Family
The Real Reasons You Should Try Train Travel
Riding the rails reduces stress and offers a great view of America.
Napa Valley Wine Train
Friedrich Stark/Alamy Stock Photo
As a teen lying in my bed in Dayton, Ohio, I regularly heard a train whistle through my open window. That whistle was a call to explore, to travel through states and countries. It still calls to me, and I’ve been fortunate to ride many. I always feel a little freer on trains, like I’ve been invited into less frequented, less appreciated spots of the world.
A few years ago, when I took a train from Alexandria to Roanoke, Virginia, I had the sense of passing back through time. Interstate 81 is a notoriously stressful drive with many big rigs on the road. Avoiding that, I sat back and watched Virginia’s landscape change. The suburban settings turned into rolling and lush farms, small and charming towns and then the rising mountains. I imagined Virginia’s rich and complicated history playing out on either side of the tracks as I passed Civil War cemeteries, renewed Main Streets and rivers glittering with sunlight.
Roanoke, Virginia
Alamy Stock Photo
Taking the train is also better for the environment and may save you money. With gasoline prices rising, trains may be more economical than cars, particularly if you book in advance.
Nancy Dunham of Tucson, Arizona, finds that traveling by train can reduce vacation stress. “It's just less chaotic and more traveler-friendly than other modes,” she says. When she and her late husband, Wayne, took a Princess Cruises train trip “through a large swath of Alaska, the most important thing was that we got to see parts of Alaska and wildlife that we would have missed if we were in any other mode of transportation, including a car, because we weren't familiar with that terrain,” she adds. They saw Dall sheep, moose, caribou and bald eagles, along with the stunning landscape. The Alaska Railroad also offers multiple trips and can connect you to excursions, such as a wildlife cruise on Prince William Sound or rafting at Lake and the Placer River.
Passengers in the scenic glass dome carriage of the Denali Star Wilderness Express train operated by the Alaska Railroad between Fairbanks and Denali.
Alamy Stock Photo
Dunham appreciates the camaraderie she finds on trains. On their Alaska trip, everyone was encouraged to yell out when they spotted wildlife. The Dunhams also thoroughly enjoyed the Napa Valley Wine Train, where, seated in restored Pullman cars, guests savor fine dining and wine options. “Even though you're mostly seeing the vineyards, there's a camaraderie,” says Dunham. “There's talk about the wine.” Looking ahead, she hopes to explore nearby rails, like the Verde Canyon Railroad from Clarkdale, Arizona, and possibly California’s Pacific Surfliner.
Get the Must-Read Newsletter for Older Women
Sign up for the free, weekly newsletter with the latest stories, expert advice, community updates, and more.
Valerie Doherty, a retired speech pathologist and children’s book author, first took an extended train ride from Chicago to New Orleans to research a book on baseball, which she found to be “such a blast.” Last year, she convinced her husband, Donald, to take Amtrak’s Empire Builder train from Chicago to Seattle to see the University of Illinois football team play the University of Washington as “an amusing adventure.” Compared to flying, getting on board was “hassle-free,” she says. “Nobody's scrutinizing, and you're not getting pat downs.”
Aboard the train, the Dohertys found they weren’t the only ones with this great idea. The common bond of Big Ten sports fandom increased their feeling of community. “You have that time to talk to a lot of people while you're on those trains versus an airplane,” she says. She enjoyed meeting people from other parts of the country and talking to them about what their life was like in settings she’d never visited. They also received good advice on where to stay and what to see in Seattle from an experienced fellow passenger.
Riding through Minneapolis-St. Paul, North Dakota and Montana’s Big Sky Country, they appreciated the “shifting geography. I had never been through a lot of that part of the country. It is spectacular.”
The only downside was that they went in October, which meant that it got dark earlier than during summer months. This fall they may head westward to see Nebraska’s football team play in Eugene, Oregon. She’s also intrigued by a trip through Appalachia and up the East Coast. Or maybe to a Christmas market in Montreal?
Next time the Dohertys will book a sleeping berth. Since she hadn’t slept well in the berth during her Baton Rouge trek, Doherty decided against getting one for the Chicago to Seattle round trip. However, both she and her husband found sleeping without a berth challenging and a little chilly. The nighttime depot stops were also more disruptive without the separation of a private berth. For longer trips, she recommends reserving one, which also comes with meals, which they enjoyed while aboard.
Before you book, “do your homework first,” advises Dunham. “It sounds trite, but it's true.” Her sister thought she’d found a deal on a train ride through the gorgeous Grand Canyon, but “a lot of the things she thought were included were not included. Things that she thought she'd see she didn't get to see because of the time of year. So, I would say don't jump into anything.” She also suggests dressing for comfort, rather than style.
As for me, I hope to ride the Rocky Mountaineer — with its glass-domed ceilings — through the stunning mountain ranges from Vancouver to Banff. Should I invite my husband or one of my sisters? Or maybe another couple could join us? Either way, I can’t wait to hop aboard!
Have YOU ever traveled by train? Let us know in the comments below.
More From The Ethel
More for you, from AARP
We are a community from AARP. Discover more ways AARP can help you live well, navigate life, save money — and protect older Americans on issues that matter.