usa adventure travel

This legendary overnight rail journey stretches along the Great Lakes, connecting the Windy City with Beantown and the Big Apple. Scenic highlights include the Hudson River Valley, Berkshire Mountains, Erie Canal and Lakes Erie and Michigan. Services and amenities: reserved Coach and Viewliner Sleeper Classes (sleeper, NYC-Albany-Chicago), Dining Car, Lounge Car, Cafe Car (Boston-Albany), First Class Metropolitan Lounge/ClubAcela in Chicago, Boston and New York.

A trio of trains provides Northerners with a dose of Southern hospitality. Daily trains link New York and other Northern cities to Rocky Mount and Savannah. Same day Palmetto service travels via Charleston. Silver Services (Silver Star via Raleigh and Silver Meteor via Charleston) continue overnight to Orlando, Tampa, Palm Beach (via West Palm), Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach (via Miami). Palmetto Services and amenities: reserved Coach and Business Classes; Lounge Car (light menu). Silver Star/Silver Meteor Services and amenities: reserved Coach and Viewliner, Sleeper Classes, Dining Car, Lounge Car; First Class ClubAcela in Washington, Philadelphia and New York.

Daily trains make this overnight connection between the Big Apple and the Big Easy. Scenic highlights include the Blue Ridge foothills and Louisiana bayou country. Services and amenities: reserved Coach and Viewliner Sleeper Classes, Dining Car, Lounge/Cafe Car; First Class Club Acela in New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC; Trails & Rails interpretive program.

Nonstop service between suburban Washington DC and the outskirts of Orlando provides a stress-free alternative to I-95 traffic and congestion. Auto carriers can accommodate car, van, motorcycle, SUV, small boat, jet-ski, or other recreational vehicle. Services and amenities: reserved Coach and Superliner Sleeper Classes, Auto Train Lounge (feature movies), Dining Cars; dinner and continental breakfast included; digEplayer personal audio/video players available.

Tracing a historic route through America's heartland, daily trains make the overnight run between Chicagoland and the Nation's Capital. Scenic highlights include the Allegheny Mountains, Harpers Ferry and Cedar Point Amusement Park. Services and amenities: reserved Coach and Superliner Sleeper Classes, Sightseer Lounge/Cafe Car and Dining Car; digEplayer personal audio/video players available; First Class Metropolitan Lounge/ClubAcela in Chicago and Washington.

The good times roll daily between the Big Easy and the Windy City. The overnight train serves communities in five states -- from the Great Lakes to The Gulf of Mexico -- including Memphis, home of Beale Street Blues and Elvis Presley's Graceland. Scenic highlights include the Illinois Ozarks, Mississippi River Delta and Louisanna Bayou. Services and amenities: reserved Coach and Superliner Sleeper Classes, Sightseer Lounge/Cafe Car and Dining Car, First Class Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago.

Seasoned travelers recognize this two-night transcontinental odyssey as America's most beautiful rail journey. Trains run daily between Chicago and San Francisco Bay via Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake and Reno. Scenic highlights include the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevadas. Services and amenities: reserved Coach and Superliner Sleeper Classes, Sightseer Lounge/Cafe Car and Dining Car, First Class Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago and Washington; Trails & Rails interpretive program.

Each day, Amtrak's premier tour train encapsulates the West Coast experience. A singular sensation, its overnight itinerary ranges from Hollywood to redwood forests to Seattle's Space Needle. Onboard extras like floor-to-ceiling windows for all and wine tastings in First Class are unique. Scenic highlights include Puget Sound, the Cascade Mountains and Big Sur (California Coast). Services and amenities: reserved Coach and Superliner Sleeper Classes, First Class Pacific Parlour Car (library, games and wine tastings), Sightseer Lounge/Cafe Car and Dining Car; digEplayer personal audio/video players available; First Class Metropolitan Lounge in Portland; Trails & Rails interpretive program.

The rugged grandeur of the America's Western wilderness unfolds daily along a route that clings closely to the Lewis and Clark Trail. The Wisconsin Dells and Glacier National Park are major stops on the two-night journey. Scenic highlights include the Mississippi River, Rocky Mountains, Columbia River Gorge and the Cascade Mountains. Services and amenities: reserved Coach and Superliner Sleeper Classes, Sightseer Lounge/Cafe Car and Dining Cars; digEplayer personal audio/video players available; Trails & Rails interpretive program; First Class Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago and Portland.

America's majesty is revealed in this epic adventure spread across two nights and half a continent. Daily trains parallel the Santa Fe Trail and Route 66 along much of the eight state route. Lying along the Chief's path are "The Indian Capital," Gallup, Santa Fe (via Lamay) and the Grand Canyon (via Flagstaff or Williams). Scenic highlights include the Chicago skyline, Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, Apache Canyon and Raton Pass. Services and amenities: reserved Coach and Superliner Sleeper Classes, Sightseer Lounge/Cafe Car and Dining Car; First Class Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago; Trails & Rails interpretive program.

Note: service between Orlando and New Orleans is currently suspended. Three weekly round-trips roll across the continent along Amtrak's southern-most route. The two-night sweep between Florida and LA hooks up with New Orleans, Houston, San Antonio, Tucson, Maricopa -- gateway to Phoenix and Scotsdale -- and Palm Springs. Scenic highlights include the Gulf Coast, Rio Grande and the Mexican frontier, and the Southwestern desert. Services and amenities: reserved Coach and Superliner Sleeper Classes, Sightseer Lounge/Cafe Car and Dining Car; Trails & Rails interpretive program.

Daily trips up and down the nation's mid-section trade The Land of Lincoln with the heart of Texas in a single night... with second-night service to California offered three times a week aboard the Sunset Limited. St. Louis, Little Rock and Hot Springs and the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex are among the destinations. Scenic highlights include the Mississippi River, Gateway Arch and Ozark Mountains. Services and amenities: reserved Coach and Superliner Sleeper Classes, Sightseer Lounge/Cafe Car and Dining Car; First Class Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago; Trails & Rails interpretive program.

ARR's claim that "The best way to see Alaska is on the Railroad" seems easy to confirm. Reclining seats, picture windows and a commendable dining service set the stage. Along the way, onboard tour guides identify passing habitats from boreal forests and arctic tundra to glistening glaciers... and point out native wildlife including moose, caribou, grizzlies and the occasional wolf. The railroad's signature tour train, Denali Star, follows the railbelt between Anchorage and Fairbanks, glimpsing the backcountry's range of habitats and species -- including Mount McKinley. Optional GoldStar service upgrades the experience with bi-level coaches featuring unique sky dome lounges. Complementary Coastal Classic (Seward) and Glacier Discovery (Whittier) routes extend touring possibilities. Day out and 2- to 10-day tours include nature safaris, heritage discoveries and active adventures.

An engineering marvel, this Gold Rush era railroad climbs nearly 3000-ft/900-m from glacial tidewater to White Pass Summit. Other excursions run to Fraser, Bennett and Whitehorse, Canada. Higlights include hiker services for Denver and Laughton Glaciers and Chilkoot Trail. Trains operate seasonally. Selected features: gift shop, snack bar, online ticketing, wheelchair access.