Best Amtrak vacation destinations?

[D.P. Roberts]

I'm sure that a lot of people (like me) are starting to plan their summer vacations. By default, I'm starting to think "I wonder how I could take Amtrak to get there?", and coming up with a variety of routes and options - some good, some nearly unworkable. This got me thinking - what are the best vacation destinations that are best reached by Amtrak trains?

"Best reached" may mean different things to different people, but I think these would be good working criteria:

1) Amtrak stations are located within easy walking distance, or via public transportation or short (and available) cab/shuttle rides. This means that Amtrak travelers, unlike flyers, might be able to save the expense of renting a car.

2) The closest airports to these destinations are at least an hour or more away.

3) Schedules are vacationer-friendly (i.e. preferably, not arriving in the middle of the night).

3) The trains reaching the destinations are preferably scenic, long distance trains.

Major cities like Chicago and New York easily fit into these criteria. I'm thinking of smaller, out-of-the-way places that you might not think about unless you were very familiar with the route and the stations.

For example, my top pick would be Glacier National Park. Several of the stations are directly adjacent to the national park lodges, and the park runs a shuttle system so you can see other areas of the park without a car. Plus, the nearest airport (Kalispell, MT) is about an hour away. And, the EB is a wonderfully scenic train.

The Grand Canyon might also fit this definition- the nearest station is closer than any airport. However, it does require you to take the next-day scenic train to get to the South Rim, and the late-night arrival doesn't help.

Are there any other ideas out there? Beach destinations, ski resorts, small towns, and any other suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Acela150]

I'd suggest my hometown of Philadelphia. Trains come from NYP three times a hour at a Maximum and two times an hour at a minimum. One Northeast Regional, One Keystone (On certain hours), and One Acela Express. On weekends it's a bit different but there's at least one train an hour to PHL from NYP. From WAS there's typically two trains an hour. One Acela and One Northeast Regional to PHL. Public transit is easy to use and access. There is a train to the Airport that departs PHL (30th Street) on the :04's and :34's. Arrive's 20-25 minutes later depending on terminal.

The Jersey Shore is about an Hour to Hour and a Half away depending on day and time of travel and town of choice. Mine is Ocean City. On a good day it's about a Hour and Fifteen minutes at most.

Another idea is Boston. The trains go along the beautiful Long Island Sound. Picture Perfect at Sunrise or Sunset. Trains depart for Boston every few hours. Northeast Regional's typically every other hour and Acela's Leave at 635am, 835am, 1035am, 1135am, 130pm, 230pm, 330pm, 435pm, and 530pm. On Acela's I recommend going First Class if you goto Boston from Philadelphia. You will have access to ClubAcela, get two meals, and to top it off if you have an AGR account you will get 750 points! If you don't have one send me a PM with your E-Mail address and I'll refer you.

 

[D.P. Roberts]

In California: Santa Barbara, Martinez, Monterrey/Carmel (via Salinas), Yoesemite etc. etc.

Also, in the summer only,Niagara Falls,ON,Savannah,GA, the various Mountain stops in the Cascades in Oregon and Washington State. Harpers Ferry.WV, Charlottsville,VA,Prince WA,, Wesport and Port Kent NY, Glenwood Springs,Colorado and many, many more!! :wub:

Yeah, I was thinking that a lot of California destinations would be good. I thought about Yosemite too - on the positive side, you can book an Amtrak ticket directly to the hotels inside the park, which is nice. On the other hand, the trains themselves aren't really close, as you have at least 2-3 hours of bus rides from Merced.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I'm sure that a lot of people (like me) are starting to plan their summer vacations. By default, I'm starting to think "I wonder how I could take Amtrak to get there?", and coming up with a variety of routes and options - some good, some nearly unworkable. This got me thinking - what are the best vacation destinations that are best reached by Amtrak trains?

"Best reached" may mean different things to different people, but I think these would be good working criteria:

1) Amtrak stations are located within easy walking distance, or via public transportation or short (and available) cab/shuttle rides. This means that Amtrak travelers, unlike flyers, might be able to save the expense of renting a car.

2) The closest airports to these destinations are at least an hour or more away.

3) Schedules are vacationer-friendly (i.e. preferably, not arriving in the middle of the night).

3) The trains reaching the destinations are preferably scenic, long distance trains.

Major cities like Chicago and New York easily fit into these criteria. I'm thinking of smaller, out-of-the-way places that you might not think about unless you were very familiar with the route and the stations.

For example, my top pick would be Glacier National Park. Several of the stations are directly adjacent to the national park lodges, and the park runs a shuttle system so you can see other areas of the park without a car. Plus, the nearest airport (Kalispell, MT) is about an hour away. And, the EB is a wonderfully scenic train.

The Grand Canyon might also fit this definition- the nearest station is closer than any airport. However, it does require you to take the next-day scenic train to get to the South Rim, and the late-night arrival doesn't help.

Are there any other ideas out there? Beach destinations, ski resorts, small towns, and any other suggestions would be appreciated.

