North America by Train: the Most Scenic Amtrak, Brightline and VIA Rail Routes

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I’ve always been fascinated by trains and the idea of rail travel, since we didn’t really have them in Hawaii (unless you count the now-defunct Sugar Cane Train). I’ve taken overnight and long train routes both abroad and within the US.

With gas prices rising and TSA chaos at airports, I decided to focus on flight-free travel and to avoid flying or driving whenever possible. So far, I’ve logged tens of thousands of miles and countless nights on the rails, including Brightline’s sleek new service in Florida and Canada’s scenic VIA Rail corridor between Toronto and Québec City. But most of my mileage has been on Amtrak, and I am always asked about the most scenic Amtrak routes, which I’ll keep updated below.

I’d always been curious about Amtrak’s USA Rail Pass and I finally tried it out when fall foliage was starting to peak in certain routes. Since May 2025, I’ve taken the Amtrak USA Rail Pass three times and it’s allowed me to travel through 42 of the 46 states that Amtrak covers. I’m hoping to finish with Tennessee, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine in the Fall of 2026.

I’ll be detailing my rail pass experiences in a separate post, but it’s becomes such a great reminder of why slow travel by train offers a completely different perspective on the places we think we know. You can also read more from my experience using the USA Rail Pass in my second piece for Business Insider.

As a food and travel writer who’s spent years covering meaningful, place-based travel experiences, I’ve come to believe that the best way to understand a country is to cross it at ground level. So I take things one station, one meal, and one conversation at a time.

A timely moment for train travel

My cross-country trip also happened during a time when travel in the United States felt unusually uncertain. I left my last train trip in Oregon and got caught up in Alaska Airline’s IT outage on October 23rd which left me stranded at PDX for two days. There have also been weather-related cancellations and the 41-day federal government shutdown that left air traffic controllers and TSA agents working without pay.

I realized that my experience with train travel became both a refuge and a reminder of how fragile our systems can be. Hearing fellow passengers swap updates and help one another through delays reinforced why rail travel means so much to me — it connects people not just to places, but to each other.

My favorite long distance Amtrak routes

California Zephyr (Chicago – Emeryville)

This route crosses both the Rockies and Sierra Nevada and is absolutely stunning in the portion from Colorado onward. I got off at Sacramento because I was connecting with the San Joaquins lines to get to the national parks of Yosemite and Sequoia.

• More about the Amtrak California Zephyr train

Coast Starlight (Los Angeles – Seattle)

Pacific coastline, vineyards, and redwoods (I rode it northbound this time — and I agree, it’s even prettier that way!)

• More about the Amtrak Coast Starlight train
• Full review from the southbound trip back in 2014: The Amtrak Coast Starlight: One of America’s Most Scenic Train Rides

Borealis (Chicago – Minneapolis)

This scenic new Midwestern service connects Chicago to Minneapolis, doubling the capacity in on the route covered by the Empire Builder. I got on at Milwaukee and took the six hour trip each way to Minneapolis just to eat at Owamni, a modern Indigenous restaurant by Chef Sean Sherman that was one of the best meals I had all year. (Totally worth the trip!)

The photo above is from Union Depot in St. Paul, which was one of my favorite stations! Loved the public art installations (the top left has a figure of a swimmer that “swims” overhead) and there’s an excellent local bookstore to browse while you’re waiting for your train.

• More about the Amtrak Borealis train

Adirondaks (New York, NY to Montreal, Canada)

I was headed to the TBEX conference in Quebec City, so I also completed the end of this version by Via Rail. The views of the Hudson River Valley were spectacular even in the summer, I imagine during fall foliage season it’s just gorgeous!

There’s also an extended stop in Albany at Rennselaer Station, which has a post office inside – I took advantage of the time there to stretch my legs and to buy and mail a couple of postcards to friends and family.

• More about the Amtrak Adirondak Train

Southwest Chief (Chicago to Los Angeles)

This route traces Route 66 in some places and I took it just part of theway, to the TBEX conference in Wichita, Kansas (so I had to get off at Newton and used the thruway bus service to get to my final destination). I mostly saw the farmland through the observation car but it truly was stunning at golden hour!

• More about the Amtrak Southwest Chief train

Cardinal (Washington DC to Chicago)

I’ve made the trip between DC and Chicago three times now, usually following the Capitol Limited which is a slightly more northern routing, but this year I did the Cardinal which travels through the mountains in West Virginia and I really enjoyed that one! It also had a Trails & Rails ranger from the National Park service join for the New River Gorge portion, which is always fun!

• More about Amtraks Cardinal train

Other routes I’ve taken

• Floridian – took this route from Jacksonville to DC
• Capitol Limited – Chicago to DC
• Northeast Regional and the high-speed Acela trains – used this line between cities like Boston, NYC, Newark, DC, and Richmond, VA.
• See a list of all Amtrak routes

Still on my list

• Empire Builder: Chicago to Seattle
  • Glacier National Park and northern plains
• Mardi Gras: Chicago to New Orleans (I might try to do Los Angeles to New Orleans via the Sunset Limited)

Beyond Amtrak – Brightline and VIA Rail

In Florida, Brightline has redefined U.S. rail travel with its modern stations and quick connections between Miami and Orlando — proof that train travel can be fast, comfortable, and fun.

In Canada, VIA Rail offers a more classic experience, gliding past small towns and autumn forests on the Québec City–Montréal–Toronto route. Together, they show how North American rail systems are evolving while still giving travelers the chance to slow down and enjoy the view.

Practical tips for train travelers

• Meals and snacks: Pack non-perishable snacks and a refillable water bottle and supplement with items from the cafe car or meals in the dining car when you really need a hot meal.
• Dressing for comfort: Pack layers for chilly nights and an eye mask and earplugs are a must. A neck pillow and a soft blanket will come in handy, even though the seats do have a deep recline and also a full leg rest that can prop up your legs when reclined.
• It helps to separate items you might need into bags you can carry or hang on hooks in the bathroom so they’re easily accessible from your luggage overhead.
• If you have other baggage: Store big bags downstairs and utilize the red cap service or check your bags through if your station pair allows.
• Wifi is not always available (especially on long routes), so download music or movies, always wear headphones as a courtesy to other passengers, and pack along a journal, some postcards, a sketchbook or just a good book — the downtime is part of the journey.
• Prior to a trip I always download an offline version of the route on Google Maps and start a new list with each of the station stops. Even if I lose wifi I can follow along and I can also pin things along the way that look interesting.
• Consider the Amtrak USA Rail Pass if you want to string together multiple routes affordably.

For other tips and behind-the-scenes details, you can follow along on Instagram or subscribe to my Savor the Journey newsletter for new stories on rail travel, slow food, and connecting with people and places through food and travel.

Do you have a question about rail travel in North America? Want to share YOUR favorite route? Feel free to do so in the comments below!