20 Incredible Train Trips In USA

The USA is a vast country, spanning 3,796,742 square miles (9,833,520 square kilometres) over its 50 states. Whilst travelling by air is the obvious choice to easily get between states or cities, air travel can be stressful, rushed, and leaves you without having seen much of the country at all. Road trips open up more of the country, but require lots of concentration from the driver which can result in stressful journeys between pit stops. The best way to travel across the USA for relaxation, enjoyment and to see more of the country is by train. The USA has many incredible train trips, from specialised trains taking in certain areas, heritage lines that celebrate the states history or sleeper trains crossing the country through beautiful landscapes, there is something for everyone. Put the notion that train travel is just for your daily commute out of your mind and explore the 20 best train trips in the USA.

20 Best Train Trips in the USA

1- Amtrak Adirondack

Amtrak’s Adirondack service is a daily train service running between New York City in the USA and Montreal in Canada.

The route this train takes follows a scenic track along part of the Empire Corridor.

The route leaves New York City in the morning, taking 10 hours to travel up north to Canada.

This daily train allows you to see some of the most spectacular landscapes en route including the wine country of Hudson Valley.

The train has been ranked as one of the top 10 scenic train rides in the world and as you journey through its leafy route, passing by historical sites and important landmarks it is easy to see why.

On board there is a cafe service and wifi, with all seats in coach class.

2- Amtrak Empire Builder

Running between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest, the Empire Builder train is a 46 hour journey of discovery.

The route follows a large portion of the Lewis and Clark trail, allowing you to take in dramatic views of the wilderness that the early pioneers in America experienced as they travelled across country.

The Empire Builder departs daily from Chicago, running along the Mississippi, taking in the lights of Minneapolis before nightfall.

When you wake up the following morning the plains of North Dakota will greet you, before you enter Big Sky country in Montana, and journey past the beautiful peaks of Glacier National Park.

The journey is one of incredible beauty and allows you to take in the vast natural landscapes the USA has to offer whilst relaxing and unwinding in comfort.

A number of different accommodations are offered aboard the Empire builder including extra-legroom coach seats to the luxurious comfort of a Superliner Bedroom Suite where you can enjoy the journey in privacy.

3- Hawaiian Railway Society Ewa Train

If you are visiting the paradise island of Hawaii, be sure to take a ride on the only historical railroad still running in Oahu.

This train trip features a historical locomotive with open sided coaches offering seats for 180 people.

There is even space to enjoy a picnic with a view as you journey on this unique train.

The railway was formerly used to transport people and sugar cane around the island.

The train ride takes around 2 hours taking you along the coast with regular stops for stretching your legs or getting coffee or ice cream at a local coffee shop.

4- Amtrak Coast Starlight

Amtrak Coast Starlight is one of the best train trips in the USA.

This train takes you from Seattle to Los Angeles, taking 35 hours.

The train runs through Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Sacramento and Portland, taking in some of the most beautiful scenery along the West Coast.

As you journey you will take in beaches and ocean views, snowy mountain tops and thick pine forests.

The train offers a range of accommodations including first class private rooms where you can sleep in comfort, to coach with large comfortable seats and lots of legroom.

Amtrak Coast Starlight also has an excellent dining car serving lunch and dinner, with breakfast available either in your room or in the onboard cafe.

Recommended tour: Seattle Amtrak Coast Starlight Redwood 7 day Tour from SF

5- Grand Canyon Railway

The Grand Canyon Railway is a heritage railway that departs Williams, Arizona daily taking visitors into the raw beauty of the Grand Canyon.

The train ride offers spectacular scenery, as well as a family-friendly vibe with authentic western musicians playing in the carriages and cowboy characters interacting with guests.

This heritage railway has been transporting passengers into the wilds of the Grand Canyon since 1901.

Today, its carriages are carefully restored and are pulled by a steam engine allowing you to enjoy an authentic and historical railroad travel experience.

During your journey you will take in high dessert, prairies and lush pine forests.

Recommended tour: Grand Canyon Railway Adventure Package

6- Rockies to the Red Rocks

Board the Rocky Mountaineer train on a Rockies to the Red Rocks journey to see the unseen west of the USA.

The train travels between Moab, Utah and Denver, Colorado over two days.

As you journey you will pass canyons, desserts, natural landmarks including archways and hoodoos and much more.

The train passes by Ruby Canyon and crosses the Continental Divide.

Each carriage on board has large windows allowing you to take in all of the spectacular scenery surrounding your journey.

