A train vacation can be a wonderful alternative to driving long hours to the nearest beach or traveling by plane with your little ones in tow. Train vacations offer a unique experience the whole family can enjoy. You can book a train tour for as short as several hours or as long as several days, whatever you prefer. In the process, you and your family will delight to exploring parts of the country you have never seen, tasting new cuisines and learning more about historic sights.
By doing an online search on the subject of train travel you can get a good idea of what kind of vacation packages are offered. On the East Coast, for example, out of Cape Cod, the Central RR Narrated Scenic Train hosts a two-hour journey through some of the most beautiful scenic areas in the country to include salt marshes, cranberry bogs, natural woods and more. In Vermont, the Green Mountain Flyer “barbecue” train will take you on an adventure through passes in the famous Green Mountains before reaching its final destination of Fox Chair Farm to partake of a traditional riverside barbecue.
The beauty of train vacations is that you can easily incorporate the journey into an interesting and enjoyable part of your vacation. Traveling by train is pleasant and relaxing with the opportunity to walk about, meet new friends and enjoy wonderful meals together as a family. When you book a package deal, you can choose the accommodations you prefer for your stops. If you are on a tighter budget, you may prefer economy or moderate hotel stays to have more funds to spend shopping or doing activities with your family. If money is no object, you can opt for a luxury hotel and enjoy their facilities to the full.
For a unique and innovative vacation, see what train trips have to offer. Your family will experience new sights and activities they have not seen or done before. Train vacations offer pleasant travel, wholesome food, interesting places to visit, good company and the opportunity to see America in a new and novel way.
Train Coast to Coast Ideas in America
If you’re considering a trip across America but are unsure how to get the most out of your journey, you might find coast to coast rail tour could be a great way to take in all the country’s main landmarks.
Whether you want to visit areas like Las Vegas, New York, Chicago or San Francisco, you’re sure to find plenty of options available if you choose an America rail holiday to the country.
Next, it’s time to board your train and travel to Washington – home of the White House and Capitol Hill. Here you can explore the world’s largest art, science, and history museum complex – the Smithsonian – among other attractions in the area.
When back on the train, you’ll travel through the mid-West, taking in the sights of the Allegheny Mountains as you pass into Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. The following morning, you’ll alight the train in Chicago after having breakfast and explore what the Windy City has to offer. Perhaps you might like to pay a visit to Al Capone’s former headquarters or climb to the top of Sears Tower for some stunning vistas of the city.
The next stop on your US train tour will be Denver, where you’ll find a mile-long promenade lined with shops and cafes to visit. Take in the fabulous mountain views and call in at the Rocky Mountain National Park, Big Thompson Canyon, and Estes Park to get close to nature.
On the second half of your journey, you can expect to visit Colorado after traveling through the Rocky Mountains. Here you might enjoy sampling the wines produced in the region and take in the landscape of the San Juan Mountains and the National Forest as you continue on your way to the former Wild West town of Durango.
You’ll pass through the breathtaking Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon before stopping off at Los Angeles and your final port of call – San Francisco. While you’re in the city, don’t forget to take a boat ride over to the notorious island of Alcatraz, home to the prison that once housed Al Capone himself, along with other infamous criminals such as the Birdman of Alcatraz.
If you don’t have time to spend 20 days in the US, you might instead prefer to take a grand tour of the country spread over a two-week period. You’ll begin your journey in London, flying to San Francisco and staying in the city for a few days, giving you enough time to take in sights such as the Golden Gate Bridge and Fisherman’s Wharf.
Next, you’ll board a train and head through California’s Central Valley, where you’re sure to be awestruck by the towering coastal mountain ranges and the scenery of Yosemite National Park in the distance. As part of your trip, you’ll call in at Yosemite, where you can see firsthand the natural wonders of El Capitan mountain and Bridal Veil Falls.
Brace yourself for some excitement when you arrive at your next stop – the glittering city of Las Vegas. Home to world-famous casinos such as Caesar’s Palace, you might enjoy trying your luck along the strip and taking in some entertainment from the street performers as well as at the live shows.
From here, you’ll journey to the Hoover Dam and then on towards the Grand Canyon via the special railway, giving you some striking views over the natural wonder. And next, it’s time to stop off in the tinsel town itself – Hollywood, where you might want to keep your camera ready as you stroll down the boulevard in case you find yourself face to face with some celebrities.
And then it’s the homeward stretch, during which you’ll travel through the Santa Lucia and Diablo mountain ranges back to San Francisco and then back to London after 14 days of exploring the US.
There really is so much to see in this vast and varied country – make sure you don’t miss a thing by taking a rail tour across America.
If you’re itching to explore the USA and want to see as much as possible in one trip, why not take USA coast to coast tours? Allowing you to visit many places and see incredible scenes while you travel, escorted train holidays are an excellent choice for anyone keen to soak up sights from all over the country.
Indeed, one of the great benefits of USA tours by train is the fact you can relax between destinations and enjoy amazing views that you would not otherwise see.
Starting in New York, you will have plenty of time to explore this world-famous city. Sightseeing here is an endlessly fun activity, so once you arrive why not take some time to visit places like Central Park and Fifth Avenue?
You can also enjoy a boat trip that will take you past the iconic Statue of Liberty and around Manhattan before exploring a little further.
Hitting the shops is a great way to get into the New York spirit while visiting locations such as Little Italy, Chinatown and Harlem will allow you to see different sides of the Big Apple.
Hopping on a train to Washington DC, you will arrive in the capital no doubt keen to visit the world-famous attractions the city is home to. Capitol Hill and the White House are of course among these, but why not explore a little further?
The Smithsonian is a particular treat, housing historical, scientific and artistic artifacts.
