The US is rich with amazing train journeys, with routes that pass striking views and stop at incredible cities, historical sites or natural wonders. These are some of America's best train trips.

The Sunset Limited

The ultimate American railroad ride: east to west, coast to coast, clean through from the bars of New Orleans to the breakers of the Pacific Ocean.

If you’ve always dreamed of crossing the States, but don’t much relish the prospect of two weeks spent cooped up in an automobile, then a ride on the Sunset Limited is the answer.

Sit back and let the landscapes buzz by: from Louisiana’s bayous, past the high-rises of Houston, across the deserts of Texas, over the Californian hills all the way to LA’s golden beaches.

Cruising the Pacific: the Coast Starlight

This 34-hour trip between Seattle and Los Angeles curves alongside crashing Pacific waves, cuts through America’s lushest agricultural land, and passes by snowcapped mountains and towering redwoods.

Of all the Amtrak routes, this one offers the most scenic variety in the fewest hours. It's also the only Amtrak service with a dedicated parlor car, open only to passengers who book sleepers.

The parlor conjures old-time rail romance, with wood paneling and soft lighting, plus a special menu and wine-and-cheese tastings.

The California Zephyr

For soaking up the scenic grandeur of the North American continent, nothing compares with Amtrak’s California Zephyr train.

This three-day journey travels nearly 2500 miles across prairies, deserts, the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada on its way from Chicago to San Francisco. The scenery is magnificent throughout.

If you can only do one section, opt for the stretch between Denver and Glenwood Springs, where the train travels through a wilderness of deep, narrow gorges near the Colorado River’s headwaters.