The Man in Seat 61... A beginner's guide to Train travel in the USA . . .

Ho m e A bo ut C o ntact Guestbo o k

USA coast to coast from $186... Yo u'll see no thing o f A m erica at 35,000 feet, so co m e do w n to Earth and see w o rld class scenery fro m an A m trak train acro ss the U nited States. Yo u can travel co ast to co ast fro m as little as $186 (aro und £153 o r €174) if yo u bo o k w ell in advance, o ne o f the w o rld's great travel bargains. The U SA has an ex cellent rail netw o rk fo r visito rs, and altho ugh o nly a skeleto n netw o rk by Euro pean standards it'll take yo u to alm o st all the to w ns & cities a visito r w ants to see, in co m fo rt at affo rdable prices. Lo ng- distance trains in the U SA are o perated by the Natio nal Railro ad Passenger C o rpo ratio n, better kno w n as A m trak, w w w .am trak.co m . This page ex plains w hat yo u need to kno w to plan and bo o k a m em o rable trip acro ss A m erica by train... On this page... Train service in the U SA , at a glance Ho w to buy A m trak tickets C ro ssing the U SA by train via C hicago C ro ssing the U SA by train via New O rleans New Yo rk to Flo rida Bo sto n - New Yo rk - W ashingto n DC New Yo rk to M o ntreal & To ro nto O ther A m trak ro utes W hat are A m trak trains like? A m trak's U SA Railpass Ho lidays & to urs by train acro ss the U SA Ho tels & acco m m o datio n in the U SA Flights to the U SA Euro pe to the U SA by Q ueen M ary 2

Train services in the USA, at a glance... Click for detailed map This ro ute m ap sho w s w here A m trak trains run. Each o f the very lo ng-distance transco ntinental ro utes sho w n in blue has o ne daily train, ex cept fo r New Yo rk to Flo rida w ith 2 trains a day and the Sunset Lim ited (New O rleans-San A nto nio -Lo s A ngeles) w hich runs 3 tim es a w eek. Im po rtant sho rt distance ro utes (fo r ex am ple, W ashingto n-New Yo rk-Bo sto n o r Lo s A ngeles-San Diego ) have regular intercity services and are sho w n in red. It's easy to check A m trak train tim es at w w w .am trak.co m , just use their o nline bo o king system . C lick here fo r a m o re detailed A m trak ro ute m ap.

Sponsored links... New Yo rk Pass - o ne card, o ne price, free entry to all New Yo rk's m ajo r attractio ns.

Useful country information

Train o perato r in U SA : A m trak, see w w w .am trak.co m fo r U S train tim es, fares & o nline bo o king. Trans-A tlantic sea travel: See the Q ueen M ary 2 page. U SA rail pass: A m trak U SA rail pass Flights to U SA : Flights to U SA Travel to the U SA by sea o n C unard's Q ueen M ary 2 Tim e zo nes: New Yo rk: GM T-5 C hicago : GM T-6 Lo s A ngeles: GM T-8 C lo cks go fo rw ard 1 ho ur fro m 2nd Sunday in M arch to 1st Sunday in No vem ber. C urrency: £1 = appro x $1.23 C heck current ex change rates Dialling co de + 1 To urist info rm atio n: Each State has a to urist agency, see w w w .usato urist.co m /english/traveltips/state-to urist- o ffices.htm l. Reco m m ended guidebo o ks Ho tels: Scan m ultiple ho tel pro viders to find cheapest ho tel rates Backpacker ho stels in U SA Page last updated: 22 A pril 2017

Crossing the USA by train

The 3,000 m ile jo urney acro ss the U nited States by train is o ne o f the w o rld's greatest travel ex periences. It's easy, co m fo rtable, safe, and an affo rdable alternative to flying. Free ro ute guides are available o n bo ard each train, telling yo u w hat to lo o k o ut fo r fro m the w indo w , and the scenery o n m any ro utes is w o rld class.

In a nutshell... The 3,000 m ile co ast-to -co ast train ride takes 3 nights, w itho ut sto po vers. C ho o se fro m 4 o r 5 different ro utes, each w ith their o w n character - I ex plain the m o st scenic ro utes belo w w ith train tim es & descriptio n. By all m eans sto p o ff o n the w ay, but rem em ber that a separate ticket/reservatio n is needed fo r each leg. It takes o ne night fro m New Yo rk, Bo sto n o r W ashingto n DC to C hicago w here yo u change trains, then tw o nights fro m C hicago to Lo s A ngeles, San Francisco o r Seattle o n a superb do uble-deck Superliner train. Yo u can also travel co ast to co ast via New O rleans, this takes an ex tra night as yo u need to spend a night in New O rleans. M o st o f the trains run daily all year ro und, altho ugh the New O rleans-LA train o nly o perates three tim es a w eek. If yo u bo o k o nline at w w w .am trak.co m , fares fro m New Yo rk to Lo s A ngeles, San Francisco o r Seattle start at just $186 in a spacio us reclining seat, surely o ne o f the w o rld's greatest travel bargains. A private sleeper fo r 1 o r 2 peo ple can be added to yo ur bo o king, the ex tra co st is o ften quite hefty but the sleeper ro o m charge includes all m eals in the dining-car as w ell as tea, co ffee & fruit juice thro ugho ut the trip. A m trak's spacio us trains also have dining-cars and lo unge cars, o pen to bo th seat and sleeper passengers. See descriptio ns o f the trains here. A lso check o ut the co ast to co ast packages at w w w .am trakvacatio ns.co m . O n-tim e perfo rm ance... Bear in m ind that these trains run fo r o ver 2,000 m iles, altho ugh they o ften arrive o n tim e o r perhaps half an ho ur late, they can so m etim es arrive an ho ur o r tw o late o r m o re, so do n't bo o k any tight co nnectio ns. Yo u can see ho w yo ur cho sen trains have perfo rm ed the last few w eeks using w w w .am trak.co m /histo rical-o n-tim e- perfo rm ance and yo u can also see real-tim e train po sitio ns & perfo rm ance at w w w .asm .transitdo cs.co m . C lick here to see a co ast-to -co ast train ride in pictures

Which is the best train route across America? Each o f A m trak's trans-co ntinental ro utes has its o w n distinctive character, even if the trains them selves are the sam e. But if yo u have a cho ice, o ne ro ute stands o ut as the m o st spectacular fo r bo th scenery & histo rical significance. This is the C alifo rnia Zephyr fro m C hicago to San Francisco , w hich yo u can take in co nnectio n w ith the Lake Sho re Lim ited fro m New Yo rk o r Bo sto n to C hicago , o r the C apito l Lim ited fro m W ashingto n DC to C hicago . The C alifo rnia Zephyr is o ne o f w o rld's greatest train jo urneys, and in aro und 48 ho urs yo u w ill cro ss the farm lands o f Nebraska, scale the Ro ckies beyo nd Denver w hile yo u eat egg & baco n fo r breakfast in the diner, snake thro ugh ro cky river valleys in C o lo rado and pass thro ugh the Sierra Nevada m o untains to reach Sacram ento and the San Francisco Bay area. The ro ute co vers m uch o f the very first histo ric trans-co ntinental railro ad ro ute, and there's a co m m entary fo r the m o st significant sectio n. To give yo u an idea o f w hat a co ast to co ast train ride is like o n this ro ute, see the C alifo rnia Zephyr page. o r fo r a snapsho t o f w hat it's like sipping a co cktail in the sightseer lo unge o n the C alifo rnia Zephyr as it passes thro ugh C o lo rado , click here. Ho w ever, all the trans-co ntinental ro utes are scenic, and the So uthw est C hief, fo r ex am ple, w ill take yo u fro m C hicago to Lo s A ngeles o ver the fam o us Santa Fe railro ad, alo ngside the equally fam o us Ro ute 66, thro ugh Navajo Indian co untry, ano ther am azing trip, w ith a chance to sto p o ff at the Grand C anyo n o n the w ay.

Coast to coast via Chicago, westbound... Lake Sho re Lake Sho re C apito l C ardinal 1. Take a daily train to Chicago Lim ited Lim ited Lim ited (W ed, Fri, Sun) Train num ber: 49 449 29 51 New Yo rk (Penn Statio n) depart 15:40 day 1 06:45 day 1 Bo sto n (So uth statio n) depart | 12:50 day 1 | W ashingto n DC (U nio n Statio n) depart | | 16:05 day 1 11:10 day 1 C hicago (U nio n Statio n) arrive 09:45 day 2 09:45 day 2 08:45 day 2 10:05 day 2 ------change trains in C hicago & take w hichever o nw ard train yo u w ant ------Em pire C alifo rnia So uthw est Tex as 2. Take a daily Superliner train from Chicago Builder Zephyr C hief Eagle Train num ber: 7 5 3 21 C hicago (U nio n Statio n) depart 14:15 day 2 14:00 day 2 15:00 day 2 13:45 day 2 M inneapo lis/St Paul arrive 22:31 day 2 | | | Po rtland arrive 10:10 day 4 | | | Seattle arrive 10:25 day 4 | | | Dallas arrive | | 11:30 day 3 San A nto nio arrive | | 21:55 day 3 O m aha arrive 22:55 day 2 | | Denver arrive 07:15 day 3 | | Salt Lake C ity arrive 23:05 day 3 | | Sacram ento arrive 14:13 day 4 | | Em eryville (fo r O akland & San Francisco ) arrive by train 16:10 day 4 | | San Francisco Transbay Term inal arrive by A m trak bus* 17:00 day 4* | | Kansas C ity arrive 22:11 day 2 | A lbuquerque arrive 15:55 day 3 | Flagstaff (fo r Grand C anyo n by bus) arrive 20:51 day 3 | W illiam s Junctio n (fo r Grand C anyo n Railw ay) arrive 21:33 day 3 | Lo s A ngeles arrive 08:15 day 4 05:35 day 5 ** * The C alifo rnia Zephyr term inates in Em eryville and an A m trak Thruw ay bus transfers passengers acro ss the Bay Bridge to the Tem po rary Transbay Term inal in do w nto w n San Francisco . Tickets can be bo o ked thro ugh to (and luggage checked thro ugh to ) San Francisco Transbay Term inal as if it w as a rail statio n. ** The C hicago -Lo s A ngles po rtio n o nly runs 3 tim es a w eek, departing C hicago o n Tuesdays, Fridays & Sundays. Daily C hicago -San A nto nio . U se these tim es as a guide, alw ays check current tim es & fares at w w w .am trak.co m as they change fro m tim e to tim e.