This two day journey is unlike other multi-day train journeys however, as there is no onboard accommodation.

Instead, the train makes a stop in Glenwood Springs where you disembark and head to your hotel, all booked as part of your ticket.

Recommended tour: 5-Day Rocky Mountaineer Train from Vancouver to Rockies tour

7- Amtrak California Zephyr

Considered to be one of the most beautiful train trips in the USA, the California Zephyr by Amtrak is an epic 51 hour journey across the country.

Running from Chicago and through Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake City and finally to Emeryville in San Francisco, this train journey is one to add to your wish list.

The journey climbs through the heart of the Rockies, past the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and across the vast plains of Nebraska.

On your journey you will see numerous landmarks including Moffat Tunnel, Truckee Lake and San Pablo Bay.

Allowing you to travel in style and comfort is the Zephyr’s varied accommodations, from coach class seating to Superliner Bedroom Suites.

Recommended tour: Continental US Train Zephyr Adventure CA -CO – Il

8- Cass Scenic Railroad

Board the heritage Cass Scenic Railroad to experience the era of steam in Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, West Virginia.

This train trip covers 11 miles (17 kilometres) offering visitors the chance to not only experience the joys and nostalgia of steam travel, but to explore a traditional lumber town that would have been served by such a railway.

The train ride takes visitors from the lumber town of Cass up to Bald Knob, the third highest point in the state.

Each journey takes around 4.5 hours there and back, with an optional 2 hour excursion to Whittaker Station.

9- Vermonter

Amtrak’s Vermonter train journey is one of the best train trips in the USA, running daily between Washington, DC and St Albans, Vermont.

The journey takes just under 14 hours, and takes in some beautiful landscapes and views along the eastern edge of the USA.

Enjoy the charm and pleasant landscapes of New England with its picturesque villages and leafy forests before experiencing the awe of the Green Mountains.

The train includes a cafe service and onboard wifi as well as both coach and business class seating.

10- Napa Valley Wine Train

Experience wine country like never before aboard the Napa Valley Wine train.

The wine train has ran for 35 years, and has recently undergone dramatic changes which allow this luxury locomotive to run in a more eco-friendly way.

The Napa Valley Wine Train not only takes in the beauty of wine country, but allows you to experience onboard tasting and dining opportunities.

Board a daytime train to enjoy panoramic views of the valley as you dine in the Vista Dome Car, a second floor car that offers unparalleled views whilst you indulge in a four-course lunch with wine pairings.

For a more luxurious experience why not book their afternoon tea train in partnership with Chandon where you will dine on traditional finger sandwiches and delicate patisserie inside a restored luxury vintage rail car.

Recommended tour: Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt: Napa Reflections

11- Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad

Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad is one of the best train trips in the USA.

This scenic railroad takes you through the Sierra National Park and Yosemite National Park.

The railroad follows the tracks of the former log trains that moved vast amounts of material from the forests in the mountains into the valley below.

The railroad offers a variety of services, from their traditional logger steam trains that run throughout the day, to their evening moonlight specials.

There is more to this historical railroad than just the trains however, with activities such as gold panning available, a logging museum and a delicious onsite restaurant allowing you to extend your stay.

12- Pacific Surfliner

The Pacific Surfliner is another excellent train trip in the USA offered by Amtrak.

The Pacific Surfliner runs daily between San Diego and Los Angeles, with some services extending to Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.

The route spans 351 miles (564 kilometres) with much of the route hugging the coastline, offering spectacular views along the California coast.

Enjoy your journey in either coach or business class seating, and take advantage of the onboard facilities which include wifi access, a cafe serving a range of drinks and snacks, and most importantly, the trains large windows.

13- Alaska Denali Star

The Alaska Denali Star is the flagship train of Alaska Railroad.

The journey departs the city of Anchorage and travels for 356 miles (572 kilometres) over 12 hours through some of the most beautiful landscapes in the state before arriving in Fairbanks.

The train passes through the Southcentral and Interior Alaska regions allowing passengers to take in a range of sights including Healy Canyon, the Nenana River and Denali National Park.

On clear days it is possible to see Denali, the tallest mountain in North America and the namesake of the route.

Recommended tour: Alaska Railroad Anchorage to Denali One Way

14- Skunk Train

Enjoy a historical adventure aboard the Skunk Train, one of the most beloved steam trains in the USA.

The train has ran since 1885 where it began weaving its way through historic redwood groves and into the Noyo River Canyon.

