Help me pick a vacation!

Hi folks! My wife and I are looking to book a vacation for early/mid summer in the next few weeks. Two years ago, we did Empire Builder in a roomette from Chicago to Seattle and back. It was AMAZING. So we want to do another western route out of Chicago. I've ridden the Cardinal a bit, and most of the eastern routes arent enough train time for us We've thought about doing something like Southwest Chief out and Texas Eagle back, but we think we would rather yo-yo on the same route since we eventually plan to conquer them all start to finish. The destination isnt that important as we will only be at the place long enough to catch the next train out. Scenery is key, but service, food, train time, and state of equipment are also important.

So- what are the pluses and minues of California Zephyr vs. Southwest Chief vs. Texas Eagle? Texas Eagle fits our schedule the best and has the most overnights, but i've heard some folks arent crazy about that one...

Would absolutely LOVE any feedback, thoughts, and suggestions!

I think the California Zephyr offers the best scenery. Equipment, food, and service are not predictably better or worse than on other trains.

Take the #5 Zephyr one way to the Bay Area, either the #11 Starlight ( Best!) or the San Joaquin/ Bus Combo to LA,( requires an overnight in SAC or the Bay Area) and then the #422 Texas Eagle/Sunset back ( 3 days a week only/ Guaranteed comnection)).All are Superliners and the Scenery is top notch on the Zephyr and Starlight, and the Eagle/Sunset gives you the most Train time as opposed to the Chief, which is also a nice trip thru Arizona and New Mexico but not much after Raton Pass.( you leave LA shortly before dark)

The California Zephyr's scenery is outstanding. Haven't ridden the TE.

A favorite trip of mine is SEA or PDX - SAC - DEN!

For me, the Southwest Chief has nice scenery only on the second day.

For me the Sunset Limited/Texas eagle has nice scenery only in AZ, NM, and TX.

I've done the route because of the western scenery, proximity to the Mexican border near El Paso, and because it's the longest Amtrak route.

The SWC to SL/TE is a 14 hour layover. Walk to Philippe's for breakfast, have lunch or dinner in one of the restaurants on historic Olivera Street across from LA Union Statio.

LA Union Station is so amazing i's easy to fill a 14 hour layover.

Here is a video I made of the AZ, NM, TX part of the trip. https://youtu.be/oO9PH3LCfJs

One can connect from the SWC to the Coast Starlight the morning the SWC arrives in LA, but it's a tight, though guaranteed connection. Amtrak holds the CS for a time if the SWC is running late.

Riding the train as it rails close by the Pacific Ocean is a treat.

To then catch the California Zephyr back to CHI requires staying a night in Emeryville or Sacramento.

Scenery is best on the California Zephyr. I have done it round trip several times as well as the Empire Builder and Southwest Chief.

I love the scenery on the CZ. I have traveled in the fall when the Aspens were turning. Saw some beautiful snow scenes in the Winter. This pas summer, I took my oldest granddaughter on the CZ to San Francisco, spent two days touring, then the CS to LAX having dinner as we paralleled the Pacific coast. Spent a day in LA, seeing the beach and ocean, Griffith Observatory, then the view of LA from the The Getty. It was a great trip which we finished by going through AZ and NM, ending in El Paso with friends.

Lucky for me the California Zephyr is the Amtrak train closest to me.

I'll be taking it to California and back again late this month.

The CZ route is arguably the most scenic Amtrak long distance train route.

Do the Zephyr out, the Starlight down, and the Sunset Limited/Texas Eagle back. The Zephyr is almost certainly the prettiest train in the Amtrak system. The Starlight is very nice and goes along the coast (right next to the beach!). I just took the the Sunset/Eagle (#422) and it had great scenery day one and decent scenery for the rest. Staff were great, food was great, and everyone just seemed very cheerful and friendly. And these three trains would give you the greatest contrast in scenery. The Zephyr has the mountains, Colorado River, and the Sierras. The Starlight gives you the coast. The Eagle gives you the desert and the south.

I'm partial to the Southwest Chief or the Sunset/Texas Eagle either as an out and back on the same route or out one way and back the other. I've done both routes both ways in recent years as my 'vacation' (I'm retired) and burn up a bunch of AGR points to do it in a roomette all the way. Either way, you've got 'the day' in LA and like me, I have no interest in the destination, especially after I did a 3 month project in LA many moons ago. So, I've explored LA riding commuter trains a bit and just last year, went down to San Diego and back just to ride the light rail lines in SD. I had tried to do that trip several years ago, but it was 'fire season' and about an hour out of LA, the train stopped to wait it out. I grabbed another train back to LAX to make sure I'd make my outbound train. I simply leave my bags in the upstairs Metropolitan lounge and let them know they'll be there until train xx.

I'd like to try the 'triangle' of the CZ/SL/SC-or-TE, but regardless of which direction you travel, you'll have to spend a night in the San Francisco/Sacramento area. If you spend the night on the Oakland side of the bay, double and triple check the ratings of your hotel before you book. I've read some 'war stories' here and there. I've never stayed on the Oakland side, so I don't know one from the other. And if you go southbound on the Coast Starlight, it could be quite late, missing the connection with the Southwest Chief and maybe the Texas Eagle/Sunset. I think they'd bus you to catch it, I don't know for sure. And if they don't bus you and put you up for a night, odds are that during the summer, there's NO available rooms on either train the next day. For what it's worth, last year, I arrived on the TE/SL and the Coast Starlight had been cancelled due to the UP derailment that took out a bridge in northern California. I managed to 'scramble' and book my way back to Chicago that evening, but I had to change from roomette to family room at Alpine and to another roomette at Dallas. Fortunately, I've done 'shorts' like that before to get a bed all the way.

I know you said you east coast isn't enough train time for you, but eastbound Cardinal and return on westbound Capitol Limited will cover you for some of the best the east coast LD has to offer in terms of scenery, especially if done during the summer hours.

snvboy said:

I know you said you east coast isn't enough train time for you, but eastbound Cardinal and return on westbound Capitol Limited will cover you for some of the best the east coast LD has to offer in terms of scenery, especially if done during the summer hours.

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Unfortunately, the Cardinal doesn't make a same-day connection with the Capitol Limited. Doing the CL first still misses the Cardinal which departs in the morning from WAS. Or, do like I do, to maximize on-train time. Take the Cardinal to WAS, then #66 to BOS (business class for better sleep), then 449 back to Chicago. Living in the Springfield MA area, that's my only option or to ride the Cardinal at 11:00AM westbound, spend a night in the Washington DC area.

bratkinson said:

So, I've explored LA riding commuter trains a bit and just last year, went down to San Diego and back just to ride the light rail lines in SD.

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Are you talking about the Sprinter DMU light rail? I’ve been wanting to take that one for a while.

cpotisch said:

Are you talking about the Sprinter DMU light rail? I’ve been wanting to take that one for a while.

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I went to San Diego to ride the electric light rail routes. I'm a traction fan.

I found the Red Line in LA from Union Station was very convenient for getting out to Hollywood and Universal for some sightseeing between early arrival and evening departure trains.