My nephew wanted to do something like this before he passed last year, 4 days before his 29th birthday. If you have the resources, make the time to enjoy these types of adventures.

I made this trip as a 13 yr old with my parents in the 1960’s. It was a breathtaking adventure and I’m so glad that I thanked my father again for this experience many many decades later…before he passed away. I’m glad that this train and trip still exist. I think I might have to do it again!

Shortly after our marriage my wife and I spent 6 months riding the rails in the USA about 35 years ago. There were more rails back then and a monthly ticket cost about $200 for Europeans. And sleepers cost about $50 - $70 including meals. It’s still one of the best travel experiences we had. Nice to relive the memories.

My mom, brother and I made this trip 38 years ago. Nothing fancy but fun for a 14 and 10 year old. I love it!

Hope you enjoyed something a little different on the channel. Don't worry if this wasn't your jam, more luxury Aviation content coming next week. And for clarity, I paid $564 for the entire journey which included sole occupancy of my roomette, and all meals. Thanks to Paul Lucas for the inspiration to try this, if you haven't guessed, I loved it! Would you take this trip?

My son and I traveled from Oregon to Rhode Island on Amtrak, we didn’t have quite the experience you did , our train broke down in the middle of nowhere and we were stuck for almost 18 hours, but once we got back on schedule it was nice, when we were going through the Midwest they had a storyteller on board which was amazing , all in all I really had a good time with my son

I’m a train guy. And always will be. But you make this journey look a lot more glamorous than it is and you actually liked the food! I usually take coach, and I will tell you that after about 12 hours the bathrooms become incredibly filthy! But having said this I’m still a train guy and thankful that the Amtrak service exists. But this country certainly could use an improvement in passenger rail service. I.E. Bullet Trains. Why we’re so behind other first world countries in trains I don’t know. I can only guess it must be the airlines feeling threatened and blocking the advancement of a good rail system here. I enjoyed your video. It was interesting to see the British perspective of our rail system. Especially since you have such a good one yourself.

I did this with my brother and a friend back in October 2008! Loved every second of it. I remember the guy running the cafe was a good laugh. Whenever he was closing he'd announce it was closing in 10 minutes over the PA. Then he'd repeat it several times, quieter each time. We nicknamed him Whispering Johnny Ten Minutes! 🤣

I just finished a video of Japan's overnight train Sunrise Express... The quality and cleanliness are on another level on that one haha.

I did this in 2001 when I was 19. Amtrak from Bel Air, MD to San Francisco, CA. Was amazing. Will never forget it. Dead of Winter too. Some of the scenery was amazing.

I took this trip when I was four or five, in the 1940s. My grandparents picked me up in Denver, where my family was living, and we took the train all the way to Columbus, Ohio, eventually. I remember the dining car had linen tablecloths and napkins and waiters took our orders. I loved it so much. It was very exciting for a kid.

I took a solo trip in the roomette and having all that room to myself felt amazing

I use Amtrak to travel between Sacramento and the San Francisco bay area. Here's some tips from a local: 1. There is a commuter Amtrak between Sacramento and San Jose that runs multiple times a day called the Capitol Corridor, stopping at the same stops as the Zephyr, including the 'San Francisco' stop, Emeryville. 2. To get from the Emeryville station into San Francisco, Amtrak provides connecting bus service. 3. If you want to get into the city (SF) completely via train, it's easy to do: Get off Amtrak early(one or two stops before Emeryville) at the Richmond station, then board BART to take you into SF (It's the only station shared by both trains). 4. On Capitol Corridor trains, you can buy a reloadable Clipper card (BART/Cal Train pass) in the Cafe car. 5. Historic Old Sacramento is a great place to stretch your legs, take in some Old West vibes, and shop and dine. It's also home of the world class Railroad Museum, and all an easy 10 minute walk from the Sac Amtrak station. Really enjoyed your video, and Happy travels! 🙂

My stepfather was a conductor for Amtrak for 30 years. I’ve rode the trains at least 1,000 times and I enjoy it every single trip! I’ve done every situation from sleepers to coach. Definitely would advise to anyone who loves to travel.

