Aman is well known for its ultraluxury resorts and hotels found in some of the world's favorite cities, like Tokyo and Venice, Italy, as well as destinations as close as Utah and as far as Phuket, Thailand.
24.09.2024 - 10:53 / cntraveler.com
Nobody understands the magic of Amtrak's California Zephyr train quite like Brad Swartzwelter, better known to passengers as Conductor Brad.
During Swartzwelter's 30-year career as a conductor, he estimates he's completed more than 90 trips annually, logging about 500 miles on each trip—in total, he has traveled 1.4 million miles on America's rails.
But he came to love the train far before he started working for Amtrak, while growing up in Boulder, Colorado. “My father would go fishing along the Colorado River, and the California Zephyr would go by every day,” he says. “It seemed like the most magical thing in the world to see this massive, beautiful, gleaming steel string of train cars glide through the Rockies, right next to the gleaming water of the Colorado.”
Running between Chicago and Emeryville, California, the Zephyr is the longest continuous train ride in the United States, in operation since 1949. The route covers just over 2,400 miles in about 52 hours, traversing the American West through the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevadas.
Swartzwelter plans to retire in October, but the train will continue on, ushering in the next generation of travelers to rediscover the joys of rail transport, just as I did last summer. It was my journey west of Chicago, and I was quickly reminded of the country’s sheer vastness, a perspective often lost when flying overhead. From the train window, enchanting views of fields, rivers, gorges, mountains, and tunnels unfolded before me.
There were unexpected views too, like the occasional mooning from a passerby, but my most unforgettable encounters were the people on the train itself. Despite traveling solo, I never really felt alone. I befriended fellow travelers, like a 20-something man with his guitar in tow moving from small-town Illinois to California to become a teacher. I chatted with artists seeking inspiration from the surrounding landscapes, and met Amish families vacationing with their children.
While long-haul train travel in the US is scenic, it’s not always the most comfortable (though I did sleep surprisingly well in coach), or efficient, of journeys: I watched nesting passengers build elaborate coffee setups with electric kettles and stuff air mattresses into their seats. But, despite its shortcomings, hundreds of thousands of riders have found themselves drawn to the Zephyr for the slow, meandering journey that is crossing America by train.
There are a few ways to tackle the train's lengthy route. You can ride all 52 hours in one fell swoop and spend two nights on board (in either a sleeping car or a regular coach seat). Or you can break up the journey, as I did, and stop in different cities along the route. This means you will have to purchase a
Aman is well known for its ultraluxury resorts and hotels found in some of the world's favorite cities, like Tokyo and Venice, Italy, as well as destinations as close as Utah and as far as Phuket, Thailand.
Low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines is the most likely to bump passengers, far surpassing other major airlines in the United States.
Since the dawn of time, the romance of railways has seduced poets, spellbound novelists, and dealt directors the perfect hand for capturing fleeting friendships, illicit affairs, and all manner of crimes and capers. A ticket is not just a permit to ride, it’s permission to trespass on the intimacies of other people’s lives. Trains bring us up close and personal—both inside and outside the carriage. On board, passengers chat politics in Finnish dining cars, clamber into couchettes above strangers on the Trans-Siberian, and share samosas on India’s many raucous mail trains. Outside, the world flashes by, a slideshow of rivers growing into oceans, deserts rising into mountains and cities sprawling then receding into darkness as the train thunders on through the night.
There are two types of train trip: The long, slow, and often luxurious train journey that takes you through beautiful scenery that you book specifically to spend time on the rails; and the speedy, no-nonsense, cheap train ride you take to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. In the first category, you’ll find grand trips like Australia’s The Ghan, South Africa’s Blue Train, and Britain’s Caledonian Sleeper. In the second, there are trips from London to Brussels in just two hours, from Rome to Venice in four hours, and from Miami to Orlando in three hours. And if you’re a train traveler who belongs to the second category and likes getting places fast without flying, there are plenty of trains in this world that do just that at speeds previously unimaginable on land, including the fastest train in the world and its closest competitors.
It’s looking like Dominica will get an international airport by 2026, and this will be game-changer for visitors. The project, costing north of $1 billion, will welcome international flights from around the world — a stark contrast to the facilities at the current airport, Douglas-Charles Airport, which mainly handles domestic flights and around 60,000 passengers per year through the three gates. Dominica International Airport has been in the planning stages for several years. The new airport is being built on a 500-acre site. On completion, the runways will facilitate planes from local Caribbean airports and the US and Europe.
When you board Amtrak’s Auto Train, you’re doing something unique that happens on no other train within the Amtrak system. First of all, you and your vehicle (car, motorcycle, van, small trailer, or SUV if it meets the measurement limits) must both be on board. You can’t go without it and it can’t go without you.
There are plenty of amazing leaf-peeping opportunities in the US. A romantic road trip to see the covered bridges of New England is one, taking an air balloon ride to see the foliage from above is another. But the most relaxed and nostalgic way to experience fall in all its glory is by train. There are multiple vintage railroads in the United States that will transport you back in time while you admire the fall colors, but few do it as well as the East Broad Top railroad.
It’s not New York or California where you’re most likely to run into a billionaire on the street — it’s Wyoming. The state has the highest number of billionaires per capita (as well as a relatively small population), and it’s no secret that the bulk of Wyoming’s wealthy live in Teton County, home to the celebrity-loved (and expensive) tourist town of Jackson.
Fall is the ideal time to visit Montana if you’re looking to get away from the crowds and into nature. The shoulder season welcomes the colorful displays of foliage, crisp, clean air, rivers teeming with fish, and active wildlife. Because Big Sky Country is vast, we’ve put together some top spots to see fall colors in all their glory. From the shimmering golden tapestry of aspen groves and deciduous trees in the southwestern and central regions, to the golden hues of the wheat fields against the backdrop of the setting sun over the northern and easter plains, here are some of the best places to visit in fall and where to stay.
Luxury travelers heading to the Bay Area can expect a major glow-up at The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay debuting this month.
Though I love living in San Francisco, I sometimes crave a more exciting experience within the Bay Area. Lately, when I've needed a change of pace, I take a half-hour ferry ride to Sausalito, a town about 9 miles from San Francisco.
Sep 22, 2024 • 4 min read