Traveling by train, once the only way to travel great distances across the United States, is becoming popular for family vacations. Guests see sights, visit towns, historical markers and more without having to do the driving. Train trips can be completely by train, or a mix of transportation by train, plain, bus or taxi. While one train trip may have guest sleeping in luxury train cars, others utilize local hotels to house guests overnight.
Amtrak offers the “California Zephyr with Yellowstone National Park” vacation where guests’ time is split between time on the train and time exploring cities. At night guests stay in hotels. As of November 2010, guests visit the 2,000 acre Yellowstone Park and see sights such as Old Faithful, Isa Lake and the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Guests see many cities including Salt Lake City, Chicago and San Francisco. This trip is advertised as a “wild west adventure,” where guests enjoy panoramic views of the Rockies. Amenities include reclining coach train seats and optional room upgrades.
New England Rails and Sails
The New England Rails and Sails trip is a trip involving three trains and three ships. The trains included are the Hobo Railroad, the Essex Steam Train and the Cape Cod Central Railroad. The ships are the Cruise Portland’s Casco Bay to Diamond Island, the Becky Thatcher Riverboat Cruise and the Hyannis Harbor Cruise. Guests visit Boston, MA, Portland, ME, North Conway, NH, Mystic, CT and Hyannis, MA. This trip has travelers seeing where there Declaration was written, Paul Revere’s home and sights such as the nation’s oldest school. Nine meals are included with the cost of the trip. Guests dine on lobsters on Cape Cod and enjoy the services of a professional tour manager.
The Trains Across Colorado eight day train trip features highlights of Colorado. Guests travel to and see sights in Denver, Grand Junction, Durango, Alamosa, and Colorado Springs. Guests travel by train but stay overnight in local hotels. See the Rocky Mountains, Royal Gorge Bridge, the Colorado National Monument and the Mesa Verde National Park. Guests also spend time at the Garden of the Gods, a 1300 acre park with natural terrain. Amenities include twelve included meals and a professional tour manager.
Grand Canyon Railway
The Grand Canyon Railway offers four traveling class options; Coach, First Class, Dome Car and Parlor Car. Guests ride on classic trains built before 1924. One feature of this trip is a staged train robbery with actors. Amenities include a professional tour manager, eight meals included in the standard ticket price and roundtrip airport transfers. Sights include the Montezuma Castle National Monument, Verde Canyon, a tour by trolley of Sedona, the Chapel of the Holy Cross and an old-fashioned chuck wagon country supper at the Blazin’ M Ranch and Western Stage Show.