Coast to coast via Chicago, eastbound... Em pire C alifo rnia So uthw est Tex as 1. Take a daily Superliner train to Chicago. Builder Zephyr C hief Eagle Train num ber: 8/28 6 4 22 Lo s A ngeles depart 18:10 day 1 22:00 day 0 *** W illiam s (fo r Grand C anyo n Railw ay) depart 03:45 day 2 | Flagstaff (fo r Grand C anyo n by bus) depart 04:37 day 2 | A lbuquerque depart 12:10 day 2 | Kansas C ity depart 07:43 day 3 | San Francisco Transbay Term inal depart by A m trak bus* 07:50 day 1 * | | Em eryville (fo r O akland & San Francisco ) depart by train 09:10 day 1 | | Sacram ento depart 11:09 day 1 | | Salt Lake C ity depart 03:30 day 2 | | Denver depart 19:10 day 2 | | O m aha depart 05:14 day 3 | | San A nto nio depart | | 07:00 day 2 Dallas depart | | 15:40 day 2 Seattle depart 16:40 day 1 | | | Po rtland depart 16:45 day 1 | | | M inneapo lis/St Paul depart 07:50 day 3 | | | C hicago (U nio n Statio n) arrive 15:55 day 3 14:50 day 3 15:15 day 3 13:52 day 3 ------change trains in C hicago & take w hichever o nw ard train yo u w ant ------C apito l Lake Sho re Lake Sho re C ardinal 2. Take a daily train east from Chicago. Lim ited Lim ited Lim ited (Tue, Thur, Sat) Train num ber: 30 448 48 50 C hicago (U nio n Statio n) depart 18:40 day 3 21:30 day 3 21:30 day 3 17:45 day 3 W ashingto n DC arrive 13:05 day 4 | | 17:55 day 4 Bo sto n arrive 20:01 day 4 | | New Yo rk (Penn Statio n) arrive 18:23 day 4 21:58 day 4 * The C alifo rnia Zephyr starts in Em eryville. A n A m trak Thruw ay bus links the Transbay Term inal in do w nto w n San Francisco w ith Em eryville acro ss the Bay Bridge. Tickets can be bo o ked thro ugh fro m (and luggage checked in at) the A m trak statio n at San Francisco Transbay Term inal as if it w as a rail statio n. *** The Lo s A ngles to C hicago po rtio n o nly runs 3 tim es a w eek, leaving LA o n W ednesdays, Fridays & Sundays. Daily San A nto nio -C hicago . U se these tim es as a guide, alw ays check current tim es & fares at w w w .am trak.co m as they change fro m tim e to tim e.

Facilities on each train... C a r d in a l : New Yo rk & W ashingto n DC - C hicago via Indianapo lis, 3 tim es a w eek. (o ne night). A m fleet reclining seats, View liner sleeping-car. A slo w er train than the Lake Sho re Lim ited, and it o nly runs 3 tim es a w eek. No full diner, o nly a cafe car. But a useful alternative thro ugh great scenery if the Lake Sho re is full. C a p ito l Lim ite d : W ashingto n DC - C hicago daily (764 m iles, o ne night). Superliner train w ith reclining seats, o bservatio n-lo unge, sleeping-cars & dining-car. C a lifo r n ia Z e p h y r : C hicago -San Francisco daily (2,438 m iles, tw o nights). Superliner train w ith reclining seats, sightseer lo unge car, sleeping-cars & dining-car. This train is o ne o f the great train rides o f the w o rld, and if yo u are planning a co ast-to -co ast trip, this is the best ro ute to take. It clim bs thro ugh the Ro ckies betw een Denver & Salt Lake C ity, and thro ugh the Sierra Nevada betw een Reno and the Bay A rea. Illustrated acco unt o f a jo urney o n the C alifo rnia Zephyr. E m p ir e B u ild e r : C hicago - Seattle/Po rtland (2,206 m iles C hicago -Seattle, tw o nights). Superliner train w ith reclining seats, sightseer lo unge car, sleeping-cars & dining-car. This train w inds its w ay past Glacier Natio nal Park and thro ugh the m o untains o f W ashingto n state. La k e S h o r e Lim ite d : New Yo rk - C hicago daily (959 m iles, o ne night), w ith thro ugh cars Bo sto n - C hicago daily. A m fleet reclining seats, View liner sleeping-cars, A m fleet lo unge-café (Bo sto n-C hicago ) & heritage dining-car (New Yo rk-C hicago ). This train takes the scenic ro ute up the Hudso n River o ut o f New Yo rk, w ith the train tracks running right alo ngside the river, past Sto rm King M o untain and W est Po int M ilitary A cadem y. Try and get a seat o n the left-hand side o f the train o ut o f New Yo rk, right-hand side heading to New Yo rk. The Bo sto n-C hicago & New Yo rk-C hicago sectio ns are co upled to gether betw een A lbany & C hicago . Illustrated acco unt o f a jo urney o n the Lake Sho re Lim ited. S o u th w e s t C h ie f : C hicago - Lo s A ngeles (2,256 m iles, tw o nights). Superliner train w ith reclining seats, sightseer lo unge car, sleeping-cars & dining-car. This train m o stly travels via the Santa Fe railro ad, o nce used by the fam o us C hicago -Lo s A ngeles 'Super C hief', the film stars' favo urite. It w ill take yo u thro ugh A pache C anyo n and right thro ugh Navajo Indian co untry, w ith a live co m m entary fro m an Indian guide o ver the train's public address fo r the relevant sectio n o f line. The train serves Flagstaff w hich is o ne ho ur by co nnecting bus fro m the Grand C anyo n, w ith day to urs available, and W illiam s, fo r the Grand C anyo n Railw ay. T e x a s E a g le : Runs daily C hicago - Dallas - San A nto nio , but o nly three tim es a w eek betw een C hicago & Lo s A ngeles (w estbo und fro m C hicago o n Tuesdays, Thursdays & Sundays, eastbo und fro m LA o n W ednesdays, Fridays & Sundays). Superliner train w ith reclining seats, sightseer lo unge car, sleeping-cars & dining- car. 2,728 m iles C hicago -LA .

What are the trains like? C lick here to see w hat the trains are actually like inside & o ut, and to understand the sleeping-car, lo unge & dining facilities.

Order an Amtrak USA rail timetable or brochure... Yo u can o rder an A m trak natio nal system tim etable and/o r an A m trak bro chure, sent to any co untry. O rder at w w w .am trak.co m /o rder-co ntact-am trak-publicatio ns.

How much does it cost? In a In a ro o m ette In a ro o m ette In a bedro o m In a bedro o m C heapest o ne-w ay fares: reclining seat tw o peo ple o n e p e r s o n tw o peo ple o n e p e r s o n New Yo rk - Lo s A ngeles/San Francisco /Seattle $186 $1002 $770 $2555 $3151 New Yo rk - C hicago $86 $522 $415 $622 $555 C hicago - Lo s A ngeles, San Francisco o r Seattle $134 $645 $478 $1733 $1566 3,000 m iles co ast-to -co ast o verland fo r as little at $186 (£153) has to be o ne o f the w o rld's greatest travel bargains! Railpass o ptio ns. A m trak fares are dynam ic, so yo u'll see vario us prices o n vario us dates, bo o k ahead fo r the cheapest prices - these are the cheapest ex am ples, if yo u bo o k ahead. Ro und trip fares are tw ice the o ne-w ay fare. C hildren 2-15 (inclusive) travel at reduced fare, children under 2 travel free (lim it o ne child under 2 per adult). There is a disco unt (15% o f base fare) fo r senio rs aged o ver 62. The disco unt applies to the base fare but no t to sleeper supplem ents. If yo u cho o se to travel in a sleeper, the prem ium fare co lum n o n the A m trak w ebsite w ill sho w the to tal co st fo r all passengers travelling in a ro o m ette o r bedro o m . This is calculated as a basic fare fo r each passenger plus o ne charge co vering the w ho le ro o m ette o r bedro o m . The ro o m ette o r bedro o m co st is the sam e w hether it's o ccupied by o ne perso n o r tw o . So a sleeper is a lo t better value if there are tw o o f yo u! The tw o peo ple price in the table abo ve is the to tal yo u pay fo r tw o peo ple sharing a ro o m ette o r bedro o m . Tip: Yo u can save 10% o n the basic travel fare (but no t o n acco m m o datio n supplem ents) by beco m ing a m em ber o f the Natio nal A sso ciatio n o f Railro ad Passengers, w hich at the tim e o f w riting co sts $35 fo r an individual o r $50 fo r a fam ily. It can pay fo r itself o n o ne co ast to co ast trip. See w w w .narprail.o rg fo r full details and o nline sign-up.

