Rank Amtrak's long-distance routes

[Blackshirt Husker]

Hi all! Help a newbie out here: of the long-distance routes you've traveled, how do they measure up in terms of scenery, odd or interesting sights from the train, memorable stops and stations, etc?

 

Of the ones I've traveled so far, here's how I would rank them:

1- California Zephyr (always late, but scenery more than makes up for it)

2- Lakeshore Limited (if you're looking for quirky sights from the train, this trip along the Rust Belt is the one to take)

3- Three Rivers (bring it back!)

4- Piedmont

5- Southwest Chief (a little dry- wonder if Sunset Limited will be similar)

6- Silver Palm

Finally, does the side of the train you're on make a significant difference on any of the routes?

I'm working my way through the Amtrak LD routes one at a time, and this info will be really helpful as I plan future trips. Thanks; glad I found your site.

 

[jimhudson]

:hi: Welcome! Gotta put the Coast Starlight (LA-SEA) and the Empire builder (Portland and Seattle sections on here!) While its not an LD train also the Surfliner up and down the Cali coast between San Diego and Santa Barbara is pretty sweet and the Adirondack from New York to Montreal is outstanding for scenery, the equipment isnt that great unless the Dome car is on it but still outstanding! :wub:

 

[rtabern]

My rankings of the LD routes:

(1) Coast Starlight

(2) California Zephyr

(3) Empire Builder

(4) Cardinal

(5) Lake Shore Limited

(6) Southwest Chief

(7) Crescent

(8) Texas Eagle/Sunset Limited

(9) Capitol Limited

(10) City of New Orleans

 

[NETrainfan]

The Southwest Chief is our favorite train ride so far in that we enjoy the Southwest- like the desert, mesas etc. This is partly because we live in the North Woods of New England where we have lots of beautiful mountain scenery and the SWC route is an interesting change of pace. Have stopped over in Santa Fe and Albuquerque.

The Coast Starlight is our second favorite. Have been from LA to Oakland/San Francisco on CS- appreciate the contrast to Atlantic seacoast-and an exciting train ride. Stopped over in SF-

The California Zephyr is our third favorite. Have stopped over in Denver, Salt Lake City, and Reno/Lake Tahoe.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

1. Coast Starlight

2. Empire Builder

3. California Zephyr

4. Lakeshore Limited

5. Capitol Limited

6. Southwest Chief

 

[Rail Freak]

Coast Starlight, Cal. Zephyr, Empire Builder, Southwest Chief, Texas Eagle, Cardinal, Capitol Limited, Slver Meteor/Star, City of New Orleans, Crescent. I havent been on the others!

Have Fun

 

[NorthCoastHiawatha]

Of the ones I have ridden including Amtrak and VIA

(1). Canadian (for obvious reasons)

(2). Coast Starlight

(3). California Zephyr

(4). Empire Builder

(5). Capitol Limited

(6). Silver Star

(7). Lake Shore Limited

 

[rtabern]

Of the ones I have ridden including Amtrak and VIA

(1). Canadian (for obvious reasons)

(2). Coast Starlight

(3). California Zephyr

(4). Empire Builder

(5). Capitol Limited

(6). Silver Star

(7). Lake Shore Limited

Never have done the Canadian, but am in the planning stages of a trip for September 2011 on the Ocean/Canadian/Skeena... should be the trip of a lifetime! I'm excited!!!

 

[Rail Freak]

Of the ones I have ridden including Amtrak and VIA

(1). Canadian (for obvious reasons)

(2). Coast Starlight

(3). California Zephyr

(4). Empire Builder

(5). Capitol Limited

(6). Silver Star

(7). Lake Shore Limited

Never have done the Canadian, but am in the planning stages of a trip for September 2011 on the Ocean/Canadian/Skeena... should be the trip of a lifetime! I'm excited!!!

