Whether it’s beautiful landscapes, high-end luxury or novelty value you’re after, North America has every train trip you could want and more. From famous routes like the California Zephyr and the Canadian to lesser-known gems such as the Sky Railway, plus new routes like the Ethan Allen Express, here’s our pick of the best rail journeys in the USA, Mexico and Canada.

Often dubbed the ultimate cross-country rail trip by enthusiasts, this epic 2,438-mile (3,924km), 51-hour journey between Chicago and San Francisco is undeniably breathtaking. From the majestic mountain ranges of the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada to the bright-red hues of Utah’s deserts and the seemingly endless plains of Nebraska, expect fabulous scenery from start to finish. 

What’s more, there are plenty of options to experience it. Coach seats start at around $142 (£111) for the full trip – you’ll have to make do with a reclining seat for this price – while roomettes start at around $680 (£534) (although prices vary depending when you’re travelling and how many people there are). Travellers in private rooms also have access to flexible dining that includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and a wide selection of drinks. Trains usually depart daily, but check the website for updates.

Launched in August 2021, the Rocky Mountaineer’s exciting new route takes passengers on a two-day excursion between Denver, Colorado and Moab, Utah, including an overnight stay in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. The Rockies to the Red Rocks journey is an extravagant one and doesn’t come cheap, starting at $1,395 (£1,095) for a one-way trip. All packages include gourmet meals, access to opulent lounge carriages and accommodation in Moab, Glenwood Springs and Denver. 

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While it would be easy to focus on all the luxuries found inside, the real highlight of this journey is the incredible landscapes to be found outside – which include Ruby Canyon, Mount Logan and Mount Garfield. To maximise the views, the train only runs during the day and features oversized windows and glass-domed coaches. There are also options to start or end in Salt Lake City or Las Vegas if you’d like a little time to explore these destinations.

Amtrak’s City of New Orleans is a popular choice for those wishing to explore the rich history and culture of Chicago, Memphis and New Orleans. Trains typically leave the Windy City at 8pm, trundling through Illinois and Kentucky by night and gliding into Tennessee as the sun rises. Be sure to stop off in Memphis to wander through the homeland of blues, rock n’ roll and soul music, as well as paying a visit to Elvis’ former home.

After leaving Memphis, the journey continues through Mississippi and Louisiana, where you can gaze out at cypress swamps teeming with alligators and birds. Finally, it arrives in NOLA at 3.47pm. Carriage options are the same as those offered on other Amtrak sleeper services, with coach class tickets starting from around $110 (£84) and roomettes starting from $421 (£321) for solo passengers or $596 (£454) for two.

VIA Rail’s overnight service between Vancouver and Jasper certainly doesn't scrimp on impressive scenery. What’s more, it’s a fraction of the price of the famous Rocky Mountaineer service. The 19-hour trip starts at reasonable C$156 (£93/US$122) per passenger for a reclining seat in Economy, or C$527 (£313/US$413) for a two-person cabin in Sleeper Class.

Trains depart Vancouver at 3pm each day, gliding away from the city’s gleaming skyscrapers and towards British Columbia’s breathtaking mountains and lakes. Stopping at Kamloops just after midnight, the journey continues along through eastern BC and into Alberta (be sure to wake up early to see the Rockies at sunrise). Finally, you’ll arrive in Jasper at 11am the following day. Surrounded by snow-capped mountains and crystal-clear lakes, this laid-back town is the ideal base for exploring the Rockies and Jasper National Park.

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Many visitors flock to western Canada for its big-name national parks and hulking mountains, but the east coast is stunning in an entirely different way. Seeing the delights of this charming region is easy on board VIA Rail’s The Ocean. Beginning at 7pm in Montréal, the journey whisks you alongside the Lac Saint-Pierre, before passing through New Brunswick by night and then onto the picturesque lakes of Nova Scotia. Finally, you’ll arrive in Halifax at 5.51pm the following day.

Seating and carriage options are the same as those offered on VIA Rail’s The Canadian, although there’s no Prestige Class option. Economy tickets start at around C$137 (£81/£107), while Sleeper Plus tickets start from C$473 (£282/US$371) for a cabin for two. As for food, those in Sleeper class can enjoy a complimentary three-course meal accompanied by Canadian wines, or there’s a good selection of snacks and light meals available for Economy passengers.

