AARP Smart Guide to Train Travel

9. Book a sleeping car

Sleeping-car options on overnight trains may cost more than a coach seat, but Johnston says these cozy, private train bedrooms are a worthy splurge if your budget allows. “If you’re sleeping in your own bed at home, how many times do you have a chance to wake up to the sunrise? How many times do you actually look at the moon?” he says. “You don’t have this opportunity in a hotel room.” Like most things, sleeping-car options vary by line. Some include private bathrooms and an attendant, while others offer a simple bedroom with a bathroom down the hall. 

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ALL ABOARD

10. When to arrive

Unlike flying, train travel comes with minimal check-in and security lines. (Some stations have bag checks and metal detectors, and others don’t.) Confirm your arrival time with the specific train line or your travel agent. Donnetta Byrd, the travel agent and rail-travel expert behind Byrd Adventures, offers some general parameters: “For Amtrak or Via Rail, 30 minutes should be enough time if you already have tickets and no luggage,” she says. “Otherwise, try to arrive around an hour before.”

11. Luggage logistics

Baggage policies vary by train line. In Europe, you can bring larger bags, although you’re usually responsible for carrying and storing them on the train car’s luggage racks. In general, North American outfitters like Amtrak and Via Rail offer carry-on and checked-luggage options. But, Johnston says, you won’t find bag-check options at all Amtrak stations; it’s usually just the major ones. And, while some Amtrak stations offer Red Cap service to help passengers get their bags on board, it’s not available everywhere. “You have to be prepared to handle luggage, kind of like you would on and off an airplane with carry-ons,” he says. To avoid any issues, confirm luggage rules with your train line or travel agent ahead of time. 

12. Look for lounges

If you’re getting to the train station early or you have a long connection between trains, lounge access may make your transit day a bit more enjoyable. Byrd says lounge availability “totally depends on the train.” Some Amtrak stations have lounges with free access for certain travelers (Amtrak Rewards members or those in sleeping cars, for example). “Or you may be able to pay [for] a day pass to gain access, starting around $35,” she says. (The same goes for stations in Europe and Canada.)

13. Don’t miss the dining car

Loomis’ favorite part of any train trip? The dining car. “It’s part of what I enjoy most, because Amtrak’s practice is to seat you with fellow passengers. So you [go] in as a single person, and you’ll be seated at a table with three other people,” he says, noting that he’s shared meals with numerous interesting passengers, including the time he dined with one of seven people in the world qualified to service and restore ancient pipe organs. “I absolutely look forward to the three meals a day when I’m on the train. That’s one of the most interesting parts of the whole experience.”

14. Explore the train

One of the biggest perks of train travel over air travel is the chance to soak in the ever-changing views. But Byrd says it’s important to seek out the best views early on, especially on a scenery-focus train like the Rocky Mountaineer, which runs in Canada and a new Colorado-to-Utah route. “Don’t be nervous about getting up to go to the viewing areas,” she says. “I waited quite a while on my first ride because I wasn’t sure where to go. When I finally got up and went between the trains, I’d wished I’d done it sooner.” 

15. Take the perfect train photo

In addition to Johnston’s advice — avoid the sunny side of the train — Smith shared his greatest train-photography tip: “Remember to switch your flash off!” Together, these simple tricks will eliminate glare and let the scenery shine. If you want to get really creative, use your smartphone to capture a time-lapse video, available within the built-in camera on most Apple and Android devices. This is a great way to share the oscillating scenery with friends and family back home. Note, time-lapse videos require patience; roughly five minutes of video condenses down to just 20 seconds. It’s best to prop your phone on a book or pillow, or to use a travel tripod, such as the compact Joby GorillaPod. That way, you can set it, forget it and enjoy the view yourself. 

16. A road-and-train-trip pairing

When it comes to road trips and train travel, you can have your cake and eat it, too — particularly with Amtrak’s lesser-known auto-train option from Washington, D.C., to Florida. With this auto-train option, you can bring your vehicle onboard with you. “You get the same accommodations — a coach or [sleeping car] — but you put your car on the train,” Johnston says. This eliminates the need for rental cars or Uber and Lyft rides from the station, he adds.

