Even if you’re not really into trains, riding a scenic railroad is a lot of fun, especially if it really is, well, scenic.
Here are the 10 Best Scenic Train Rides, as voted by readers of USA Today (in 2021). Once you see the photos and read the descriptions, you’ll want to ride these. And if you really love trains, this book on tourist trains is for you.
After you vote in the poll below, leave us a comment and tell us about your favorite tourist train or scenic railroad that you’ve ever been on. We’re looking forward to reading your comments. Thanks!
We’ve been on the Cumbres/Toltec and the Durango/Silverton. Would do both of them again without hesitation. The cog railroad up Pike’s Peak was great too.
They now have a passenger train that runs from Pittston, Pa to Jim Thorpe, Pa. allows passengers to spend a couple hours in Jim Thorpe and returns to Pittston. It’s been filling up fast.
Yep
I am one of the few who enjoy riding the scenic railroads. One of the best, in my opinion, is the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad in Chama, New Mexico. Great experience and good food as well.
Love it but must be in a budget because of the high cost of this enjoyment. But we have done several even the little ones that don’t exist anymore.
We just enjoy riding the train period. It is so much more relaxing than flying anymore and if we have the time we will travel by rail rather than fly.
We’ve done the Cumbres and Toltec, Durango and Silverton and the Valle Verde Railroad in Cottonwood, AZ. The Valle Verde is often missed but it is pretty nice.
I would have liked a fourth option: I want to do scenic train trips. It’s on my bucket list.
I agree with you on this, Mary
I’m 75 and had my first train ride from LA to San Diego along the Pacific coast, when I was a little kid. Since then my wife and I took the Napa train ride, which had beautiful countryside but its really just a tourist deal. I goes up the tracks a few miles and reverses back to Napa.
Enjoy the comfy ones….the historical ones aren’t always that comfortable for a long period of time especially if your dimensions don’t fit in the seat!
Another train ride that you may enjoy is the one between Palestine and Rusk, Texas. It is a four-hour trip through some pretty scenery. Here’s the link for more info: https://texasstaterailroad.net/palestine/
Love the rails! Grew up in the time of rail transportation often riding the B&O, for whom my grand dad was an engineer…started with steam engines! I loved the dining car with silver and China and men waiters! Walking between the cars was scary and loud…oh the memories! We’ve rode trains a number of times most recently the Northern Nevada Railway in Ely NV while doing the Lonliest Road in America, Pikes Peak, and The Royal Gorge all in 2022 . Plan to do the one through Cuyahoga NP this year.
We enjoy riding the rails, we took the Cog Railroad up Mt Washington in NH, loved it. Have done a few times in NV and upstate NY.
For unparalleled beauty on a train ride, the Calgary to Vancouver trip is unequaled, for a North American trip. My guess is that many European train rides would be equal or superior but you will not be disappointed on the Canadian Pacific western voyage.
My wife and I rode one here in Utah. Was so excited. Rode it on the 4th of July. The real problem was we were sitting with our knees between the knees of those sitting opposite to us. Never again.
Rode the Glacier Express to Zermatt Switzerland several times to ski. Zermatt is the gateway to the Matterhorn valley. Only a few ways into Zermatt electric train, horse and wagon are two of them, no internal combustion engines are allowed in town.
the CASS Scenic railway in West Virginia. There is a nice campground in a town called Durbin, right next to the tracks. A short drive to Cass, where you can see Shay’s, Climax’s, and Heislers! On the weekend s in Durbin, they have one they call the ‘Durbin Rocket’ that they keep fired up all night. I went and talked with the Fireman (bring a cold one or two to share) for almost 3 hours. got to see the locomotive up close and personal!
Over the years we’ve taken the Chama, NM train ride into Colorado twice. The first time was about 30 years ago when the train, its cars and narrow gauge track were still in their original state. It was an experience in and of itself, never mind the gorgeous scenery. At one point the train stopped and the 2 coal burning locomotives separated and the lead one drove across an old bridge. Then the second one pulled the 4 cars across the bridge, reconnected to the lead and resumed the trip. Asking the conductor in the last open-air car why that was done he replied that the combined weight of the 2 locomotives may be too much for the old bridge. My wide eyes got even wider. The experience was a wonderful throw back in history and nature and it still is, although the bridge has been replaced.
I enjoy riding any train, scenic or otherwise. 🙂