The wonders of Amtrak train trips have always been a joy to seniors and travelers. There are many fare options and a wide array of destinations. The option brings with it travel with flexible choices.
Amtrak trips are usually enjoyable, especially for the elderly.
These days, it is an excellent time to be a senior citizen.
Seniors, most especially the retired, always have a lot of free time on their hands. And these days, they are usually in better shape than the seniors of the past.
Several seniors maintain good health. And to take advantage of the time on their hands, they travel.
Travel is cheap.
Travel is cheerful.
While some travel by plane, others travel by bus. What is extremely popular with seniors is traveling by Amtrak.
It is easy to understand why.
Here, I will touch on the best destinations and routes you can take with Amtrak.
Read on to learn about the best routes and tours Amtrak offers.
List of Contents
1. The Coast Starlight
The Coast Starlight of Amtrak brings with it one of the most majestic routes in the system.
It brings with it the best views the Pacific Coast can offer.
From the Pacific Coast Highway cliffs to the beautiful peaks of the Cascade Mountains, there is a lot to see on this route.
The route links several big cities on the West Coast.
You will pass by Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Sacramento, San Francisco, and even Portland.
All these destinations will bring you memorable stops.
While on board, you can get a view of the fertile valleys and lush forests. There is a scenic view of the Pacific Ocean which you can get from the comfort of your seats.
The highlight of this journey includes a stop in San Francisco. A stop in Portland and another in Seattle are also popular among tourists.
In San Francisco, you can take a hop-on, hop-off sightseeing tour introducing you to the City’s most famous attractions.
Check out the Golden Gate Bridge. Or see the redwoods in Muir Woods.
You can also enjoy a relaxing afternoon at Sausalito.
You can even take a dinner cruise along the Willamette River in Portland.
2. The Glacier National Park Express
On this route, you will have three days filled with breathtaking beauty.
The Glacier National Park route is the only part of this cross-country trip that will feature many sightseeing opportunities. Aside from the sightseeing, you will also taste the delectable dishes you will pass along the way.
There is comfortable and incredible accommodation in two cities – Chicago and Seattle.
You can explore the Windy City and the Emerald City during this tour. See the beautiful architecture of Chicago. Go with the hop-on hop-off tours in Seattle.
This tour may only be for three days; however, these would be three days to remember a lifetime.
3. The Southwest Chief Route
This route traverses through the state of Mississippi and eight others. It goes through the fabled American West.
During this tour, you will pass through beautiful landscapes and vistas you do not usually see on other tours.
You will pass through wheat fields, deserts, mountains, and even red-rock canyon passages. These beautiful scenes are accessible as you pass through the rugged portions of New Mexico and Arizona.
While on board this route, you will have double-decker sleeping and dining accommodations. The lounge car also features a floor-to-ceiling view which you will enjoy.
Aboard The Southwest Chief Route, you can explore the cities during stops and the fantastic wonders these cities offer. You can rejuvenate in the fresh mountain air. Or you can also enjoy the tremendous scenery.
You will cherish this trip for many years to come.
4. The Grand Canyon Round Trip Route
The Grand Canyon Round Trip Route starts and ends in Chicago.
For the whole duration of your tour, you will enjoy the massive magnificence of the Grand Canyon.
People say seeing the Grand Canyon is life-changing. And I would have to agree to that.
For a better look at the Grand Canyon, what better option do you have than going on a cross-country train? The train goes through the scenic landscapes of the cities from Chicago and beyond.
Once you are in Arizona, you will have the chance to see Williams.
Williams is a popular town that lies along the famous Route 66.
Aside from Williams, you will also see the majestic views of one of the world’s seven natural wonders.
What I love about this tour is that you can customize your trip. And this is a great way to add value to your vacation.
You can spend some extra hours exploring a specific location. That is, of course, according to your request.
If you want to spend more time in Williams, say so. You will have the chance to do that before heading home or continuing your travels.
5. California Zephyr
The California Zephyr route provides visitors with some of the most amazing views the country offers.
It spans the most beautiful places from Chicago to Denver. Aside from these, it also provides its guests with fantastic desert scenes from Denver to the state of California.
On this route, you can ride in comfort over the range of the Rocky Mountains. This tour provides impressive views of the Utah Desert and the High Sierras.
And while we are at it, you will also get the chance to cruise on to the City by the Bay – SF.
On board this train, you will get the comfort of Zephyr’s double-decker accommodations. The cars can also provide you with the country’s most fantastic scenery.
If you are not into the double-decker accommodations, there are other options for you to choose from. The tour aims to give you the most beautiful views and comfortable accommodations.
The tour will be a lot of fun.
You will end your tour in San Francisco with lots of sightseeing in the City.
6. The Northern Rail Experience
The cross-country train tour will have you traverse through three popular train routes. These are the Empire Builder, the Coast Starlight, and the California Zephyr. On this route, you travel along the significant parts of the Lewis and Clark trails.