Can I stop off on the way? Yes o f co urse, but if yo u w ant to sto p o ff yo u'll need to buy separate tickets fo r each leg. To bo o k a co ast to co ast trip w ith sto po vers at any cities yo u w ant, sim ply lo o k fo r the 'M ulti-C ity' link at to p right o f the bo o king fo rm o n w w w .am trak.co m . This allo w s yo u to bo o k a trip w ith up to 4 segm ents, and o f co urse yo u can bo o k additio nal segm ents as separate bo o kings. Ho w ever, if yo u buy a thro ugh ticket at the cheapest price betw een an East C o ast city such as New Yo rk and a W est C o ast city such as Lo s A ngeles, then no , yo u canno t sto p o ff, yo u m ust travel direct o n yo ur assigned trains. A ltho ugh the several ho urs betw een trains in C hicago is o ften tim e eno ugh to clim b the Sears To w er (no w o w ned by the W illis co rpo ratio n, see w w w .theskydeck.co m ) and get great view s o ver the city, it's o nly 5 m inutes w alk fro m C hicago U nio n Statio n! A s yo u can see fro m the fares table abo ve, separate tickets New Yo rk to C hicago and C hicago -Lo s A ngeles (so yo u can sto p o ff in C hicago ) w o rk o ut abo ut $35 m o re ex pensive than a New Yo rk to Lo s A ngeles thro ugh ticket. W ant to sto p o ff at the Grand C anyo n? See the Grand C anyo n sectio n

Luggage... A ll the trains sho w n here o ffer checked baggage. A ll passengers (bo th co ach & sleeper) are entitled to check in up to 2 large item s o f luggage free o f charge, plus an additio nal 2 large item s fo r $20 each. M ax im um 50lbs (23Kg) per item , m ax im um to tal linear dim ensio n (length + height + w idth) = 75". O versize bags (up to a to tal linear dim ensio n o f 100") $20 per bag. A nam e and address label m ust be attached to each item . Hand luggage is lim ited to tw o item s per passenger, m ax im um 50lbs (23Kg) per item , dim ensio ns 28" x 22" x 14". See w w w .am trak.co m /baggage-po licy. Yo u can check bags thro ugh to yo ur final destinatio n, so fo r ex am ple if yo u have a New Yo rk to San Francisco ticket yo u can check yo ur bags in at New Yo rk all the w ay to San Francisco Transbay Term inal. They w ill be transferred fo r yo u fro m train to train in C hicago and fro m train to bus at Em eryville, leaving yo u free o f it until yo u arrive.

How to buy Amtrak tickets...... online. A nyo ne fro m any co untry can buy tickets o nline at A m trak's w ebsite w w w .am trak.co m . A n e-ticket w ill be em ailed to yo u o r yo u can co llect tickets any tim e befo re departure at a Q uik Trak self-service m achine o r at a ticket co unter. Bo o king o pens 11 m o nths in advance. W ith a print-at-ho m e e-ticket yo u can go straight o nto the train. If yo u cho o se to use a Q uik-Trak m achine, sim ply pass the barco de o n yo ur bo o king printo ut under the scanner and click the to uch screen to print yo ur tickets. Find the cheapest fares... If yo u w ant to see w hich departure dates have the cheapest fares, go to http://biketrain.net/am snag/am Snag.php and enter a jo urney and a 30-day date range to find the price fo r a seat o r sleeper o n each date, to find the date w ith the cheapest fares. To enter the jo urney yo u'll need to use A m trak's 3-letter statio n co des (fo r ex am ple, New Yo rk Penn Statio n is NYP, Lo s A ngles is LA X), yo u can find the co des by using the jo urney planner at w w w .am trak.co m .

...by phone... Yo u can call A m trak 24 ho urs a day o n 1-800-U SA RA IL. Yo u are em ailed an e-ticket o r can pick up tickets at the statio n. Fro m o utside o f the U SA , A m trak's internatio nal desk is + 1-215-856-7952. O pen M o n-Fri 08:30-16:00 Eastern Tim e.

...through Amtrak Vacations. A m trak Vacatio ns is A m trak's o fficial partner fo r to urs and vacatio ns using A m trak trains plus ho tels, to urs & transfers. They kno w all abo ut A m trak, it's w hat they do ... A m trak Vacatio ns can put a package to gether fo r yo u to yo ur o w n specificatio n, fro m anyw here to anyw here. They'll also do ticket-o nly bo o kings fo r co ast-to -co ast A m trak jo urneys, and yo u m ay get m o re help and advice if yo u bo o k thro ugh them as they specialise in A m trak's lo ng-haul ro utes. C lick here fo r A m trak Vacatio ns' co ast-to -co ast packages Lines o pen 09:00-22:00 M o nday-Friday & 09:00-17:30 Saturday, Eastern Tim e (5 ho urs behind the U K). In the U .S. o r C anada, call 866-816-5892 to ll-free o r visit w w w .am trakvacatio ns.co m . Fro m the U K call 00-1-978-816-7506 o r visit w w w .am trakvacatio ns.co m . Fro m A ustralia 0011-1-978-816-7506, o r visit w w w .am trakvacatio ns.co m .

...custom-made tours with Railbookers. If yo u w ant a train travel ex pert to arrange yo ur w ho le trip fo r yo u, w ith trains, sto po vers, ho tels, transfers and (if necessary) flights all so rted, train travel specialist w w w .railbo o kers.co .uk can arrange to urs by train to yo ur o w n specificatio n. Just tell them w hat yo u w ant (o r ask them fo r their advice & suggestio ns) and they can m ake all yo ur arrangem ents. Railbo o kers have a U K o ffice and a U S o ffice. U K call 020 3327 0761, w w w .railbo o kers.co .uk. U S call free 1-888-829-4775, w w w .railbo o kers.co m . C anada call free 1-855-882-2910, w w w .railbo o kers.co m . A ustralia call to ll-free 1300 971 526, w w w .railbo o kers.co m .au. New Zealand call to ll-free 0800 000 554 o r see w ebsite.

...escorted tours with Great Rail Journeys... If yo u'd like to travel w ith a co nvivial gro up o f travellers esco rted by a pro fessio nal to ur guide, co ntact Great Rail Jo urneys at w w w .greatrail.co m , in the U K call 01904 527 120. They have to urs leaving New Yo rk fo r LA & San Francisco betw een 1 and 5 tim es each m o nth fro m A pril to O cto ber. If yo u live in the U SA , yo u can also bo o k esco rted to urs at w w w .am trakvacatio ns.co m , call to ll-free 800-268-7252.

...using a USA railpass... A U SA Railpass is available co vering the w ho le A m trak netw o rk o r just parts o f it, see advice o n U SA Railpasses here. Coast to coast by Amtrak in pictures... See an illustrated acco unt o f a train ride fro m New Yo rk to San Francisco o n A m trak's Lake Sho re Lim ited and C alifo rnia Zephyr.

T h e v ie w fr o m th e tr a in as the C alifo rnia T h e C a lifo r n ia Z e p h y r , just arrived in Em eryville after Zephyr snakes alo ng tho se C o lo rado its 2,438-m ile run fro m C hicago , 10 m inutes ahead o f canyo ns... schedule. Back to to p

Coast to Coast via New Orleans

This is the So uthern ro ute, a w ho le different flavo ur fro m the transco ntinental ro utes via C hicago . C ro ssing the States via New O rleans takes 4 nights co ast to co ast, m aking it slo w er than the m o re usual transco ntinental ro ute via C hicago , as yo u need to spend a night in New O rleans - but a sto po ver do w n so uth is hardly a burden! Fo r a taste o f the deep so uth, this is the w ay to go ... Coast to coast via New Orleans, westbound Coast to coast via New Orleans, eastbound Sunset C rescent 1. Take the Crescent to New Orleans, daily 1. Sunset Limited. Runs Wed, Fri, Sun only Lim ited New Yo rk (Penn Statio n) depart 14:15 day 1 Lo s A ngeles depart 22:00 day 1 W ashingto n DC depart 18:30 day 1 El Paso depart 15:35 day 2 A tlanta arrive/depart 08:13 day 2 San A nto nio depart 06:25 day 2 New O rleans arrive 19:32 day 2 Ho usto n depart 12:10 day 3 ----- change trains & stay o vernight in New O rleans --- New O rleans arrive 21:40 day 3 - Sunset ------change trains & stay o vernight in New O rleans ----- 2. Sunset Limited. Runs Mon, Wed, Sat only Limited - New O rleans depart 09:00 day 3 2. Take the Crescent, runs daily C rescent Ho usto n arrive 18:18 day 3 New O rleans depart 07:00 day 4 San A nto nio arrive 00:05 day 4 A tlanta arrive/depart 20:04 day 4 El Paso arrive 13:22 day 4 W ashingto n DC arrive 09:53 day 5 Lo s A ngeles arrive 05:35 day 5 New Yo rk (Penn Statio n) arrive 13:46 day 5

T h e C r e s c e n t : New Yo rk-New O rleans daily (1,377 m iles, o ne night). A m fleet reclining seats, View liner sleeping-cars, A m fleet lo unge-café & heritage dining-car. T h e S u n s e t Lim ite d : Runs 3 tim es a w eek. New O rleans - Lo s A ngeles 1,995 m iles, 2 nights. Superliner train w ith reclining seats, sightseer lo unge car, sleeping-cars & dining-car.

