These Amtrak Train Routes Make Stops at Some of America's Most Scenic National Parks (2023)

FAQs

These Amtrak Train Routes Make Stops at Some of America's Most Scenic National Parks? ›

The California Zephyr

The California Zephyr is also one of the most scenic train rides in the world. Cutting west through the farmland plains of Nebraska, it's up into the Rocky Mountains for the heart of the ride to the Mile High city of Denver, and then Salt Lake City.

The California Zephyr

The California Zephyr is also one of the most scenic train rides in the world. Cutting west through the farmland plains of Nebraska, it's up into the Rocky Mountains for the heart of the ride to the Mile High city of Denver, and then Salt Lake City.

Not only do we have stations in two of the most beautiful national parks, but we also travel through them. Imagine scenic, peaceful green views from the comfort of your Amtrak seat.

Amtrak trains make many stops along the way, so keep an eye on the conductor; they'll tell you when the next stop is coming up. Amtrak has more than 30 train routes throughout the United States and Canada. Many Amtrak routes offer regional service, but several are long distance routes that travel across the country.

Zion National Park is in Utah, closest to the Flagstaff Amtrak Station on the Southwest Chief route. Drive time is about four hours, and you'll need to rent a car in Flagstaff to continue your journey.

Konkan Railway

The train travels through 92 tunnels and 2,000 bridges, including the Panvalnadi bridge, which is one of the highest in India. With landscapes covered in lush greenery, a Konkan Railway journey is a treat, especially during the monsoon season.

1. Glacier National Park Express. Take one of the most iconic train routes to one of the most spectacular national parks! This 10-day adventure onboard Amtrak's scenic Empire Builder® route from Chicago to Glacier National Park and on to Seattle is a true bucket-list experience.

There is no rail or train service to Yellowstone National Park. The closest Amtrak service is Salt Lake City, Utah.

You're allowed to walk about the train as often as you'd like. Just make sure to watch where you're walking onboard the train between cars. The safety plates often shift and pinch when the train is in motion.

Join Yellowstone National Park

All Aboard! Climb aboard the 1880 Train, a 2-hour, 20-mile scenic ride on a historic train that runs between Hill City and Keystone, S.D. Narrated for all ages, this train ride is really popular, so book online or call at least one week before you plan to ride to make reservations.

Can I bring food on Amtrak? ›

Bringing Your Food Aboard

You may bring your own food and beverages onboard for consumption at your seat or private Sleeping Car accommodations. However, you can only consume food and beverages purchased in Dining and Lounge Cars in those cars.

Can I choose a specific seat? Not while you're making a reservation. Your seat will be automatically assigned when you complete your reservation. You may change your assigned seat at any time after your booking is complete using interactive seat maps on the Amtrak app or on Amtrak.com.

Amtrak roomettes are on the pricey side, averaging $900-$1,400 for two round-trip tickets between major US cities. Longer rides, like cross-country trips, can cost more than $2,400 per round-trip ticket.

Amtrak Utah serves unstaffed train stations at Green River, Helper, and Provo, Utah, and a staffed station in Salt Lake City.

Lake Tahoe does not have an Amtrak train station, but there are a few different options for combining a train trip with a car rental, rideshare service or bus in order to reach the lake.

There are 9 Stops on Zion's Shuttle Service (18 including the Springdale Line). Generally, the bus comes every 10-15 minutes, but schedules vary by time of day and the season and can change each year. Be sure to plan ahead; which stops to take and how much time to plan for.

1. The Bernina Express, Switzerland. If you're looking for the most beautiful train ride on earth, you know that Switzerland has to be number one on this list. The Bernina Express is a scenic train route unlike no other.

Currently, the Texas Eagle runs along the same train route that the Texas and Pacific Railway built in the late 1800s from Chicago to San Antonio. The Texas Eagle got its name from another passenger train that used to ride from St.

Trans-Siberian is the longest train trip in the world at seven days long. It travels 10,214 km across 16 major rivers, 876 stations, and 87 cities. Some long train trips – like the Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver – begin and end with overnight stays in luxurious hotels.

Rocky Mountaineer

Distinguishing features of the ride include glass-domed rail cars to enjoy the breathtaking views in panoramic beauty, a luxury dining experience and, for those who book the Silver Leaf Plus package, an outdoor observation deck and passenger lounge car.

