#train travel

#train travel

Into my bucket list this journey went. But the thing with a bucket list is that, once you've turned the corner in the direction of bucket-kicking territory, you need to set about emptying that bucket as well as adding to it. Nobody wants to have much left in that bucket when the time comes to join the great majority. That's the whole point of a bucket list.

Traveling by train was more comfortable and sustainable than flying. Traveling by train beats flying any day - at least in Europe. I formed this opinion in October 2022, when I spent two weeks backpacking through Europe with a Eurail pass. Eurail passes grant travelers unlimited access to most European trains for a set number of days. Some trains only require a Eurail pass, while others, including overnight trains, incur an additional, discounted price.

Departing from its 1905 depot like a moving postcard, the train follows the Toccoa River, passing sycamores and sourwoods, rolling hills, and farms along the way. It's leaf-peeping without the hairpin turns or crowded parking lots, just windows down and the car doors open wide, a thermos of cider, and the steady click of the rails. The classic trip is a 26-mile, four-hour round-trip from downtown Blue Ridge, Georgia, to the twin border towns of McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee.

"One of my favorite getaway recommendations from New York City is Hudson, New York in the Hudson Valley," Victor Rivera, the general manager of LUMA Hotel Times Square, shared with Travel + Leisure. "It's only about a two-hour train ride from Penn Station on Amtrak, and the views of the Hudson River along the way already help you transition into a completely different pace of life."

Amtrak's Mardi Gras Service relaunches for the first time since 2005, offering twice-daily departures between Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans, with stops at key Gulf Coast cities.

LNER's Simpler Fares pilot, initiated in January 2024, replaces Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak fares with three fixed fare options, simplifying fare structures.

Getting our suitcases off the fast train and onto the hopelessly overcrowded regional train was not exactly how we had imagined the start of our vacation.

"I love the idea of night trains, but my compartment was tiny and shared with strangers. My train was two hours late, and I paid €250 but barely slept."

"DB is one of the best operators when it comes to offering through tickets to/from or across Germany, including connections from Amsterdam to Prague or Zurich to Copenhagen."