HELLO FRIENDS!! and welcome to the train side of youtube, where i have been residing for the past few months🚂✨we came, we saw, we slept, we got mooned 🌝what did you guys think of the california zephyr? and what train should we take next?? xoxo, saf

Safiya saying "Let's make some Illinoise!" and then apologizing for the bad joke only for Tyler to say he was about to make the same joke is honestly couple goals

Watch them do a whole train travel in the US series and single-handedly revive the passenger rail industry in America, 😂😂

For folks interested in the Zephyr- I’ve done it 3 times, and it’s considered one of the most scenic trains in the US. But the majority of epic landscape takes place on the 2nd day. You can save some money by getting off in Denver and still get the full impact of the experience. 🙂

Bless Curtis for keeping an eye on you! A lot of people might have been (are often are) like, "Hey not my problem if they miss the train". He really was looking out for you guys!

5 seconds after meeting Curtis, I need an entire reality series that follows him. I know that man has some life lessons and stories to tell me.

this is unintentionally great for the image of public rail transit and I hope more KZfaqrs/ influencers start promoting this

Trains! Public transportation! Love ‘em both. America needs to bring them back in full force even better than they were before.

Looks like a decent trip if you want to see the sights and don't care about time. I really wish at the very least Amtrak would get more funds to update their older cars and sleeper rooms. I think something like the Zephyr which is so popular could use a very modern update.

Train expert here. I recommend taking The Canadian from Toronto to Vancouver. Over 4 nights and 3 days, it offers more of the 1950s travel experience with even more impressive scenery than what you saw on the Cal Zephyr. Regardless of what you choose, I hope you enjoy your next train trip!

This is probably the most marketing Amtrak has had in a decade, and Carl definitely deserves a raise for keeping track (aha) of you two throughout the trip. Great video!

Hi, Safiya and Tyler! My wife showed me this video. Thank you for making it. I think you and Tyler did it justice. I did this kind of trip twice. My first cross-country Amtrak trip was in 2008. I flew to Chicago and took the California Zephyr from Chicago Union Station to Emeryville. I don't know if this is still the case, but back then, they had a shuttle that took you from Emeryville to San Francisco. I remember this because I was using an early iPhone and a passenger asked me rudely, but firmly, to turn off the keyboard sounds! I did layovers in Omaha, Denver, SLC and SF. It was really cool to see these cities before they blew up. Downtown Denver looked SO different back then! I rode straight through on my way back and took the Lakeshore Limited to New York Penn, then walked (with my 70L Gregory backpack!) to Oh Taisho! in St. Mark's Place then to Clark Street Station over the Brooklyn Bridge. I did it again in 2010. This time, I rode along the coasts. I took the Carolinean from NYP to Charlotte, then the Sunset Limited to New Orleans (stayed the night at a way fancier hotel than I should have!), Houston (where we eventually moved to 13 years later!), and Los Angeles. Booking a cab in Charlotte back then was awful if you stayed out past 10pm. Uber wasn't around back then, so you had to dial a number (which you could find with Google Maps, thankfully!) and hope that the dispatcher picked up. I think it took me 30+ minutes to get a ride. I don't think I was in a super remote part of Charlotte either. I ate at Dinah's in LA and did some other stuff I don't remember. From there I took the Surfliner/Cascades up to Seattle (had to transfer to a bus at SF because the tracks were under construction; sucked, but it was still pretty!), then the Empire Builder to Chicago and the Lakeshore Limited back to NYP. I enjoyed Voodoo Doughnuts and Stumptown Coffee in Portland, OR, at their original locations, before they expanded like crazy. Both were just as amazing back then, maybe even more so. IIRC, both were within walking distance from Portland's train station. I booked USA Rail passes for both trips and sat in Coach. You could upgrade to a sleeper car back then, but Amtrak seems to have discontinued this. I was too broke back then to do it anyway! The sleeper cars seemed like a pretty bad deal relative to what you paid. It seemed way more economical to just book a nice hotel nearby and enjoy the city instead. You can sleep pretty decent in Coach if no-one's sitting next to you (likely). You can also "shower" in their (much bigger) bathrooms, though it won't be as "fresh" as the communal showers in the sleepers. The food is really good! I had Bison burger for the first time on an Amtrak train! Those desserts are, indeed, insane. Thanks again for making this. Rail travel is an incredible way to see the US in a way that's impossible to savor from a window seat (or an aisle seat when the person sitting there keeps the window seat open, which they usually don't!). I hope this experience convinces more people to try out Amtrak. They've been bleeding for a long time and could definitely use the ridership!

The reason why Amtrak trains are almost always delayed is because of the 21,000 miles of track on their network, Amtrak only owns about 500 miles of it, meaning the rest is owned by the freight companies. Because of this, Amtrak trains frequently have to come to a complete stop to allow freight trains to pass, as they have priority over passenger services.

My grandparents rode this back in the 80s or 90s going the opposite way so their final destination was San Francisco. They did get off in Salt Lake City and almost missed getting back on the train. My grandpa passed away last year and my grandma has been reminiscing about it and wants to take it again. Gonna have to show her this video to get her excited about taking the train again.

