North American Rail Travel – Our Specialty

“When was the last time you saw someone wave at a bus? And when did you last see someone snapping pictures out the window of a jumbo jet?”

While the extensive rail service of the first half of the twentieth century has now passed into history, Amtrak still maintains a basic national route system. View map. There are also a number of Amtrak Thruway bus connections shown on this map, so a trip from Houston to Chicago (via Longview) or St. Louis to New Orleans (via Carbondale) is possible with a minimum of trouble. Many other connections are available as well. In Canada, VIA Rail also maintains a transcontinental service network.

Although my principal area of focus is North American rail travel, I do have the capability to book a number of overseas rail travel providers, including BritRail and Eurostar. Give me a call!

Rail as Transportation

  • Experience the scenic beauty of North America at “see level” from an Amtrak or VIA Rail Canada train.
  • Relax in a comfortable coach seat or in a private overnight sleeping accommodation.
  • Mix and mingle in the lounge cars found on many routes, or enjoy dinner and conversation with an ever-changing panorama outside your dining car window.

An Amtrak or VIA trip can be a vacation all by itself. It can also be a special way to transition to or a relaxing way to unwind on the way home from your chosen vacation destination.

Combine an Amtrak trip with a visit to the historic and cultural sites of the Northeast, the scenic wonders of Colorado or the Grand Canyon, the world-famous Walt Disney World® resort in Florida or Disneyland® Resort in California, or a stay at the famous and historic Greenbrier resort in West Virginia.

Rail as Destination

You can ride the rails to get there, or you can get there to ride the rails! There are tourist railroads and museums in every corner of North America offering unique opportunities for sightseeing, relaxation, and education about days gone by. Sample the spectacular mountain scenery of Colorado’s Cumbres & Toltec or Durango & Silverton lines. Ride through the hills of Pennsylvania on the East Broad Top or through the Canadian Rockies on the Rocky Mountaineer. See the extensive collections of one-of-a-kind historic equipment at Steamtown or the Baltimore & Ohio Museum. Take a relaxing train ride across northern Arizona’s Colorado Plateau to the rim of the Grand Canyon, and stay there a night or two. Or take a cruise-tour to Alaska for the best of two worlds: The renowned Inside Passage, and the fabulously scenic Alaska Railroad!

Rail as Avocation

For those who are well and truly bitten by the “train bug,” nothing tops the chance to actually get some hands-on experience! There are many railroad preservation groups scattered throughout North America which would welcome your volunteer labor and offer you a chance to experience the real thing up close and personal in return. Be aware in advance: Working on the railroad is usually dirty, and it is never easy. But there is a real sense of satisfaction in watching your favorite locomotive or railroad car in action and knowing that you had some small part in keeping it alive for the next generation. And for the ultimate railfan experience, there are a handful of opportunities each year to actually take the controls and operate a steam or diesel locomotive yourself, under close instruction and for a suitable rental fee. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime gift for your favorite rail enthusiast!