How much does it cost? In a In a ro o m ette In a ro o m ette In a bedro o m In a bedro o m C heapest o ne-w ay fares: reclining seat tw o peo ple o n e p e r s o n tw o peo ple o n e p e r s o n New Yo rk - New O rleans $134 $644 $485 $863 $704 New O rleans - Lo s A ngeles $166 $698 $530 $1836 $1668

Ro und trip fares are tw ice the o ne-w ay fare. C hildren 2-15 (inclusive) travel at reduced fare, children under 2 travel free (lim it o ne child under 2 per adult). A m trak fares vary dynam ically, so yo u'll see vario us fares o n vario us dates, bo o k ahead fo r the cheapest prices - these are just typical ex am ples, assum ing yo u bo o k ahead. There is a disco unt (15% o f base fare) fo r senio rs aged o ver 62. The disco unt applies to the base fare but no t to sleeper supplem ents. If yo u cho o se to travel in a sleeper, the prem ium fare co lum n o n the A m trak w ebsite w ill sho w the to tal co st fo r all passengers travelling in a ro o m ette o r bedro o m . This is calculated as a basic fare fo r each passenger plus o ne charge co vering the w ho le ro o m ette o r bedro o m . The ro o m ette o r bedro o m co st is the sam e w hether it's o ccupied by o ne perso n o r tw o . So a sleeper is a lo t better value if there are tw o o f yo u! The tw o peo ple price in the table abo ve is the to tal yo u pay fo r tw o peo ple sharing a ro o m ette o r bedro o m . Tip: Yo u can save 10% o n the basic travel fare (but no t o n acco m m o datio n supplem ents) by beco m ing a m em ber o f the Natio nal A sso ciatio n o f Railro ad Passengers, w hich at the tim e o f w riting co sts $35 fo r an individual o r $50 fo r a fam ily. It can pay fo r itself o n o ne co ast to co ast trip. See w w w .narprail.o rg fo r full details and o nline sign-up. Luggage arrangem ents. Railpass o ptio ns. C an I sto p o ff?

How to buy tickets... See the Ho w to buy tickets sectio n abo ve.

Using a USA railpass... A U SA Railpass is available co vering the w ho le A m trak netw o rk o r just parts o f it, see advice o n U SA Railpasses here. Back to to p

New York to Florida

Introducing Amtrak's Silver Service from New York & Washington DC to Orlando, Tampa & Miami... New York ► Florida Florida ► New York Silver Silver Silver Silver Runs every day... Runs every day... Star M eteo r M eteo r Star Train num ber: 91 97 Train num ber 98 92 New Yo rk depart (day 1) 11:02 15:15 M iam i depart (day 1) 08:40 11:50 W ashingto n DC depart (day 1) 15:00 19:30 Ft Lauderdale depart (day 1) 09:20 12:30 Jackso nville arrive (day2) 06:55 09:23 Tam pa depart (day 1) | 17:17 O rlando arrive (day 2) 10:31 13:10 O rlando depart (day 1) 13:57 19:24 Tam pa arrive (day 2) 12:45 | Jackso nville depart 17:33 22:57 Ft Lauderdale arrive (day 2) 17:12 18:02 W ashingto n DC arrive (day 2) 07:46 15:14 M iam i arrive (day 2) 18:05 18:55 New Yo rk arrive (day 2) 11:36 19:16

Facilities on board... Silver M eteo r: A m fleet reclining seats, View liner sleeping-car, heritage dining-car. Silver Star: A m fleet reclining seats, View liner sleeping-car, A m fleet cafe car. No dining-car. Tip: Take the civilised Silver M eteo r w ith dining-car if yo u can. The Silver Star has o ne o verw o rked cafe car and no dining-car. Luggage arrangem ents.

How much does it cost? In a In a ro o m ette In a ro o m ette In a bedro o m In a bedro o m Ex am ple o ne-w ay fares: reclining seat tw o peo ple o ne perso n tw o peo ple o ne perso n New Yo rk - M iam i $147 $534 $386 $1014 $867 Ro und trip fares are tw ice the o ne-w ay fare. C hildren 2-15 (inclusive) travel at reduced fare, children under 2 travel free (lim it o ne child under 2 per adult). If yo u cho o se to travel in a sleeper, the prem ium fare co lum n o n the A m trak w ebsite w ill sho w the to tal co st fo r all passengers travelling in a ro o m ette o r bedro o m . This is calculated as a basic fare fo r each passenger plus o ne charge co vering the w ho le ro o m ette o r bedro o m . The ro o m ette o r bedro o m co st is the sam e w hether it's o ccupied by o ne perso n o r tw o . So a sleeper is a lo t better value if there are tw o o f yo u! The tw o peo ple price in the table abo ve is the to tal yo u pay fo r tw o peo ple sharing a ro o m ette o r bedro o m .

How to buy tickets... Yo u can buy tickets o nline at w w w .am trak.co m , just click o n 'Reservatio ns'. Yo u can cho o se to have an e-ticket em ailed to yo u, o r can pick up the tickets at the statio n befo re departure. Bo o king o pens 11 m o nths in advance. If yo u live in the U K, Ireland o r elsew here in Euro pe, yo u can buy A m trak tickets by pho ne fro m Internatio nal Rail, call 0844 248 248 3. Fro m o utside the U K + 44 844 248 248 3. Lines o pen 09:00-17:00 M o nday-Friday. If yo u live in A ustralia o r New Zealand, yo u can buy A m trak city to city tickets o nline at Internatio nalRail.co m .au. Tickets sent to any address. O nce in the U SA , yo u can bo o k o nline at w w w .am trak.co m o r call A m trak 24 ho urs a day o n 1-800-U SA RA IL, picking up yo ur tickets at the statio n o n departure.

Using a USA railpass... A U SA Railpass is available co vering the w ho le A m trak netw o rk o r just parts o f it, see advice o n U SA Railpasses here. Back to to p

Boston - New York - Washington DC

A fast and frequent inter-city service links Bo sto n, New Yo rk, New ark, Philadelphia, Baltim o re and W ashingto n DC . New Yo rk to W ashingto n takes as little as 2 ho urs 48 m inutes, New Yo rk to Bo sto n just 3 ho urs 30 m inutes. There are tw o types o f train: A cela Ex press 150m ph high-speed trains w ith 1st class & business class (prem ium fares apply) and regular trains w ith co ach class and (in m o st cases) business class. There are also services fro m Bo sto n to Po rtland (M aine) and fro m Philadelphia to Harrisburg. See w w w .am trak.co m fo r tim es, fares and o nline bo o king.

Fares... No rm al o ne-w ay fare: C o ach class: Business class: First class:

New Yo rk - W ashingto n DC (no rm al train) $49-$173 $111-$180 - New Yo rk - W ashingto n DC (A cela Ex press) - $160-$272 $281-$393 New Yo rk - Bo sto n (no rm al train) $49-$173 $96-$156 -

New Yo rk - Bo sto n (A cela Ex press) - $115-$198 $202-$285

Fares vary like air fares, w ith cheaper prices available the further ahead yo u bo o k. Ro und trip fares are tw ice the o ne-w ay fare. C hildren 2-15 (inclusive) travel at reduced fare (ex cept o n A cela Ex press w here there is no disco unt fo r children o n w eekdays), children under 2 travel free (lim it o ne child under 2 per adult). Lu g g a g e o n W a s h in g to n - N e w Y o r k - B o s to n tr a in s : These trains do n't have checked baggage, yo u sim ply take yo ur luggage w ith yo u o nto the train and put it o n the racks just as yo u w o uld o n any Euro pean train. Yo u can take 2 item s up to 23Kg each, plus tw o sm aller perso nal bags each up to 11Kg - pretty genero us, see w w w .am trak.co m /baggage-po licy.

How to buy tickets... Yo u can buy tickets o nline at w w w .am trak.co m . Yo u can cho o se to have an e-ticket em ailed to yo u, o r can pick up the tickets at the statio n befo re departure. Bo o king o pens 11 m o nths in advance. If yo u live in the U K o r Ireland, yo u can buy A m trak city to city tickets o nline fro m Internatio nal Rail. Tickets sent to any address in Euro pe. If yo u live in A ustralia o r New Zealand, yo u can buy A m trak city to city tickets o nline at Internatio nalRail.co m .au. Tickets sent to any address. O nce in the U SA , yo u can bo o k o nline at w w w .am trak.co m o r call A m trak 24 ho urs a day o n 1-800-U SA RA IL, picking up yo ur tickets at the statio n o n departure.

Introducing Acela Express, Amtrak's high-speed train... A cela Ex press travels at up to 150m ph, and has first class & business class. There's no co ach class, and prem ium fares apply, w ith no disco unts fo r children o n w eekdays.

B u s in e s s c la s s s e a ts o n bo ard an A cela A c e la E x p r e s s , A m trak's 150m ph business train... Ex press...

Northeast Regional trains... C heaper but slo w er than A cela Ex press, w ith co ach class & business class betw een Bo sto n, New Yo rk, Philadelphia, Baltim o re & W ashingto n DC . N o r th e a s t R e g io n a l tr a in co m po sed o f 'A m fleet' cars C o a c h c la s s s e a ts in an A m fleet car as abo ut to leave Bo sto n So uth statio n fo r New Yo rk & used o n No rtheast Regio nal trains... W ashingto n DC ... Back to to p

Other Amtrak routes...

New York - Niagara Falls Three daily trains link New Yo rk via A lbany w ith Niagara Falls. Jo urney tim e is a leisurely 8 ho urs 30 m inutes, a relax ing jo urney alo ng the Hudso n River Valley o ut o f New Yo rk, past Sto rm King M o untain and W est Po int M ilitary A cadem y, a very scenic ro ute, highly reco m m ended. See w w w .am trak.co m fo r tim es, fares and o nline bo o king.

