Articles

Tagged: rail

Amtrak Gulf Coast Trains from New Orleans Finally Returning—Here's the Start Date

Amtrak is at last restoring rail service between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama—almost 20 years after suspending service between the two cities when Hurricane Katrina devastated the…

Amtrak Discounts: A Guide to Cheaper Train Tickets

If you can plan ahead, there's no reason many travelers ever have to pay full price for most Amtrak tickets.The United States' national rail service doesn't get anywhere near…

Get Amtrak's USA Rail Pass for Nearly Half Off in January Flash Sale

You have until the end of Friday, January 17, to buy a USA Rail Pass from Amtrak for just $299. The usual price is $499.The USA Rail Pass is like Amtrak's version of Europe's Eurail…

3 Cheap New Train Options in Europe for as Little as €10 a Ticket: Who Needs Planes?

To non-Europeans, it can be surprising to learn that even after more than two centuries of passenger railway travel in Europe, the Continent is still creating new train services. Don't…

Brightline Miami to Orlando Review: Take the Train to Disney

It had its naysayers early on, but when Brightline kicked off service between Miami and Orlando in September 2022, the train delivered a major gift to Florida. Brightline in Florida is…

Amtrak Gulf Coast Train to Restore Service (Finally!) Between New Orleans and Mobile

Amtrak rail service between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, has been suspended since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005. A long-in-the-works project to bring Amtrak trains…

Rocky Mountaineer Canada Train Review: The Good, the Bad, and the Insanely Picturesque

A few high-end scenic rail journeys around the world have achieved icon status, but not all of them are easily attainable by travelers. South Africa's Blue Train can be arduous to…

Amtrak’s New Night Owl Fares Will Get You Around the East Coast for $5 to $20

Amtrak is bestowing a gift on night owls and early birds. The national rail carrier has rolled out new low fares for select departures between 7pm and 5am on some of its busy Northeast…

In Spain, Cheap High-Speed Rail Is Now the Norm

Spain's golden age of affordable high-speed rail has arrived. Last week a new company called Iryo launched fast train service between Madrid and Barcelona, with routes to Valencia,…

Washington Metro Finally Connects D.C. with Dulles Airport and Virginia Wine Country

After four long years of delays, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s long-awaited Silver Line extension finally opened to the public on Tuesday, November 15,…

The World's Best Subways

Updated October 14, 2022 There are lots of good reasons to try out a city's subway system when you visit. It can give you an idea of what navigating the place is like for the people…

American Rail in Shambles: Legendary Amtrak Pacific Surfliner Closed Due to Erosion

The famous Pacific Surfliner in Southern California, the second-busiest intercity rail corridor in the United States with some 3 million riders a year, has been closed.A coastal…

The Train in Spain Is Free This Fall (As Long As You Don’t Go Too Far)

Spain is making many types of public train travel free for riders starting September 1, the government has announced. For the last four months of the year, a 100% discount will go…

New High-Speed Rail Service Connecting Rome’s Airport with Florence and Naples

New high-speed rail options between Rome's Fiumicino Airport (FCO) and the cities of Florence and Naples launched last week, giving travelers fresh, zippy reasons not to rent cars or…

How to Spend Two Days in Strasbourg, the Proudly French City That Looks Like Germany

Let’s say you’re visiting Paris and you’d like to see another side of France—or even another country in Europe—but you don’t have a lot of time and you don’t want to take a plane. The…

London's Gorgeous New Elizabeth Line Is Open! How to Use It for the Airport and More

London opened the first section of its Underground public transit system in 1863, six months before the Battle of Gettysburg in the United States.The Tube's original design got a lot…

Amtrak Offers Summer Service from NYC to the Berkshires. Will It Be Worth It?

The picturesque mountains, charming villages, and top-notch performing arts venues of the Berkshires in western Massachusetts are only about 150 miles from New York City. But the…

A Historic Pennsylvania Railroad Is Turning 150—and You Can Ride Again

One of the oldest narrow-gauge railroads in the United States is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year—and tourists can ride the historic rails again after a 10-year hiatus. The…

Offices at Helsinki’s Grand Railway Station Have Been Turned Into a Hotel

Helsinki's central train station frequently appears on lists of the world's most beautiful railway terminals for its art-nouveau design by Eliel Saarinen (not to be confused with his…

Filmmaker Wes Anderson Designed a Real Train Car You Can Ride In

Film director Wes Anderson (pictured above) has redesigned a real-life, luxury train carriage and, honestly, what took him so long? It's an environment—small, self-contained, elegant,…

Amtrak's Latest Flash Sale Cuts Fares in Half

A new month, a new Amtrak sale. Not that we're complaining, but the national rail service has been throwing so many sales in 2021 you feel a bit silly when you don't get a…

The Sightseeing Train to the Spectacular Summit of Pikes Peak Is Back on Track

After a nearly four-year-long closure for renovations, the historic sightseeing railway that climbs Pikes Peak in Colorado is once again taking tourists to the same view that inspired…

Act Soon for Amtrak's Terrific BOGO Sale on Private Roomettes For Summer Travel

You'll have to book this one soon. The deadline is April 16, but if you're lucky enough to get this bring-a-companion-for-free deal, you will both be traveling at the height of the…

Amtrak Introduces a Bidding System for Upgrades

In many ways, high-end train travel in the United States mirrors high-end plane travel. Amtrak doesn't have seats that convert into lie-flat beds in first and business class. But those…

Going Maskless on Planes, Buses, or Trains Could Now Cost $1,500 or More

For most of 2020, airlines and other travel suppliers urgently told customers to wear masks. But if passengers were unwilling to comply, there wasn't much that could be done. The major…