The Empire Builder is named for the Northwest's once-humble beginnings as wilderness before the fur traders and gold miners arrived to build their empires. This five-day and four-night tour begins in Chicago and ends in Seattle for a total journey of 2,206 miles. The Empire Builder train offers a private sleeper car with a full-course dinner on the evening of arrival. The tour passes through the Wisconsin Dells and Minneapolis, Minnesota. In the morning, the train passes through North Dakota. Full meals are offered in the dining car and lighter meals are available in the Sightseer lounge car. The Sightseer lounge car has floor-to-ceiling glass windows for views of the passing rolling hills, canyons, gorges and mountain terrain. The route ends the following mid-morning in Seattle, Washington.
Amtrak
Union Station
225 South Canal Street
Chicago, Illinois 60606
800-USA-RAIL
amtrak.com
The Coast Starlight Experience rail vacation is one of the best in which to rediscover rail travel. The scenery along the journey is some of the most dramatic anywhere in America. The four-day and three-night route begins in Seattle and passes through Portland, Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay Area and Santa Barbara, and ends in Los Angeles. Included are views of the Cascade mountains, Mount Shasta and long stretches of Pacific Ocean shores. The Coast Starlight train features sleeping cars and enhanced coaches. The dining car offers regional cuisine with the best fresh ingredients available. Sleeping car passengers are invited to enjoy Happy Hour specials in the Pacific Parlor car, which also offers local wines for tasting, specialty coffee, on-board movies and an alternative dining selection.
Amtrak
King Street Station
303 South Jackson Street
Seattle, Washington 98104
800-USA-RAIL
amtrak.com
The Cascades tour begins in Eugene, Oregon and ends in Vancouver, British Columbia for a total of 10 hours and 25 minutes. It passes by Portland, Seattle, Mount St. Helen and across the Columbia River for some breathtaking views of the Pacific Northwest. The Cascade train is more European in design and features movies, laptop outlets and wide reclining seats. The Bistro car offers micro brews, popular Seattle coffees and fresh, regional cuisine.
Amtrak
433 Willamette Street
Eugene, Oregon 97401
800-USA-RAIL
amtrak.com
