Traveling the United States by train is an experience unlike any other. It takes time. It takes preparation. It takes being in the right mindset.
Sitting for 12-plus hours at a time is not everyone’s cup of tea, but certain landscapes, cities, and parts of the country can only be unlocked by traveling by rail. Amtrak’s USA Rail Pass is the perfect way to do that.
Travel hubs, big cities like New Orleans, Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, and New York, are all good places to start your train journey.
From there, you can access a range of interesting towns, national parks, and local attractions that might otherwise be gas-station stops in the car or passed over from 30,000 feet in the air.
As someone who has taken several 30-plus-hour train rides across the United States, I can say that traveling by train is one of the best ways to see the country. Here’s how to see America with Amtrak’s USA Rail Pass.
What Is Amtrak’s USA Rail Pass?
Amtrak offers a one-time pass that allows ten rides (segments) within a 30-day window. Once you take your first ride, the pass is activated, and you have 30 days to take ten rides. From the date of purchase, you have 120 days to activate the pass.
The cost of Amtrak’s USA Rail Pass is $499, so it makes the most sense financially to plan at least a few longer segments that span several states. Depending on how you book it, your USA Rail Pass can be paid for in just a few trips.
The pass can also come in handy if you find yourself in a major city and want to take a short trip to another town or city on a whim.
By purchasing an Amtrak USA Rail Pass, you will receive one ticket in coach class. You cannot upgrade your ticket after purchasing your pass. This is important to know because coach fare is as basic as it gets, and you will be sleeping in your seat.
Amtrak trains are equipped with bathrooms, and many of the trains that service long rides feature a cafe car that sells snacks, sandwiches, and beverages.
There are also observatory cars on certain routes. Observatory cars can get crowded, but they’re the best place to sit while you carve through the U.S., as they’re set up with huge windows and offer space to spread out, relax, or even socialize with other riders.
Best Routes With USA Rail Pass
The first time I bought a rail pass, I told myself that I would make a giant loop around the entire United States by train. It was lofty, but I was confident that by carefully planning my trips, I could see the entire country by train, maximizing the value behind the pass.
In short, my plan didn’t work. By the time I got halfway through my 30-day window, the idea of spending another two days on another train, as opposed to taking a two-hour flight, was not exactly appealing.
From that experience, I learned that it’s best to hone in on one area of the country that you must see, then plan a long trip to another city or part of the country that is on your list, and go from there.
Starting in Los Angeles, taking the Coast Starlight route is a great option. With service from Los Angeles to Seattle, it’s one of the most scenic rides you can take on Amtrak.
This route spends time hugging the coast in Southern California before cruising through some of California’s most idyllic landscapes on its way north through lush parts of Oregon and Washington.
One good thing about this route is that flights to Los Angeles tend to be inexpensive, depending on the time of year you travel, and from Seattle, you can go several different directions.
Read More: Technicolor Dreams: A Spring Road Trip Through Washington’s Tulip Paradise.
Pro tip: Spend a few days in Seattle and take a train to Vancouver, Canada. You can use your rail pass to get to Vancouver and back to Seattle, and the city is well worth a few days of exploring. Just make sure you have a valid passport before booking your trip.
Amtrak’s estimated travel time from Los Angeles to Seattle on the Coast Starlight: 35 hours.
If you find yourself in Seattle, I recommend taking the Empire Builder to Chicago (once you get a few days of rest, of course).
This route moves through some of America’s most impressive landscapes as it passes through Glacier National Park in Montana and traverses portions of the Lewis and Clark Trail.
While summer is often the best season to travel, this route is especially beautiful in the late fall or winter, when the leaves are starting to turn, and there is snow on the mountain peaks that you pass by on the train.
Pro tip: Take a day or two to stop off in Whitefish, Montana. This will break your ride into two parts and give you a chance to stretch your legs and explore the quaint town of Whitefish.
Amtrak’s estimated travel time from Seattle to Chicago on the Empire Builder: 46 hours.
Read More: Beyond Seattle: Discovering Spokane’s Urban Wilderness and Historic Charm
Routes From Chicago
From Chicago, you have several options on where to go. I’ll give you two routes that will offer different experiences, but each one is equally compelling.
