Long-Distance Trains | |
Origin City | Lorton, VA |
End City | Sanford, FL |
Total Transit Time | 17 hours 29 minutes (timetable) |
Highlights | Lake Monroe, Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Orlando International Airport (MCO), Savannah River, Francis Marion National Forest, and Potomac River |
Major Cities en Route | No major cities along the route |
Lounges en Route | No lounges along the route |
Services Offered | Coach class Private rooms Traditional dining for private room passengers Café service for coach passengers Wi-Fi available |
Origin | Chicago, IL |
End City | Emeryville, CA |
Total Transit Time | 2 days 3 hours 20 minutes (timetable) |
Highlights | Great Plains, Rocky Mountain, Colorado River, Ruby Canyon, Wasatch Mountains, Great Salt Lake, Toano Range, Goshute Valley, the northern edge of the Ruby Mountains, Sierra Nevada, Donner Lake, Donner Pass, and Moffat Tunnel California Zephyr Route Guide |
Major Cities en Route | Burlington, IA Omaha, NE Denver, CO Glenwood Springs, CO Salt Lake City, UT Reno, NV Sacramento, CA Emeryville, CA (San Francisco) |
Lounges en Route | Chicago Union Station Metropolitan Lounge |
Services Offered | Coach class Private rooms Dining service Café service Checked baggage Checked bicycles |
Origin City | Washington, D.C. |
End City | Chicago, IL |
Total Transit Time | 18 hours (timetable) |
Highlights | Allegheny Mountains, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. museums, Jefferson Rock, Potomac River, Belle Boyd House, Willis Tower, Chicago Loop, Lake Erie, Cedar Point, Allegany Museum, and Viaduct Junction Capitol Limited Route Guide |
Major Cities en Route | Harpers Ferry, WV Cumberland, MD Pittsburgh, PA Cleveland, OH Toledo, OH Waterloo, IN South Bend, IN |
Lounges en Route | Union Station ClubAcela (soon to be Metropolitan Lounge after renovation) Chicago Union Station Metropolitan Lounge |
Services Offered | Coach class Private rooms Flexible dining service: available exclusively for private room passengers Café service Checked baggage Onboard bicycle racks |
Origin City | New York, NY |
End City | Chicago, IL |
Total Transit Time | 1 day 2 hours 30 minutes (timetable) |
Highlights | Chicago Union Station, Willis Tower, Hinton Historic District, Wilson Park, The Greenbrier, Potomac River, and the Pentagon Cardinal Route Guide |
Major Cities en Route | Newark, NJ Philadelphia, PA Baltimore, MD Washington, D.C. Charlottesville, VA White Sulphur Springs, WV Charleston, WV Cincinnati, OH Indianapolis, IN |
Lounges en Route | New York Penn Station Moynihan Train Hall Metropolitan Lounge Philadelphia 30th Street Station Metropolitan Lounge Union Station ClubAcela (soon to be Metropolitan Lounge after renovation) Chicago Union Station Metropolitan Lounge |
Services Offered | Coach class Private rooms Flexible dining service: available exclusively for private room passengers Café service Checked baggage Wi-Fi available Onboard bicycle racks |
Origin City | New York, NY |
End City | Charlotte, NC |
Total Transit Time | 13 hours 30 minutes (timetable) |
Highlights | U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. museums, Old Town Alexandria, Fredericksburg City Dock Park, downtown Raleigh, Boylan Bridge (view of Raleigh skyline), and downtown Greensboro |
Major Cities en Route | Newark, NJ Philadelphia, PA Baltimore, MD Washington, D.C. Richmond, VA Jacksonville Raleigh, NC |
Lounges en Route | New York Penn Station Moynihan Train Hall Metropolitan Lounge Philadelphia 30th Street Station Metropolitan Lounge Union Station ClubAcela (soon to be Metropolitan Lounge after renovation) |
Services Offered | Coach class Business class Café service Checked baggage Wi-Fi available Onboard bicycle racks |
Origin City | Chicago, IL |
End City | New Orleans, LA |
Total Transit Time | 19 hours (timetable) |
Highlights | Beale Street, Great Lakes, Lower Mississippi Delta region (with African and Caribbean architectural influences), Piney Woods, floral cities of Brookhaven and McComb, exotic swamps of the bayou, marshland, cypress trees and waterways, Pass-Manchac waterway, and Lake Pontchartrain; wildlife sightings include alligators and pelicans City of New Orleans Route Guide |
Major Cities en Route | Champaign-Urbana, IL Centralia, IL Carbondale, IL Memphis, TN Jackson, MS Hammond, LA |
