To travel coast to coast in the United States, you’ll need to ride more than one train and travel for multiple days. It can be a great adventure, with multiple start and end cities to choose from. In this guide, we’ve put together the best cross-country Amtrak options taking into account the best direction of travel for the different routes.
Trips are listed in order of Amtrak travel time from shortest to longest (times listed do not include layovers). For current schedules and ticket prices, visit Amtrak.com.
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Washington D.C. to Los Angeles
| Things to Know | Trip Details |
|---|---|
| Routes | Floridian, Southwest Chief |
| Travel Time | 60+ hours |
| Layover | Chicago |
| Best Direction | West |
| When to Ride | Summer for most scenery (late spring or early fall next best options) |
The shortest cross-country Amtrak trip is on the Floridian and Southwest Chief for travel between Washington D.C. and Los Angeles. The trip involves three nights on a train and a layover in Chicago with time to sightsee. Scenery highlights include the Appalachian Mountains, Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Colorado and the New Mexico desert.
We recommend starting the trip in Washington D.C. and traveling west, which means getting to the best scenery on the East Coast faster, more mountain views and traveling into the desert sunset.
New York City to Los Angeles
| Things to Know | Trip Details |
|---|---|
| Routes | Lake Shore Limited, Southwest Chief |
| Travel Time | 63 hours |
| Layover | Chicago |
| Best Direction | West and East |
| When to Ride | Fall (especially October for fall colors) and Spring |
The Lake Shore Limited and Southwest Chief routes provide a cross-country option between New York City and Los Angeles. Enjoy views of Hudson River Valley, Sangre de Cristo Mountains and New Mexico desert on this 63-hour trip, plus you’ll have time to eat a meal or sightsee in Chicago if no major delays.
Westbound travel is recommended, although you can also start the trip in Los Angeles. October is a great time to book a trip to see the fall colors in the Hudson River Valley or to visit some of the destinations along the route, including Albuquerque, Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon. Avoid winter travel as you will have limited views of the Hudson River.
Pacific Northwest to New York City
| Things to Know | Trip Details |
|---|---|
| Routes | Empire Builder, Lake Shore Limited |
| Travel Time | 66 hours |
| Layover | Chicago |
| Best Direction | East |
| When to Ride | Summer (October second best for foliage) |
For a trip that starts in the Pacific Northwest, book tickets on the Empire Builder. This scenic Amtrak route has amazing views on eastbound trips, with views of the Montana Rocky Mountains near Glacier National Park, expansive fields in the Great Plains, and the Mississippi River.
Start the trip in Portland to travel through the Columbia River Gorge or in Seattle to see Puget Sound and the Cascade Mountains. This trip includes a layover in Chicago and connection with the Lake Shore Limited for a journey to New York City via the beautiful Hudson River Valley.
Pacific Northwest to East Coast (multiple city options)
| Things to Know | Trip Details |
|---|---|
| Routes | Empire Builder, Cardinal |
| Travel Time | 70 hours |
| Layover | Chicago |
| Best Direction | East |
| When to Ride | Summer (late spring and early fall next best times) |
One of our favorite cross-country Amtrak trips, the journey on the Empire Builder and Cardinal has stunning scenery and is at least 70 hours of train travel. Start in Portland to travel through the Columbia River Gorge or in Seattle for views of Puget Sound and the Cascades before reaching the Montana Rocky Mountains.
After travel through the Upper Midwest and along the Mississippi River, you’ll have a layover in Chicago before boarding the Cardinal for a trip through the Appalachian Mountains and the New River Gorge. You can end the trip in charming Alexandria, Virginia (near Washington Reagan Airport and the shortest trip option) or in nearby cities including Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York City.
Note that the Cardinal only operates three days each week, so plan your trip around the Cardinal schedule (Empire Builder runs daily). We also recommend staying one night in Chicago as the layover time is short when traveling eastbound (which is the best direction for both trains).
