6 Unforgettable Overnight Train Trips

Train: The Canadian (Via Rail)

Route: Toronto to Vancouver, Canada

VIA Rail, Canada's national rail service, runs an epic four-day trip across the top of the continent. The journey crosses by the lakes and forests of Ontario, over the vast prairies, through cities such as Winnipeg and Edmonton, and then climbs into the Rocky Mountains past Jasper before ending up on the Pacific Coast. Other memorable Via Rail overnight trips include the Ocean from Montreal to Halifax; and the Hudson Bay, linking Winnipeg to Churchill, known for its polar bears and beluga whales.

Overnights: 4

Price: Starts at $1,111 Canadian (about $865 U.S.) for a single bunk, which is private at night and open at day, with meals included. Doubles are roughly twice the single fare. A coach seat, which does not include meals, starts at $490 Canadian (about $382 U.S.). Senior discounts aren’t available on the lowest-priced fares.

Marc Glucksman/Amtrak

Train: Southwest Chief (Amtrak)

Route: Chicago to Los Angeles

This 43-hour journey takes riders over the Mississippi through eight states. It was once the route to see movie stars, who took advantage of what was then an all sleeping-car train, allowing them to travel cross-country in style. Before that, the famed Fred Harvey Company built luxury hotels and restaurants along the line to entice passengers to explore the West.

From Chicago, the route heads west through Iowa and Kansas, across the Continental Divide in Colorado, and then through the desert Southwest. During a stop in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Native American vendors sell crafts to passengers, as they have since train travel began here more than a century ago. Various proposals have suggested substituting part of the route through Kansas with bus service. But for now, this venerable line remains on the tracks.

Overnights: 2

Price: Fares vary by season and time of booking. Expect prices to start at about $605 for a single roomette, with meals included; $840 for a double roomette; and coach seats to start at about $150, meals not included; senior discounts aren’t available on the lowest-priced coach-seat fares.

Amtrak

Train: Coast Starlight (Amtrak)

Route: Seattle to Los Angeles

This coast-hugging route takes in sweeping Pacific views, Cascade Mountain crossings and California's fertile Central Valley. From Seattle, the morning starts with a ride past Puget Sound, and over the next 36 hours, passengers stop in Portland, Oregon, marvel at towering Mount Shasta in California, and watch surfers catch waves off Santa Barbara until the train pulls into L.A.'s grand Union Station.

Overnights: 1

Price: Fares vary by season and time of booking. Expect prices to start at about $420 for a single roomette, $580 for a double roomette, with meals included; and coach seats to start at about $100, meals not included; senior discounts aren’t available on the lowest-priced coach-seat fares.

Rocky Mountaineer

Train: Rocky Mountaineer

Route: Vancouver to Alberta, Canada

Although passengers don’t sleep on the train, this private company’s comfortable overnight two- and three-day trips traverse the Canadian Rockies during the daytime, and then stop at hotels for overnight accommodations. (It also offers a “Rockies to the Red Rocks” trip connecting Denver to Moab, Utah.) In Canada, the trips, which run April through October, play up the region’s wildlife, gliding through forests and by snow-topped mountains. Travelers can customize their trips, visiting sites such as Lake Louise, Jasper and Calgary.

Overnights: 1

Price: Starts at $1,287 per person, double occupancy, for a two-day, one-night trip, meals and hotel accommodations included; senior fares occasionally offered during special promotions.

Editor's note: This article was originally published on January 3, 2020. It's been updated to reflect new information.