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NAVIGATION The Voyage Report > Destinations > United States > United States by Rail

United States by Rail

February 14, 2017by Mark Albert

DATELINE United States by Rail

NAVIGATION The Voyage Report > Destinations > United States > United States by Rail

Top Travel Tips in Two Minutes

 

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Crazy Horse Memorial, South Dakota United States
United States

From sea to shining sea, explore America’s hidden gems: underwater National trail, thunderous buffalo roundup, and a memorial still being built after 70 years.

US Virgin Islands

Swim through the nation’s first totally underwater trail, see where Alexander Hamilton grew up, and claim $300 in spending credits!

Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico

Nearly 3/4ths of America’s rum comes from this commonwealth. Explore wartime forts, Old San Juan, and the world’s largest single-dish radio telescope.

Washington, DC
Washington, DC

The nation’s capital is full of marble, monuments, and secret places just waiting to be discovered.

Love it? Live it!

The basics

Amtrak

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Where to go

Popular Routes:

  • Coast Starlight
  • Southwest Chief
  • Cascades
  • California Zephyr
  • City of New Orleans
  • Crescent
  • Capitol Limited
  • Acela (Amtrak expanded service on the Northeast Corridor as of April 8, 2017)

For more ideas for planning your route by rail, check out LONELY PLANET’S USA guide at Amazon.com. Thank you for using our referral (“affiliate”) link to support our journalism.

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How to get there

Station parking and features like wifi, an enclosed waiting area, ticket office, and restrooms vary by location. Check out the routes and stations directory before arriving at your departure station.

Major stations have a day rate for parking, including overnight parking. Smaller stations often have free parking, but no long-term options.

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Worth noting

Amtrak allows two personal pieces of carry-on luggage, so feel free to bring a cooler with refreshments and snacks for your train trip. Most medium and long-distance Amtrak trains do provide a Lounge Car with carryout-type food items including sandwiches, pizza, snacks, and beverages including liquor, wine, and beer. Many short-distance trains offer a Café Car with similar offerings as the Lounge Car.

Most long-distance trains have a Dining Car for a full, sit-down breakfast, lunch, or dinner prepared fresh on the train. If you’ve reserved a sleeper car, your meals are included, so for dinner you might feast on Herb-Roasted Chicken, Amtrak’s Signature Steak, or the Seafood Catch of the Day. Menus vary, so check your train’s menu before departing. Coach passengers may purchase items at the menu rate.

Passengers make reservations in advance for lunch and dinner. The staff will come by and schedule your reservations in advance. No need for breakfast reservations.

Sleeper cars—For an additional fee, you can watch the scenery in the privacy of a sleeper car. Most sleeper cars hold two passengers and include niceties like coffee and bottled water, meals in the dining car, and an attendant. Learn more about sleeping accommodations.

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Money-saving tip

Amtrak offers a variety of money-saving options from rail passes, senior and AAA discounts, to kids riding at half price. See all the current discounts and promotions.

Some options:

Kids—Infants under age 2 ride free. Up to two children, ages 2-12, can ride for 50% off when accompanied by a passenger at the full adult fare.

Military—Valid active-duty US military personnel, their spouses, and their dependents are eligible to receive a 10% discount on the lowest available rail fare on most Amtrak trains.

Seniors—Amtrak travelers 62 years of age and over are eligible to receive a 10% discount on the lowest available rail fare on most Amtrak trains (recently lowered from 15%).

AAA—Members used to save 10% when you use your AAA card; this discount appears to have ended as of January 2018.

Rail Passes—If you’re planning a long-distance trip with multiple stops, a rail pass will often be a more affordable option. Choose between a 15-day (8 segments), 30-day (12 segments), or 45-day (18 segments) pass. Visit here for prices and additional info on booking.

For more in-depth travel advice on traveling the United States by rail, consider these guidebooks, which you can check out via our referral (“affiliate”) link on Amazon.com. Thank you for supporting our journalism.

What are your favorite rail routes in the United States, Canada, or abroad?

Share your favorite tips and tricks in the comment section below!

Jill DuttonThe Voyage Report contributor Jill Dutton is also publisher of Evolving Magazine. She caught the train travel bug at a young age when she spent three months in Europe with a Eurail pass. Now, she enjoys traveling—and writing about–the U.S. and Canada by rail.

–>JOURNEY WITH JILL: Jill leads guided rail tours throughout the United States. Contact her for dates and routes. Mention The Voyage Report & save $50!

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TRANSPARENCY NOTICE: No free or discounted travel, gifts, or services or the promise of any compensation were accepted from any of the places, merchants, or products included in this article at the time they were reviewed. The decision to travel somewhere or review something is made by The Voyage Report alone with no input from advertisers. We believe in credibility and integrity and cannot be bought.

Some of the links in this article may be referral (“affiliate”) links. This site receives compensation when users make a purchase using that link, which helps fund our unbiased coverage of the travel industry and produce more original content about more destinations for you, our users. Thank you for your support.

The Scoop

Who: 323,995,528 people
What: 3,796,742 sq miles
Where: North American continent
When: 1776
Why: Baseball, democracy, Amber waves of grain

Source: The World FactBook

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Mark Albert
Mark is a Peabody Award-winner who has reported in newsrooms across the country, most recently as a freelance correspondent at CBS News. He's traveled to 60 countries so far and plans to get to the rest—with a little luck.
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3 comments. Leave new

Will Linsdell
March 1, 2017 2:07 pm

Europe is the ultimate train set with not only diverse geographies but an alluring mix of cultures too. It is very possible to travel from the Mediterranean to the Arctic Circle or from London to Moscow/Istanbul with the minimum of fuss or hassle. The great thing about travelling by train is the kaleidoscope of scenery and life that you pass, viewed through your personal screen whilst sat in absolute comfort. Not only that, but you meet people – locals & fellow travellers, all with a tale to tell. My favourite journeys? The journey from Paris to the Arctic was very special, especially the thrill of our train clambering onto a ferry from Germany to Denmark. Apart from that, Istanbul to Yerevan in Armenia (admittedly including a 5 hour bus leg) was really special, whilst the 27 hour marathon from Sevastopol to Lviv in Ukraine was also highly memeorable. You simply cannot beat train as a way to travel.

Reply
Liesbet
July 7, 2017 4:47 pm

I’m pretty sure you can take three carry-on items a person. I better confirm, since we are leaving for a 60 hour train ride in a few days…

Reply
Mark Albert
July 7, 2017 4:50 pm

Sounds like a fun trip! Here’s the Amtrak page on checked baggage: 2 free bags and up to 2 more at $20 a piece. Here’s the Amtrak page on carry-on bags: 2 personal items and 2 bags. Have a great time riding the rails!

Reply

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