In California: Santa Barbara, Martinez, Monterrey/Carmel (via Salinas), Yoesemite etc. etc.

Also, in the summer only,Niagara Falls,ON,Savannah,GA, the various Mountain stops in the Cascades in Oregon and Washington State. Harpers Ferry.WV, Charlottsville,VA,Prince WA,, Wesport and Port Kent NY, Glenwood Springs,Colorado, New Orleans, Alpine,Texas and many, many more!! :wub:

 

[Anderson]

Grand Junction, Colorado and Glenwood Springs, Colorado leap to mind...neither has a major airport (and I suspect that the airfares in/out aren't pretty as a result), but both are a (beautiful) daylight ride out of Denver or a nice overnight from Chicago.

Daytona Beach, FL is also on the list...Deland is about half an hour away and there's a bus connection to be had, and Daytona's airport is unpleasantly expensive. Also, all of the stops there (both north and south) are daylight/early evening.

The Greenbrier and The Homestead (in White Sulfur Springs and Hot Springs, respectively) are also relatively convenient to the Cardinal. Sadly, the Cardinal isn't daily, but do remember: There's a reason that the Greenbrier was a C&O/CSX property for so long.

 

[johnny.menhennet]

During the summer, come to my home town of Solana Beach. We only have 2 small, reasonable hotels, and right on the beach too... Just don't come during racing season... Still a half hour from the airport, and 15-30 minutes from all major attractions (that is, if you don't like walking to the beach and relaxing multiple days in a row ) I also love the glenwood and glacier suggestions, and have been to both

 

[TCRT]

I would strongly second Santa Barbara. The station is smack in the middle of downtown and very close to the beach, and there's some sort of (electric!) shuttle service for tourists. The town also publishes literature on how to experience the area car-free. Having taken the Surfliner there for a scientific conference (a terrible hardship, I know), it is most definitely on my list for a return visit by rail for vacation.

 

I've never been to Mystic, CT, but some Boston-area people I know swear by it, and it's directly accessible via the Northeast Regional.

 

The Wisconsin Dells are a possibility, as the station is convenient to the downtown area, though I imagine a car might be of use for seeing any of the many attractions not located downtown.

Old Orchard Beach, ME, is also a possibility, though again I've never detrained there. The station is very close to the rest of the town and only a few blocks from the ocean. Plus, the Downeaster is one of the more pleasant trains I have ridden recently (especially since it has a third-party catering service in the cafe, so one can get locally made sandwiches, clam chowder, and Portland-brewed Geary's beer).

 

[Shanghai]

I like traveling to Seattle last autumn. Take the SWC to Los Angeles and the Coast Starlight to

Seattle. Both very fine trains and nice scenery. Seattle offers many tourist sites and is reasonably

priced.

I also like Boston as it is quite historic and is not too large. You can walk many places plus

there is convenient public transit.

I hope whatever you decide, you have a fun holiday.

 

[abcnews]

Tampa Fl - even an Amtrak bus over to some of the best beaches in America. Silver Star has an excellent schedule - arrives in Tampa at 12:30 every day, and a perfect daily departure at 5:30 PM, so you get the most bang for the buck. Also a classic rail station.

And consider Orlando (Disney World, etc...), Hertz has a counter in the Orlando Amtrak Station. Silver Star arrives around 11 AM (perfect), and departs every day at around 6 PM - just in time for dinner in the diner and allows for a a full day in the Florida sun on your departure day

And Amtrak has 3 trains each way into Williamsburg, VA - you can even do a day trip to Williamsburg, arriving in late morning from the Northeast and departing every day around 5:15 PM - to to go back to Richmond, DC Baltimore, etc...

*New Orleans, Memphis - good "one, two punch" see both cities via Amtrak - perfect schedule to go from NOL to Memphis (or vise versa) - and then back home.

*Lake Placid, NY see a crystal clear lake with some rather tall snow covered mountains in the background. And you will ride up the Hudson River Valley to get there (nice ride along the Hudson) great scenery.

*Santa Fe New Mexico - perfect location for a vacation. Excellent schedule via SW Chief. Good use of points too...

*White Sulfur Springs, West VA = perfect schedule to and from via one of Amtrak's most scenic trains - The Cardinal. The Greenbrier Hotel will pick you up at the Vintage station - or you can just stroll up the hill to the legendary hotel (Golf, Skiing, Spa, 5 star dining, hotel/resort). The historic old station was built for the hotel.

 

[Anderson]

A bit of a nitpick, but Williamsburg only has two trains per day, Fridays excepted (when 83 runs to NPN). Sorry...I live in the area and we've been waiting on that third frequency (which is supposed to make the RVR-NPN leg of Amtrak's operations quite profitable per the EIS) for a while.

 

[GPSTraveler]

Winter Haven, Florida.

It is only a 6 minute cab ride to the brand new LEGOLAND Resort (october 2011), with "on site" family hotels right across the street from the park.

