21. A road- and train-trip pairing
When it comes to road trips and train travel, you can have your cake and eat it too — particularly with Amtrak’s lesser-known auto-train option from Washington, D.C., to Florida. With this auto-train option, your vehicle rides along to your destination in a special freight car designed for automobiles. “You get the same accommodations — a coach or [sleeping car] — but you put your car on the train,” Johnston says. This eliminates the need for rental cars or Uber and Lyft rides from the station, he adds.
22. Pack slippers
Depending on the sleeping car you’ve booked, you might need to go down the hall to use the facilities. That’s why Loomis always packs bathroom-trip attire. “I … sleep in a pair of gym shorts and a T-shirt, and I bring my rubber slippers,” he says. “If I have to get up to go [to the bathroom] at two in the morning, I don’t have to get all dressed. People will find it makes their life on board a lot easier.”
23. Keep your charger handy
Whether you’re following the train’s progress on a map app or capturing the stunning landscapes with your smartphone camera, Byrd says it’s important to stay ahead of dying phone batteries. “You may want to pack a mobile charger or backup battery [in your carry-on] for the time you’re on the train,” she says. “You don’t want your battery to die as you’re trying to photograph amazing scenery.”
24. Stay healthy on the train
To avoid getting sick, wash your hands or use hand sanitizer regularly while on trains or in stations, and consider wearing a mask in congested areas. Additionally, if you’re prone to motion sickness, Reisig recommends planning ahead. “Travelers should bring along any medication they may need and keep it with them throughout the trip, and not in checked luggage,” he says. Also, peruse the train layout when booking your seat to avoid backward-facing positions — these can trigger motion sickness. That said, “our customers rarely report the kind of motion sickness you might get on a cruise or even in a car or bus,” Reisig says.
25. Organize with packing cubes
It’s tough to fully unpack in small sleeper-car spaces. That’s why Byrd suggests using packing cubes to keep your items organized. “I love to use packing cubes to pack items according to what day I plan to wear them,” she says. Byrd’s strategy works whether you’re on an overnight train trip or taking the train from city to city, with stopovers in each place. “This makes it more organized when you are changing hotels and repacking each day,” she says.
26. Prepare to carry valuables
If you’ve booked a sleeping car, pack a bag for your valuables so you can keep them with you in the bathroom or dining car. “You can lock [your sleeping car] from the inside, but when you leave your room to go out to breakfast or lunch, you can’t lock your door,” Loomis says of Amtrak’s overnight trains. In his decades of train travel, he’s never had an issue with theft, he says. “When you leave your room to go to breakfast or dinner, close the door and pull the curtain so people can’t see. And don’t leave out [valuable] stuff.” Most rail lines in Europe and Canada also have the same inside-lock-only feature. (For extra precautions, you can bring a portable travel safe, available from brands like Pacsafe, TROVA or SafeGo.)
27. More train-travel essentials
Stawski shared additional tips for optimizing your time on the train: “My No. 1 tip is to dress comfortably and wear multiple layers, as trains can vary in temperature,” he says. “Beyond that, bring a travel pillow, blanket, eye mask, snacks and drinks [even if you plan to eat in the dining car], headphones, various forms of offline entertainment — books, cards and podcasts — toiletries and an extra set of clothes to change into upon arrival.”
28. Tips on tipping
According to Abrams, Red Cap service is free for all Amtrak riders, “though you’re welcome to tip if you’d like,” he says. Additionally, each cafe car has a tip jar. For longer trips, Reisig recommends bringing cash to tip sleeping-car attendants and dining-car staff. “Sleeping-car attendants are generally tipped near the end of the journey; the recommended amount is $10 per day, per room,” Reisig says. “For dining car staff, such as servers, we recommend $5 per person, per meal.”
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BUCKET-LIST TRAIN TRIPS
Our rail-travel aficionados share their favorite rides to inspire your own train excursions.
Amtrak Borealis: Minneapolis to Chicago
In May 2024, Amtrak introduced its new Borealis line, which runs alongside bucolic Midwest farmlands and countryside while linking Minneapolis, Milwaukee and Chicago.
Amtrak Empire Builder: Chicago to Portland, Oregon, or Seattle
Jim Loomis, author of All Aboard: The Complete North American Train Travel Guide, describes this three-day, two-night trip as a “glorious ride.” In addition to the scenery on both ends of the trip, travelers get to admire the sprawling North Dakota landscapes and Montana’s soaring mountains, including Glacier National Park.
Amtrak California Zephyr: Chicago to San Francisco
Loomis also raves about the three-day, two-night California Zephyr. “It’s probably one of Amtrak’s most scenic trains,” he says, noting that the views of the Colorado River, Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada range are among the trip’s top attractions.
Amtrak Coast Starlight: Seattle to Los Angeles
Bob Johnston, a correspondent for Trains.com, recommends this two-day, one-night route with some of the West Coast’s best scenery. “It’s daytime between Seattle and Portland, then it’s overnight from the Cascade range around Eugene, Oregon, down to the Bay Area, then from San Francisco through Oakland, down to L.A.,” he says
Caledonian Sleeper: London to Scotland
Mark Smith, founder of train-travel blog The Man in Seat 61, suggests the Caledonian Sleeper from England to Scotland, one of the most scenic two-day, one-night journeys in the U.K.. This route runs through iconic destinations like Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and the Scottish Highlands, with stunning views best enjoyed from the train’s cozy sleeping cars.
Bernina Express: Switzerland to Italy
The Bernina Express is another one of Smith’s favorite routes. This four-hour train ride goes from Chur, Switzerland, to Tirano, Italy, on the highest railway in the Alps. Much of this rail line has UNESCO World Heritage status, awarded for the civil-engineering mastery required to build the route along the Alps’ rugged terrain. Views transition from glaciers to palm trees on this journey, with sweeping windows that make jaw-dropping scenery the star of the show.
The Canadian: Toronto to Vancouver
Spend four days and nights crossing Canada on VIA Rail’s The Canadian route, a trip that runs more than 2,500 miles between Toronto and Vancouver. See the snow-dusted Rockies, wide-open plains and landscapes with moose, deer and bears from a private sleeper car, the cozy dining car or the scenic skyline dome cars.
