16 tips for travelling by train in the USA 2021

21.07.2023 - 07:49 / roughguides.com / Sean Pavone

Travelling by train in the USA is an excellent way to see vast swathes of this vast country, especially if you're on a budget. While the USA's national rail operator Amtrak won’t get you everywhere, it's pretty darn extensive, with thirty routes throughout travelling to over 500 destinations across 46 states. What's more, travelling in the USA by train offers the exhilaration of seeing incredible landscapes zoom by, with tasty slices of Americana served up when you slow through quirky little towns. There’s also no better way to meet (or people watch) the huge range of locals who'll hop on and off during your journey. Tempted? Then read on for our 16 tips for travelling by train in the USA, covering everything from what to know before travelling to the USA for a railroad adventure, to practical booking advice — all of them top tips for USA train travel.

Amtrak’s interactive route planner will help you choose a route — checking out this tool is definitely one of our most useful tips of USA train travel. But even before you get into the nuts and bolts of route-planning, you'll probably want to dig deeper into where you might want to end up — while the journey can sometimes be the destination, you won't want to miss out on the good stuff once you get wherever you're going. Here's an overview of a few of many route examples to consider:

City of New Orleans route — music-lovers might want to investigate the 19-hour Chicago-Memphis-New Orleans route that takes in 900 miles of US music heritage. Our guide to New Orleans will fill you in on what to see and do once you arrive.

Bourbon St, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA © Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Texas Eagleroute — this epic 32-hour-trip from Chicago to San Antonio crosses the Mississippi River, traverses the piney woods of East Texas, and passes through Dallas before winding up in stunningSan Antonio.

Pacific Surfliner route — at under six hours, this 351-mile route takes passengers through San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties, with portions of it tracking Southern California's coastline.

If, having done your route research, you decide to take a seriously long-distance trip, it will be worth looking into booking a USA Rail Pass. These start from $499 for a maximum of ten journeys (called segments in Amtrak speak) taken over 30 days to over 500 destinations. For comparison, here are some sample one-way fares:

Atlanta — New Orleans $39

Chicago — Washington $84

New York — Chicago $90

Los Angeles — Seattle $101

New York — Orlando $123

Chicago — Los Angeles $146

The Pacific Surfliner serves up seriously stunning views © Hilo Pictures/Shutterstock

Once you know where you want to go, you'll want to book tickets well in advance — all