What could be better than drifting past emerald-green vineyards with a glass of wine in hand? Perhaps doing so on one of Napa Valley Wine Train's unique vintage carriages, which travel on a 36-mile (58km) there-and-back trip from Downtown Napa to St Helena on an original 1864 rail line. The carriages, with their opulent velvet-upholstered seats, mahogany panelling and brass, have been sensitively restored to evoke the glamour of vintage train travel.

Offering the perfect combination of history, stunning landscapes and (of course) great wine, there's a range of packages on offer, from half-a-day winery tours with tastings to on-board dining experiences and special events, like the Murder Mystery dinner theatre option. As you might expect, food and wine options aboard are ultra-opulent, with most packages offering multi-course gourmet meals and complimentary private-label wines. Needless to say, all of this doesn’t come cheap – prices are only available on application. 

Skirting through some of New Mexico’s finest scenery, the tantalisingly named Sky Railway is just as fantasy-filled as you’d imagine. The journey is made all the more enticing by the fact this 141-year old heritage route was recently saved by a group of rail enthusiasts (Game of Thrones author George RR Martin among them). Since its revival in late 2021, it’s been given a new lease of life as a family-friendly adventure trip.

There are several packages to choose from – all of which depart from and return to Santa Fe – offering a wide range of themes, from culinary experiences to an opportunity to a journey back in time to the days of the Wild West. Guests can even join a murder mystery game or board the StarGazer Express at night to take in the glorious celestial show the Galisteo Basin offers. Ticket prices start from around $59 (£46) for the 2.5-hour Santa Fe Scenic route.

Ditch the car and opt for a more climate-friendly journey through one of America’s most beautiful (and least-visited) national parks. The Alaska Railroad's flagship train Denali Star embarks on a 12-hour ride between Anchorage and Fairbanks via Wasilla, Talkeetna and Denali. Along the 365-mile (587km) route, the train rushes past rivers and mountains and offers expansive panoramas of Hurricane Gulch from the top of a 296-foot (90.2m) bridge.

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Of course, you’ll want to leave longer than a day to take it all in. Passengers can usually combine their train journeys with day trips in Talkeetna, an excursion in Denali National Park or even plan a multi-day itinerary with overnight stays along the way. In addition to the standard stops, the train will provide a service between Talkeetna and Hurricane. Trains run between May and September each year and tickets start at $259 (£203) for the full distance.

This nine-hour trip between Los Mochis, Sinaloa and Chihuahua City, Chihuahua, has rightly gained a reputation as one of the most epic rail journeys in the world. The famous Copper Canyon through which it travels is nothing short of magical: think dramatic gorges, towering peaks and historic colonial towns. It’s possible to travel in both directions, but we’d advise setting off from Los Mochis so you get to see the most stunning scenery (much of which is at the beginning of the route) before the sun sets. 

There are two providers which offer trains through the Copper Canyon – the Chepe Regional and the Chepe Express – but the latter is significantly quicker and more luxurious. There are departures from Los Mochis on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with one-way tickets starting at 2,500 Mexican pesos ($123/£96).

Dubbed “the first mountain-climbing cog railway in the world”, this one-of-a-kind route traverses the steep summit of Mount Washington, reaching a 37% gradient at certain points. Located in the gorgeous Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, in the heart of the White Mountains, the National Historic Engineering Landmark is certainly a fun way to discover rural New England. 

Although it’s only a 3.5-mile (5.6km) journey, the train chugs by at a leisurely pace and plenty of time is allowed for soaking in the 360-degree views at the top, so the round trip takes around three hours. If the weather’s clear, travellers can see five states from this vantage point, as well as Canada and the Atlantic Ocean. Tickets start at around $99 (£78) per person, with two daily departures at 8.30am and 3pm from May to October.

Want to travel across this terrifying-looking railroad? While we admit the aptly named Devil's Gate High Bridge, which features a 100-foot (30m) drop over Clear Creek, isn’t for the faint-hearted, this thrilling experience is at the top of many rail buffs’ wish lists. It’s no surprise that when it was completed back in 1884, this circular railroad connecting Georgetown and Silver Plume was seen as an engineering marvel and attracted visitors from all over.