New York City to the Bay Area
When to Ride: Fall for foliage, summer also great for daylight
| Things to Know | Trip Details |
|---|---|
| Routes | Lake Shore Limited, California Zephyr |
| Travel Time | 71.5 hours |
| Layover | Chicago |
| Best Direction | West |
| When to Ride | Summer for most scenery, May and September also great |
Ride Amtrak’s most scenic route on a train trip between New York City and the Bay Area. Travel time is 71.5 hours on the Lake Shore Limited and the California Zephyr with a layover in Chicago. You’ll see the Hudson River Valley and travel through the Colorado Rocky Mountains, Ruby Canyon, Nevada deserts, and the Sierra Nevada.
Emeryville is the end-of-the-line station in California, which is near San Francisco. If you book your ticket with San Francisco as your start or end destination, Amtrak will provide bus service. Oakland and the Oakland International Airport are also a short drive away from Emeryville (reachable via rideshare or taxi) or start or end this trip in Sacramento.
Los Angeles to East Coast (via New Orleans)
| Things to Know | Trip Details |
|---|---|
| Routes | Sunset Limited, Crescent |
| Travel Time | 74 hours (DC start or end) |
| Layover | New Orleans |
| Best Direction | East |
| When to Ride | Winter, spring, fall (avoid July, August and September due to heat and hurricane risk) |
If you prefer to travel across the country through the Southern United States, book tickets on the Sunset Limited and Crescent. You’ll travel through deserts and Louisiana wetlands before arriving in New Orleans. There is a unique opportunity to spend some time in the city as you won’t be able to transfer to the Crescent until the following day. You’ll need to book accommodations for at least one night — two or more if you want to sightsee.
Eastbound travel from Los Angeles is recommended so you can see Lake Pontchartrain in the daylight once you transfer to the Crescent. You can also choose where to end the trip on the East Coast, including Alexandria or Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York City. Although not technically on the coast, you can also start or end the trip in Atlanta for many flight options and shorter travel time.
East Coast to Northern California
| Things to Know | Trip Details |
|---|---|
| Routes | Cardinal, California Zephyr |
| Travel Time | 80+ hours |
| Layover | Chicago |
| Best Direction | West and East |
| When to Ride | Summer |
Our vote for most scenic and flexible cross-country trip is on the Cardinal and California Zephyr. We recommend a summer trip if starting on the East Coast — choose from cities including New York, Philadelphia, Wilmington, Baltimore, Washington D.C. or Alexandria. You’ll travel through the New River Gorge in West Virginia and arrive in Chicago the next morning.
The western half of trip will take you through the Great Plains, Colorado Rockies along the Colorado River, Ruby Canyon and the Sierra Nevada. You can end the trip in Sacramento (home of the California State Railroad Museum) or in Emeryville near San Francisco and the Oakland International Airport. At both stations you can transfer to the Coast Starlight train for more beautiful scenery on the West Coast.
NYC-Los Angeles via America’s Music Cities
| Things to Know | Trip Details |
|---|---|
| Routes | Crescent, City of New Orleans, Texas Eagle |
| Travel Time | 6 nights minimum |
| Layover Options | New Orleans, Memphis, Chicago, Austin |
| Best Direction | East |
| When to Ride | Winter, spring, late fall |
For a music-theme cross-country Amtrak trip, you can visit America’s top music cities: New York City, New Orleans, Memphis, Chicago, Austin and Los Angeles. It’s a long adventure (minimum six nights), but you can stay in all or some of these cities to break up the travel and enjoy the live music scenes.
Eastbound travel offers views of Lake Pontchartrain and involves these segments (consider the USA Rail Pass for 10 affordable coach seats segments):
- Los Angeles to Austin (option to spend time in Austin or continue on to Chicago)
- Option for overnight(s) in Chicago to listen to the great live music
- Chicago to New Orleans (option to stop in Memphis)
- Minimum one night in New Orleans (stay two or more to sightsee)
- New Orleans to Washington DC, Philadelphia, NYC or other East Coast city
All trains operate daily except for the Texas Eagle between Austin and Los Angeles. We recommend planning your trip around that segment due to the limited days of operation.
More Information
- 5 best Amtrak sleeper car routes
- 10 essential things to pack for an Amtrak trip
- Best Amtrak route to ride in each month of the year
- Amtrak’s 15 long-distance routes and the places they go
- Best direction of travel for Amtrak’s scenic long-distance routes
Top photo credit: Loco Steve/Flickr.com (Empire Builder at Marias Pass)
