out of
Amtrak's 'Chief' from Los Angeles arriving at the Grand canyon
around 1 hour 45 minutes later. A bus returns from the
Grand Canyon at 6.15pm (also at 4.15pm from March to October),
arriving back in Flagstaff 1 hour 45 minutes or so later.
It can easily be done
as a day trip, returning to Flagstaff in time for the evening
'Chief' to Los Angeles, although you can of course choose to
stay overnight at the hotels at the Grand Canyon. For
bus times, see
www.arizonashuttle.com/flagstaff-schedule. The bus
fare is around $28 each way.
Williams to the Grand Canyon on the Grand Canyon Railway...
The more interesting way to reach the Canyon is to get off the
Amtrak 'Chief' at Williams. The Amtrak station at
Williams is William Junction, a halt in the woods some 3 miles
from downtown Williams, but a Grand Canyon Railway shuttle bus
meets all Amtrak trains and transfers passengers to/from the
original Williams railway station in downtown Williams.
Williams is a pleasant town with plenty of motels, shops &
diners. From Williams station, the Grand Canyon Railway runs a
daily morning train some 65 miles over the Santa Fe's historic railway to
the Grand Canyon South Rim station in the Grand Canyon
Village, right on the edge of the Canyon's South Rim.
The train returns in the afternoon, arriving in time to have
dinner then catch the shuttle bus to Williams Junction for
Amtrak's 'Chief' onwards to Los Angeles. The Amtrak
reservation system at
www.amtrak.com
will actually let you buy through tickets between Los Angeles
and Grand Canyon in either direction, although it refuses to
book through tickets between New York or Chicago and Grand
Canyon as this involves an overnight stay in Williams. But you can book your Amtrak trains at
www.amtrak.com
then book the Grand Canyon train at the GCR official website,
www.thetrain.com.
Williams ► Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon ► Williams
Train runs
daily
Train runs
daily
Williams, AZ depart (downtown station)
09:30
Grand Canyon (South Rim station) depart
15:30
Grand Canyon (South Rim station) arrive
11:45
Williams, AZ (downtown station) arrive
17:45
Fares
Return fare,
per person
Coach
class
First
class
Observation
dome
Luxury
parlour
Williams to Grand Canyon & back:
$49
$140
$170
$190
The fare includes entry to the Wild West show at Williams
station in the hour before departure, and some Wild West
entertainment on board!
Grand Canyon railway
station, with the afternoon Grand Central Railway
train to Williams boarding passengers...
The Grand Canyon. This
is the view from the south rim, just 3 minutes walk from
the station.
One of the best
ways to see America is with an Amtrak USA rail pass, just be
aware of its limitations before you invest in one.
A 15-day (maximum
8-segment) rail pass costs £272 or $389.
A 30-day (maximum
12-segment) rail pass costs £405 or $579.
A 45-day (maximum
18-segment) pass costs £524 or $749.
Children aged 2-15
get passes for half price, under 2's travel free.
Segments:
Sadly, as of 2008, Amtrak's USA railpasses no longer give 'unlimited' travel.
They only cover a maximum of 8, 12 or 18 'segments' depending
on your pass duration. This is the maximum
number of individual train rides you can take during your
15, 30 or 45 day pass duration. A 2-day trip counts as 1
segment, and so does a 30-minute one! A journey involving a
change of train counts as 2 segments.
Will a railpass
save you money? Very probably, if you intend making
8 or more long-distance train rides. Here's the maths:
Depending on which pass you buy, a railpass works out at
$41-$48 per segment assuming that you use it for the maximum
8/12/18 segments. For comparison, a point-to-point
ticket from New York to Chicago costs $86 if you book in
advance or maybe $109 bought on the day. Chicago to Denver
costs $97 in advance or $122 on the day; San Francisco
(Oakland) to Los Angeles costs $54; New York to
Washington DC costs $49 in advance or up to $106 on the day.