Lounges en Route | Chicago Union Station Metropolitan Lounge Magnolia Room |
Services Offered | Coach class Private rooms Flexible dining service: available exclusively for private room passengers Café service Checked baggage Onboard bicycle racks |
Origin City | Seattle, WA |
End City (Vice Versa) | Los Angeles, CA |
Total Transit Time | 1 day 11 hours (timetable) |
Highlights | Santa Ynez Mountains, Pacific Ocean, Vandenberg Air Force Base, America’s breadbasket, and Salinas Valley Coast Starlight Route Guide |
Major Cities en Route | Tacoma, WA Portland, OR Eugene-Springfield, OR Sacramento, CA San Francisco, CA Santa Barbara, CA |
Lounges en Route | Los Angeles Union Station Metropolitan Lounge |
Services Offered | Coach class Business class Private rooms Dining service Café service Checked baggage Onboard bicycle racks |
Origin City | New York, NY |
End City (Vice Versa) | New Orleans, LA |
Total Transit Time | 1 day 6 hours (timetable) |
Highlights | Shenandoah Valley, Blue Ridge Mountains, Coosa River, historical landmarks like Sloss Furnaces, small towns like Tuscaloosa and Laurel, Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, Schuylkill River Trail, Lake Lanier, Midtown Atlanta, Regions Field, Lake Pontchartrain, and Mercedes-Benz Superdome Crescent Route Guide |
Major Cities en Route | Washington, D.C. Charlottesville, VA Greensboro, NC Charlottesville, NC Atlanta, GA Birmingham, AL |
Lounges en Route | New York Penn Station Moynihan Train Hall Metropolitan Lounge Philadelphia 30th Street Station Metropolitan Lounge Union Station ClubAcela (soon to be Metropolitan Lounge after renovation) |
Services Offered | Coach class Sleeping cars Flexible dining service: available exclusively for sleeping car passengers Café service Checked baggage at select stations Wi-Fi available Onboard bicycle racks |
Origin City | Chicago, IL |
End City (Vice Versa) | Seattle, WA |
Total Transit Time | 1 day 22 hours (timetable) |
Highlights | North Dakota Plains, Big Sky Country, Glacier National Park, Columbia River Gorge, Mt. Hood, and Beacon Rock Empire Builder Route Guide |
Major Cities en Route | Milwaukee, WI St. Paul-Minneapolis, MN Fargo, ND Minot, ND Havre, MT Whitefish, MT Spokane, WA Portland, OR |
Lounges en Route | Chicago Union Station Metropolitan Lounge |
Services Offered | Coach class Private rooms Dining service Café service Checked baggage Checked bicycles |
Origin City | Boston, MA |
End City (Vice Versa) | Chicago, IL |
Total Transit Time | 19 hours (timetable) |
Highlights | Hudson River, Bannerman’s Island, West Point Military Academy, and National New York Central Railroad Museum in Elkhart Lake Shore Limited Route Guide |
Major Cities en Route | Syracuse, NY Buffalo-Depew, NY Erie, PA Cleveland, OH Toledo, OH |
Lounges en Route | Chicago Union Station Metropolitan Lounge South Station Metropolitan Lounge New York Penn Station Moynihan Train Hall Metropolitan Lounge |
Services Offered | Coach class Business class Private rooms Flexible dining service between New York, Albany, and Chicago Café service Checked baggage Wi-Fi available Checked bicycles |
Origin City | Boston, MA |
End City (Vice Versa) | Virginia Beach, VA |
Total Transit Time | 12 hours 30 minutes (timetable) |
Highlights | Art Museum of Philadelphia, Schuylkill River, Blue Ridge Mountains, Hotel Roanoke, and the Appalachian Trail |
Major Cities en Route | New York, NY Charlottesville, VA Roanoke, VA Richmond, VA Newport News, VA Norfolk, VA |
Lounges en Route | South Station Metropolitan Lounge New York Penn Station Moynihan Train Hall Metropolitan Lounge Philadelphia 30th Street Station Metropolitan Lounge Union Station ClubAcela (soon to be Metropolitan Lounge after renovation) |
Services Offered | Coach class Business class Sleeping cars Flexible dining service Café service Amtrak Quiet Car Checked baggage Wi-Fi available |
Silver Meteor and Silver Star | |
Origin City | New York, NY |
End City (Vice Versa) | Miami, FL |
Total Transit Time | 1 day 3 hours 30 minutes (timetable) |
Palmetto | |
Origin City | New York, NY |
End City (Vice Versa) | Savannah, GA |
Total Transit Time | 16 hours 10 minutes (timetable) |