I've given much thought of the Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver. However, I've heard many say that the best scenery is in the West ( Rockies area)! I've heard that conentrating on shorter routes out of Vancouver is the way to go??? Any Input Out There???

Thanx

 

[Palmland]

Of the trains I've ridden:

1. Starlight (parlour car and scenery makes it)

2. Empire Builder (amenities, service, and scenery)

3. Auto Train (best service)

4. CZ (scenery)

5. Capitol Ltd (sentimental and scenery)

6. Sunset

7. Cardinal (great scenery and in spite of its 'diner' -but it needs better times into Cincinnati with 2 other trains to CHI)

8. CONO (runs between interesting cities, nice laid back scenery and room to spread out -if lounge is on the train)

9. Crescent (an interesting route but equipment is certainly not as nice as a superliner train)

10. Meteor (an ok train, equipment seems a bit tired, who would want to spend time in an am-lounge)

11. LSL (haven't been on it since diner is back -the am-diner is a disaster)

12. Star (even though it goes through my town, seems kind of seedy, and who wants to go to south FL by way of Tampa except railfans)

 

[eagle628]

Of the ones I have ridden including Amtrak and VIA

(1). Canadian (for obvious reasons)

(2). Coast Starlight

(3). California Zephyr

(4). Empire Builder

(5). Capitol Limited

(6). Silver Star

(7). Lake Shore Limited

Never have done the Canadian, but am in the planning stages of a trip for September 2011 on the Ocean/Canadian/Skeena... should be the trip of a lifetime! I'm excited!!!

I've given much thought of the Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver. However, I've heard many say that the best scenery is in the West ( Rockies area)! I've heard that conentrating on shorter routes out of Vancouver is the way to go??? Any Input Out There???

Thanx

There aren't any short-distance trains out of Vancouver, except Amtrak's Cascades. There is the train between Jasper and Prince something-or-other on the coast, but those are VIA's only Rocky Mountain trains. There are tourist trains, Rocky Mountaineers, that are for sight-seeing rather than transportation, from Vancouver, but I think they're fairly occasional in frequency.

 

[NorthCoastHiawatha]

Of the ones I have ridden including Amtrak and VIA

(1). Canadian (for obvious reasons)

(2). Coast Starlight

(3). California Zephyr

(4). Empire Builder

(5). Capitol Limited

(6). Silver Star

(7). Lake Shore Limited

Never have done the Canadian, but am in the planning stages of a trip for September 2011 on the Ocean/Canadian/Skeena... should be the trip of a lifetime! I'm excited!!!

I've given much thought of the Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver. However, I've heard many say that the best scenery is in the West ( Rockies area)! I've heard that conentrating on shorter routes out of Vancouver is the way to go??? Any Input Out There???

Thanx

I would just take the whole trip, scenery aside just the experience of traveling on the last remnant of the golden age is worth it.

 

[the_traveler]

My favorite route ... is the one I'm on at the moment!

The OP listed the Silver Palm?

That train has been dead and gone for many, many, many years!

 

[Eric S]

The OP listed the Silver Palm?

That train has been dead and gone for many, many, many years!

2002, when the Silver Palm was cut back and changed to the Palmetto, wasn't all that long ago.

 

[Bierboy]

1) CZ

2) SWC

3) EB

 

[RailFanLNK]

1. CZ It's literally 8 minutes from my house.

2. CS Absolutely beautiful scenery.

3. EB Nice scenery and I liked the real plates etc in the Dining Car.

4. SWC Thought the route would be boring and ugly, loved the scenery and the service was

tops!

5. CL Loved the scenery and WUS.

6. LSL Liked it but wasn't particularly enthused with single level cars.

7. TE Punk rock train! Everything looked pretty tough and barely hanging together, not

for scenery but had good crews!