New York - Toronto, Montreal (Canada) A daily train called the M aple Leaf links New Yo rk w ith To ro nto via Niagara Falls, and ano ther daily train called the A diro ndack links New Yo rk w ith M o ntreal via the scenic A diro ndack m o untains. Bo th trains travel alo ng the Hudso n River Valley o ut o f New Yo rk, past Sto rm King M o untain and W est Po int M ilitary A cadem y, a very scenic ro ute, highly reco m m ended. See the Train travel in C anada page fo r train tim es.

Chicago - Memphis - New Orleans A m trak's daily C ity o f New O rleans links these cities, w ith Superliner seats, sleeping-cars, sightseer lo unge and dining- car. Fo r tim es, fares and o nline bo o king, see w w w .am trak.co m .

Intercity trains in California Regular trains link Lo s A ngeles, A naheim (fo r Disneyland), and San Diego . Regular trains link San Francisco (O akland) w ith Sacram ento , Bakersfield and San Jo se. A daily train links Lo s A ngeles w ith San Francisco (O akland). See w w w .am trak.co m o r w w w .am trakcalifo rnia.co m fo r tim es, fares and o nline bo o king.

Seattle - Portland - Oakland (San Francisco) - Los Angeles A m trak's daily C o ast Starlight links these cities, w ith Superliner seats, sleeping-cars, sightseer lo unge and dining-car. Fo r tim es, fares and o nline bo o king, see w w w .am trak.co m . O n the C o ast Starlight, sleeper passengers can access the ex clusive Pacific Parlo ur C ar, w hich has a co m fo rtable lo unge w ith arm chairs, tables, and its o w n ho st serving drinks and snacks.

Seattle - Portland - Vancouver A m trak runs an inter-city service betw een these cities, see w w w .am trakcascades.co m - So m e o f these services use Euro pean-design Talgo trains.

Lu g g a g e o n tr a in s w ith o u t c h e c k e d b a g g a g e : So m e o f these trains do n't have checked baggage, yo u sim ply take yo ur luggage w ith yo u o nto the train and put it o n the racks just as yo u w o uld o n any Euro pean train. Genero us lim its apply - 2 item s each up to 23Kg, plus tw o sm aller perso nal bags each up to 11Kg, see w w w .am trak.co m /baggage-po licy. Back to to p

What are Amtrak trains like?

Sho rt distance trains co m e in vario us types, all w ith co m fo rtable air-co nditio ned seating and o ften w ith a café car. O n the Bo sto n-New Yo rk-W ashingto n DC ro ute, there is no w the prem ium fare, 150m ph A cela Ex press high speed train, based o n French TGV techno lo gy, but running o n co nventio nal tracks. Lo ng distance trains east o f C hicago o r New O rleans Lo ng distance trains w est o f C hicago o r New O rleans (1) Long distance trains in the east... Lo ng-distance trains east o f C hicago (such as the New Yo rk-C hicago Lake Sho re Lim ited, the New Yo rk to Flo rida Silver Star & Silver M eteo r o r the New Yo rk to New O rleans C rescent, but no t the W ashingto n to C hicago C apito l Lim ited) have View liner sleeping-cars, A m fleet reclining seat cars, an A m fleet lo unge car serving snacks and drinks, and a heritage dining car serving full m eals at very reaso nable prices. If yo u have paid fo r a sleeper, m eals in the dining-car are included in the fare.

Amfleet reclining seats... These distinctive stainless-steel co aches have co m fo rtable reclining seats w ith lo ads o f legro o m , dro p-do w n tables & 120v po w er so ckets fo r lapto ps & m o biles. Drinking w ater is available in each co ach. U nlike in Euro pe, yo ur reservatio n do es no t secure a specific seat in a specific co ach, yo u can sit w here yo u like o nce o n bo ard. A n attendant lo o ks after each seats car, and w ill place a 'seat ticket' abo ve yo ur seat to indicate that the seat is taken.

A m fle e t c a r s . This is the New Yo rk to C hicago Lake Sho re R e c lin in g s e a ts o n lo n g - d is ta n c e Lim ited at its service sto p in A lbany, after a scenic run do w n A m fle e t c a r s . There's lo ads o f legro o m , the Hudso n river valley. It'll reach C hicago 's im pressive 120v po w er so ckets fo r lapto ps & m o biles, U nio n Statio n nex t m o rning. dro p-do w n tables.

Heritage dining car... The m o st im po rtant A m trak lo ng-distance trains such as the Lake Sho re Lim ited and C rescent have a dining-car (the tw o no table ex ceptio ns are the C ardinal & Silver Star w hich o nly have cafe cars). These stainless-steel dining-cars date fro m the 1950s, but they have been fully refurbished inside. The dining-car is o pen to all passengers, bo th co ach class & sleeper. M eals are included fo r sleeper passengers (altho ugh drinks are ex tra), but m ust be paid fo r by co ach class passengers. There are usually several sittings fo r dinner, fo r ex am ple at 5pm , 5.15pm , 7pm o r 8pm in the case o f the New Yo rk to C hicago Lake Sho re Lim ited. The dining-car m anager w ill co m e do w n the train (starting w ith the sleepers) to take dinner reservatio ns fo r yo ur cho sen sitting. No te that co uples and singles w o n't get a w ho le 4-seat restaurant table to them selves, yo u'll no rm ally be seated w ith o ther passengers, a great chance to m eet peo ple even if yo u're travelling so lo . The fo o d is surprisingly go o d: The herb- ro ast chicken & rice (aro und $15) w as a go o d cho ice, and fo r breakfast nex t m o rning a co o ked breakfast o f eggs, baco n & po tato es (aro und $9 including fruit juice & co ffee) hits the spo t. A do m estic beer co sts aro und $5, prem ium beer $6, a half bo ttle o f very go o d C abernet Sauvigno n o r M erlo t co sts aro und $14. There is also a children's m enu. C redit cards are accepted. Yo u can find sam ple m enus o n the A m trak w ebsite w w w .am trak.co m , click 'plan' then lo o k fo r 'm eal & dining o ptio ns.

H e r ita g e d in in g c a r . The restaurant car o n the New T h e fo o d o n A m tr a k isn't bad at all. The Yo rk to C hicago Lake Sho re Lim ited, serving dinner & co o ked breakfast is go o d. Yo u can w ash breakfast. . This stainless-steel 'heritage' dining car dinner do w n w ith a half bo ttle o f C abernet dates fro m the 1950s, refurbished to m o dern standards. Sauvigno n o r M erlo t...

Viewliner sleeping-cars... Lo ng-distance trains in the East have View liner sleeping cars. The distinctive do uble ro w o f w indo w s o n these cars m akes them light & airy during the day, and gives bo th upper & lo w er berths a w indo w fo r star-gazing at night. Travelling by A m trak sleeper is a real treat. A ll sleeper passengers get co m plim entary m eals in the dining car, and a 'co ffee statio n' pro vides co m plim entary tea/co ffee & fruit juice thro ugho ut the jo urney. Yo u return fro m dinner in the diner to find yo u bed m ade up fo r the night by the sleeper attendant. A ho t sho w er is available at the end o f the co rrido r if yo u're travelling in a ro o m ette, o r en suite if yo u are travelling in a bedro o m . A ll necessary bedding, so ap and to w els are pro vided. Ho w ever, sleeper travel isn't cheap. In Euro pe yo u can pay a sm all supplem ent fo r a berth in a shared co uchette o r sleeper co m partm ent. In the U S, yo u have to pay fo r the w ho le ro o m w hether there are tw o o f yo u o r just o ne. To give yo u a ro ugh idea, so m e sam ple sleeper supplem ents are sho w n in the fares sectio n abo ve. View liner sleeping-cars have: Ro o m ettes (previo usly called standard bedro o m s): Each View liner sleeping-car has ten very co m pact 2-berth co m partm ents called 'Ro o m ettes' arranged either side o f a central co rrido r. They're just big eno ugh fo r tw o seats facing each, and at night the seats pull to gether to fo rm the lo w er berth, an upper berth dro ps do w n fro m the ceiling. The beds are alo ngside the w indo w s, and take up m o st o f the ro o m ! Ro o m ettes have a fo ld-o ut w ashbasin, co ncealed to ilet (yo ur co m panio n m ay have to leave the ro o m w hile yo u use it) & fo ld-o ut table. There is a sho w er at the end o f the co rrido r. Bedro o m s (previo usly called delux e bedro o m s): Each View liner sleeping-car has tw o Bedro o m s, w hich are m uch larger than ro o m ettes, and they have a private sho w er & to ilet. Bedro o m s have freestanding chair & so fa in daytim e m o de, and upper & lo w er berths at night. The lo w er berth is ex tra w ide, alm o st a do uble bed by U K standards! Special bedro o m s: Sim ilar to a bedro o m , w ith private sho w er & to ilet, but fully w heelchair-accessible. Each View liner sleeping-car has o ne Special Bedro o m .

V ie w lin e r R o o m e tte , in daytim e m o de. This V ie w lin e r s le e p in g - c a r w ith its distinctive do uble ro w o f pho to sho w s the size o f the ro o m . Tw o w indo w s. Light & airy, even the upper berths get a w indo w ! co m fy seats...

