How to Take a Trip Across the US on Amtrak
Let the train conductor do the steering across the United States while you savor America's varied scenery. Amtrak offers four major routes from the West Coast to the East. Three end up in Chicago where you can hop another train to the East. The fourth and most southerly route bypasses Chicago and ends up in Orlando.
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Instructions
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Check online or call 1-800 USA Rail line for desired Amtrak routes, times and fares. Make sure you ask for any discounts or promotional offers available.
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Sign up for a sleeper if you're coming from the West Coast and can afford it. The trip to Chicago takes at least 46 hours.
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Depart from Seattle or Portland on the "Empire Builder" from Seattle or Portland for views of Glacier National Park, Montana's Big Sky country, the North Dakota plains, the skylines of Minnesota and St. Paul and finally the Mississippi as you head into Chicago.
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Leave from San Francisco on the "California Zephyr." Catch the Sierra Nevadas, Reno, the plains of Nebraska, the Rocky Mountains and Denver on your way to Chicago.
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Travel on the "Southwest Chief" from Los Angeles to Chicago for the Southwestern desert, the Grand Canyon, wheat fields and the Mississippi.
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Take the "Sunset Limited" from Los Angeles to Orlando for a view of the Sierra Nevadas, the Southwest desert, the Bayou and the Gulf Coast.
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Tips & Warnings
International travelers can use the USA rail pass. 15 and 30 day passes are available.
For unobstructed views, check out the panoramic windows in the sightseer cars.
To supplement the food in the dining car, pack some snacks or pick them up at station stops.
