The Cardinal and Lake Shore Limited are two of Amtrak's long-distance routes that travel between Chicago and New York City. Trains on both routes have sleeper cars, coach cars, a café car and WiFi, but are otherwise very different. The Cardinal only operates three days each week and has many more stops -- so if … Continue reading Cardinal vs Lake Shore Limited

The Midwest has a surprising number of Amtrak routes -- more than 15. There are long-distance trains that travel to and from Chicago plus several regional trains in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and Missouri. See the list of Midwest Amtrak routes below to explore your options. Note that the Census Bureau definition of Midwest states was … Continue reading Midwest Amtrak Routes

The Capitol Limited and the Lake Shore Limited are two long-distance Amtrak routes that travel between Chicago and the East Coast. Trains stop at the same stations in Northern Indiana and Ohio, but outside of the Midwest the routes diverge. The Capitol Limited trains travel to and from Washington D.C. via West Virginia while Lake … Continue reading Capitol Limited vs Lake Shore Limited

The Empire Builder and Coast Starlight are two of Amtrak's most popular long-distance routes. Both stop in Seattle, have beautiful scenery, and the same on-board amenities. However, the scenery is very different, and the sights you want to see and the destinations you want to visit will be the biggest factor in deciding which route … Continue reading Empire Builder vs Coast Starlight

The Southwest Chief and Texas Eagle are long-distance Amtrak routes that travel between Chicago and Los Angeles. The Texas Eagle travels through Texas and stops at many stations there, part of the reason why it is the longest train route in the United States. So if you're looking for the quickest rail trip between L.A. … Continue reading Southwest Chief vs Texas Eagle

The Cardinal and Capitol Limited are two of Amtrak's long-distance routes. Both travel between Chicago and the East Coast through the Alleghany Mountains. However, the Cardinal only operates three days each week while the Capitol Limited is a daily train. The Capitol Limited is also a much shorter route and is the fastest way to … Continue reading Cardinal vs Capitol Limited

Acela is Amtrak's high-speed route that travels between Washington D.C. and Boston. Trains stop at some of the same stations as the Northeast Regional, so you might have the option to choose between these two routes when booking your tickets. So how are they different? The key thing to know is that Acela tickets are … Continue reading Acela vs Northeast Regional

The Coast Starlight and Amtrak Cascades routes travel along the beautiful Pacific Northwest coast. But that's where the similarities end. The Coast Starlight is a long-distance train with a sleeper car and sightseer lounge while the Amtrak Cascades is a European-designed train that travels a shorter distance (and into Canada). Learn more about the differences … Continue reading Coast Starlight vs Amtrak Cascades

The Empire Builder and the California Zephyr are two of Amtrak's most popular routes. Both travel in the western half of the United States through the Rocky Mountains. The main difference is that the Empire Builder offers additional views of forests and rivers in the Pacific Northwest while the California Zephyr has more mountain views … Continue reading Empire Builder vs California Zephyr

The Coast Starlight and Pacific Surfliner are California's two coastal Amtrak routes. Both provide stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and stop in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. But that's where the similarities end. The Pacific Surfliner route is much shorter than the Coast Starlight and can be used to commute between cities in Southern … Continue reading Coast Starlight vs Pacific Surfliner

The Southwest Chief and California Zephyr are two of Amtrak's long-distance routes. Both travel between Chicago and California, but the scenery is very different. The Southwest Chief has more desert landscapes and the California Zephyr has more mountain views. Additionally, the Southwest Chief is a shorter route and starts/ends in Los Angeles while the California … Continue reading Southwest Chief vs California Zephyr

In addition to providing rail service in different regions of the United States, Amtrak also has 15 long-distance routes that travel overnight (sometimes multiple nights) to destinations across the country. These trains have sleeper and lounge cars, which provide additional space on a long journey. Explore the long-distance routes below to learn about the cities, … Continue reading Amtrak’s 15 long-distance train routes and the places they go