I rode on Amtrak but from LA to Seattle and it was amazing! The only bad thing about the ride was that I found a steak knife in the shower

I did the Canadian version after my first year of college. It was around 90 hours from Toronto to Vancouver but as I was a student I did it on a budget and in economy. I can definitely tell you my experience was very different. 5 days of no shower, eating very crappy sandwiches from the cantine and sleeping on a chair... but I did make lasting friendships on that train ans memories I will always cherish. The views I must say are better than the American one. I highly recommend it to everyone.

I love Amtrak trips. Could never afford a sleeper but sleeping in the seats and also in the observation car works for me. Such fun meeting people from all walks off life.

Last August, my wife and I flew from Barbados to New York and then did Amtrak from Penn Station, NY to Chicago (coach) then on the Zephyr to San Francisco (sleeper). Coming from our tropical island scenery, it was the trip of a lifetime. So beautiful. Thankfully we only did one night in coach though.

I made part of this trek back when I was 18 years old in the 1990s. Our youth group had a coach car to ourselves from Jackson MS to Chicago and Chicago to Fraser/Winter Park. We got off there for a ski trip and took it back. One of the best experiences of my life.

I can't believe you stepped barefoot into that shower, you need to get some shower shoes aka cheap flip flops, that way you won't get foot fungus.

I took this train 30 years ago and I've told everyone it was the best trip of my life and that they should all put it on their bucket list. Awesome, spectacular, unreal... I'm at a loss for adjectives, and you will be too if you take it. You will never forget it.

You actually inspired me to take this trip! I actually took Amtrak from NY all the way through Chicago and then to California! What an amazing trip it was!!! Thank you for being so inspiring.

Back in 1997 my Mommie treated me to a Train Trip from California to Colorado. It was amazing. It was a wonderful experience that I will never forget 🥰

I’ve travelled on the Coast Starlight - 36 hours between LA and Seattle - both ways. This was just over ten years ago, but this film pretty much reflects my experience- and makes me want to travel long-distance on Amtrak. Great work!

Video cannot capture how breathtaking the scenery is and how vast everything looks in person. I did the Southwest Chief route which is not nearly as scenic as this and I was already blown away. It is definitely something I recommend doing at least once, especially in a sleeper.

Did this trip with husband about 10 years ago in December, from Emeryville to Chicago. It was at the beginning of our 8 week US/Canada holiday. We had an ensuite room. Met all sorts of interesting people. Spent most of our time in the observation car. Fabulous trip

This makes my heart melt. I live in Colorado… and it is by far one of the most beautiful states ever. I live in Downtown Denver and used to live in the mountains here as well. All around it’s magical here.

Took Amtrak Vancouver to LA some years ago. Pushed the boat out and went first class; Everything was absolutely brilliant! The service, the food, and during the day our train never really got above 40mph, so you had time to take in the gorgeous scenery. (They'd crank it up at night). Highly recommended!

On my bucket list. I wanted to do this with a friend from “across the pond” but sadly he passed away before we could make the trip together. I live in Chicago and used to live in California as a kid. I’ve taken this trip countless times in a car and airplane but never on a train.

I’ve always been an aviation guy. However, around 8 months ago I found myself in a predicament at home with some very personal issues. I bought a ticket and hopped on a greyhound bus and travelled 600 miles away from home to make a spontaneous visit to my grandparents house in eastern Tennessee. I commonly refer to it as the trip that I went on to find myself and figure out what to do from there. My first bus was delayed by 10 hours. I didn’t fret. I met so many different people over the course of the journey and talked with them about life and they all seemed to be in similar situations. The places you see and the people you meet is all a part of experiences like these. Most people don’t like a greyhound ride, but it became a pretty fond memory stored in a special place in my heart. Absolutely loved it. I guess it’s now time to look in to Amtrak!

So... you talked us into it. It's our 15-year (wedding) anniversary this year, and we're taking it from Chicago Emeryville. We'll spend a couple of days in SFO then the rest of the time in Healdsberg, CA (wine country). Can't wait!

To think that Amtrak had many more stops and stations across the country some 30 years ago, but have slowly been removed along with the tracks to make room for more roadways. I wish they reconsidered bringing back again those train services, it would be a great way to get to know America’s countryside plus it would be a really nice adventure for the kids.

I'm envious. There's something about riding a train that just can't be duplicated.

