Two of the most popular vacation destinations in the United States, Florida and California, are on opposite coasts. It’s a long trip if you’re flying, long if you are driving, and even longer if you decide to ride Amtrak. The trip is doable if you have the time, and you can choose different route options based on the cities and landscapes you wish to see along the way.
For a complete list of route options from specific cities, start the booking process on Amtrak.com or in the app. Keep in mind that you might need to book a series of one-way train tickets in order to get the route you want.
Travel Times
Train travel between Florida and California requires at least four nights on multiple different trains. The length of the trip will vary by your start and end destinations.
If you are starting your trip in Miami for example, trip time is about 8.5 hours to Jacksonville, Florida — and that’s just the travel time in Florida! Likewise in California, if you aren’t starting or ending your trip near Los Angeles, San Francisco or Sacramento, then you will have to factor in additional time.
Florida-California Train Route Combinations
There are several ways to travel by train between Florida and California. The most scenic option is via the California Zephyr. The easiest option is to ride the Floridian in the eastern half of the U.S., which has service between Chicago and Miami.
Why choose the other options?
- The Cardinal route will take you through the scenic New River Gorge in West Virginia (most daylight views on eastbound trains or travel west in the summer).
- Choose the Lake Shore Limited option if you want to have a layover and sightsee in New York City.
- Choose Southwest Chief if you prefer desert scenery over mountain scenery and want to avoid going through tunnels in the Rocky Mountains.
- Choose the Sunset Limited option if you want to spend time in New Orleans.
View the table below to view east and west train route pairings.
Florida Start
If you are starting your trip in Florida, keep in mind that Tampa is the only city on the Gulf Coast with a train station. All other stations are on the East Coast or in Central Florida. View the list of Florida Amtrak Stations to see which one is closest to you.
Other things to know:
- If Northern California is your destination, you’ll need to go to Chicago and transfer to the California Zephyr, which stops near San Francisco. Choose San Francisco as your final destination for a bus shuttle to the city.
- If Southern California is your destination, you can reach Los Angeles from both New Orleans and Chicago.
- The New Orleans route involves transferring to the Crescent route in Washington D.C. and spending one night or more in New Orleans before continuing west on the Sunset Limited.
- If you live in the panhandle, you can also travel to Mobile, Alabama to board a westbound Amtrak train to New Orleans.
California Start
A trip from California to Florida on Amtrak is easiest if your starting location is the Los Angeles, Sacramento or Bay Area.
Things to know:
- The Sunset Limited departs from cities including Los Angeles, Riverside and San Bernardino and travels to New Orleans. At that point you’ll need to change trains and ride the Crescent to Washington D.C. or the Mardi Gras to Mobile for access to the Florida Panhandle.
- If you’re trying to reach the Florida panhandle, take the Sunset Limited to New Orleans, transfer to the Mardi Gras route, and travel to Mobile, Alabama. In Mobile, you can rent a car or get on a bus to reach Pensacola in about one hour.
- The Southwest Chief departs from the Los Angeles area and goes to Chicago if you prefer that route. You’ll have expansive views of the New Mexico desert.
- Near San Francisco, the California Zephyr departs from the Emeryville and Sacramento stations and has an incredibly scenic route through the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains. You’ll arrive in Chicago with several train transfer options.
- In Chicago, you can transfer to the Floridian train to reach Florida without changing trains. The Cardinal route is another option, which provides beautiful views of the New River Gorge in West Virginia.
- If you’d rather see New York City, you can board the Lake Shore Limited in Chicago and go to Manhattan. At New York Penn Station you can get on the Silver Meteor train to Florida.
More Information
- Amtrak stations in Florida
- Amtrak stations in California
- Amtrak’s long-distance routes: Scenic highlights
Photo by David Wilson, L.A. Union Station (CC BY 2.0 )
US Train Travel Guide 