Javascript is not enabled.

Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.

Skip to content

Find cars that meet your safety needs with AARP Auto Buying Program powered by TrueCar. Learn more.

Content starts here
CLOSE ×

Search

Popular Searches

Games

Car rental

AARP daily Crossword Puzzle

Hotels with AARP discounts

Life Insurance

AARP Dental Insurance Plans

Travel

Suggested Links

Help Show me my account info Change my Address How do I contact AARP? Where is my membership card? How do I get a digital card?
Red Membership Card

AARP MEMBERSHIP — $12 FOR YOUR FIRST YEAR WHEN YOU SIGN UP FOR AUTOMATIC RENEWAL

Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.

120x30-AARP-logo-red
Join
Renew

AARP en Español

Join
Renew
Leaving AARP.org Website

You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.

Continue Cancel

What's New: Overnight Train Travel Through the U.S.

Scenic routes and services on track for this year and beyond

rocky mountaineer train driving past a mountain and a river
Courtesy Rocky Mountaineer
By

Sheryl Jean,

 
AARP
Published February 23, 2023

The gentle sway of train travel evokes feelings of nostalgia and romance as you glide past miles of majestic scenery, from oceans to vineyards to mountains.

Passengers on U.S. overnight trains will find some new services and routes to add to the appeal of rail travel this year. Also noteworthy: Amtrak is accelerating plans to modernize and replace its entire fleet of overnight trains across the country for the first time in 40 years. The railway says the new overnight trains are still in the works, but plans include improving accessibility and efficiency for the long-distance network.

Image Alt Attribute

AARP Membership— $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal

Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.

Join Now

Canadian company VIA Rail is on a similar track. In January, the railway announced plans to renew its existing long-distance fleet. The company is looking for a supplier to design and manufacture new cars, and the project will hopefully start this year.

Currently, Amtrak provides coach seats, private rooms and dining options on its 14 overnight trains. The Rocky Mountaineer (listed below) offers similar services. Of course, accommodations vary by train, and fares vary by season and time of booking. 

Here are three overnight train journeys to consider (all prices are one way).

Train: Rocky Mountaineer

Route: Between Denver and Moab, Utah 

Overnights: One

The Canadian company’s newest train route in the U.S. travels through the Southwest from April through October. Passengers don’t sleep aboard the train, but in a hotel in the hot-springs town of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, before reaching Moab. Daylight travel includes crossing the Continental Divide and riding alongside the Colorado River, snowcapped peaks and red-rock canyons while sipping signature cocktails.

​Cost: Prices start at $1,456 for one person including hotel room and some meals. Note: Rocky Mountaineer does not offer senior rates, but check the website for promotions.

​Train: City of New Orleans, Amtrak

Route: Between Chicago and New Orleans

Overnights: One

This route from the Windy City to the Big Easy makes it convenient to stop along the way, experience something new and hop on a train the next day to break up the 19-hour journey. Stop in Memphis to see Elvis’ Graceland home and the National Civil Rights Museum, then stay in the city overnight. The train offers flexible dining and café services, but Amtrak plans to transition to more traditional dining with servers later this year. Also on track for 2023, passengers will be able to travel from New Orleans via resumed service to Mobile, Alabama, on another train.

Cost: Prices start at $258 for a roomette, including meals. A coach seat, without meals, starts at $110. Note: Amtrak offers a 10 percent discount for passengers 65 and older.

Travel

Holland America Line

Up to $200 onboard credit on select cruises

View Details
See All
See more Travel offers >

​Train: Empire Builder, Amtrak

Route: Between Chicago and Seattle/Portland, Oregon

Overnights: Two

One of Amtrak’s most popular routes, the 46-hour Empire Builder provides a front seat to some of the most iconic scenery of the West. After the daily westbound train departs Chicago, you’ll cross the Mississippi River and the North Dakota plains and follow parts of the Lewis and Clark trail. The highlight is riding through Montana’s Glacier National Park (you can stop overnight). From Spokane, Washington, you can continue to Seattle or head down the Columbia River Gorge to Portland, with stunning views of Mount Hood. Amtrak plans to launch a second train later this year between Chicago and St. Paul, Minnesota, for more off-train flexibility.

Cost: Prices start at $282 for a single roomette, including meals. A coach seat starts at $150. Note: Amtrak offers a 10 percent discount for passengers 65 and older.

Sheryl Jean is a contributing writer who covers aging, business, technology, travel, health and human-interest stories. A former reporter for several daily metropolitan newspapers, her work also has appeared in the Chicago Tribune and The Dallas Morning News and on the American Heart Association’s website.

Discover AARP Members Only Access

Join AARP to Continue

Already a Member?

AARP Travel Center

Or Call: 1-800-675-4318

Enter a valid departing date

Enter a valid returning date

Age of children:

Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats:

Enter a valid departing date

Age of children:

Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats:

Enter a valid departing date

Age of children:

Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats:

Flight 2

Enter a valid departing date

Flight 3

Enter a valid departing date

Flight 4

Enter a valid departing date

Flight 5

Enter a valid departing date

+ Add Another Flight

Enter a valid checking in date

Enter a valid checking out date

Occupants of Room 1:

Occupants of Room 2:

Occupants of Room 3:

Occupants of Room 4:

Occupants of Room 5:

Occupants of Room 6:

Occupants of Room 7:

Occupants of Room 8:

Enter a valid departing date

Enter a valid returning date

Age of children:

You didn't specify child's age

Occupants of Room 1:

There are children in room 1 without an adult

You didn't specify child's age for room 1

Age of children:

You didn't specify child's age

Occupants of Room 2:

There are children in room 2 without an adult

You didn't specify child's age in room 2

Age of children:

You didn't specify child's age

Occupants of Room 3:

There are children in room 3 without an adult

You didn't specify child's age in room 3

Age of children:

You didn't specify child's age

Occupants of Room 4:

There are children in room 4 without an adult

You didn't specify child's age in room 4

Age of children:

You didn't specify child's age

Occupants of Room 5:

There are children in room 5 without an adult

You didn't specify child's age in room 5

Age of children:

You didn't specify child's age

Age of children:

You didn't specify child's age

Child under 2 must either sit in laps or in seats:

You have more than 6 people total

Please select a trip duration less than 28 days

There must be at least 1 traveler (age 12+) for each infant in a lap

Enter a valid start date

Enter a valid drop off date

Select a valid to location

Select a month

Enter a valid from date

Enter a valid to date

AARP VALUE &

MEMBER BENEFITS

  • scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, bacon strips, sausage links, hash browns, 4 pieces of white bread toast
    MEMBERS ONLY
    Restaurants

    Denny's

    15% off dine-in and pickup orders

    Learn More
    See more Restaurants offers >
  • A happy couple in white summer clothing on vacation walks along a wooden pier over tropical, turquoise ocean in the Maldives, Indian Ocean
    MEMBERS ONLY
    Travel

    AARP Travel Center Powered by Expedia: Vacation Packages

    $50 gift card of your choice when booking any flight package

    Learn More
    See more Travel offers >
  • kitchen scene with an island where a full of groceries yellow and white with Walmart+ logo bag is sitting
    MEMBERS ONLY
    Shopping & Groceries

    Walmart+

    $20 off a Walmart+ annual membership

    Learn More
    See more Shopping & Groceries offers >
  • couple on couch looking at tablet
    Health & Wellness

    AARP® Staying Sharp®

    Activities, recipes, challenges and more with full access to AARP Staying Sharp®

    Learn More
    See more Health & Wellness offers >