Today, Georgetown Loop Railroad’s legendary status endures. Between May and October, there are at least three daily departures from Devil’s Gate Depot, as well as select weekend departures from Silver Plume, costing $30.95 (£24) for adults and $24.95 (£20) for kids. You can also book a walking tour of the nearby Lebanon Silver Mine, learning about Georgetown’s long standing connection with the precious metal (it was formerly known as 'The Silver Queen of the Rockies').

It’s been a favourite road trip destination for decades, but you might not have thought to visit the Grand Canyon by rail. Yet this underrated (and surprisingly affordable) excursion has to be one of the most beautiful train journeys on the planet. Beginning in Williams, a small town 30 miles (48km) west of Flagstaff, Grand Canyon Railway meanders through ponderosa pine forests and open prairie, stopping at Grand Canyon Village on the South Rim before heading back to Williams.

As scenic trips go, it’s a steal. One-way fares in Pullman Class start from just $33.50 (£26), Coach Class (pictured) is $41(£32) each way, or to take in the scenery in style you can travel in a glass-ceiling observation dome car from $94.50 (£74) each way. During the journey, passengers are encouraged to get into the spirit of the Old West and enjoy the musical entertainment, cowboy characters and other surprises onboard.

Tequila fans need look no further: we’ve found the perfect train for you. Travelling the 11-hour journey between Guadalajara and the town of Tequila, the Jose Cuervo Express allows you to taste a wide variety of tequilas while whizzing past endless agave fields, all in a highly luxurious setting. Along the way, guests will also tour a distillery to discover how the spirit is made, wander the historic streets of Tequila and see an agave harvesting demonstration.

Trains depart from Guadalajara every Saturday and passengers can choose between four carriages: Express, Premium Plus, Diamond or Elite (pictured). On this luxury option, enjoy a large adults-only lounge and open bar providing a range of tequila cocktails, with decor inspired by the old-school glamour of the Orient Express. Tickets start at around 2,590 Mexican pesos ($128/£100). 

These are the world's most luxurious train journeys

Want to feel like you’re on top of the world? A journey on the unforgettable White Pass & Yukon, which climbs nearly 3,000 feet (914m) from Skagway, Alaska to White Pass Summit in Canada’s Yukon territory, should do the trick. The 40-mile (64km), 2.5-hour round trip also takes place on a historic railroad dating back to 1898, when it was built to give greater access to mines at the time of the Klondike Gold Rush.

Today’s travellers can enjoy the ride from a range of vintage train carriages, kitted out with balconies to allow for optimum sightseeing and picture-taking. Among the incredible sights you’ll see are Bridal Veil Falls, Inspiration Point and Dead Horse Gulch – so named because some 3,000 horses tragically died here while traversing the Chilkoot Trail before the railroad was built. Between April and October each year there are several departures a week, with tickets starting at C$134 ($105/£83) for adults and C$67 ($53/£41) for children.

Often listed as one of the world’s greatest routes, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad is a unique journey through America’s history. Original coal-fired locomotives from the 1880s follow in the tracks of countless miners, cowboys and gunslingers from the Old West, giving an insight into what train travel was like some 140 years ago. In fact, the railroad has even been listed as a National Historic Landmark to protect its heritage. 

On the 45-mile (72km) trip, the train crosses the Animas River five times and winds its way through canyons in the stark wilderness of the San Juan National Forest. Travellers pass farmlands, old stagecoach roads and the brooding Tacoma Power Plant along the way. There are four classes to choose from during the summer season from May through to October, with prices starting at $94 (£74).

We can't think of a much better way to experience gorgeous fall colours than this. The Ethan Allen Express, which was launched by Amtrak just ahead of fall, takes passengers on a leisurely seven-hour journey between Burlington, Vermont and New York, stopping at Rutland and Albany along the way. The scenery you'll pass is incredible, from idyllic New England countryside as you pass through the Hudson Valley to the historic college towns and maple tree forests of Vermont.

You could sit back and soak up the scenery all day, but if you wish to break up the route there are plenty of worthwhile stops. Be sure to take some time exploring Saratoga Springs, where horse-racing, elegant Victorian architecture and plenty of independent shops and restaurants await. Outdoorsy types should make a beeline for Rutland, which offers skiing opportunities by winter and gorgeous hiking year-round. 

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