Highlights | Northeast cityscapes, the Deep South’s antebellum homes and Civil War sites, Florida’s beaches, coastal mangroves, modern metroplexes, Delaware Children’s Museum, U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C. museums, Old Town Alexandria, Edgar Allan Poe Museum, Virginia State Capitol, James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library, and the Airborne & Special Operations Museum Silver Service Route Guide |
Major Cities en Route | Philadelphia, PA New York, NY Washington, D.C. Richmond, VA Charlottesville, VA Charleston, SC Savannah, GA Jacksonville, FL Orlando, FL Tampa, FL St. Petersburg-Pinellas, FL Fort Myers, FL |
Lounges en Route | New York Penn Station Moynihan Train Hall Metropolitan Lounge Philadelphia 30th Street Station Metropolitan Lounge Union Station ClubAcela (soon to be Metropolitan Lounge after renovation) |
Services Offered | Coach class Business class service Private rooms Flexible dining service: available exclusively for private room passengers Café service Checked baggage Wi-Fi available |
Origin City | Chicago, IL |
End City (Vice Versa) | Los Angeles, CA |
Total Transit Time | 1 day 18 hours (timetable) |
Highlights | Desert landscape on Route 66, Bill Williams Mountain Range, Grand Canyon National Park, Pikes Peak, and the Rockies; wildlife sightings include bighorn sheep, bears, and elk Southwest Chief Route Guide |
Major Cities en Route | St. Louis, MO Kansas City, MO Topeka, KS Dodge City, KS Raton, NM Lamy, NM (Santa Fe) Albuquerque, NM Flagstaff, AZ |
Lounges en Route | Chicago Union Station Metropolitan Lounge Los Angeles Union Station Metropolitan Lounge |
Services Offered | Coach class Private rooms Dining service Café service Checked baggage |
Origin City | New Orleans, LA |
End City (Vice Versa) | Los Angeles, CA |
Total Transit Time | 2 days (timetable) |
Highlights | Bayou Country, Mississippi River, Huey P. Long Bridge, Sesquicentennial Park, Tranquility Park, Historic Sunset Station, San Antonio Riverwalk, downtown Tucson, Iron Horse Park, California mountains, Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park Sunset Limited Route Guide |
Major Cities en Route | Houston, TX San Antonio, TX Tucson, AZ Maricopa, AZ Palm Springs, CA |
Lounges en Route | Los Angeles Union Station Metropolitan Lounge |
Services Offered | Coach class Private rooms Dining service Café service Checked baggage |
Origin City | Chicago, IL |
End City (Vice Versa) | San Antonio, TX |
Total Transit Time | 1 day 8 hours 25 minutes (timetable) |
Origin City | Chicago, IL |
End City (Vice Versa) | Los Angeles, CA |
Total Transit Time | 2 days 17 hours 20 minutes |
Highlights | Chicago Loop, Willis Tower, Gateway Arch, Mississippi River, Ozark Mountains, Arkansas River, downtown Dallas, Dallas Convention Center, John F. Kennedy Memorial Plaza, Iron Horse Park, Riverwalk, and the Alamo Texas Eagle Route Guide |
Major Cities en Route | St. Louis, MO Little Rock, AR Dallas, TX Fort Worth, TX Austin, TX San Antonio, TX Palm Springs, CA |
Lounges en Route | Chicago Union Station Metropolitan Lounge St. Louis Lounge Los Angeles Union Station Metropolitan Lounge |
Services Offered | Coach class Sleeping cars Traditional Dining Service: Café service in the Sightseer Lounge Checked baggage |
Origin City | Washington, D.C. |
End City (Vice Versa) | St. Albans, VT (Jay Peak) |
Total Transit Time | 13 hours 45 minutes (timetable) |
Highlights | Aldis Hill Park, Cross Vermont Trail, Connecticut River, downtown Brattleboro, Holyoke Heritage State Park, Schuylkill River Trail, Delaware History Museum, and U.S. Capitol |
Major Cities en Route | Essex JCT, VT Springfield, MA New York, NY |
Lounges en Route | New York Penn Station Moynihan Train Hall Metropolitan Lounge Philadelphia 30th Street Station Metropolitan Lounge Union Station ClubAcela (soon to be Metropolitan Lounge after renovation) |
Services Offered | Coach class Business class Café service Amtrak Quiet Car Wi-Fi available |
![The Ultimate Guide to Amtrak Routes [Regional & Long-Distance] (2024)](data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mP8/h8AAvMB+NzmkbcAAAAASUVORK5CYII=)
FAQs
Which Amtrak route is most scenic? ›
Coast Starlight
If it's the famously beautiful U.S. West Coast you're keen to see, hop on the Coast Starlight, a particularly picturesque Amtrak route if you like mountain, forest and ocean views.