This really brought my childhood nostalgia of the 24h cross-country train trips in Romania. Loved it

What a wonderful way to travel! It is like in Europe! Imagine crusing long distances in a relaxing, pleasant train! Loved it!

For his 18th birthday I invited my son to travel Amerika together with Amtrak. We flew from Amsterdam to New York and from there we made the round trip with Amtrak to Chicago where we stayed a day or two, going to Whitefish in Montana visiting a friend from the Netherlands. Than we go to Portland which was back than (2003) a beautiful city. From there we traveled to San Francisco and to L.A. staying for a few days each. The longest trip was from L.A. to New Orleans. I have been there once with Mardi Gras and it was really wild. I love the Southern style and the French flair of the city. I found out that the city has the same kind of loose ground and high waterlevels like Amsterdam has. Each house is built on concrete poles with steel in it. After a longerstay we traveld back to New York City. We stayed so many hours on all the different trains, spoke to so many different people, shared great stories. The perfect travel I must say. We still talk about the big Amtrak trip. A great memory to share.

I took this Amtrak trip with my family back when I was 12 years old. Now I'm well into my adulthood and still look back on the trip as one of the most memorable times of my life! I highly recommend it to any adventurous travel junkie out there.

I took the family on Amtrak in 2013. Our trip started in Kansas City, we rode the Southwest Chief to LA, then changed trains to the Coast Starlight for a ride up to Portland, Oregon. The entire trip was in coach. Aside from not having a shower available, we loved every minute of it! Over 3,000 miles and 65 hours of travel. Memories to last a lifetime!

I’ve been there and done that many times. Been from Minneapolis to Providence, it’s about a two day trip and it’s absolutely amazing. Get the sleeper car, it comes with two free meals, I got the filet mignon for free. Note, the dining car is communal seating and you will have to sit next to people you don’t know. If that makes you uncomfortable, just order your meal in your room. The railroad French toast is absolutely amazing, make sure you let them know when you want to schedule your dinner reservations, when you want to turn your bed down, if you want to a wake up call and don’t be afraid to socialize in the sightseeing car. You’ll meet some awesome people. PS, the food is absolutely amazing and the views are absolutely beautiful. The train rocking you to sleep at night is the best feeling ever! They have honeymoon suites, which are like rooms for bigger families that come with a huge couches and a pull out bed. There’s even your own toilet and shower. All sleeper cars have a pull out bed and two chairs that turn into a bed. You wouldn’t think they were comfortable but they are so comfortable. And I used to sleep on a Simmons beauty rest mattress, so I would know. It’s so crazy to see you in the lounge. I’ve been in that exact lounge, don’t judge lounges based on that alone. Chicago is a very small train station, so the lounge is pretty small. But when you get a lounge in New York or Washington. They are so ritzy, big screen TVs, all you can eat food, beverages and they even check your baggage so you can walk around the city while you wait for your train. It’s like a first class lounge, because the sleeper car is considered first class. Since there is no business class. Make sure you wear comfortable clothing, comfortable shoes and make sure you have money when you layover. The thing about trains, you will have a layover at every train station. Some more fancy than others but you will want to get lunch or dinner or breakfast. Depending on which time you stop. If you go to the Chicago train station, you can walk right downtown and get fresh Chicago deep dish pizza. So it’s a 45 minute wait but it’s totally worth it if you have like a five hour layover. Me and my mother would always have super long layovers, so we’d always have fun in Chicago and go sightseeing until our train came. That’s the best part about going on the train, and stopping at all of the layovers and eating it all of the really cool restaurants. I’ve eaten in New York, Chicago and even Washington DC. Travel by train you guys, it will change your life. I love it, best way to travel in the entire world.

Witnessing a sunrise on an Amtrak train is amazing ❤ 22:42

I'm australian but have family in the US and always visit reno and truckee and seeing you go though it for some reason filled me with joy knowing that im not the only foreigner who knows the true beauty of this small city.

You did a good job of looking at the bright side and not dwelling on the drawbacks and inconveniences. Many people are too impatient for a journey like this. I was glad to hear your fresh take and to witness your appreciation of the scenery.

The next time you are on an Amtrak long haul like this one, you should show the downstairs 2nd class seating. It is the better option for these trips if you can't afford a room. It is not very full, maybe 20 seats in total, and usually you get both seats. Plus, it tends to be quieter, and I have found you will have an attendant who will get you snacks/water/meals if needed. Oh, and they always give free hot water. So bring your own food and plan on having hot water!!! Pre-pandemic, you could eat in the dining room, but it looks like that has changed.