I love how Safiyas videos are so unapologetically about stuff she likes. Weird hotels, celebrity chefs restaurants and now trains. Makes you wonder what comes next x3

You guys are adorable 🙂 I grew up in Chicago, but I've been in Los Angeles for half of my life (I'm turning 50 next month). I've been wanting to take this trip for the past decade, but I keep chickening out! You've inspired me!

honestly the comradery you get with the other passengers and the employees on these long train trips make the whole experience 10x better. when i went from chicago to arizona (flagstaff i think?) almost everyone on the staff spoke spanish and helped me pass my biliteracy exam, and then we just spoke spanish for the rest of the trip. i also got off at every possible stop, and i also had several guardian angels yelling at me to return when i strayed too far lol. truly a magical experience.

You guys should DEFINITELY do the train ride that goes across almost all of Canada. It's expensive, but supposed to be incredibly scenic. There will be lots of rocks!!!

Train KZfaq is so wholesome. I ended up on that side of YT in the height of covid, and it was so lovely. I'm so glad y'all enjoyed it!

22:44 The Moffat Tunnel shaved 23 miles off the journey over the Continental Divide. Before it opened, trains had to take a longer route up to the summit of Rollins Pass, which could be a challenge to operate in the snowy winters. This route had 4% grades, numerous zigzags, and even a loop called Riflesight Notch on the west side of the pass. It was closed when the tunnel opened, and torn up in the mid-1930s.

Just a tip for people starting (or finishing) this trip in San Francisco. You can take BART from downtown to the MacArthur Station and then the H (Hollis) bus to the AMTRAK depot in Emeryville, or you can ride the "SF Amtrak" bus from the Transbay Terminal/Salesforce Transit Center downtown, which drops you right outside the AMTRAK station. The latter is a 30-minute ride. Uber and Lyft fares can be very steep, depending on the time of day.

Saf listing all these amazing themed train experiences only to say “even Canadian trains!” with a picture of a Via Rail train has me cackling

I took the Zephyr last spring, and Curtis was my car attendant as well :D He's done that route for a long time, and doesn't mess around. Really nice gentleman to be around. Glad to see you enjoyed yourselves. Try the Amtrak Empire Builder, from Chicago to Seattle (or the other way around from Seattle to Chicago).

Definitely recommend checking out the Acela first class train from DC to Boston. It’s only a day trip at 6ish hours but it’s as close to a luxury experience on the train as you can get in the US (I’m also an engineer who is helping redesign/update parts of that route 😁)

I loved this so much! I've been riding AMTRAK all my life so I was delighted by this. Two other long-distance trains to consider are The Empire Builder and The Southwest Chief! The Empire Builder, going through the bluffs of Wisconsin, the Great Plains, Glacier National Park, The Cascade Mountains, and runs along the Columbia River Gorge and splits with part going to Seatle and part to Portland. There are some great rocks and sometimes mountain goats! The prairie is less flat and colourless in the spring, as a recommendation plus there might be dancing sandhill cranes in Wisconsin. I always make sure to get the crab cakes and the famous AMTRAK French toast when I ride it! Although something to be aware of is this train has a LOT of waiting for freight trains because of the high freight traffic from the Bakken Oil Fields and the freight has right-of-way because they own the track! The Southwest Chief goes from Chicago to Los Angeles and goes through Kansas City, Albuquerque, Flagstaff - and just has some of the most amazing views. One of my favourite train memories was when we stopped in La Junta, CO and basically the train got off with the conductor with us and we all trooped over to a grocery store together! Only happened once. And there always used to be Native Indigenous people selling the most amazing jewelry at the Albuquerque station. And I've seen so much wildlife from that train - so many pronghorn antelope and once a bear was running alongside the train! It also has a great tunnel as well! But anyway going to try to show this to everyone I know and I hope you get to ride some more trains!

I'm a conductor with Amtrak, I'm so sad I missed seeing you, but I'm glad you enjoyed the journey! You should join us on the Coast Starlight next time!

Traveling vicariously through Saf and Tyler is my favorite way to travel.

I'm so happy train content is getting a cross over on Safiya's channel. I never imagined this moment would come.

This looks like such an awesome way of seeing the scenery of several states without any of the logistical stress of driving and flying to different locations!

As a disabled woman, I truly enjoy travelling by train. It's far superior to travelling by plane if you use a wheelchair. The en-suite shower is made for disability use. The room is large enough for you to use a chair comfortably. Sadly, there used to be more lines. I wish they would open them up again. If they did I would travel this way far more.

I'm actually super pleased to see someone make a video about train travel who isn't a niche train youtuber. Train travel is really cool and by far one of the safest ways to travel, as well as being better for the environment. Unfortuately, place like the US and Australia became super car-focused, which means that there's far less options for train travel available, whereas places like the EU or Japan prioritised it, making it much easier to get around. I loved seeing some of the scenery on your travel across various US states, and it gave me nostalgia for train travel. I used to live in Europe as a kid, and it was easy to hop on a train and travel a few hours and be in a new country. I really loved the private rooms you could have. I also kind of missed the scenery that was visible getting the train from Brisbane to Sydney, sadly that service has been impacted so much that whole parts of the trip have been replaced by bus instead. That train also never had private rooms (at least while I've been alive), which I think makes the trip much nicer.

