Train the USA with AMTRAK!

The idea of a road trip across the USA is on most people's bucket lists. Whether hitting Route 66 in a mustang, or traversing those by-ways and seeing what unique general store you might find.

But travelling the USA can be so much more, and it doesn't have to be on the road!

AMTRAK is THE rail experience across the USA, so we wanted to share with you some information about how you can train the USA with AMTRAK!

Image Credit: AMTRAK

AMTRAK have over 50 destinations that you can choose to explore across the United States.

Here's one for you! Just close those eyes and imagine that road trip where you don't need to hire a car, or concentrate on the road. You don't need to be stopping to re-fuel either!

You just sit back, relax, and enjoy the view!

Just imagine those landscapes that you can enjoy from the window - from the snow-capped mountains to the prairies, to the deserts to the beaches. The United States has so much to offer and AMTRAK can take you there!

(Full disclosure, this blog is NOT a sponsored post! Family Days Out are just big fans of the USA and AMTRAK we wanted to share this with our readers)

Not only can AMTRAK take you to the vibrant cities, but also to the celebrated national parks, with main cabins or private rooms to choose from.

Let's have a look at some of the routes!

California Zephyr(51 hours, 20 minutes)

Chicago (IL) - Omaha (NE) - Denver (CO) - Salt Lake City (UT) - Emeryville (San Francisco)

Those who have traversed this same line say that the California Zephyr is one of the most beautiful train trips you can take in all of North America.

AMTRAK will take you up through the heart of the stunning Rocky Mountains, further west through the gorgeous snow-capped Sierra Nevadas, as it runs between Chicago and San Francisco.

You'll course through the plains of Nebraska through to Denver, across those Rockies to Salt Lake City in Utah, and then through Reno in Nevada and end up in Emeryville/San Francisco. 

Image Credit: AMTRAK

City of New Orleans (19 hours)

Chicago (IL) - Memphis (TN) - Jackson (MS) - New Orleans (LA)

The journey you will take on the City of New Orleans will take you 900 miles through the heart of the USA's most rich musical heritage — from Chicago (Illinois) with its world-class Chicago Symphony Orchestra and continuiously vibrant electric blues scene, to Beale Street in Memphis (Tennessee).

Then, make your way across the history-laden musical crossroads of Mississippi to New Orleans (Louisiana) — the birthplace of jazz.

Kids will be riding in the shadows of American music legends such as like Louis Armstrong, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters and of course Elvis Presley.

(Follow in the footsteps of Elvis in even more detail by checking out our blog HERE!)

Image Credit: AMTRAK

 

Crescent (30 hours)

New York (NY - Washington (DC) - Charlottesville (VA) - Charlotte (NC) - Atlanta (GA) -  Birmingham (AL) - New Orleans (LA)

From the Big Apple to the Big Easy, the Cresent route has it all! Take in the incredible scenery from New York City to New Orleans, giving you a unique window to the beauty and heritage of the iconic American South.

Take a tour of Jefferson's Monticello or enjoy a wine tasting in the charming Virginia town of Charlottesville. Taste your way through the vibrant dining scene of Underground Atlanta. As you travel further south, New Orleans will be waiting for you where you never run out of things to do!

From incredible music to Cajun restaurants and even Mississippi riverboat rides, the city was simply built to entertain!

Image Credit: AMTRAK

Texas Eagle Train (32 hours, 25 minutes)

Chicago (IL) - St. Louis (MO) - Little Rock (AR) - Dallas (TX) - San Antonio (TX) - Tucson (AZ) - Los Angeles (CA)

Delve deep in the heart of Texas as you hop aboard the Texas Eagle! This unforgettable route will take you between Chicago and San Antonio, then through major cities including Austin and Dallas.

You can also choose the connecting service between San Antonio and Los Angeles which is available via the Sunset Limited.

Kids can wind through the Land of Lincoln, traverse across the Mississippi River, and through the stunning Ozarks before heading through Little Rock and onward to colorful, cosmopolitan Dallas.

Finally you'll see San Antonio, where the legend of the Alamo and the Riverwalk await!

Image Credit: AMTRAK

So all aboard! Take those stresses of driving out of the journey and sit back and enjoy the breathtaking scenery of the United States as you traverse all corners of the country - from the mountains, to the lakes, to the deserts and through the great plains. 

Choo choo! Where will your next adventure be?

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Main Image Credit: AMTRAK