V ie w lin e r B e d r o o m , in daytim e V ie w lin e r R o o m e tte sho w ing V ie w lin e r m o de. So fa, arm chair, sink, and the to ilet lid o pen & the dro p- R o o m e tte in night- private sho w er & to ilet. M uch do w n sink fo lded o ut. A ll o f tim e m o de. The do o r to m o re space than a ro o m ette, but life's necessities in a very sm all the central co rrido r is tw ice the price... space! o n the right. Back to to p (2) Long distance trains in the west... Introducing Amtrak's double-deck Superliner trains... Lo ng-distance trains betw een C hicago & Lo s A ngeles/San Francisco /Seattle/Po rtland, also the New O rleans-Lo s A ngeles Sunset Lim ited, Seattle-Lo s A ngeles C o ast Starlight and W ashingto n DC -C hicago C apito l Lim ited use im pressive do uble-deck Superliner cars. Superliner trains have co ach class reclining seats, sleeping-cars, a dining car & an o bservatio n-lo unge car. A ro ute guide is available free o n these trains, telling yo u w ant to lo o k o ut fo r alo ng the w ay. W atch a video guide to A m trak Superliner trains. Superliner reclining seats... C o ach class reclining seats are spacio us w ith lo ts o f legro o m , co m parable w ith business class o n an airliner. Do n't w o rry if yo u can't affo rd a sleeper, these seats recline to abo ut 40 degrees, and are quite easy to sleep in, in fact if there is any train in the w o rld w here I w o uldn't m uch m ind no t having a sleeper, A m trak trains are the o nes I'd cho o se. There are 120v po w er so ckets fo r lapto ps & m o biles at each seat, and drinking w ater is available in each co ach. U nlike in Euro pe, yo ur reservatio n do es no t secure a specific seat in a specific co ach, yo u can sit w here yo u like o nce o n bo ard. A n attendant lo o ks after each seats car, and w ill place a 'seat ticket' abo ve yo ur seat to indicate that the seat is taken. Yo u can either bring a blanket o r buy an A m trak blanket fro m the lo unge car. Pano ram a pho to o f Superliner co ach class.

S u p e r lin e r c a r s ... Even in co ach class these do uble- S u p e r lin e r c o a c h c la s s reclining seats o n the deck cars are spacio us and co m fo rtable. This is the upper deck, sho w ing just ho w m uch legro o m & C alifo rnia Zephyr fro m C hicago to O akland (San recline yo u get! There are 110v po w er so ckets Francisco ), at a statio n sto p at Galesburg. at every seat. See pano ram a pho to

Superliner Sightseer Lounge car O n the upper deck is an o bservatio n lo unge w ith arm chairs & tables and huge w indo w s fo r sightseeing. O n the lo w er deck is a cafe selling drinks & snacks. A ll passengers can use the lo unge car, w hether they are travelling in co ach class o r in the sleepers. Yo u end up spending m o st o f yo ur day here, w atching A m erica unfo ld in fro nt o f yo u! Seats are available o n a first- co m e, first served basis, but it's no t usually to o difficult to find a seat o r tw o free. Ho w ever, they do fill up fo r the m o st scenic sectio ns o f the jo urney! See pano ram a o f a Superliner lo unge car.

S u p e r lin e r S ig h ts e e r lo u n g e c a r . Pictured abo ve left, passengers lo o k o ut o f the lo unge car's huge w indo w s as A m trak's C alifo rnia Zephyr fro m C hicago to San Francisco cro sses the M ississippi river, and so enters A m erica's W ild W est... Yo u see it all fro m A m trak, but no thing fro m 35,000 feet! Pano ram a pho to o f a Superliner lo unge car.

Superliner dining car... Like the lo unge car, the dining-car is o pen to all passengers, bo th co ach class & sleeper, fo r breakfast, lunch & dinner. M eals are included in the fare if yo u have a sleeper (altho ugh drinks are ex tra), but m ust be paid fo r if yo u're in co ach. Ho w ever, the fo o d isn't ex pensive, so treat yo urself. A ll the tables in a Superliner dining-car are o n the to p deck fo r great view s w hile yo u eat - the kitchens are do w nstairs. In the sleepers, the dining-car m anager co m es do w n the train asking each passenger w hich sitting fo r lunch o r dinner they'd like, and issuing table reservatio ns. A n anno uncem ent is m ade at the start o f each sitting. In co ach, a stew ard m ay also co m e do w n the car asking if yo u'd like to reserve a seat fo r lunch o r dinner, o r yo u can sim ply go alo ng to the diner at m eal tim es and ask if a table is free. If o ne isn't available, they m ay take yo ur nam e and anno unce w hen yo ur table is ready o ver the p.a. No te that co uples and singles do n't get a w ho le 4-seater restaurant table to them selves, yo u'll no rm ally be seated w ith o ther passengers. This is a great chance to m eet peo ple, even if yo u're travelling so lo . Pano ram a pho to o f Superliner dining-car. W h a t's th e fo o d lik e ? The fo o d is surprisingly go o d: The A ngus Steak Burger (aro und $8) is great fo r lunch, fo r dinner the herb-ro ast chicken & rice ($14) is go o d and the garlic butter m arinated New Yo rk Strip Steak (aro und $24) is ex cellent. A beer co sts aro und $5, a half bo ttle o f very go o d C abernet Sauvigno n o r M erlo t co sts aro und $14. Fo r breakfast nex t m o rning a freshly-co o ked breakfast o f eggs, baco n & po tato es ($9 including cro issant, fruit juice & co ffee) hits the spo t. There is also a children's m enu. C redit cards are accepted. Yo u can find sam ple m enus o n the A m trak w ebsite w w w .am trak.co m , click 'plan' then lo o k fo r 'm eal & dining o ptio ns'. T h e G a r lic - M a r in a te d N e w Y o r k s te a k ... S u p e r lin e r d in in g - c a r set fo r lunch. No t bad!

Superliner sleeping-cars... Travelling by A m trak sleeper is a real treat. A ll sleeper passengers get co m plim entary breakfast, lunch & dinner in the dining car, and each sleeping-car has a 'co ffee statio n' w ith co m plim entary tea/co ffee and fruit juice available thro ugho ut the jo urney. Yo u return fro m dinner in the diner to find yo u bed m ade up fo r the night by the sleeper attendant. A ll necessary bedding, so ap and to w els are pro vided. Superliner sleeping-cars are do uble-deck, w ith 10 very co m pact 2-berth ro o m ettes and 4 larger 2-berth bedro o m s o n the upper deck, w hilst the lo w er deck has ano ther 4 ro o m ettes, 1 fam ily bedro o m & 1 special accessible bedro o m . The bedro o m s have a private sho w er & to ilet, fo r ro o m ette passengers there are to ilets o n bo th upper and lo w er decks, and a ho t sho w er o n the lo w er deck. The gangw ays to the adjacent cars are o n the upper deck. Ho w ever, sleeper travel isn't cheap. In Euro pe yo u can pay a sm all supplem ent fo r a berth in a shared co uchette o r sleeper co m partm ent. In the U S, yo u have to pay fo r the w ho le ro o m w hether there are tw o o f yo u o r just o ne. To give yo u a ro ugh idea, so m e sam ple sleeper supplem ents are sho w n in the fares sectio n abo ve. Superliner sleeping-cars o ffer: Ro o m ettes (previo usly called standard bedro o m s): Ro o m ettes are just big eno ugh fo r tw o seats facing each o ther w ith a sm all table by day and 2 berths at night. To ilets are available alo ng the co rrido r and there's a sho w er cubicle o n the lo w er deck. There are ten ro o m ettes o n the upper level, and fo ur do w nstairs, arranged either side o f a central co rrido r. Pano ram a pho to o f Superliner ro o m ette. Bedro o m s (previo usly called delux e bedro o m s): Bedro o m s are m uch larger than ro o m ettes, and have an en suite sho w er and to ilet. A ll five bedro o m s in each car are o n the upper level, o ff a side co rrido r. Bedro o m s have freestanding chair and so fa in daytim e m o de, and upper and lo w er berths at night. Like the View liner bedro o m s, the lo w er berth is ex tra w ide. Pano ram a pho to o f Superliner delux e bedro o m . Fam ily bedro o m : Lo cated at o ne end o f the lo w er level, taking up the full w idth o f the car, the fam ily bedro o m has tw o adult beds and tw o child beds. There is no sho w er o r to ilet in a fam ily bedro o m , but these are nearby o utside the ro o m . Special bedro o m : Lo cated at the o ther end o f the lo w er level, also taking up the full w idth o f the car, the special bedro o m is w heelchair accessible, w ith tw o berths & private to ilet. There is no sho w er in a Superliner special bedro o m , but a (no n-w heelchair-accessible) sho w er is just o utside the ro o m .

S u p e r lin e r S u p e r lin e r s le e p in g - c a r ...... w ith sho w er & W C . B e d r o o m ...

S u p e r lin e r R o o m e tte ... The pho to sho w s its size, it's F a m ily B e d r o o m , in daytim e m o de... It takes just big eno ugh fo r tw o co m fy seats facing each o ther. up the full w idth o f the car at o ne end o f the A t night, the seats pull to gether to fo rm the lo w er berth, lo w er deck, and has a so fa and jum p seat that w hich takes up m o st o f the ro o m , and the upper berth beco m es 2 adult & 2 child berths at night. fo lds o ut fro m the w all abo ve the w indo w . W ashro o m s, To ilets & a sho w er are nearby. to ilet & a ho t sho w er are just alo ng the co rrido r. See pano ram a pho to .

Video guide: What's it like on board an Amtrak Superliner train?

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The Grand Canyon connection...

There are tw o m ain w ays to reach the Grand C anyo n as part o f a transco ntinental train trip. O ne is to get o ff A m trak's C hief at Flagstaff A rizo na, and use a bus to and fro m the C anyo n, jo urney tim e 1 ho ur 45 m inutes each w ay. The o ther, m o re interesting w ay, is to get o ff the C hief at W illiam s and use the histo ric Grand C anyo n Railw ay to and fro m the C anyo n, jo urney tim e 2 ho urs each w ay.

Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon by bus... Scheduled buses link Flagstaff's A m trak statio n (w hich also inco rpo rates the ex cellent lo cal Visito r C entre) w ith the Grand C anyo n's So uth Rim , w ith an 8am bus departure fro m Flagstaff co nveniently co nnecting o ut o f A m trak's C hief fro m Lo s A ngeles arriving at the Grand canyo n aro und 1 ho ur 45 m inutes later. A bus returns fro m the Grand C anyo n at 6.15pm (also at 4.15pm fro m M arch to O cto ber), arriving back in Flagstaff 1 ho ur 45 m inutes o r so later. It can easily be do ne as a day trip, returning to Flagstaff in tim e fo r the evening C hief to Lo s A ngeles, altho ugh yo u can o f co urse cho o se to stay o vernight at the ho tels at the Grand C anyo n. Fo r bus tim es, see w w w .arizo nashuttle.co m . The bus fare is aro und $28-$30 each w ay. Grand C anyo n To urs fro m Flagstaff: A lternatively, take a to ur. A co m pany called The Grand C anyo n Sto re http://grandcanyo ncusto m to urs.co m o ffers 1-day to urs fro m bo th Flagstaff & W illiam s to the Grand C anyo n, including a to ur to the Grand C anyo n Village & So uth Rim , and the m o re ex tensive Inner C anyo n To ur that actually takes yo u to the C o lo rado River at the bo tto m o f the canyo n, no t m erely to the So uth Rim as w ith o ther to urs and the scheduled bus - no t surprisingly the Inner C anyo n To ur is their m o st po pular! They also do a to ur fro m Flagstaff to the So uth Rim using the Grand C anyo n Railw ay, see the sectio n belo w . w w w .am trakvacatio ns.co m can put to gether an A m trak co ast-to -co ast package fo r yo u w ith a sto po ver at the Grand C anyo n, o r a to ur fro m Lo s A ngeles to the Grand C anyo n and back, custo m ised yo u yo ur specificatio n. See Grand C anyo n packages.

Williams to the Grand Canyon on the Grand Canyon Railway... The m o re interesting w ay to reach the C anyo n is o n the Grand C anyo n Railw ay fro m W illiam s to the C anyo n's So uth Rim . O ne o ptio n is to get o ff the A m trak C hief at W illiam s. The A m trak statio n at W illiam s is W illiam Junctio n, a halt in the w o o ds so m e 3 m iles fro m do w nto w n W illiam s, but a Grand C anyo n Railw ay shuttle bus m eets all A m trak trains and transfers passengers to /fro m the o riginal W illiam s railw ay statio n in do w nto w n W illiam s. W illiam s is a pleasant to w n w ith plenty o f m o tels, sho ps & diners. Fro m W illiam s statio n, the Grand C anyo n Railw ay runs a daily m o rning train so m e 65 m iles o ver the Santa Fe's histo ric railw ay to the Grand C anyo n So uth Rim statio n in the Grand C anyo n Village, right o n the edge o f the C anyo n's So uth Rim . The train returns in the afterno o n, arriving in tim e to have dinner then catch the shuttle bus to W illiam s Junctio n fo r A m trak's C hief o nw ards to Lo s A ngeles. A lternatively, yo u m ay find it m o re co nvenient to use Flagstaff as yo ur base, getting o n and o ff the C hief there, as the arrival tim e fro m LA is less early, and the statio n is in the city centre w ith all the city am enities, ho tels, restaurants to hand. A co m pany called The Grand C anyo n Sto re (w w w .grandcanyo njeeps.co m ) o ffers 1-day to urs fro m Flagstaff by to ur bus to W illiam s to pick up the Grand C anyo n train to the So uth Rim , yo u can bo o k this to ur here. The A m trak reservatio n system at w w w .am trak.co m w ill actually let yo u buy thro ugh tickets betw een Lo s A ngeles and Grand C anyo n in either directio n, altho ugh if yo u w ant to bo o k thro ugh tickets betw een New Yo rk o r C hicago and Grand C anyo n this invo lves an o vernight stay in W illiam s so yo u'll need to use the m ulti-city bo o king feature. But yo u can bo o k yo ur A m trak trains at w w w .am trak.co m then bo o k the Grand C anyo n train at the GC R o fficial w ebsite, w w w .thetrain.co m . Yo u can also bo o k C hicago -LA packages w ith A m trak travel and a trip to the Grand C anyo n o n the Grand C anyo n Railw ay at w w w .am trakvacatio ns.co m , A m trak's o fficial partner fo r to urs and packages invo lving A m trak travel. See Grand C anyo n packages.

Williams ► Grand Canyon Grand Canyon ► Williams

Train runs daily Train runs daily W illiam s, A Z depart (do w nto w n statio n) 09:30 Grand C anyo n (So uth Rim statio n) depart 15:30 Grand C anyo n (So uth Rim statio n) arrive 11:45 W illiam s, A Z (do w nto w n statio n) arrive 17:45

Fares C o ach First O bservatio n Lux ury Return fare, per perso n class class do m e parlo ur W illiam s to Grand C anyo n & back: $49 $140 $170 $190 The fare includes entry to the W ild W est sho w at W illiam s statio n in the ho ur befo re departure, and so m e W ild W est entertainm ent o n bo ard!

G r a n d C a n y o n r a ilw a y s ta tio n , w ith the afterno o n T h e G r a n d C a n y o n . This is the view fro m Grand C entral Railw ay train to W illiam s bo arding the so uth rim , just 3 m inutes w alk fro m the passengers... statio n. Back to to p

USA rail passes See America with an Amtrak USA Railpass... O ne o f the best w ays to see A m erica is w ith an A m trak U SA rail pass, just be aw are o f its lim itatio ns befo re yo u invest in o ne. A 15-day (m ax im um 8-segm ent) rail pass co sts £315 o r $449. A 30-day (m ax im um 12-segm ent) rail pass co sts £476 o r $679. A 45-day (m ax im um 18-segm ent) pass co sts £616 o r $879. C hildren aged 2-15 get passes fo r half price, under 2's travel free. Segm ents: Sadly, since 2008 A m trak's U SA railpasses no lo nger give unlim ited travel. They o nly co ver a m ax im um o f 8, 12 o r 18 'segm ents' depending o n yo ur pass duratio n. This is the m ax im um num ber o f individual train rides yo u can take during yo ur 15, 30 o r 45 day pass duratio n. A segm ent is o ne train ride o n o ne train, so a 2-day trip co unts as o ne segm ent, and so do es a 30-m inute o ne! A jo urney invo lving a change o f train co unts as tw o segm ents. W ill a railpass save yo u m o ney? Very pro bably, if yo u intend m aking 8 o r m o re lo ng-distance train rides. Here's the m aths: Depending o n w hich pass yo u buy, a railpass w o rks o ut at $47-$54 per segm ent assum ing that yo u use it fo r the m ax im um 8/12/18 segm ents. Fo r co m pariso n, a po int-to -po int ticket fro m New Yo rk to C hicago co sts $86 if yo u bo o k in advance o r m aybe $105 bo ught o n the day. C hicago to Denver co sts $97 in advance o r $146 o n the day; San Francisco (O akland) to Lo s A ngeles co sts $61; New Yo rk to W ashingto n DC co sts $49 in advance o r up to $106 o n the day. In o ther w o rds, as lo ng as yo u are m aking 8 o r m o re train rides, and m aking lo ng-distance jo urneys rather than m any sho rt ho ps, a pass is likely to save yo u m o ney. If yo u o nly intend m aking tw o o r three train trips, o r o nly m aking very sho rt trips, then o rdinary tickets are likely to w o rk o ut cheaper.

Reservations, upgrades & quotas... Railpasses are valid fo r any A m trak train in the U SA ex cept A cela Ex press high-speed services and the A uto -Train car- carrying service. Reservatio ns are still required! The railpass is no t a ticket, yo u m ust m ake a (free) reservatio n befo re bo arding any train. Yo u can m ake reservatio ns as yo u travel aro und the States at statio ns o r by calling A m trak's 24 ho ur freepho ne num ber, 1-800-U SA RA IL. A lternatively yo u can m ake so m e o r all o f yo ur reservatio ns in advance fro m o utside the States by calling A m trak o n (001) 215-856-7953. U pgrading to a sleeper: If yo u w ant to travel in a sleeping-car ro o m , yo u need to pay the appro priate ro o m charge in additio n to yo ur rail pass. Fo r an idea o f sleeper ro o m charges, see the fares sectio n abo ve. W arning abo ut passho lder quo tas: A ltho ugh in theo ry yo u can m ake a reservatio n w ith a railpass even o n the day o f travel, trans-co ntinental trains get busy in sum m er & at Thanksgiving, fo r ex am ple, and passho lder places are lim ited by quo ta. This quo ta fo r railpass ho lders is repo rtedly set to zero w hen a train beco m es 75% full. In o ther w o rds, yo u buy a pass and they then have yo ur m o ney, but w hen yo u try and use it yo u m ay be to ld all the trains are 'full' fo r railpass ho lders even tho ugh seats rem ain available fo r custo m ers paying cash. So do n't fall into this trap. A t busy tim es o f year (sum m er, C hristm as, Thanksgiving) I'd reco m m end either buying yo ur pass and reservatio ns to gether fro m an agency by pho ne (so if there are no seats available o n the trains yo u w ant, yo u do n't buy the pass) o r sim ply bo o king regular po int-to -po int tickets o nline w hich include a co nfirm ed reservatio n.