Loved watching this...My parents and I did this same trip, same route when I was a teen-ager, back in the last millenium, and loved every minute! I "made" my own family (wife and two boys, then 11 & 6) do a shorter version, from Salt Lake CIty to Emeryville at the end, just to experience an over night and the Sierras and the experience. They (and my wife) enjoyed much of it, but the 21 hours on board was way too much for them, and they still prefer air travel...But I am still a lover of the rails and look forward to doing this again out West, and in Canada one day too!

Can we take a second to appreciate how much effort Trek puts into his videos

Fantastic journey. That observation car looks the place to be. Trains are a wonderful way to see the world. I've done 38 hours on a train across India opposite a family of 6 (doubling up on a top bunk). You need a PHD and a lot of luck to work out the best way to procure a ticket on an Indian train... however the egg biriyani I had on that service was unrivalled globally! I've also taken several trains across China (the chest-hacking in the toilets in the morning was terrible), and I've gone right up the middle of Australia on The Ghan (there wasn't a huge amount to see on that - just red earth, gumtrees and termite mounds!). One of the best journeys was down the west-side of Sri Lanka - Columbo... hanging out of a carriage as it careens across rickety tracks that sit a few feet from blue sea... truly amazing.

I think you hit the nail on the head with two comments. That it had been fantastic because you were disconnected and everything was at a much slower pace. We are now so conditioned to rush everywhere, doing everything at 90mph and never stopping. But you can’t do that on a train. A valuable lesson.

Did this when I was a teenager with my grandparents. Started in South Station, went to Canada, then the Grand Canyon, then back. I've always wanted to go another another trip but man, it's like a million dollars.

This was seriously such a fun watch as someone who grew up in Chicago and moved to Los Angeles 7 years ago!

I moved to chicago from Houston 2 years ago for school, I’ll be graduating in a few months, and when my mother said she was going to take the train up from Houston I was very confused lol. She said “it’ll be so fun and relaxing!” And I was like “what is this lady talking about?”. Now I see! 😍 I’ll have to do this one day! As an introverted creative with a deep appreciation for the beauty of everything and slow quite times, I can’t see why I haven’t done this sooner! A solo trip with Books! Movies! A bag full of snacks! A wide angle camera! Some jazz and classical music on my playlist! A journal! A bottle of wine (are we allowed to bring our own alcohol??). I’ll probably do the bedroom even as a solo traveler though because, I’m not a fan of the shared shower 😅

I've just stepped off this amazing journey myself, and it has to be up there with one of the best experiences of my life. I did this solo also, and stayed in a roomette - plenty enough room for one and I too was surprised by how good that cheesecake was!!

18:08 Even though it was around 18 years ago when I rode the CZ, I remember this image vividly. The Rocky Mountains were absolutely gorgeous! I also remember that stop in Grand Junction, CO. Fascinating small town, I wish we could've stopped there longer.

As a girlfriend of a Amtrak conductor recently turned engineer, I loved watching this! So neat to see what he gets to!

We are from the UK. For my 50th we travelled from North to South in the U.S. We used Amtrak from Vancouver to Seattle, Memphis to New Orleans and New Orleans to Atlanta. We flew between L.A. And Memphis. The train was far superior to flying! Can’t wait to do it again.

My husband and I took Amtrak from Fort Worth, Texas to Delaware and back several years ago. We had a bedroom, which was quite comfortable and the food was exceptionally good. It was the best travel experience i've ever had.

I did this route in the early '90s. Joined it in Denver. I did it on coach. Had a blast. Wouldn't do it again with out a roomette. Beautiful ride.

I am SO enjoying this video. I take the train between San Diego and Los Angeles a lot, (the Surfliner) and the views of the ocean are stunning. I went from LA to San Francisco once (11 hours, no sleeper), and sitting on the observation deck was positively hypnotizing with my headphones in, listening to music, just staring at the Pacific ocean for hours.

