Have you ever been curious about the best train rides in the U.S.? There are so many! Some of the train rides are so beautiful you wouldn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to go. Here are some of the best train rides in the U.S. that you may want to check out when you go on vacations in these areas.
Grand Canyon Railway (Williams, AZ to Grand Canyon, AZ)
All aboard! Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon? Experience a train ride that will take you to one of the national parks in the U.S. The Grand Canyon Railway is within walking distance from Route 66! So along with getting a chance to see the Grand Canyon, you also get to see the history of Route 66 as well.
Around Christmas time, the Grand Canyon Railway also offers the Polar Express experience. This gives you a front-row experience, just like the Polar Express movie! This experience is one you wouldn’t want to miss. It takes you to the North Pole! To make it a little more convincing for you, they also have a few getaway packages. This may just be an Arizona adventure for you and the whole crew to try out.
Rocky Mountaineer’s “Rockies to the Red Rocks” Route (Denver, CO to Moab, UT)
From the Rockies to the Red Rocks, the Rocky Mountaineer’s Railroad has 4 different routes that you can choose from! Now you may think that’s a lot of routes to choose from, but all 4 of these routes are very scenic in their own ways. One of the routes will take you from Moab, UT through some rugged landscapes, for instance, the Ruby Canyon, beautiful hot springs, such as Glenwood Springs, cutting through some vast canyons, all the way to wonderful Denver, CO.
Why choose this train ride, you may ask? You get a unique experience of their glass-domed coaches. Traveling only during the day, make it so that you don’t miss out on any beautiful sites along the route. Make the Rocky Mountaineer’s scenic routes a train ride to add to your bucket list.
The Coast Starlight (Los Angeles, CA to Seattle, WA)
The Coast Starlight is a 35-hour rail experience. You heard right, 35 hours! On this train route, you will pass through a variety of landscapes, such as the ocean and beaches to lush forests and majestic mountain ranges. This route is nearly 1,400 miles long. The Coast Starlight takes you from Los Angeles, California all the way to Seattle, Washington. You can travel from either direction as well. This railway just might be one of the best trains in the U.S. to date.
The Coast Starlight has been a fan favorite for over 50 years! Aboard this route, you get 2 days and 1 night on the train itself. It even has a beautiful Dining car for you to enjoy a delicious meal. The Coast Starlight train is longer than the Rocky Mountaineer route! Another great train ride to take for a vacation.
The Empire Builder (Chicago, IL to Portland, OR)
Ever wanted to pass through 8 states by train? Seems amusing right? The Empire Builder takes you through just about everything. You will travel through cities, mountain ranges, national parks, glaciers, and forests in about 46 hours! It takes you across the borders of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois and back. That is if you wanted to travel the route more than once.
History fact; this route follows the footsteps of Lewis and Clark! Trains, not just the Empire Builder, have traveled this route since 1929! Because of this, it has remained popular for a long time! Another train ride to think about looking at if it is on your budget list.
The Alaska Denali Star (Anchorage, AK to Fairbanks, AK)
Did you say Northern Lights? With the adventure of the Alaska Denali Star, you will experience a 12-hour train ride. Traveling from Anchorage all the way to Fairbanks. This route crosses through the Knik River and then through the Chugach Mountains. Alongside the train ride, you may even see some Northern Lights! There are even tours within some of the stops on the train route for you to check out too!
Fun fact; this train ride is named after the highest peak in North America, Denali! The Alaska Denali Star is another scenic train to add to a vacation budget list.
You now have an idea of some of the best train rides in the U.S. Out of all of them, which interested you the most? From the Northern Lights of the Alaska Denali Star train to one of the infamous national park tours of the Grand Canyon Railway, these train rides would make a beautiful vacation for anyone to travel on.
From Rails and Trails tours with the family to Luxus Travel tours, Utah Luxury Tours offers a wide variety of tours for your whole family to check out. To book a tour mentioned, you can reach out through our “Contact” page, or you can call us at (435) 940-4212. You can also email us at quoterequest@utahluxurytours.com for more inquiries on some more tours that we offer outside of train rides.
