Amtrak
US rail, or Amtrak (but not Amtrack) as it is officially known, adds a different dimension to your travels by train in the USA and provides another wonderful facet to your American holiday. There is a mystique to riding the rails, a sense of excitement and anticipation as you walk down the platform, the carriage towering above your head. You find your seat, and, at the appointed time, you feel a small lurch as your journey begins. No one tells you to sit down or to fasten your seat-belt or to put your bag in the overhead rack.
From your US arrival city, you can reach practically every major town in the country without the stress of struggling through airport security or trying to read a map as you navigate unfamiliar roads in your rented car.
Amtrak’s route network of trains covers the eastern seaboard with swift, comfortable, convenient service from city centre to city centre. This allows you to avoid the time-consuming airport check-in, the lost bags, the poor or non-existent on-board food and the inevitable long expensive cab ride from the airport to your hotel.
These Amtrak trains are either regional services with both coach and business class seating or the high-speed Acela trains, which replaced the grand old Metroliners, offering first and business class between the more densely travelled rail routes.
Between the seaboards is the domain of the mighty long-distance Superliner trains. You can, for example, experience two relaxing days on the train from Chicago to San Francisco and in between see some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. The Rockies from ground level look a little different than when you are seeing them from six miles up!
Watch the changing view of the landscape from the comfort of your swivel chair in the lounge car or over a delightful meal prepared minutes before in the dining car. Perhaps consider a small post-prandial libation and then be lulled to sleep in your private cabin by the distant hum of the diesels as your carriage is pulled swiftly toward your journey’s end. Tomorrow you will arrive refreshed into a new destination to explore – it is an experience not to be missed.
Holidays by Rail can reserve you a seat or a cabin on any Amtrak train in North America. We can provide assistance with planning everything from your entire family holiday to booking a single point-to-point ticket and general train service information.
Telephone us at 0800 033 7960, and you can speak with someone who has actually done it. We’d be delighted to share our knowledge with you.
Amtrak Information
Amtrak's Route Map
Amtrak Trains
Acela Express
Boston - New York - Philadelphia - Washington, DC - Enjoy superior comfort, upscale amenities, and polished professional service — at speeds up to 150 mph — aboard Amtrak's Acela Express between Boston - New York - Philadelphia - Washington, DC.
Acela Express
Adirondack
Montreal - Albany - New York - The Adirondack travels daily from New York City, through the lush wine country of the Hudson Valley, into Montreal.
Adirondack
Amtrak Cascades
Vancouver, BC - Seattle - Tacoma - Portland - Salem - Eugene - the Amtrak Cascades offers an unparalleled experience of the great Pacific Northwest. Through Seattle and Portland, past Mount St. Helens and across the Columbia River Gorge.
Amtrak Cascades
California Zephyr
Chicago - Denver - San Francisco, CA (Emeryville) - The California Zephyr is one of the most beautiful train trips in all of North America. Climb through the heart of the Rockies, and further west through the snow-capped Sierra Nevadas.
California Zephyr
Capitol Limited
Washington, DC - Pittsburgh - Chicago - The Capitol Limited runs between Washington, DC and Chicago. Follow the historic B&O line as it winds through the Potomac Valley, past historic Harpers Ferry and the Allegheny Mountains.
Capitol Limited
Cardinal
New York - Washington, DC - Cincinnati - Indianapolis - Chicago - The Cardinal operates between New York and Chicago three days a week, offering unforgettable views of the Southeast's stunning natural beauty.
Cardinal
Carolinian / Piedmont
New York - Raleigh - Charlotte - The Carolinian travels between Charlotte and New York City, with stops in Raleigh, Richmond, Washington, DC, Baltimore and Philadelphia.
Carolinian / Piedmont
City of New Orleans
Chicago - Memphis - New Orleans - The City of New Orleans takes you through the heart of America’s musical heritage - from Chicago with its vibrant electric blues scene, to Beale Street in Memphis and on to New Orleans - the birthplace of jazz.
City of New Orleans
Coast Starlight
Seattle - Portland - Los Angeles - One of the most spectacular of all train routes, the Coast Starlight links the greatest cities on America's West Coast.
Coast Starlight
Crescent
New York - Atlanta - New Orleans From the Big Apple to the Big Easy, the Crescent offers convenient daily trips between New York City and New Orleans.
Crescent
Empire Builder
Chicago - St. Paul - Glacier National Park - Portland/Seattle - Travel major portions of the Lewis and Clark trail, Amtrak's Empire Builder provides the perfect way to experience the rugged splendor of the American West.
Empire Builder
Empire Service
New York - Albany - Syracuse - Rochester - Buffalo - Niagara Falls - With frequent daily trains between Ney York City and Albany (and others that continue to Buffalo and Niagara Falls), leisure travel to Niagara Falls has never been easier.
Empire Service
Lake Shore Limited
New York/Boston - Albany - Chicago - Travel along the south shore of Lake Michigan, the Mohawk River, and the Erie Canal, following a famous Native American Highway.
Lake Shore Limited
Maple Leaf
Montreal - Albany - New York - Travel through the beautiful Hudson River Valley, New York's wine country, the incredible gorges of the Finger Lakes region, nearby the dramatic spectacle of Niagara Falls.
Maple Leaf
Pacific Surfliner
San Luis Obispo - Santa Barbara - Los Angeles - San Diego - Travel the Southern California coast between San Luis Obispo and San Diego.
Pacific Surfliner
Silver Service / Palmetto
New York - Washington, DC - Charleston - Savannah - Jacksonville - Orlando - Tampa/Miami - The Palmetto and Silver Service trains (the Silver Meteor and the Silver Star) offer service between New York City, Georgia and Florida.
Silver Service / Palmetto
Southwest Chief
Chicago - Albuquerque - Grand Canyon - Los Angeles - Amtrak's Southwest Chief runs between Chicago and Los Angeles, through the vast expanse of the fabled American West.
Southwest Chief
Sunset Limited
New Orleans - San Antonio - Los Angeles - Runs between Louisiana and California, along America's southern-most route. Watch the Bayou Country, Mexican border, southwestern deserts and California mountains.
Sunset Limited
Texas Eagle
Chicago - St. Louis - Dallas - San Antonio - Wind through the Land of Lincoln, across the Mississippi River, and through the Ozarks to Little Rock and the piney woods of East Texas. Next to colorful, Dallas, through Austin, and finally to San Antonio, where the legend of the Alamo and the Riverwalk attract people from all over the world.
Texas Eagle
Amtrak Trains
- Acela Express
- Adirondack
- Amtrak Cascades
- California Zephyr
- Capitol Limited
- Cardinal
- Carolinian / Piedmont
- City of New Orleans
- Coast Starlight
- Crescent
- Empire Builder
- Empire Service
- Lake Shore Limited
- Maple Leaf
- Pacific Surfliner
- Silver Service / Palmetto
- Southwest Chief
- Sunset Limited
- Texas Eagle
Most Popular Amtrak Tickets
- New York to Chicago
- Chicago to San Francisco
- Los Angeles to San Francisco
- New York to Boston
- New York to Miami
- Chicago to Glacier National Park
- Los Angeles to the Grand Canyon
Industry Awards