In 2008 I flew from Copenhagen to New Jersey with my young kids at the time with the intention of flying onward to California but we were all so ill with food poisoning that we ended up taking Amtrak from New York to California. It took about 4 days as I recall so I took the same route as you from Chicago.Amazing views as I recall and know my grown kids remember as well.❤️👌👍😉

I travelled Winter Park to San Fran bit back in 2000 at the tail end of a 5 month stay. Took almost 2 days but it was one of the highlights of the trip. Thanks for doing this video, it was good to relive the journey.

I love this video. In two weeks I am taking the same trip and I am really excited about it. Thank you so much for sharing your experience on it.

My granddaddy was an engineer on this train for many years 1930s-1950s. We lived on the route and it is a glorious trip. Just Boulder Canyon which you have to hike in for would be enough but…all the other amazing sites! Thanks for the memories♥️

The Zephyr and the Southwest Chief are always fun trips. I've made some small weekend trips on these trains, by booking partial legs like overnight from Omaha to Denver. Nothing beats the romance of train travel.

Thank you for sharing! I did this trip in coach as a college student in 1985. Looks like little has changed. Hope to revisit the route in 2023 - this time in a room.

I prefer trains over any way to travel . Very well done for this amazing trip. And sharing your voice is amazing as well.

Made this trip a dozen or more times, ... it's the best! This was a solid capture of the experience. It's worth noting that dining with other travelers is oftentimes wonderfully rewarding... so unfortunate you missed that. Also, Feather River Canyon between Truckee and the destination is spectacular area. I've seen Eagles hunt in the adjacent rivers along the route, ... mammoth herds of deer numbering into the thousands... Unfortunately, I've also experienced awakening @3am stopped unexplainably in the middle of nowhere... only to re-awaken a few hours later to still be stopped ... we had hit a car resulting in fatalities, investigation via first responders, etc, awaiting the Coroner's office prior to all parties releasing the train. Also experienced flooding and rockslides destroying the tracks... in that instance, both the westbound, and the eastbound Amtrak trains stop, and all occupants of each train are bused to the other train, re-board, then your new train backs up for miles... sometimes, hundreds of miles... until they can turn the train around at a "wye". Most every time had sleeping accommodations... but I've made the trip riding in coach a dew time... it's a grind... but still enjoyable. I've seen so much. Perhaps the best advice; one can't be in a hurry, the trip will likely have no problems whatsoever... but things happen... just chill, enjoy every moment. The overall tactile experience... the motion, that's the best part, it's very, very relaxing. After you arrive at your destination, for a day or so you'll feel like your still moving. Thanks

Awesome video. Having 2 children and being a stay at home dad since covid hit, being alone on train for 52 hours is like......a dream to me!

I went on this train awhile back, I didn't do the whole route just a few hours from one area of the west to another on economy class. Interesting that KZfaq recommended this video to me, they must know where I've been. The train passes through the rocky mountains, the scenery there is just beautiful! The observer car was very crowded and there were a few rude people, but overall great trip! Trek Trendy has definitely visited some upscale train and airplane bathrooms, I honestly think the bathrooms on the train were clean and big for both train and airplane standards. There is no wifi for us regular non-sleeper car people, but the seats were bigger than on most trains which is really surprising but I'm not complaining! Don't forget to spend every waking minute looking out the window at the lush mountains and contrasting landscapes that most of the trip has to offer!

It's been so long since I've last been in the sleeper car. My last time was when I was in preschool-kindergarten. Nothing much has changed but great memories.

As someone who has done this trip in both a family bedroom and a room, I can say that it is immensely more enjoyable than flying

Looks like a hell of a good time to me! I’m 32 years old and have never been on a train before. As a kid I’ve always wanted to go on a train ride but have never been. I really wanna take sometime to actually go on a train ride. I’d love to go on this 52 hour ride, looks beautiful.

I went on a super short ride on Amtrak years ago with my son’s 1st grade class field trip from Wasco California to Bakersfield California about a 35 minute ride. I was so motion sick Lol, I can’t imagine 52 hours🤢🤮that constant swaying motion, but I wish my stomach could take it because what an amazing journey to go on to see such beautiful landscape. Thank You for sharing 🙏

I went from Portland to North Dakota and I loved it! I just had a basic ticket and it’s the best way to travel in my opinion. I loved being able to walk around, sleep, etc.. pulse the leg room is amazing. Plus my ticket to North Dakota from Oregon on the train was like $200 vs. a plane ticket, which would’ve been nearly $1,000.

