USA Rail Holidays

Tour the USA in style and get away from the roads when you choose to sit back and watch the scenery from the comfort of a train. Whether you opt for the luxury of a Rocky Mountaineer Journey or the convenience of a fully arranged Amtrak Vacations itinerary, there’s no more relaxing way to explore the USA.

You can rumble from the Rockies to the Red Rocks when you board the famous Rocky Mountaineer in the cosmopolitan mile-high city of Denver, then travel through canyons, deserts and mesmerising rock formations to Utah’s amazing wilderness city of Moab. Why not include the journey in a tour of the Canyonlands and National Parks of America’s West? That way, you can also spend some time in Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon.

Alternatively, you could discover the California Wine Country by rail, or travel the Grand Canyon Railway and let Amtrak handle the itinerary for easy exploration.

Cover America in complete ease with Amtrak. You’ll travel quickly, in comfort, and even overnight on any of this iconic company’s 30 routes to 500 destinations. Choose a hop-on hop-off rail pass for complete flexibility, or secure seats on specific trains to get your itinerary locked in.

The perks of a relaxing train journey? You don’t need to worry about getting lost, or paying for fuel, or driving long distances when it’s too hot or too cold. You can simply arrive at the station minutes before departure, stow your bags, take your seat, and sit back. Order a drink, and watch the world go by as you speed to your destination.

You can choose business class or a private room for enhanced luxury, or make the most of your time away by passing an overnight journey in a bedroom, suite, or roomette. Amtrak also caters for families with dedicated cabins sleeping up to two adults and two children

Moving between Massachusetts and Virginia, Amtrak’s Northeast Regional route connects Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington DC. In the west, meanwhile, the Pacific Surfliner takes you from the beach cities of San Diego and Los Angeles to the wine lands of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.

Want to travel further north from LA? Take the Coast Starlight to pass through Sacramento and Portland to the seaport city of Seattle, the gateway to Canada. Or take the Sunset Limited all the way from LA to New Orleans – or vice versa – and discover the towns and cities of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana. Dive into the Mountain West as you travel between Chicago and San Francisco through stations in Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah and Nevada on the California Zephyr. Or head from New York to Niagara on the Empire Service, or continue on to Toronto on the Maple Leaf.

There’s never a bad time for a USA rail holiday. Diverse weather across the country means you’ll always the perfect weather somewhere. Plus, thanks to the air-conditioned cabins and incredible infrastructure, most rail routes run 365 days a year.

Summer brings clear days across the USA, meaning spectacular views through your train window wherever you go. Winter can bring severe snow to the northeastern states and mountain regions, causing occasional disruption in some areas. But, on the other hand, snowfall makes for stunning winter scenery on routes like the City of New Orleans, California Zephyr, Coast Starlight, Empire Builder, and Vermonter. Just be mindful that The Rockies to the Red Rocks Rocky Mountaineer is seasonal, and only runs from April to October.