The beautiful train tour will start from the breathtaking Midwest. It will pass through the City of Seattle, famous for being the Emerald City.
From Seattle, you will go through the stunning City of San Francisco before you head back to Chicago.
Also, a part of your Northern Rail Tour will have you go on a hop-on, hop-off sightseeing tour of some of the most famous sights and destinations of these cities.
There is also another highlight of this tour. That is the prospect of going through some unseen scenery like the snow-capped mountains of Sierra Nevada.
Aside from the Sierra Nevada Mountains, you will also get to see the lush forests of the West Coast.
All of these destinations will be visited during the tour, plus more.
7. The Great American Majestic Landscapes
Your best option is to take the train from New York City to San Francisco on this tour.
The Great American Majestic Landscapes tour is a train trip that will take you from one coast to another. It will also feature the best scenes from the United States.
Along the way, you will enjoy delicious food and relaxing accommodations. You will also see some of the most fantastic sights in the big and smaller cities.
You will explore New York City, Chicago, and Denver here. You will also get a chance to go and visit San Francisco.
During the trip, you can walk through the renowned Central Park in New York City. You will also visit Chicago’s Navy Pier and the Rocky Mountain National Park.
And while we are at it, you will even go to Napa Valley and much more.
The tour will offer you the perks of taking the train instead of driving or flying. This perk is the ability to kick back, relax, and enjoy the beautiful scenery while traversing cities from one coast to another.
On this tour, you can upgrade your sleeping accommodations. You can also enjoy added perks like complimentary meals and lounge access at the many Amtrak stations along the way.
Plus, you will also get to have your dedicated Sleeping car attendant.
How cool is that?
8. Via Rails
This tour will give you some of the most beautiful views of North America.
VIA Rail’s Canadian route will offer you an unforgettable journey.
The line will run between Vancouver and Toronto and go through some of the most impressive fields. Aside from the areas are rugged lake countries and picturesque towns.
There will also be a part of the journey where you can see some of the Canadian mountains’ most majestic and snowy peaks.
There will be fresh meals, all chef-prepared. There will also be comfortable and relaxing accommodations during the whole duration of the trip.
The tour is part of the bucket list of many seniors. Indeed, this is a train experience you should take advantage of.
In addition to these places, you will experience the quaint seaside communities of Halifax. You will be able to explore the multicultural areas of Montreal. You will also get to visit Toronto.
How about the prospect of spending the whole day at Niagara Falls?
For sure, this is something you have always dreamed of doing. And yes, this tour will make that dream a reality.
9. The Empire Builder
This tour will have you go through the Northwestern parts of the US. The tour will take you to the Cascade Mountains and the Columbia River Gorge.
Continue with your journey, and it will also take you to the iconic routes filled with nuggets of history and adventure.
Significant portions of the trip will bring you to the route taken by Lewis and Clark’s historical adventures. These routes will take you to the Rockies and the Continental Divide.
The train will cross at about 5,216 feet above sea level. The lowest pass you will go through will be between Mexico and Canada.
Of course, there will be stops along the way.
One of the stops will be at Glacier Park station, next to the living glaciers and the snow-capped peaks of Glacier National Park.
Indeed, this stop is popular among tourists, particularly seniors, due to its beautiful mountain views. The Empire Builder is a tour you should always take.
10. The Sunset Limited Route
The Sunset Limited Route takes you to see the shores and the bayou.
You will travel on a connecting trip from Louisiana to California during this tour.
The trip will have you dip into some of the most remote parts of America. This route will have you go through the southernmost regions.
There are stops along the way. These stops include famous cities like Tucson, El Paso, San Antonio, and New Orleans.
The train will also be skirting through the best of the United States.
There will be stops in national parks.
There will be an experience in thriving art communities.
If you take this route, you will indeed be spellbound.
There will be several opportunities for you to experience the diversity of landscapes.
You will cross the mountains of California. You will also traverse through the deserts of the southwestern cities.
While on tour, you will stop at the Mexican borderlands. And finally, you will also get to travel through the Bayou Country.
The journey will be for three days.
11. The Capitol Limited Route
This tour will take you to the capital of the United States. And no, it will not be a boring trip but something that will stay with you for a lifetime.
In a nutshell, the trip will engage you with history. The tour will have you enjoy the many unique views of America as you take the Capitol Limited train. It runs from the capital of the country, Washington, DC.
The train will travel from Washington, DC, to America’s Heartland, Chicago.
While on the trip, you will travel through the many scenic areas of Ohio and Indiana. You will see the Allegheny Mountains as well as the picturesque Potomac Valley.
The trip will also cover several other unique destinations along Cleveland and Pittsburgh.
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Ultimately, it does not matter which cross-country train trip you choose. In the end, there is one thing that matters is that you enjoy the experience.
These Amtrak tours will undoubtedly leave you with beautiful memories that will last a lifetime.
Did you like the article?
Which tour would you like to include on the list?
Let me know.