 

[Hanno]

Of the ones I have ridden including Amtrak and VIA

(1). Canadian (for obvious reasons)

(2). Coast Starlight

(3). California Zephyr

(4). Empire Builder

(5). Capitol Limited

(6). Silver Star

(7). Lake Shore Limited

Never have done the Canadian, but am in the planning stages of a trip for September 2011 on the Ocean/Canadian/Skeena... should be the trip of a lifetime! I'm excited!!!

I've given much thought of the Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver. However, I've heard many say that the best scenery is in the West ( Rockies area)! I've heard that conentrating on shorter routes out of Vancouver is the way to go??? Any Input Out There???

Thanx

We've done the Toronto to Vancouver with a layover in Jasper. We enjoyed every mile of the trip and if I could do it over would not change a thing. In fact I would like to do it again! Take the trip from Toronto to Vancouver. I don't think you will be disappointed!

 

[zepherdude]

1. CZ Good Scenery

2 CS Great Scenery

3. EB Able to sleep well

4. CL Fun Passengers

5. SWC Never been on it

6. I have never had a good trip on the Lake Shore Limited, always full, seats are uncomfortable and it sits too long in Cleveland, would rather take a beating than ride it, but its a good connect from NYC to CHI and can be very late.

 

[dlagrua]

Since the post originator asked for scenery we will have only one set of answers.

What is more important to us is staff competance (and courtesy), overall service, on schedule performance and food quality aboard the train. Scenery is nice to enjoy but its good to be comfortable during the long trip.

 

[irv]

I've given much thought of the Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver. However, I've heard many say that the best scenery is in the West ( Rockies area)! I've heard that conentrating on shorter routes out of Vancouver is the way to go??? Any Input Out There???

Thanx

Yep. The best scenery is in the part from Vancouver to say, Edmonton.

Not to say that the rest is uninteresting, and there are other things to do besides/including peering out the window.

I found that the majority of the sleeper passengers were not from Canada or the US, but from Europe & Australia/NZ.

Lots of interesting conversations.

Canada Trip

 

[JoelG]

Absolute tops (scenery, equipment, food, & service) was VIA Canadian, Toronto to Vancouver with layover in Jasper. A happy splurge, worth every penny.

Amtrak-wise, Coast Starlight wins for scenery, equipment (PPC!), and cities served.

 

[Railroad Bill]

1) California Zephyr --Rockies and Sierras

2) Coast Starlight- Pacific Coast, Cascades, great cites too

3) Empire Builder -- Love the Columbia River Gorge

4) SW Chief- Albuquerque and Raton Pass

5) Texas Eagle- great cities, deserts

6) Crescent- "that's what I like about the South"

7) Lake Shore- Hudson River Valley

8) Capitol Ltd- Connellsville to Rockville-

9) CONO- unfortunately mostly at night on southbound trip

Next trip on the Silver Meteor

 

[Rail Freak]

I've given much thought of the Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver. However, I've heard many say that the best scenery is in the West ( Rockies area)! I've heard that conentrating on shorter routes out of Vancouver is the way to go??? Any Input Out There???

Thanx

Yep. The best scenery is in the part from Vancouver to say, Edmonton.

Not to say that the rest is uninteresting, and there are other things to do besides/including peering out the window.

I found that the majority of the sleeper passengers were not from Canada or the US, but from Europe & Australia/NZ.

Lots of interesting conversations.

Canada Trip

Great Pics!

Thanx

 

[Jean]

I recommend a detour from the Canadian by taking the Skeena to Jasper to Prince Rupert. This involves an overnight in Prince George in a hotel, then back onto the train early next morning for breakfast. You could do the return trip or take the Alaska ferry north (another excellent form of inexpensive transport) or the BC ferry south to Port Hardy on the northern tip of Vancouver Island. I believe there is a bus south to Victoria. You could leave it at Nanaimo to pick up the Via train south. From Victoria there is another ferry to Seattle and Amtrak. Having said all this, don't miss the Canadian over the Rockies to Jasper.

Jean

 

[Shanghai]

I like the Lake Shore Limited, Capitol Limited and the Cardinal.