How to buy an Amtrak Railpass... C heck prices in po unds & buy a U SA railpass (U K-based co m pany, but passes sent to addresses w o rldw ide) C heck prices in A ustralian do llars & buy a U SA railpass (A ustralia & NZ residents) Back to to p

Tours by train across America

Customisable tours & vacations by rail with www.amtrakvacations.com They are the A m trak to ur & vacatio n specialists, so kno w w hat they're do ing, see the A m trak Vacatio ns sectio n abo ve.

Custom-made tours by train around the USA with Railbookers... Train travel specialist Railbo o kers can arrange a to ur by train acro ss the U nited States o n A m trak, starting any date yo u like, to yo ur o w n specificatio n w ith ho tels and train reservatio ns all m ade fo r yo u, hassle-free. They kno w w hat they're do ing, and take go o d care o f their clients, and I have no hesitatio n in reco m m ending them . UK call 020 3327 0761, www.railbookers.co.uk. US call free 1-888-829-4775, www.railbookers.com. Canada call free 1-855-882-2910, www.railbookers.com. Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526, www.railbookers.com.au. New Zealand call toll-free 0800 000 554 or see website. Coast-to-coast escorted tour with www.greatrail.com, 01904 527 120. If yo u w ant to go co ast-to -co ast acro ss the U nited States o r C anada by train, but w o uld rather do this as part o f an all-inclusive o rganised to ur w ith o ther travellers and a guide, U K-based co m pany Great Rail Jo urneys (w w w .greatrail.co m ) o ffers 5-star rail- based ho lidays fro m abo ut £2,500 per perso n. They also o ffer rail-based ho lidays to o ther co untries. C heck the ho liday details o nline, then call 01904 527120 to bo o k o r use their o nline bo o king fo rm . Seat61 gets so m e co m m issio n to help suppo rt the site if yo u bo o k yo ur ho liday thro ugh this link and pho ne num ber. Back to to p

Guidebooks

To get the m o st fro m a visit to the U SA , yo u'll need a go o d guidebo o k. Fo r the independent traveller, I think this m eans either the Lo nely Planet o r the Ro ugh Guide. I perso nally prefer the layo ut o f the Lo nely Planet, but o thers prefer the Ro ugh Guide. Bo th guidebo o ks pro vide the sam e ex cellent level o f practical info rm atio n and histo rical backgro und. Yo u w o n't regret buying o ne o f these..! Seat61 gets a sm all co m m issio n if yo u buy thro ugh these links. Fo r a specific guide to train travel aro und the States, buy a co py o f Jo hn Pitt's U SA by Rail, o r see w w w .usa-by- rail.co m , o r try Jim Lo o m is's A ll A bo ard. Click the images to buy at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com...

A lternatively, yo u can do w nlo ad just the chapters o r areas yo u need in .PDF fo rm at fro m the Lo nely Planet W ebsite, fro m aro und £2.99 o r U S$4.95 a chapter. Back to to p

City Tours by Open Top Bus

Buy a ticket for the hop-on, hop-off Open Top Bus... C ity Sightseeing's red-and-yello w o pen to p to ur buses are no w a fam iliar site in 100 m ajo r cities o n 6 co ntinents. They do a ho p-o n, ho p-o ff to ur bus ticket fo r New Yo rk, W ashingto n DC , Ho llyw o o d & Lo s A ngeles, San Francisco , San A nto nio & Haw aii. I find their bus to urs a go o d w ay to o rientate yo urself in a city, returning to ex plo re in m o re depth later. It's also less w earing o n the feet, especially w ith kids! Buy yo ur to ur tickets o nline befo re yo u go , redeem able o n any day yo u like w ithin 3 m o nths o f buying it, see w w w .city- sightseeing.co m .

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Accommodation in the USA ◄◄ Hotel search & price comparison. w w w .h o te ls c o m b in e d .c o m checks all the m ain ho tel bo o king sites at o nce to find the w idest cho ice o f ho tels & the cheapest seller. It has been nam ed as the W o rld's Leading Ho tel C o m pariso n Site in the W o rld Travel A w ards and I highly reco m m end it, bo th to find ho tels in even the sm allest places and to check that ano ther retailer isn't selling the sam e ho tel at a cheaper rate.

►► My recommended booking site: www.booking.com w w w .b o o k in g .c o m is m y favo urite bo o king site, and unless Ho telsC o m bined thro w s up m ajo r price differences I prefer do ing m y bo o kings in o ne place here. Yo u can usually bo o k w ith free cancellatio n - this allo w s yo u to co nfirm yo ur acco m m o datio n at no risk befo re train bo o king o pens. It also m eans yo u can ho ld acco m m o datio n w hile yo u finalise yo ur itinerary, and alter yo ur plans as they evo lve - a great feature I use all the tim e w hen putting a trip to gether.

Tripadvisor hotel reviews... w w w .tripadviso r.co m is a go o d place to find independent travellers' review s o f the m ain ho tels. It also has the lo w -do w n o n all the sights & attractio ns to o .

Backpacker hostels in the USA: www.hostelworld.com... w w w .ho stelw o rld.co m : If yo u're o n a tight budget, do n't fo rget abo ut backpacker ho stels. Ho stelw o rld o ffers o nline bo o king o f cheap private ro o m s o r do rm beds in backpacker ho stels in m any places acro ss the States at ro ck-bo tto m prices.

Personal recommendations... W a s h in g to n D C : Pho enix Park Ho tel. A great cho ice, directly acro ss the ro ad fro m U nio n Statio n so handy fo r arrivals and departures by train, w ith an ex cellent Irish Pub do ing great fo o d & Irish beer o n the prem ises, and just 2 m inutes w alk fro m the capito l. Fro m aro und $154 fo r a do uble. Lo s A n g e le s : Ho tel Q ueen M ary. This has go t to be o f the m o st fascinating places to stay, anyw here. If yo u go to Lo s A ngeles, co nsider m aking the Ho tel Q ueen M ary yo ur base to ex plo re the Lo s A ngeles - Ho llyw o o d - Disneyland area. The o riginal Q ueen M ary o f 1936 has been perm anently m o o red at Lo ng Beach in C alifo rnia since the late 1960s, so m e 25 m iles fro m Lo s A ngeles U nio n Statio n (abo ut a $90 tax i ride), and it's undo ubtedly the m o st w o nderful place to stay in LA . The ho tel co nsists o f m o st o f the o riginal first class cabins o n bo ard the Q ueen M ary, and there are plenty o f restaurants and bars available o n bo ard, to o . Ho tel guests can m o re o r less w ander the ship at w ill, and even sign up fo r gho st hunts at night o n bo ard (and yes, fro m m y o w n ex perience there is so m ething go ing o n o n that beautiful ship!). W o o d panelled art deco interio rs have been preserved, altho ugh a few m o dern item s have been installed such as televisio ns, and (as w e w o rked o ut fro m a histo ric deck plan) in so m e cases tw o o f the Q ueen M ary's o riginal cabins have been kno cked into o ne ho tel suite by turning o ne o f the en suite bathro o m s into a co nnecting co rrido r. She is o ne o f the m o st atm o spheric places I have ever stayed.

T h e Q u e e n M a r y at Lo ng Beach, C alifo rnia... C a b in 4 0 1 in Ho tel Q ueen M ary

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Flights to the USA 1) Check flight prices at Opodo, www.opodo.com... 2) Use Skyscanner to compare flight prices & routes worldwide across 600 airlines...

3) Lounge passes... M ake the airpo rt ex perience a little m o re bearable w ith a VIP lo unge pass, it's no t as ex pensive as yo u think, see w w w .lo ungepass.co m . I have fo und that having lo unge access w ith co m plim entary tea, co ffee, fo o d and w ine m akes all the difference to an eco no m y flight. Back to to p

Travel insurance

Take out decent travel insurance, it's essential... Never travel o verseas w itho ut travel insurance fro m a reliable insurer, w ith at least £1m o r preferably £5m m edical co ver. It sho uld also co ver cancellatio n and lo ss o f cash and belo ngings, up to a sensible lim it. A n annual m ulti-trip po licy is usually cheaper than several single-trip po licies even fo r just 2 o r 3 trips a year, I have an annual po licy m yself. Here are so m e suggested insurers. Seat61 gets a sm all co m m issio n if yo u buy thro ugh these links. In the U K, try C o lum bus Direct o r use C o nfused.co m to co m pare prices & po licies fro m m any different insurers. If yo u have a pre-ex isting m edical co nditio n o r are o ver 65, see w w w .JustTravelC o ver.co m - 10% disco unt w ith co de seat61. If yo u live in A ustralia, New Zealand, Ireland o r the EU , try C o lum bus Direct's o ther w ebsites. If yo u live in the U SA try Travel Guard U SA .

Get a spare credit card, designed for travel with no currency exchange loading & low or no ATM fees... It co sts no thing to take o ut an ex tra credit card. If yo u keep it in a different part o f yo ur luggage so yo u're no t left stranded if yo ur w allet gets sto len, this is a fo rm o f ex tra travel insurance in itself. In additio n, so m e credit cards are significantly better fo r o verseas travel than o thers. M artin Lew is's w w w .m o neysavingex pert.co m /travel/cheap-travel-m o ney ex plains w hich U K credit cards have the lo w est currency ex change co m m issio n lo adings w hen yo u buy so m ething o verseas, and the lo w est cash w ithdraw al fees w hen yo u use an A TM abro ad. Taking this advice can save yo u quite a lo t o n each trip co m pared to using yo ur no rm al high-street bank credit card!

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