Train Travel
All Aboard!
Call me old-fashioned, but I love Train Travel. There's something very nostalgic about taking the train. It can also be faster, more reliable, environmentally-friendly, and centrally located than air travel or driving. Plus more scenic and provide the opportunity to see more of a country. Below is a list of 10 places in the U.S. and abroad with convenient access to reach by train or use as a launching point to explore from there. It is not an exhaustive list or a list of the most beautiful or luxurious train rides in the world, but useful ones to explore.
Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest rail hub in the U.S. and the most connected. Of Amtrak's 40 routes, 15 start or end in Chicago connecting it to all 3 coasts and over 30 states. It's a 90 minute train ride from Milwaukee and New Buffalo, 17 hours from Washington, DC, 20 hours from NYC and New Orleans and 26 hours from Albuquerque. Chicago's Union Station is located downtown within walking distance to theaters, museums, restaurants & shopping. Check out the Chicago Guide for ideas on where to stay, what to do & more.
Wisconsin is only connected by one Amtrak route - the Borealis connecting Chicago and St. Paul & Minneapolis to Milwaukee, Wisconsin Dells "The Waterpark Capital of the World", and La Crosse on the Mississippi River. It also conveniently stops at Milwaukee's international airport. Head to the Wisconsin Guide for ideas on where to stay, what to do, eat & drink along the Wisconsin Borealis train route and beyond. Forward!
Michigan
The southern half of Michigan is serviced by 3 Amtrak routes connecting Chicago through The Pere Marquette to Grand Rapids "Beer City USA" (4 hours), The Wolverine to Detroit "Motor City" (5.5 hours), and The Blue Waters to Port Huron "Maritime Capital of the Great Lakes" (6.5 hours). Other stops include: Ann Arbor & East Lansing for Michigan universities, Holland for the Tulip Time festival, and New Buffalo & St. Joseph for beaches along Lake Michigan. For ideas on where to stay, what to do & more, head to the Michigan Guide.
Washington, DC
Washington, DC
Moving over to the Northeast corridor, DC is another centrally located train destination linked to the Midwest, Northeast & South. DC is a 1.5 hour train ride from Philadelphia, 3 hours from NYC, and 6.5 hours from Boston on the high-speed Acela. Its Union Station is a mile from the U.S. Capitol and National Mall where many of the monuments and museums are located. For ideas on where to stay, what to do & more, head to the Washington, DC Guide.
New York City
New York City
NYC is connected via train to many of the same places as Washington, DC, plus the rest of New York, including Niagara Falls (9.5 hours) and up to Canada to Toronto (12.5 hours) on the Maple Leaf and the Hudson Valley and Montreal on the Adirodack (11 hours). Shorter train rides upstate, include 2 hours to cutesy Hudson and 4 hours to Saratoga Springs for horse racing. Ideas on where to stay, what to do & more are available in the New York City Guide.
New Orleans
New Orleans
New Orleans is nicely connected via 3 main Amtrak train routes that link it to up through Memphis to Chicago (20 hours) on the City of New Orleans, the east through Atlanta and Washington, DC to NYC (30 hours) on the Crescent, and to the west through Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona to California (48 hours) on the Sunset Limited. Once there, New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal is located 1 mile south of the French Quarter. For a curated list of where to stay, what to do, eat, drink & more, head to the New Orleans Guide.
At the far south end of the Amtrak service is Miami. The Silver Service routes link Miami to Fort Lauderdale (0.5 hours), West Palm Beach (1.5 hours), Orlando (5 hours), Tampa (5.5 hours), and Jacksonville (8.5 hours) before heading out of state to Savannah (11.5 hours), Charleston (13 hours), Washington DC (24 hours), ending in NYC (28 hours). Miami Station is located about a 30 minute drive from Downtown Miami and Miami Beach. There's also the Brightline high-speed rail connecting Miami to Orlando in 3.5 hours from Miami Central Station. For top picks on hotels, activities & more, check out the Miami Guide.
Paris
Paris
Departing the US for a trip across the pond, Paris is first for the underwater "Chunnel" connecting it to London's St. Pancras Station from Gare du Nord (2.25 hours) and railways connecting it to the rest of France and beyond. Its high-speed rail TGV links Paris to Brussels (1.5 hours), Geneva (3 hours), Amsterdam (3.5 hours), Barcelona (6.25 hours), and Rome (11.25 hours). Within France, Bordeaux is reachable in 2 hours and the Champagne region in an hour. Check out the full Paris Guide for places to stay & things to do, plus more.
Heading further south, Rome is another great European city that can serve as a launching point to explore more of Italy with its high-speed rail. The high-speed train from Rome to Naples takes just over an hour (near Sorrento & the Amalfi Coast), Florence - 1.5 hours, Milan - 3 hours, Venice - 3.75 hours, and Bari in the Puglia region- 4 hours. To help plan a trip to this incredible historic city, including where to stay, what to do & more, head to the Rome Guide.
Tokyo
Tokyo
Japan is known for its high-speed Shinkansen trains and is considered to have one of the most advanced railway systems in the world. Trains are the main mode of transportation connecting the country with Tokyo serving as a central launching point. From Tokyo, it takes 2.5 hours to Kyoto and 3.5 hours to Osaka on the high-speed rail that travels as fast as 200 mph. Recommended places to stay, things to do & more in this massive city are covered in the Tokyo Guide.