Each week, our holiday hero, Neil Simpson, delves into a brilliant holiday topic and does all the legwork so you don’t have to. This week: seeing America by train.
The Great Train of America is set to be one of the holiday hits of 2023, with an enticing array of escorted, self-guided and customized tours on trains with impressive names like the California Zephyr, Coast Starlight and Rocky Mountaineer.
Travel promises a mix of ocean views, national parks, major cities and must-see sights. Flights are usually included in the price, as is hotel accommodation when you’re not traveling. On trains, you are usually in a two-berth couchette car, where staff make the beds and serve morning coffee.
The Great America Rail Journey is set to be one of the holiday hits of 2023, with an enticing array of escorted, independent and customized tours on trains with impressive names like the California Zephyr, Coast Starlight (pictured embracing the Pacific Ocean) and Rocky Mountaineer
Coast Starlight operates between LA and Seattle
Bookings for 2023 are already well underway, with specialist travel company Great Rail Journeys saying US trips have overtaken all other tours to become its long-haul best-sellers in each of the last three months.
These journeys are leisurely—many trains travel at what’s known as “Kodak speed”: slow enough to take photos and enjoy the view.
Route 66 By Rail with American Sky is ideal if you want to get the feel of America’s most famous road trip but don’t want to drive yourself. The 13-night vacation departs from Chicago to Los Angeles, and trains will stop at iconic Route 66 locations such as St. Louis, Albuquerque and the Grand Canyon.
The journey begins and ends with two nights’ hotel accommodation and includes a mix of hotels and overnight trains en route. All reservations, itineraries and schedules are made for you, with extras including tram tickets to the top of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, the historic Grand Canyon Railway and a tour of LA’s ‘Homes of the Stars’. Costs from £2,449pp (americansky.co.uk).
American Sky offers a 13-day train journey through classic Route 66 hotspots like St. Louis (pictured), Albuquerque and the Grand Canyon
Independent travelers can have tailor-made vacations arranged by Freedom Destinations.
These feature big trains like the Coast Starlight, which hugs the spectacular Pacific coast between LA and Seattle; the California Zephyr, which crosses the country between Chicago and San Francisco; the Maple Leaf, which runs from New York to Toronto; and the Rocky Mountaineer from Denver to Utah – home to dinosaur tracks and mysterious rock formations in Arches National Park.
Staff can tailor a package of flights and hotels around any of the train journeys, and you have the option of traveling in lounge chairs, “roomettes” for two with shared bathrooms, or cabins with ensuite bathrooms.
For example, ticket prices for the two-night California Zephyr trip range from £129, £329 and £779 per person for each option (freedomdestinations.co.uk).
The California Zephyr (above) departs from Chicago and ends in San Francisco – book your train travel at libertydestinations.co.uk
If you prefer to travel as part of a friendly group, with a guide to take care of all train tickets and timetables, then consider the fast-selling trips with Great Rail Journeys.
The 14-day Tracks Of The Deep South tour is perfect for music lovers as it covers Nashville, Memphis, Graceland and the jazz clubs of New Orleans.
Extras include tastings at Jack Daniel’s Distillery, tickets to Chattanooga’s Lookout Mountain Incline Railway—one of the steepest in the world—and a tour of Houston’s Nasa Space Center. Costs from £2,545 pp
Great Rail Journeys’ 14-day Tracks Of The Deep South tour is perfect for music lovers as it travels through Nashville (pictured), Memphis, Graceland and the jazz clubs of New Orleans
Footsteps of the Deep South route includes a ride on the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway from Chattanooga – one of the world’s steepest incline railways (pictured)
Next fall, Great Rail Journeys is offering a 10-day New England In The Fall itinerary that includes the White Mountains—one of North America’s most beautiful landscapes—as well as the North Conway Scenic Railroad and the Mount Washington Cog Railway. Costs from £2,395 pp
But the ultimate bucket list adventure is the complete America Coast To Coast tour on the California Zephyr.
With 14 nights in hotels and two in elegant cabins, the escorted vacation rolls from New York to San Francisco and has stops, tours and excursions in Washington DC, Las Vegas and more. Costs from £3,795 per person (greatrail.com).
Great Rail Journeys’ ten-day New England In The Fall voyage leads to the Mount Washington Cog Railway (pictured)
The ultimate bucket-list adventure is Great Rail Journeys’ America Coast To Coast tour, which travels from New York (above) to San Francisco