All Aboard! The Best Train Trips Across America
By Katherine Foreman on March 29, 2016Flights can get expensive, and – let’s face it – often cause travelers to miss out on some of the most beautiful landscapes our country has to offer. This vacation season, slow things down and take a load off on one of these top shared train experiences. Ranging from cross-country treks to in-state escapades, these expeditions are a great way to relax and unwind while enjoying the best of America’s back country.
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Consisting of a 3-day journey from California to Chicago, this train experience offers a new perspective on one of the nation's most beautiful stretches of country. You can even tack on an extra train ride to get you all the way to New York City!
Derek Low
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Not only does the historic Pullman Rail line, located in Chicago, traverse the country on overnight journeys to places like Albuquerque and New Orleans, it also prides itself on offering its passengers a truly one-of-a-kind vintage train journey experience!
Premier Rails Hosting
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If you're looking for a genuinely western Grand Canyon adventure, this two-and-a-half hour train ride is just the ticket. Weave through forests of ponderosa pines and behold one of the nation's greatest natural phenomena while sipping champagne.
The Train
Cass Scenic Railroad State Park
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Located in one of the most beautiful state parks in the eastern U.S., this hours-long West Virginia train excursion carries its passengers through colorful, tree-lined mountains. Bonus—the journey ends at one of the highest points in West Virginia, allowing passengers to exit the train to a breathtaking view.
Ron Cogswell/Flickr via Only In Your State
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This mid-northern Californian rail line removes passengers from the chaotic atmosphere of the modern world and immerses them in a world of towering redwood forests and stunning coastal views.
Press Democrat
Uncommon Journeys Great National Parks of the West
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If you've always had a hankering to experience all America's great Western national parks have to offer, hop aboard the eight-day luxury ride on the Great Western Limited to travel from Montana to San Francisco.
Uncommon Journeys
The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad
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Ever wondered what it would be like to step into Indiana Jones' shoes for the day? This train is the country's highest and longest narrow gauge stream railroad, and was featured in the Indiana Jones films. The journey starts in New Mexico and ends, 64 miles later, in Antonito, Colorado—Jones' childhood home.
Red River
Great Smoky Mountains Railroad
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Travel through breathtaking North Carolinian mountains while taking in the serene wildlife around the Tennessee and Nantahala Rivers.
Romantic Asheville
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Experience the beautiful and calming scenery that Massachusetts has to offer on this two-hour train ride from Hyannis to Sandwich.
Cape Train
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Indulge in a gourmet meal as you thread through California's most spectacular vineyard settings.
Wine Train