The train gets its name ‘skunk’ from 1925 when motorcars, a form of single unit self propelled track vehicles, began using a form of gasoline that the local residents said gave off a pungent odour, similar to that of a skunk.

While the railway has cleaned up and got rid of the pungent smell, the name skunk stuck.

Journeys vary in length, from a 75-minute trip to Pudding Creek to longer journeys to Wolf Tree Turn.

Recommended tour: Skunk Train: Wolf Tree Turn from Willits

15- The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad offers passengers a unique experience to a access parts of the Smoky Mountains that would otherwise be incredibly difficult to visit.

The railroad is in the heart of Bryson City, North Carolina and offers passenger views of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Fontana Lake, Nantahala National Forest and much more.

The railroad runs two different services, one pulled by traditional steam engines and more modern locomotives powered by diesel.

Trips along the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad vary in length depending on your destination.

Excursions to Nantahala Gorge takes 4.5 hours as a round trip and runs alongside the waters edge of Fontana lake, with a 1 hour break at the gorge allowing you to relax, enjoy a picnic or simply take in the view.

Smaller journeys include the Tuckasegee River excursion that winds through the countryside to the small town of Dillsboro where you can enjoy a 1 hour layover before beading back to Bryson.

Recommended tour: Smoky Mountains Roaring Fork Guided Sightseeing Tour by Jeep

16- Mount Washington Cog Railway

Mount Washington Cog Railway not only offers one of the best train trips in the USA, but one of the most unique experiences.

This family friendly railway experience takes visitors up to the summit of Mount Washington aboard the first mountain-climbing cog railway in the world.

The railway began its life in the 1860s and was ridden by renowned showman PT Barnum.

The railway climbs an average incline of 25% with some sections at 38% making it the second steepest cog railway in the world.

Choose either a steam-powered or diesel locomotive to pull you up to the top of the mountain as you admire the beautiful views over either side of the carriage.

Recommended tour: Private and personalized tour of Washington

17- Durango Narrow Gauge Railway

Durango Narrow Gauge Railway is one of the most popular narrow gauge railroads in the USA.

The railroad offers unparalleled scenery and the change to experience the golden age of rail travel.

The railroad reflects the history of the trains found in the area in 1882, with carefully preserved train carriages and plenty of historical facts shared before, during and after your journey.

The train winds through the rugged landscape of the San Juan National Forest with views of the mountains.

Enjoy dramatic views as you pass over waterfalls and valleys before exploring the historical mining town of Silvertown, a layover in which is part of your ticket.

Recommended tour: All-Day Guided Zipline Tour with Train Ride and Lunch in Durango

18- Ethan Allen Express

The Ethan Allen Express is another excellent train trip in the USA ran by Amtrak.

The journey runs from Burlington to New York via Rutland and Albany, and takes just over 7.5 hours.

The train trip takes you through the scenic Hudson Valley, with its stops offering the chance to experience more of the beauty of New England, from wildflower meadows to lazy summer days on Lake Champlain.

Adding to the relaxing experience aboard this train is a cafe car serving light snacks and drinks, and seating in either coach or business class.

19- Amtrak Downeaster

The Amtrak Downeaster is one of the best train trips in the USA taking in 3 states across its 143 mile (230 kilometre) journey.

The train runs between Brunswick, Main to Boston, Massachusetts.

The Downeaster travels past beautiful and historical cities, stunning beaches and vast stretches of ocean, arriving in Boston where a thriving arts and culture scene will greet you.

This short 3 hour journey allows you to arrive into the city in style, fully relaxed and refreshed ahead of a day exploring.

On board there are both coach and business class seating, a cafe and wifi throughout.

20- Sunset Limited

Sunset Limited is an epic 3 day, 48 hour journey departing from New Orleans and arriving into Los Angeles.

Stops along the way include San Antonio, Tucson and Phoenix.

One of the best train trips in the USA, Sunset Limited’s journey from Louisiana to California takes in Bayou Country, runs along the border with Mexico, and passes by vast desert landscapes and below towering mountains.

Stay onboard of the duration if you are simply looking for a relaxing and visually interesting way to travel, or break up your journey at one of the stops and take in landmarks including Big Bend National Park and Saguaro National Park.

Like many Amtrak long distance trains, the Sunset Limited offers a variety of accommodations from coach seats with additional legroom to Superliner Bedroom Suites that transform between spacious seated private compartments to cosy bedrooms.