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PACK LIKE A PRO

17. Pack slippers

Depending on the sleeping car you’ve booked, you might need to leave your train car to use the facilities down the hall. That’s why Loomis always packs bathroom-trip attire. “I pack and sleep in a pair of gym shorts and a T-shirt, and I bring my rubber slippers,” he says. “If I have to get up to go [to the bathroom] at 2 in the morning, I don’t have to get all dressed. People will find it makes their life on board a lot easier.”

18. Keep your charger handy

Whether you’re following the digital train map or capturing the stunning landscapes with your smartphone camera, Byrd says it’s important to get ahead of dying phone batteries. “You may want to pack a mobile charger or backup battery [in your carry-on] for the time you’re on the train,” she says. “You don’t want your battery to die as you’re trying to photograph amazing scenery.”

19. Organize with packing cubes

It’s tough to fully unpack in small sleeper-car spaces. That’s why Byrd suggests packing cubes to keep your items organized. “I love to use packing cubes to pack items according to what day I plan to wear them,” she says. Byrd’s organization strategy works whether you’re on an overnight train trip or if you’re taking the train from city to city, with stopovers in each place. “This makes it more organized when you are changing hotels and repacking each day.”

20. Prepare to carry valuables

If you’ve booked a sleeping car, pack a bag to keep your valuables on you in the bathroom or dining car. “You can lock [your sleeping car] from the inside, but when you leave your room to go out to breakfast or lunch, you can’t lock your door,” Loomis says of Amtrak’s overnight trains. In his decades of train travel, he’s never had an issue with theft, he says. “When you leave your room to go to breakfast or dinner, close the door and pull the curtain so people can’t see. And don’t leave [valuable] stuff.” The same inside-lock-only feature goes for most rail lines in Europe and Canada. (For extra precautions, you can also bring a portable travel safe, available from brands like Pacsafe.)

21. More train-travel essentials

Stawski shared a few additional odds and ends to optimize your time on the train: “My number one tip is to dress comfortably and wear multiple layers, as trains can vary in temperature,” he says. “Beyond that, bring a travel pillow, blanket, eye mask, snacks and drinks [even if you plan to eat in the dining car], headphones, various forms of offline entertainment — books, cards and podcasts — toiletries and an extra set of clothes to change into upon arrival.”

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Bucket-list Train Trips

Our rail-travel experts have decades of firsthand train-travel experience. We asked them for their favorite rides to inspire your own train excursions. Let the wanderlust ensue.

Amtrak Empire Builder: Chicago to Portland or Seattle

Jim Loomis, author of All Aboard: The Complete North American Train Travel Guide, describes this three-day, two-night trip — from Chicago to the Pacific Northwest — as a “glorious ride.” In addition to the scenery on both ends of the trip, travelers get to admire the sprawling North Dakota landscapes and Montana’s soaring mountains, including Glacier National Park, along the way.

Amtrak California Zephyr: Chicago to San Francisco

Loomis also raves about the three-day, two-night California Zephyr. “It’s probably one of Amtrak’s most scenic trains,” he says, noting the views of the Colorado River, Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada range are among the trip’s top attractions.

Amtrak Coast Starlight: Seattle to Los Angeles

Bob Johnston, a correspondent for Trains.com, recommends this two-day, one-night route to enjoy some of the West Coast’s best scenery. “It’s daytime between Seattle and Portland, then it’s overnight from the Cascade

range around Eugene, Oregon, down to the Bay area, then from San Francisco through Oakland, down to L.A.,” he says.

Caledonian Sleeper: London to Scotland

Mark Smith, founder of train-travel blog The Man in Seat 61, suggests the Caledonian Sleeper from England to Scotland, one of the most scenic two-day, one-night journeys across the pond. This route runs through iconic destinations like Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and the Scottish Highlands, with stunning views best enjoyed from the train’s cozy sleeping cars.

Bernina Express: Switzerland to Italy

The Bernina Express is another one of Smith’s favorite routes. This four-hour train ride, the highest railway in the Alps, crosses the mountains from Chur, Switzerland, to Tirano, Italy. Much of this rail line has UNESCO World Heritage status, awarded for the civil-engineering mastery required to build the railway along the Alps’ rugged terrain. Views transition from glaciers to palm trees on this journey, with sweeping windows that make this jaw-dropping scenery the star of the show