----------------------

And if we can include VIA Rail Canada, what about Mont Treblant Ski Resort? The closest train station or airport is actually the same place, DORVAL. The airport rental car companies are right across the street from the station. Dorval Via station is actually much closer to Mont Treblant than Montreal Via station is.....

You can connect to Dorval via either The Maple Leaf or the Adirondack.

------------------------

Niagara Falls - This can actually be your stopover point before either Dorval or Montreal, as there is now a very early morning Via Rail train (with rennaissance cars) from Niagara to Toronto - Via Train 90 I think.

 

[Karen Price]

Washington DC! You can stay at a hotel within 2 or 3 blocks of Union Station and walk to all the Smithsonians, the Capitol, the Botanical Gardens, Ford' Theatre--you name it. And most of the attractions are free. No need to ever take a cab and the Metro is everywhere if you prefer to take the subway system.

 

[SCrails]

Burlington, Vermont: arrive on the northbound Vermonter from New York or Washington, DC, after enjoying the beauties of small New England towns and woods. The downside is that the Essex Junction station is not in the Burlington city center, but it is only a 20 minute taxi ride into town. Leave on the Adirondack after taking the early-morning ferry boat across Lake Champlain to the Port Kent station/shelter and enjoy the southbound route that hugs the shoreline for miles.

 

[Hanno]

I like traveling to Seattle last autumn. Take the SWC to Los Angeles and the Coast Starlight to

Seattle. Both very fine trains and nice scenery. Seattle offers many tourist sites and is reasonably

priced.

I also like Boston as it is quite historic and is not too large. You can walk many places plus

there is convenient public transit.

I hope whatever you decide, you have a fun holiday.

We are in the process of planning another trip to the Seattle area. Great city with much to do, national parks near by and the beaches and coastal area, Victoria and/or Vancouver within reach, etc. Fanatastic vacation area.

Will most likely fly there and take Amtrak (EB, CL, and Acela to BAL) home.

 

[GPSTraveler]

Forgot to add a really good one!

Sandusky, Ohio

Home of Cedar Point - one of the worlds best amusement parks (#1 on goldenticketawards.com)

AND

Kalihari Waterpark (indoor) - voted #1 INDOOR waterpark in the USA.

Too bad amtrak comes in at such a DARK hour.......

 

[ehbowen]

Big Bend National Park in West Texas. Good schedule on the Sunset to Alpine. Downside is that you HAVE to rent a car...it's an 80 mile drive. (But it would be over 200 miles from the nearest commercial airport!) However, the local car rental place is familiar with Amtrak and will drop the car off at the station and meet you and do the paperwork there.

If you go: Stock up on snacks and groceries in Alpine; there is nothing other than (high-priced) convenience stores near the park. Either stay in the park itself, or else stay at the nearby Lajitas resort...Study Butte/Terlingua is a dump. Inside the park has better scenery and a higher elevation so it might be cooler; Lajitas has more and better amenities (golf course, swimming pool, horseback riding, etc.) and the facilities are air-conditioned...inside the park is NOT.

 

[TraneMan]

I really enjoyed our time at Glacier National Park last summer. We did not stay at the lodge since it was a bit more in price to stay at. We end up getting a cabin at a resort in Whitefish. We did rent a car and had the car dropped off at the Depot when we arrived. There is not much for public transportation in that area. Was nice that we could come and go as we pleased w/ the rental, and we left the car at the station when we got back on the train back home.

The next City I'd do and may fit your bill is Seattle.

 

[Rail Freak]

One of my favorites is Portland, Oregon! However, I do have Glacier & Yosemite on the planning board!!!

RF

 

[cinnamongirl]

Glacier National Park would be my pick. If you enjoy hiking...it's a hiker's paradise. I would recommend taking the train to East Glacier - the quiet side of the park. The train depot is directly in front of the park lodge, however, there are several mom & pop hotels down the road that would gladly pick you up. There are several outlets where you can rent a car also. East Glacier is also home to one of the best Mexican restaurants around, Serranos. Some of the best hiking in GNP is out of the Two Medicine area, but doesn't receive as many hikers as the other parts of the park because it is more isolated and doesn't have as many amenities, but it's my favorite area. Here's a good website for hiking trail info: http://www.hikinginglacier.com/ . If you prefer more amenities, the trail also stops in Whitefish - right in the heart of town. A really cool town with lots of different restaurants and a brewery - if you're into beer! The drive into GNP from Whitefish is only about 25 minutes. If you've never been to Glacier and you're a hiker...it should be on the bucket list!

 

[jis]

If you are a railfan then Essex Monatana at the Itzak Walton Inn definitely. Te Empire builder will drop you there right in front of the inn, and pick you up from there too!

 

[dart330]

If your looking for a reason to ride the MRR, Hermann, MO is a neat German town right on the river. There is a winery across the street from the station, a brewery around the corner, and another winery within walking distance. Several inns and bed & breakfasts within walking distance as well. They recently started a "trolley" bus to shuttle people to additional wineries outside of the city limits. Stay clear during the month of Oct., it is overrun with drunk college kids celebrating Oktoberfest (I know, I use to be one).