Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body.
Anthony Bourdain
There are plenty of epic and opulent rail journeys to be taken across the globe, from the Orient Express to South Africa’s Rovos Rail and Peru’s Andean Explorer. Yet when it comes to the USA, it’s the traditional “road trip” that takes centre stage, with the idea of roadside motels and diners capturing starry-eyed travellers’ imagination.
When I started researching rail travel in the USA, Amtrak was the obvious choice. I was warned by friends and family that it would be in no way glamorous, and not to expect the kind of luxury that I might be associating with long distance train travel. Yet I went ahead and booked it anyway, not knowing what I was getting myself in for, other than being stuck on a train for 3 days and 2 nights.
The route I chose was the California Zephyr – running from Chicago to San Francisco and crossing seven states in the process (Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and California). I managed to rope in my Mum and Sister to join me too; it was going to be a proper girls’ trip.
Cost wise, Amtrak is very affordable. Options range from coach class, where you get an assigned reclining seat and not much else, to a “roomette” – a sort of half-room with 2 seats that turn into bunkbeds for sleeping, to an actual bedroom with ensuite bathroom included. We decided to go for two roomettes between the three of us. (Although we didn’t have ensuite bathrooms, there were several bathrooms within our carriage). It cost us $1600 in total (2021 pricing) which included full cooked meals, soft drinks and an alcoholic drink with dinner. I wasn’t expecting much from the food on board but I was pleasantly surprised – tasty, substantial meals with enough choice to keep you going for 3 days, and also great options for my sister who is vegetarian. There was also a shop/cafe on board if we needed anything in between meals.
My main nervousness about the journey was that I was going to be bored, uncomfortable and restless. However there was no need to worry. The scenery was so dramatic and offered so many interesting things to spot, including wildlife like eagles and elk, that we spent most of our time gazing out the window. The seats in our roomettes were incredibly comfortable, and having the ability to move to the viewing carriage and dining carriage when we felt like it broke up the time nicely.
On the whole I found the experience incredibly relaxing and soul-cleansing. There was no wifi on board, which was another aspect I had been worrying about, but it gave me a real opportunity to switch off from the outside world for a few days and find a sense of inner peace. The awe-inspiring landscapes definitely helped with that too. Day 2 was spent crossing the Rockies, beginning with Colorado’s snow-capped, alpine peaks and then watching the mountainsides turn an increasing shade of orangey-brown as we neared Utah. Day 3 was the most spectacular for me – we woke up in the dark and as we ate our breakfast we watched the sun rise over the Nevada desert, magical!
If I’ve made the journey sound amazing then I can confirm it really was, but that’s not to say it was without any drawbacks. There was a strong smell of diesel the whole time that bothered me quite a lot – although it didn’t seem to bother my family as much. The seats were very comfortable during the day, but once in bunk bed mode not so much. I took the top bunk which was cramped and hard, and I got a terrible night’s sleep the first night. On the final day we were delayed by several hours thanks to a broken rail track, but we filled in the time drinking “iiiiice coooold beeeer” which had been advertised on the tannoy about once an hour, and playing games. Not a bad end to the journey by any means.
Overall, would I do it again? Absolutely. I’m already thinking about other iconic routes I can take in the future…
Hidden Corners 