Embarking on the next leg of your journey, you will board the Capitol Limited train to follow a historic route to Chicago. Among the sights you will see along the way are Harpers Ferry and the Allegheny Mountains.
Once you have arrived, you can enjoy a city tour to uncover the famous sites of the 20s and 30s, including the infamous Al Calone’s headquarters.
And while you’re there, don’t forget to climb Sears Tower for incomparable city views.
The following afternoon, board the California Zephyr for an overnight journey taking you to Denver. This city will be a particular treat for shopaholics, who will find themselves surrounded by stores when visiting the mile-long promenade.
Meanwhile, there are plenty of cafes here that are perfect for admiring the gorgeous mountain views you’ll enjoy wherever you look.
The next leg of your journey will be by coach, taking you to the fabulous Rocky Mountain National Park, Big Thompson Canyon and Estes Park before boarding the next train.
Carrying you into the Rocky Mountains, the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad passes deep chasms and towering peaks that make for a captivating journey before you arrive in the city of Grand Junction.
After traveling through the San Juan Mountains, you board the Durango and Silverton Railroad for the next scenic train trip.
This time you will be taken through the picturesque National Forest into Durango, which is characterized by its charming Wild West appearance. And this is a theme that will be continued in your next destination – Utah’s Monument Valley.
Once you arrive here, you will undoubtedly get a sense of the Old West – something that’s sure to be a highlight of the trip for any movie buffs.
Traveling down the iconic Route 66 by coach, you will soon reach the town of Williams where you will be able to board the Grand Canyon Railway. This fantastic train features vintage carriages that make this part of the journey that little bit more special, before arriving at the canyon itself.
The Grand Canyon is one of America’s most famous sights and at some 277 miles long and 18 miles wide, it’s not hard to see why. And while you’re here, why not take a flight over this incredible phenomenon?
Your next destination will be Los Angeles, where you will be able to soak up the glitz and glamour of Hollywood before spending the night on the RMS Queen Mary on Long Beach.
The next day, you will board Amtrak’s Coast Starlight for your final destination, San Francisco. Chugging along the Pacific Coast, the train will take you past some beautiful scenery before dropping you off in the city itself.
Fisherman’s Wharf and the Golden Gate Bridge are just two of the great sights to see here – and don’t pass up on a trip to visit the famous island prison of Alcatraz before heading home.
Taking a grand tour from San Francisco to New York, you will have the opportunity to visit some of the country’s most exciting and vibrant cities, as well as see its most awe-inspiring natural wonders with your own eyes.
Arriving in San Francisco, you will have time to explore the city before you embark on your rail adventure. You can choose to take escorted tours, or just explore on your own. Of course, the famous Golden Gate Bridge is an absolute must-see during any visit to San Francisco, while Fisherman’s Wharf also remains a popular attraction.
And the lure of the nearby Alcatraz is sure to pull you in. Having the opportunity to visit this infamous island prison, you will be able to see the site which used to house notorious criminals such as Al Capone.
Before you leave, you may also want to pay a visit to Chinatown, which is a great place to explore as part of your American adventure.
Boarding the first train, you will travel to Yosemite National Park – one of the country’s most attractive natural areas. Here you will be able to take a tour of the valley floor, see the 3,000 ft Half Dome monolith and enjoy the picturesque Bridal Veil Falls.
Continuing your rail journey traveling past increasingly mountainous scenes, you will arrive in the glittering city of Las Vegas. A riot of color and lights, the city always has a big impact on the senses. To explore the famous Strip and the resorts, take the Las Vegas Monorail and get to grips with the key sights.
But don’t just look on. Visiting a show or having a flutter in one of Las Vegas’s world-famous casinos is something of a must for anyone taking a trip there, so venture into a few places to get a real feel for the city’s atmosphere.
At this point, you can also choose to take a flight over the Grand Canyon – a fantastic opportunity not to be missed on your America rail tours.
Shortly after, you will find yourself aboard the Grand Canyon Railway, a historical locomotive that will take you up to the southern rim. Settle into a comfortable vintage carriage and enjoy the scenery as you travel towards your next destination.
Offering fantastic views of this incredible natural phenomenon, you will find your trip on the Grand Canyon Railway to be a wonderful experience.
Once you’ve finished exploring, you can then travel to Utah’s Monument Valley. The scenes here will feel familiar to most visitors, who – even if they do not recognize the name – will most likely have seen the landscape featuring in countless Westerns.
For anyone itching for a taste of the west they imagined as a child, this excursion will be a highlight of your America rail holidays.
Leaving Utah, you will climb aboard the Durango and Silverton railroad – a picturesque route that will see you pass through the National Forest, speeding through stunning canyons and passing shimmering rivers.
While this route is incredibly scenic, the next is possibly even more so. Widely thought to be one of the most attractive rail journeys in the country, the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad is an absolute must during your American adventure. Taking you past dramatic ravines and mountain peaks, you will find your eyes glued to the view for the duration of the trip.
Arriving in Denver, you can embark on a rail journey of a different sort. Home to the world’s highest cog railway, you have the chance to board the Pike’s Peak Cog Railway at Maniton Springs. Seeing beautiful nature parks and waterfalls along the way, the journey is a great activity during coast to coast tours.
Speeding on to the iconic sights of the east coast such as New York and Niagara Falls, you will find yourself with fantastic memories of the west coast and its incredible sights.
Conclusion
Exploring America can often seem like a huge endeavor, simply because the country is so large. By embarking on America rail holidays, you can see as much of the country as possible in one trip – and in comfort as well. Those keen to see the iconic sights of the west coast will find that by embarking on coast to coast tours, they can do just that.