How much does it cost to take a train across America? ›

You'll see nothing of America at 35,000 feet, so come down to Earth and see world class scenery from an Amtrak train across the United States. You can travel cross-country from as little as $197 (around £144 or €162) if you book well in advance, one of the world's great travel bargains.

Chicago has been called the railroad hub of the world and Union Station, completed in 1925 by architect Daniel Burnham, remains the centre of America's rail network.

The best option (and closest Amtrak station to Yellowstone National Park) is Salt Lake Central on the California Zephyr route. From there, drive time is just under five hours to the West Entrance (which is near the geysers).

On Yellowstone, the "train station" refers to a roadside cliff in Wyoming that the Dutton crew use to deposit dead bodies of their enemies.

At 2,438 miles (3,924 km), it is Amtrak's longest daily route, and second-longest overall after the Texas Eagle's triweekly continuation from San Antonio to Los Angeles, with travel time between the termini taking approximately 51 1⁄2 hours.

1. There are 4 Sleeping Car Room Options. Amtrak's Sleeping Car accommodations provide overnight travelers the choice of a roomette, bedroom, bedroom suite (two adjoining bedrooms) that can accommodate one to four people, and accessible bedrooms. In a roomette, daytime seating converts to beds at night.

To make reservations for unaccompanied minors you must call us at 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245). You may not book reservations for unaccompanied minors on Amtrak.com. Children age 12 and under may not travel unaccompanied. They must travel with another person who is at least 18 years old (see *exception below).

Beginning in Chicago, board the legendary California Zephyr for the storied journey across America's western frontier to Salt Lake City. From there, travel to Jackson Hole and Grand Teton,Yellowstone, and Glacier National Parks before returning to Chicago aboard Amtrak's famed Empire Builder.

Standard Entrance Pass

You are required to pay an entrance fee in order to access Yellowstone National Park. Under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, national parks keep 80% of all fees collected and use that money to fund critical projects that improve services and protect resources.

Yellowstone's Grand Loop Road can be looked at as a figure 8, or an Upper Loop and a Lower Loop. Each loop takes about 2.5 hours to drive without stopping. It's feasible to spend a day on each loop and skim the highlights of the park.

Can coach passengers eat in the dining car on Amtrak? ›

If you're traveling in coach on some of Amtrak's long-distance train services, you'll now have the opportunity to use the dining car onboard. Coach passengers will now be able to enjoy full-fledged meals for an additional cost in the dining car, which was a beloved service removed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Traditional dining

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served. As an exclusive offering, customers in Private Sleeping Rooms enjoy complimentary meals throughout their journey. Dining Cars feature seasonal menus with a variety of entree selections.

First Class carriages offer comfort and space, often with larger tables and reclining seats and sometimes with complimentary food and drink, newspapers and other perks.

"The safest spot in a train, during an accident, is the center of the train," said Mann, who was the principal author of the Federal Railway Safety Act in 1970. "Because if there is a front-end collision or a rear-end collision, the damages will be greater at those locations.

The best place to sit in Amtrak Coach Class is on the upper level. It's all about the view on the upper level. This is the biggest advantage of sitting in the upper level. You can also move from car to car more freely as there is access from each car on the upper level.

The allocation of seats that can be reserved is fully booked or you booked your ticket close to the departure time and the seat reservations have already closed. Not to worry, a portion of seats are always left unreserved, you can sit in any vacant unreserved seat.

Tipping. General Guidelines: Tipping is NOT required, but is considered correct for the service crew personnel on the train. Recommendations: Snack bar attendant: roughly 10%. Dining car: 15% of menu prices (sleeping car passengers may want to note this when ordering their meals).

Each room includes a big picture window, fresh towels and linens, and access to a private restroom and shower.

Roomettes are private from the rest of the train and come with seats, bunks, and a basic toilet.

Can I get to Zion National Park on an Amtrak train? Unfortunately, there is no direct route on an Amtrak train through Zion National Park. The closest Amtrak station is on the Southwest Chief route which stops in Flagstaff, Arizona. From there, the drive is about four hours.

Why is Amtrak so expensive? ›

Many of the lines don't make any money or are operated at a loss. To accommodate the money-losing routes, Amtrak uses profits from its popular lines, such as the Northeast Corridor. Since this is one of the most popular routes, Amtrak can charge higher prices and send those profits to other, less profitable lines.

