All Aboard: 10 Train Vacations That Are Totally off the Rails

Train travel can be old-fashioned and romantic — a blast into the past and toward amazing destinations. While many of the trains that once crisscrossed the globe are no longer around, there are still a few great train trips that should be on any traveler’s list. Just remember, it’s about the journey as much as the destination, especially when it comes to the most-searched train trips on Yahoo.

10. Copper Canyon Train: Travel Mexico’s Grand Canyon

Copper Canyon Train
Copper Canyon Train

Copper Canyon Train (seth.l/Flickr)

In northern Mexico, the six canyons that make up the Copper Canyon form a system bigger than the Grand Canyon. Recently, the area has become more accessible to tourists. Movies and books, like the popular Born to Run, which documented the running prowess of the native Tarahumara people, have attracted visitors. Because of the region’s remoteness, train travel is the most popular way to see the canyons. Take the Chihuahua al Pacifico (also known as El Chepe) for a 15-hour journey that passes through local towns, along cliffs, and over 36 bridges.

9. Smoky Mountains Railroad: A Movie in the Mountains

Smoky Mountains Railroad
Smoky Mountains Railroad

Photo: Courtesy of Smoky Mountains Railroad

Want to see the Great Smoky Mountains? There’s not a more scenic way to do it than to watch the views pass by from your train window. The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad offers round trips leaving from Bryson City, N.C. Try the Nantahala Gorge excursion or the Tuckasegee River trip. During the holiday season, you can also take a special Polar Express train. There’s a reason these trains have appeared in more than a few movies, but probably don’t try to re-enact the scenes from The Fugitive.

Related: The Most Mind-Blowing Fall Foliage Train Tours

8. The Empire Builder: The Most Popular Path to the Pacific

The Empire Builder train
The Empire Builder train

Empire Builder (Loco Steve/Flickr)

Amtrak’s busiest long-distance route, the Empire Builder, carries more than 500,000 passengers from Chicago to the Pacific Northwest — pick among Seattle, Spokane, Wash., and Portland, Ore., as destinations. The trip takes about 45 hours (though it can frequently be delayed), and only one train leaves daily in each direction, so plan ahead. The trips are also scheduled so that visitors are likely to see the Rocky Mountains and Glacier National Park during the daylight — but your odds are better in summer months. In the summer, volunteers also share information about the history and sights in the Sightseer Lounge car.

7. Ethan Allen Express: Vermont’s Own

Ethan Allen Express
Ethan Allen Express

Visit the ski resorts of Vermont via the Ethan Allen Express. (Jared and Corin/Flickr)

Named for Revolutionary War hero Ethan Allen, the express runs between New York and Vermont. Tourists frequently use it to travel to the Vermont ski resorts, and it is subsidized, in turn, by the state — despite being run by Amtrak. The Vermonter train covers a similar route, but the Ethan Allen was created to extend service into western Vermont. Explore the history and beauty of New England in historical and luxurious fashion.

6. Narrow Gauge Railroad: A One-of-a-Kind Colorado Experience

Narrow Gauge Railroad
Narrow Gauge Railroad

Narrow Gauge Railroad (Courtesy of Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad)

Although a standard railroad width (or gauge) was developed as trains became prominent, a narrow-gauge railroad system developed in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado in the 1870s. While there are narrow gauge railroads all over the country, the most famous and prominent are found in Colorado. Visit the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad & Museum to learn more about these trains. And then take a ride on them through the mountains and the San Juan National Forest. The winter trips through Cascade Canyon, which fill up quickly, feature picturesque snow-covered landscapes.

Related: For Train Lovers: Amtrak’s 10 Best Scenic Day Trips

5. Napa Valley Wine Train: Wine Without Stress

Napa Valley Wine Train
Napa Valley Wine Train

Photo: Courtesy of Napa Valley Wine Train

Although the popular Napa Valley Wine Train in California closed briefly after Napa’s earthquake in August, it’s been rolling on ever since. The train provides an easy and stress-free way to enjoy all the fruits the wine region has to offer. Operated by the Napa Valley Railroad, it carries passengers twice a day from Napa to St. Helena. Along the three-hour journey, visitors can enjoy multicourse meals and, naturally, local wines. Additionally, you can stop at a handful of wineries along the route. Take a special trip this winter as part of one of the murder mystery, holiday, or moonlight escape events.

4. Coast Starlight: The Last Real Luxury

Coast Starlight
Coast Starlight

Coast Starlight (Wikimedia Commons)

Billed as one of the last full-service sleeper trains, the Coast Starlight, which runs from Los Angeles to Seattle, includes private sleeperette rooms, a dining car, an observation car, and a movie theater. Known for its expansive views of the West Coast and its opulent service, the train is popular as a trip you take solely for the experience. Just be forewarned: It can be quite the experience, since it has at times run as much as five to 10 hours late.

3. Grand Canyon Railway: History 18 Miles Wide

Grand Canyon Railway
Grand Canyon Railway

Grand Canyon Railway (Photo: Oliver W/Flickr)

The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long, 18 miles wide at points, and more than a mile deep. It can be hard to see all that in one go, which is why the Grand Canyon Railway has been an ideal way to visit the canyon since 1901. It travels 130 miles from Williams, Ariz., to the South Rim. At the canyon, you’ll depart the train in the 100-year-old log depot, a national historic landmark. It leaves once a day every day, except Christmas, and provides a round trip with a four-hour stop at the Grand Canyon. And, don’t miss the Polar Express this winter; Santa has to visit the Grand Canyon, too!

2. California Zephyr: A Zephyr Blows You West

California Zephyr
California Zephyr

California Zephyr (Wikimedia Commons)

From the Windy City to the City by the Bay, the California Zephyr travels across the country over two nights. There is no better way to see the U.S. The trip is such a vacation experience in and of itself that it used to have its own train hostesses, known as Zephyrettes. Operated by Amtrak now, the route crosses the Mississippi River, travels along the Colorado River, and runs over the Wasatch Mountains before heading into California. You can even do the whole trip as a packaged tour, with stays on both ends of your travel. Enjoy more than just the train.

1. Rocky Mountaineer: A Canadian Classic

Rocky Mountaineer
Rocky Mountaineer

Photo: Miss Barabanov/Flickr)

Since the Rocky Mountaineer was founded in 1990, it’s taken over 1 million people on train trips around Canada. The company offers a number of routes: through the Canadian Rockies, to Banff, and into the wilderness north of Whistler. You can even take a coast-to-coast vacation across Canada to places normally inaccessible. While the summer is one of the prettiest times, trips can be cheaper in the off-season. You can also add extra adventures to your itinerary — helicopter summits or snow terrain vehicle excursions. Or, just sit inside the luxurious trains and enjoy the food. Either way, you know it’ll be good. The Rocky Mountaineer has won multiple awards for being one of the world’s best train trips and travel journeys.

Related: Tearing Through the Canadian Rockies on a New Train Route

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