Whoa, Will. This is the most comprehensive review of a long distance Amtrak journey that I have seen so far. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ You highlighted the most important features of traveling on Amtrak in a sleeping car. I am so glad that you had this experience especially since Amtrak has brought back better meal service. I love air travel across oceans(cruises are too slow and I can't afford to book a suite on a long cruise) but the best way to see a country is by train. I hope you will get a chance to try "VIA RAIL" across Canada, "The Ghan" in Australia and other great trains available in quite a few countries. Thanks for making my week with this review of yours. Take care and have a pleasant and rewarding week.

I took a 19 hour train trip across Texas this past June. I really liked it. Watching this makes me want to do the Zephyr in Winter. Thanks for posting.

Traveled from Catania Sicily to Munich Germany for Oktoberfest 1984 via rail, Awesome. The return trip became unbearable and ended up flying from Rome to Catania for the last leg. Did not have all the amenities you had on this trip, but didn't know any better, 22 years old at the time. Good memories!

What an exciting idea to sleep on a train. ❤ your videos. First time ever watched this.

The U.S is beautiful. I took a bus from NC to Montana when I was in my early 20’s. It was a stressful trip but I got to see a lot of the country like never before.

Aha I am so pumped you took this trip! Amtrak is just incredible! :-D We need to get more aviation nerds to try Amtrak...

This was a fun revisit as I took this ride from Chicago to Denver and spent one day in Denver before getting on to the section from Denver to Salt Lake City (with the mountains of Colorado, this is absolutely the most impressive segment) before getting off. One thing I learned for future is to consider the berth. I sat in couch for my whole adventure and was stiff for a day or two afterwards. Since I did the split days, I might consider the one night sleeper as it was largely in the dark when I was on the first arm (March).😄

Really fun to watch this one ...as you traveled thru my old home area, as well as my current. Beautiful America!

My uncle was a conductor on the train from Chicago to Los Angeles when I was young (early 50's to late 60s) and I always wanted to do this. Great job!!

As an avgeek I rode amtrak all the time living on the east coast and loving it all the time. This brought tears for me . I have mad respect for you as a subscriber.

Thanks for the detailed trip report! This looks like it would be a fun adventure! You covered everything so thoroughly and so clearly. Thanks for the great video! I enjoyed watching it. And yes - that chocolate cake dessert looked fabulous.

Amazing journey ❤❤

Wow, that is a very very nice journey. Love to do it one time (if possible). This gave a great impression and I never knew trains were still running like this. Well done!!!!

It's been over 100 years but the Donner Party story still sends chills up my spine.

Ooooh! Loved that one! Going to do that when I retire in a couple of years!👍😊❤

Amazing video thank you for letting us join you on your journey across the US. Stunning sceneries breathtakingly beautiful ..

Living vicariously through this channel, incredible scenes

I feel like doing this trip with some close friends while visiting a new place would be an awesome experience

Thank you for sharing all of your amazing adventures!

I love my creature comforts but I love the idea of train rides (ensuite of course) from one side of a large country to the other in winter time. Loved this.

It seems that the Amtrak food is "back on track" after a period of microwaved dinners. This trip may have taken much longer than flying, but there was a lot more to see along the way. For anyone who is not in a hurry, I'd say that the train is better than a plane.

I did this trip in December 2019; in the same class he is traveling. Recalled everything. California Zephyr- one of the best travel experience.

What a fascinating trip to take, your descriptions are nuanced and highly informative. I’m going to be going on this journey myself this year. Period

Took an Amtrak from DC to Chicago. That was a great trip. Very scenic. I also used to visit my grandmother in South Florida, but once we entered Florida the freight trains took over and it was a delay nightmare.

As someone from Colorado who has a house in Fraser it is always cool to see other people be amazed by the scenery. It reminds me to not take the beauty for granted.

When I was 11 (in the early 90s) I took Amtrak from Jacksonville, FL to Tucson, AZ with my grandmother. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Watching the landscape change from swamp to desert was a pretty cool site. I keep telling my wife that we have to do a cross country Amtrak trip sooner or later.

Thank you for sharing your experience with us!

Great video! I took the same train to San Francisco with my family when I was five years old. Thanks for the update. Wonderful!!!