Moab, UT by Rail | Amtrak Vacations®

Amtrak Service & Ridership

Amtrak operates one National Network train through Nevada, the California Zephyr (Chicago-Denver- Salt Lake City-Reno-San Francisco Bay area). Reno and Las Vegas are served by Amtrak Thruway motorcoaches that provide connections to/from other Amtrak services.

The Lake Tahoe National Scenic Byway includes two highways, U.S. Highway 50 from Spooner Lake to Stateline, and State Route 28 from Spooner Lake to Crystal Bay. From Carson City, take U.S. 50 west and either stay on it to Stateline, or turn north at the Spooner Lake intersection onto State Route 28.

Driving around Lake Tahoe is a 72-mile drive and will take you about three hours to complete without any stops, but scenic drives are better when you take your time and stop to take in the views, so read up on the most beautiful stops around Lake Tahoe, and don't forget to snap a few pictures.

Ideally, you need at least two to three days to visit Zion National Park. This gives you enough time to hike the longer, more popular trails, such as Angels Landing and the Narrows, and you can also add in a few of the shorter, easier trails, such as the Riverside Walk and Canyon Overlook.

Can You Visit Zion National Park In One Day? One day is easily enough time to visit Zion National Park if you just want to get a taste for the park or if you're not interested in hiking any of the major adventure trails like Angels Landing and The Narrows.

What happens if I miss the last shuttle out of the park? Visitors are strongly discouraged from waiting for the final shuttle. If you miss the final shuttle, it's a grueling 8-miles back to the Visitor Center from the final stop at the Temple of Sinawava. Additionally, the final shuttle may be full.

The best place to sit in Amtrak Coach Class is on the upper level. It's all about the view on the upper level. This is the biggest advantage of sitting in the upper level. You can also move from car to car more freely as there is access from each car on the upper level.

The Coast Starlight is a long-distance train with a sleeper car and sightseer lounge while the Amtrak Cascades is a European-designed train that travels a shorter distance (and into Canada). Learn more about the differences below.

Which is better California Zephyr or Empire Builder? ›

The main difference is that the Empire Builder offers additional views of forests and rivers in the Pacific Northwest while the California Zephyr has more mountain views as it travels through the Colorado Rockies and Sierra Nevada. Another major difference is how seasons impact views along the routes.

Generally yes. However, Amtrak may want you to sit in a specific car depending on where you are going. A few trains split with some cars being added or removed based on traffic, and in a few cases the train being divided with parts going to two different destinations.

Coach Class: Designed for Your Comfort

Stretch out with ample legroom and recline to relax as you cruise to your destination in Coach Class. Coach Class seats are available on all trains except Acela.

This is why an unforgettable trip on an Amtrak® train goes hand in hand with high comfort. All the carriages in the train are air-conditioned, seats are comfortable and positioned so that each passenger has a leg rest and far more space than on the plane - and also can freely throughout the train.

Rocky Mountaineer

Distinguishing features of the ride include glass-domed rail cars to enjoy the breathtaking views in panoramic beauty, a luxury dining experience and, for those who book the Silver Leaf Plus package, an outdoor observation deck and passenger lounge car.

If you have a flexible budget for a long train trip, it might be wise to spend a little more on a sleeper car. The Coast Starlight offers roomettes, a bedroom option, a bedroom suite and larger family bedrooms – ranging from about $430 to $1,325.

Amtrak Cascades Seating

You don't always get to choose your seats, but if you can, ask to sit on the right side of the train for the best views between Vancouver and Seattle. (If you are traveling from Seattle to Vancouver, try to sit on the left side of the train.)

Heavy demand for private rooms on many routes has prompted Amtrak to charge the highest fares that passengers will pay. But the westbound California Zephyr leaving Chicago on April 5 still had four roomettes priced at $1,052 each and three bedrooms at $1,825 each for anyone traveling to Emeryville, Calif.

We think heading out on the Empire Builder would also be amazing as a spring break trip or fabulous way to see fall laves too! Summer is probably the more scenic time for train travel. The fields are green and it's light longer.

Here are estimated California Zephyr 2022 prices if you travel the entire route: $150-$300 for coach seat. $700-$1,000 for a roomette (meals, water and coffee included) Over $1,500 for a family bedroom (meals, water and coffee included)

What does quiet car mean on Amtrak? ›

Amtrak is proud to have introduced the concept of a quiet car into the transportation industry in 2001, beginning as a pilot program in 2000. Phone calls are not allowed, passengers are asked to limit conversations, and low overhead lighting is used to create a calming atmosphere.