Train Trips

The American tourism industry is alive and well, and there certainly is no shortage of interesting ways to spend your vacation time in the U.S. If you are looking for something out of the ordinary when planning your North American vacation, why not consider train trips. A train trip vacation can be likened to a cruise on land in many ways, as your onward journey will likely include some interesting stops along the way where you can explore a bit. For some, trains are the ultimate form of transportation. The endless scenery going by, the horizon always changing. Many train trips include meals and accommodations, as well as planned excursions at your destinations. Book a trip by train and experience travel as it once was in all its glory.

A train trip vacation is often the way to go for those planning to tour around Europe, and trains there are easy to find. Every European city has a train station, or one nearby, and with affordable rates and dependable routes, it’s hard to go wrong when you go by rail. In the United States, the idea of a train trip vacation may have not occurred to you, but with plenty of scenic train trips to choose from, you are likely to find one that’s right up your alley. The United States isn’t only ripe for road trips and bus trips, and train trips in this great land can cover a mere couple of miles, or carry you all the way across the country. North of the United States, Canada also presents a landscape that can be ideal for scenic train trips. For those planning a big train trip vacation, the North America Rail Pass might be something to consider getting. Generally, the North America Rail Pass gives you 30 days of free travel on an extensive rail network that visits more than 900 cities and communities in both the U.S. and Canada.

Perhaps the most notable train service in the United States is Amtrak, which has routes all over the country. Generally, people use Amtrak trains to get from suburbs to the city, and from one city to the next. But you can also look into the interesting American train trips that they offer. In the western United States, scenic train trips are in good supply, and some of the featured Amtrak destinations include some of the country’s most iconic National Parks. If you have ever wanted to visit Yellowstone National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, or Mount Rushmore, Amtrak is just one of the train services that you might investigate. Some of the Amtrak train trip vacation packages combine accommodations on-board, with a night or more at a featured hotel outside of the train. Wine-enthusiasts and anyone looking for a voyage through Eden, might look to book one of the scenic train trips through California’s Napa Valley. Specialized rail companies operate scenic train trips throughout the country, and this is surely one of the best. Board your train in beautiful San Francisco, stop at a winery for lunch and wine-tastings, then continue en route to breathtaking Lake Tahoe. You can even go as far as Colorado, which is a state where scenic train trips are definitely a good way to go. A scenic train trip vacation through the Rocky Mountains is among the most popular American train trips.

Alaska is a state that has long been known to feature some of the greatest American train trips. If you have seen Alaska in person, on television, or in photos, you likely know how stunning the countryside can be here. Alaska is quite large, and it can present plenty of travel issues for those looking to take it all in. If you choose one of the Alaska scenic train trips, you can enjoy views from the safety and comfort of your train car, and along the way, you can stop at some amazing destinations. A train trip vacation from Anchorage to Denali National Park is hard to top. You can take a wildlife tour there, and even include an Alaskan river float trip. While soaring mountains and pristine alpine lakes certainly make an ideal setting for American train trips, you might also consider a train trip vacation through the South, where you can experience Southern charm first hand. The South has plenty of scenery to offer all its own, and with train trips that can have you visiting historic Southern mansions and battlefields, you can surely get a full dose of history along the way. Cities like Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina will endear themselves to you, and you may be surprised at just how friendly people can be all over the South. As is true with any train trip vacation, you can choose from different levels of comfort and service on a Southern train trip, so if you want to be pampered a bit along the way, that is surely an option.

American train trips appear to be increasing in both popularity and number. Recently, new rail tours have become available, especially in the western part of the country, so finding a bunch to choose from shouldn’t be a problem at all. If you are looking for deals on American train trips, some companies will reward you with savings for booking by a certain date, and you never know what other discounts they will offer from time to time. You can often find savings by booking a train trip vacation package that includes everything, including airfare, automobile rental and so on. As mentioned, you can add amenities to your train trip that will boost the price, and there are usually options to pay extra for a cabin with extra space. Regardless of cabin size, storage is still likely to be a bit of an issue, so its generally a good idea to pack as light as possible for a train trip vacation. Many specialized tour trains will offer some form of on-board entertainment, as well as informative guides. It is recommended that you look into trip insurance for your planned trip by train, especially should you need to cancel at the last minute.