In other words, as long as you are making 8 or more train
rides, and making long-distance journeys rather than many
short hops, a pass is likely to save you money. If you
only intend making two or three train trips, or only making
very short trips, then ordinary tickets are likely to work out
cheaper.
Reservations,
upgrades & quotas...
Railpasses are
valid for any Amtrak train in the USA except Acela Express
high-speed services and the Auto-Train car-carrying service.
Reservations
required: The railpass is not a ticket, you
must make a (free) reservation before boarding any train.
You can make reservations as you travel around the States at
stations or by calling Amtrak's 24 hour freephone number,
1-800-USA RAIL. Alternatively you can make some or
all of your reservations in advance from outside the States by
calling Amtrak on (001) 215-856-7953.
Upgrading to a
sleeper: If you want to
travel in a sleeping-car room, you need to pay the appropriate
room charge in addition to your rail pass. For an idea
of sleeper room charges, see the fares section above.
A warning about
passholder quotas: Although in theory you can make a reservation
with a railpass even on the day
of travel, trans-continental trains get busy in summer & at
Thanksgiving, for example, and passholder places are
limited by quota. This quota for railpass holders is
reportedly set to zero when a train becomes 75% full. In
other words, you buy a pass and they then have your money, but
when you try and use it you may be told all the trains are
'full' for railpass holders even though seats remain available for
customers paying cash. So don't fall into this trap.
At busy times of year (summer, Christmas, Thanksgiving) I'd
recommend either buying your pass and reservations together
from an agency by phone (so if there are no seats available on
the trains you want, you don't buy the pass) or simply booking
regular point-to-point tickets online which include a
confirmed reservation.
Coast to coast tailor-made tours with
www.railbookers.com, 020 3327 0761 (UK), 02 8096 0550
(Australia)
Tailor-made train holiday specialist Railbookers can arrange a
holiday by rail for you across the United
States on Amtrak, starting any date you like, to your own
specification. For
example, a 10-night trip from Chicago to New Orleans and on
to Los Angeles starts at around £1,249 per person for two
people, including hotels and roomette sleepers with all
meals on the train, but excluding flights. You can use
London-based
www.railbookers.com to arrange an Amtrak train tour around
the United States
whatever your country of residence, in fact they now have an
office in Sydney Australia (www.railbookers.com.au,
02 8096 0550) or you can call their London office
from overseas on +44 20 3327 0761.
If
you fancy going coast-to-coast across the United States or
Canada by train, but would rather do this as
part of an all-inclusive organised tour with other travellers and a
guide, UK-based company Great Rail Journeys (www.greatrail.com) offers
5-star rail-based
holidays from about £2,500
per person. They also offer rail-based holidays to other countries. Check the holiday details online, then call
01904 527120 to book or use their
online booking form. Seat61 gets some commission to
help support the site if you book your holiday through this
link and phone number.
To
get the most from a visit to the USA, you'll need a good guidebook.
For the independent traveller, I think this means either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide. I
personally prefer the layout of the Lonely Planet, but others prefer
the Rough Guide. Both guidebooks provide the same excellent
level of practical information and historical background.
You won't regret buying one of these..! Seat61 gets a small
commission if you buy through these links. For a specific guide
to train travel around the States,
buy a copy of John Pitt's 'USA by Rail', or see
www.usa-by-rail.com, or try
Jim Loomis's 'All Aboard'.
Click the images to buy at
Amazon.co.uk
Or buy a Lonely Planet Guide direct from the
Lonely Planet website, with shipping worldwide.
Alternatively, you can download just the chapters or areas you need in
.PDF format
from the Lonely Planet Website, from around £2.99 or US$4.95 a
chapter.
www.hotelscombined.com
is probably the best hotel search system I've seen, a free search tool
which checks all the main hotel booking sites (Opodo, Expedia,
Booking.com, Hotels.com, AsiaRooms, Travelocity, LateRooms and
others) to find the cheapest hotel rates. Set up in
2005, it's probably the best place to start for booking any
hotel online in any country, worldwide.
Tripadvisor hotel reviews...
www.tripadvisor.com is a good place
to find independent travellers' reviews of the main hotels.