One way to go would be down to New Orleans on the City of New Orleans route. This route is going to be a little less scenic than the next suggestion, but it’ll bring you to the doorstep of a city rich with culture and full of energy.
New Orleans also boasts some of the best food in the country. With there being so much to do, I would recommend giving yourself a few days to enjoy the city.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll plan to spend a few days in the Big Easy and wind up staying a week. No matter how long you plan to spend in New Orleans, consider heading up to New York using the Crescent route, which makes stops in major cities like Atlanta and Charlotte.
Pro tip: While in New Orleans, consider staying at a hostel. The city has several great hostels that are affordable and provide a unique social setting, which can be refreshing after spending several hours on the train.
If you’ve never stayed at a hostel before, try booking a private room. They’re cheaper than your average hotel room and give you privacy, but also access to the hostel culture.
Amtrak’s estimated travel time from Chicago to New Orleans on the City of New Orleans is 19 hours.
Eastbound Via The Cardinal
Say you decide to skip the Deep South and go directly to the East Coast via Chicago. To do this, you have a couple of options, but I recommend taking the Cardinal route.
Taking the Cardinal will give you the best of both worlds, with stops in big cities like Washington, DC, and Philadelphia.
The other benefit of taking the Cardinal is that you’ll carve through some of America’s most beautiful landscapes and touch parts of the country that are only accessible by train.
From the rolling hills of West Virginia and the Blue Ridge Mountains to the bright lights of growing cities like Cincinnati and Indianapolis, this route gives you a little bit of everything and offers several compelling stops from Chicago to New York.
Pro tip: Stop off in Charleston, West Virginia, on your way from Chicago to New York. This is a great halfway point and gives you a chance to see and explore Charleston, the capital city of West Virginia, for a day or two.
There’s plenty of good eats in town, and it’s walkable enough to enjoy in a short time.
Amtrak’s estimated travel time from Chicago to New York on the Cardinal: 26 hours and 30 minutes.
New York And Nearby Cities
Now that you’ve made it to New York, you can go several ways. Depending on how you plotted out your travels, you should have a few trips left on your pass.
While New York has enough to see and eat in a lifetime, you might want to explore other classic American cities like Philadelphia, DC, Boston, or Baltimore.
The best thing about arriving in New York is that several compelling cities are just a short train ride away. You could take an early train out of New York and hit up Philly for a cheesesteak for lunch and be having dinner in Washington, DC, by the evening.
There’s also enough to do in several nearby cities that you can use one as a stop-off to reset and relax before booking another segment.
If you’re interested in crossing the U.S./Canadian border, plan an extra couple of days to get to Toronto, Canada, via the Maple Leaf line.
This route carves through the Hudson River Valley on its way from New York to Toronto, with stops in Niagara Falls, while making its way through the gorgeous Finger Lakes region.
Amtrak’s estimated travel time from New York to Toronto on the Maple Leaf: 12 hours and 30 minutes.
Pro tip: If your itinerary allows, book this segment in the fall, as the Northeast boasts incredible foliage during autumn. New York City gets all the attention, but upstate New York is filled with natural beauty and awe-inspiring landscapes.
Smart Prep Before Boarding
Now that you have a list of routes and cities to stop off in, consider taking the rails next time you want to explore the United States.
Amtrak’s USA Rail Pass is an economical way to access a plethora of gorgeous landscapes and explore many of America’s iconic major cities.
Just remember to give yourself time to rest and enjoy the places you’re planning to see, rather than simply stopping through.
If you go: I highly recommend stopping at a grocery store before boarding a long train, as you can load up on snacks and other useful items for lengthy travels.
It’s important to check the departure and arrival times at each of your desired stops, as well. Lastly, make sure to check Amtrak’s policies before boarding the train and always arrive at the station at least 30 minutes before each scheduled departure.
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Author Bio: Zack Reed is originally from the Midwest but has spent the majority of his adult life traveling and writing about the interesting people and places he has found along the way. He wrote a book about hostel culture in the US, titled Same Bag, Different Bunk: My Life Inside American Hostels.
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