- Joined
- Jun 10, 2010
- Messages
- 3
As my husband loves scenic train journeys, I love big cities and we both love Vegas, I have a vague plan to combine all three, but I need a little bit of guidance...
Thinking of going to Chicago for a few days, then taking the Amtrak California Zephyr from Chicago to Salt Lake (or possibly Reno) then hopping on a short flight to Vegas. I'm quite fond of scenic train journeys myself but I don't want to spend hours and hours and hours on a train just waiting for the good bits. So, can you tell me if the journey between Chicago and Denver is especially good, or does all the fantastic scenery happen after Denver when you hit the Rockies (in which case would it be worth just flying to Denver and boarding the train there)?
I don't really want to take the train all the way to SF (have been to SF before and whilst I utterly loved it, don't have time to go back for this particular holiday), so I guess the options are getting off at Salt Lake, staying over and then flying to Vegas the next day, or possibly train all the way to Reno then flight to Vegas. Is there fantastic scenery west of SLC that we shouldn't miss?
Finally, from what I've read the sleeping arrangements are not hugely comfortable on the train so it might be better to stop off and sleep in a hotel.
So... in a very long-winded way, I guess I'm asking: to see the best scenery and enjoy the maximum comfort, should we do:
Chicago - Denver - SLC
Chicago - Denver - Reno
or just Denver - SLC/Reno, or something else? And which stopping-off points for a night or two would be good in terms of timing?
Thanks for your patience with my very unfinalised plan ...
Thinking of going to Chicago for a few days, then taking the Amtrak California Zephyr from Chicago to Salt Lake (or possibly Reno) then hopping on a short flight to Vegas. I'm quite fond of scenic train journeys myself but I don't want to spend hours and hours and hours on a train just waiting for the good bits. So, can you tell me if the journey between Chicago and Denver is especially good, or does all the fantastic scenery happen after Denver when you hit the Rockies (in which case would it be worth just flying to Denver and boarding the train there)?
I don't really want to take the train all the way to SF (have been to SF before and whilst I utterly loved it, don't have time to go back for this particular holiday), so I guess the options are getting off at Salt Lake, staying over and then flying to Vegas the next day, or possibly train all the way to Reno then flight to Vegas. Is there fantastic scenery west of SLC that we shouldn't miss?
Finally, from what I've read the sleeping arrangements are not hugely comfortable on the train so it might be better to stop off and sleep in a hotel.
So... in a very long-winded way, I guess I'm asking: to see the best scenery and enjoy the maximum comfort, should we do:
Chicago - Denver - SLC
Chicago - Denver - Reno
or just Denver - SLC/Reno, or something else? And which stopping-off points for a night or two would be good in terms of timing?
Thanks for your patience with my very unfinalised plan ...