It also has the low-down on all the sights & attractions too.
Backpacker hostels
in the USA...
www.hostelbookers.com: If you're on a tight budget,
don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelbookers
offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in
many places across the States at rock-bottom prices.
Personal recommendations...
Washington DC:
Phoenix Park Hotel. A great choice, directly
across the road from Union Station so handy for arrivals and
departures by train, with an excellent Irish Pub doing great
food & Irish beer on the premises, and just 2 minutes walk
from the capitol. From around $154 for a double.
Los Angeles:
Hotel Queen Mary.
This has got to be of the most fascinating places to stay,
anywhere. If you go to Los Angeles, consider making
the
Hotel Queen Mary your base to explore the Los Angeles -
Hollywood - Disneyland area. The original Queen Mary
of 1936 has been permanently moored at Long Beach in
California since the late 1960s, some 25 miles from Los
Angeles Union Station (about a $90 taxi ride), and it's
undoubtedly the most wonderful place to stay in LA.
The hotel consists of most of the original first class
cabins on board the Queen Mary, and there are plenty of
restaurants and bars available on board, too. Hotel
guests can more or less wander the ship at will, and even
sign up for ghost hunts at night on board (and yes, from my
own experience there is something going on on that beautiful
ship!). Wood panelled art deco interiors have been
preserved, although a few modern items have been installed
such as televisions, and (as we worked out from a historic
deck plan) in some cases two of the Queen Mary's original
cabins have been knocked into one hotel suite by turning one
of the en suite bathrooms into a connecting corridor.
She is one of the most atmospheric places I have ever
stayed.
Above: The
Queen Mary at Long Beach, California...
Above:
Cabin 401 in Hotel Queen Mary
Travel insurance, SIM card...
Get travel insurance, it's essential...
Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable
insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover
cancellation and loss of cash (up to a limit) and belongings.
An annual
multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip
policies even for just 2 or 3 trips
a year (I have an annual policy myself). Here are some suggested insurers.
Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these
links.
If you live in the UK, get quotes from
Columbus Direct or
Go Travel Insurance, or go to
Confused.com to run a price comparison on a whole range of
travel insurance providers for your dates of travel, seeing
their policy's features at a glance..
Get a spare credit card, designed for foreign travel with no currency
exchange loading & low or no ATM fees...
It costs nothing to take out an extra credit card.
If you keep it in a different part of your luggage so you're
not left stranded if
your wallet gets stolen, this is a form of extra travel insurance in itself. In addition,
some credit cards are significantly better for
overseas travel than others. Martin Lewis's
www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which
UK credit cards
have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something
overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when
you use an ATM abroad. Taking this advice
can save you quite a lot on each trip compared to using your
normal high-street bank credit card! You can save money on ATM charges and exchange rates using a
Caxton FX euro currency Visa Card, or indeed the
multi-currency 'Global Traveller' Visa Card,
find out about these cards & sign up here.
Get an international SIM card...
Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, and if you're
not careful you can return home to find some huge bills
waiting for you. I've known people run up a £1,000 bill
in data charges just by leaving their iPhone connected during a
simple trip to Europe. However, if you
buy a global SIM card for your mobile phone from a company
such as
www.Go-Sim.com you can slash the cost by up to 85% and
limit any damage to the amount you have pre-paid. It
cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide,
and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries. It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty bills
when you get home. It also works for laptop or PDA data
access. A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't
expire if it's not between trips, unlike some
others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone
number' for life.
You can't beat trains for travel around the
USA. But if you need a flight to get there in the first place, try the excellent
Virgin Atlantic Airlines from London to New York, they're great on both
price and (above all) service.
Or use the Skyscanner search tool
to compare flight prices & routes
worldwide across 600 airlines...
You won't regret buying one of these..! Seat61 gets a small
commission if you buy through these links. For a specific guide
to train travel around the States,
If you live in the UK, get quotes from
If
you're resident in
Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try
If you're resident in the USA or Canada, try