Amtrak tickets are generally cheapest on Tuesdays and Wednesdays Call Amtrak 📲✈📲🤳🏽 ✅ + 🌈+𝟏((𝟖𝟖𝟖))_𝟒𝟓𝟖_𝟕𝟕𝟖𝟎✅[Emergency Number]. Pricing can vary based on factors like route and travel time, but midweek tickets often offer the best deals 📲✈📲🤳🏽 ✅ + 🌈+𝟏((𝟖𝟖𝟖))_𝟒𝟓𝟖_𝟕𝟕𝟖𝟎✅[Call and Chat Support].
What is the best time of the year to travel on Amtrak? ›The first step in planning your long-distance Amtrak trip is choosing which route to ride and when to ride it. June and July travel is typically recommended because you'll have the most daylight for viewing scenery.
Where does Amtrak go from Minnesota? ›Amtrak has one route that stops in the Twin Cities, the Empire Builder. This line goes between Chicago, IL to Seattle, WA or Portland, OR. The closest stops to Anoka County are in St. Paul, St.
Where is the best place to go on Amtrak? ›- Grand Canyon National Park. Discover the Grand Canyon on a scenic train journey. ...
- Glacier National Park. ...
- Yellowstone National Park. ...
- New Orleans, LA. ...
- Washington, D.C. ...
- New York City, NY. ...
- Chicago, IL. ...
- Niagara Falls.
Looking to snag the best deal on your Amtrak Tickets? Here's a tip: 1-832-252-9195 Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays are usually your go-to days for the cheapest fares. Keep in mind, though, that Amtrak's special sales often come with restrictions on these days.
How far in advance should you buy Amtrak tickets? ›The earlier you book your tickets, the more likely you are to get the lowest fare available for the dates you want on the routes along your journey. You may book your travel up to 11 months in advance.
What is the cheapest day to buy a train ticket? ›What days are cheaper to travel by train? While no specific day is universally cheaper for train travel, Northern Rail tickets generally cost less when purchased in advance. Weekdays, like Tuesdays and Wednesdays, tend to have lower demand and may offer better deals.
Are Amtrak rides worth it? ›Trains consume less energy and produce less harmful pollutants than either car or air travel. Hopping on an Amtrak train will save you gas and daily wear and tear on your car. It also reduces the ever-increasing traffic congestion on the roads and in the skies.
What is the best way to book train tickets? ›MakeMyTrip is the leading portal for making your IRCTC ticket booking within a few minutes. All you have to do is enter your source and destination and look at all the trains available on the selected route. In order to confirm your tickets, enter your IRCTC login ID and be ready to embark on a journey of a lifetime.
What days is Amtrak least busy? ›
Most long distance trains map to the national travel trends, so the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is about the slowest of the year. Second week of January through March is also slow.
Does Amtrak offer senior discounts? ›And since Amtrak travelers 65 years of age and over are eligible to receive a 10% discount on most trains, it becomes an affordable alternative.
What 4 states does Amtrak not go to? ›South Dakota, Wyoming and Hawaii don't have passenger trains. There is a rail transit system under construction in Hawaii, though. The Alaska Railroad provides passenger service in Alaska. Amtrak serves every state except Alaska, Hawaii, South Dakota and Wyoming.
Can you bring food on Amtrak? ›You may bring your own food and beverages onboard for consumption at your seat or private Sleeping Car accommodations. However, you can only consume food and beverages purchased in Dining and Lounge Cars in those cars. Personal food and beverages are allowed in the upper level of Superliner Sightseer Lounges.
What is the longest scenic train ride in the US? ›The California Zephyr® is the longest Amtrak® (3924 km) route, and one of the most beautiful railway routes in the world. During the journey you will see the Colorado River valley in the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
What is the best part of the Amtrak Coast Starlight? ›The scenery along the Coast Starlight route is unsurpassed. The dramatic snow-covered peaks of the Cascade Range and Mount Shasta, lush forests, fertile valleys and long stretches of Pacific Ocean shoreline provide a stunning backdrop for your journey.
What is the best Amtrak sleeper route? ›Amtrak's Silver Meteor route is among the most famous long-distance train lines and connects New York City with Miami in around 28 hours. The journey offers glimpses of gorgeous cities like Washington, D.C., Savannah, Philadelphia, and many more, making it one of the best sleeper train trips in the USA.