I took amtrak NYC to LA connected in Chicago and it has become one of my favorite ways to travel! Love it. Next is Europe cuz i heard they're fabulous. BTW when i stopped in Colorado and the door opened, all I smelled was 420 on 4/20😂 the entire city had lit up some serious Cannabis! Smoked a blunt with a generous stranger and got back on the train! Thank you Colorado for a great welcome ❤

28:50 the lady falling over in the back 😂

Safiya: always giving us the content we weren't expecting, but definitely the content we needed.

Videos like these are so important because it proves that American train travel is not going away anytime soon. We need to support funding for an updated train system! I love trains. It's my favorite method of travel because the altitude climb's not as dramatic and the passengers and staff are so nice. I use Amtrak as much as I can (I'm a NE Corridor regular) and it's so much fun riding and seeing the scenery change. Someday I'd like to ride Acela and the Zephyr either through my own funds or Amtrak's writers residency program. If you want to try more US train travel, you should give the Texas Eagle or the Coast Starlight a try. If you're into old school steam trains, there's the Western Maryland Steam Railroad. Internationally, there's the Maglevs in Europe and Japan. I've always been curious about the connection between London and Paris. I've done two routes of the TGV - one to Nantes, and the other between Paris and Milan through the Alps.

This was so enjoyable to watch - I take the train all the time in the UK but it's a whole difference experience having a train journey that lasts for 50 something hours!

Ah, this was so nostalgic. Being an army kid, I have travelled so much in trains. Those days of cozy watching while your brain's default network is in place. Loved your video!

I am hoping this becomes a series! As a train enthusiast, it was such a surprise to get this notification and it was so entertaining. Trains are very neglected in the US and videos like this go to show how fun they can be!

As an Indian, we have a really strong railway network. With fancy 14 days long trains that show historic cities to regular commuter trains, we won't survive without our trains.

10 MILLION!!!! Yayyyyy!!!!! You deserve this so much, you are a true inspiration for us two, in many many ways! ❤️❤️ thank you and congrats!

East Bay Native here and a long time fan ❤ Thank you for shining light on this gem..its not uncommon for us to take a ride to Reno,NV and back down for a brief scenic trip in the winter time 😊

Safiya doing whatever she wants and making it bomb content makes her QUEEN.

As an urban planner and train enthusiast, you have no idea how happy this video is making me 🤗🥰

I absolutely love Amtrak. I took my first train from Harrisburg PA to Los Angeles CA in 2019 and back in the sleeper cars and I've been obsessed ever since. I took two trains from Harrisburg to Chicago then the California Zephyr. Was a blast

I have to say, these travel videos are definitely my personal favourite. I just keep on rewatching this and the moving across the country videos. I love them so much

You know when you watch a video and straight away you're like "yes i will be watching this over and over and whenever i'm in a bad mood"? This is definitely one of those videos for me!

Safiya saying "I like rocks" while half asleep is such a relatable mood. 😂😂🥰

Ahh, it looks so fun and nice! Napping under the subtle sunlight coming from the window, while watching the scenery seems like an amazing experience. I'm not from america and i don't like the idea of travelling, but this goes straight to my bucketlist.

as someone who has taken amtrak trains for almost all my travels and trips growing up, it's so neat to see other people find it as a new experience! i forget some people dont even know about it

Can I just say, the staff was superb! So kind ❤ I have travelled a lot mostly out of necessity and awesome staff really make trips so much better. So here’s a big thank you to every kind concierge, waiter, cashier, maid, janitor, ticket agent, and anyone else who has made a trip just a little bit better ❤

I just love the versatility of Safiya's content ❤

your videos will forever bring me nostalgia, please never change Safiya, you are amazing inside and out.

I think my favourite thing about saf's videos is the fact that she's always genuinely excited and amazed by everything, not over the top but just her

Taking trains in Europe and Japan is so fantastic. I wish the United States had better train infrastructure. I did the Amtrak route from Dallas to Chicago and I had a great time.

This was such a fun video. I rode the train as a kid with my family from WA to SF and it's pretty fun. You guys are always so endearing and wholesome. ❤

Safiya in glasses and no makeup at five AM has got to be the cutest thing in existence. Edit: I have a copy of "Snakes on a Train," which I bought because the name is hilarious. It's a real movie, it's terrible, and the director's commentary is the most self-congratulatory I have ever heard in any director's commentary in my life. Highly recommend, but only if you have something else to do at the same time.

Get a eurail pass! You can go anywhere in europe--33 countries--for 15 days. If you miss your train, you just take the next one. PS your guys' relationship is so heartwarming to see❤..oh and Curtis was such a sweetheart!!

This was probably one of the most relaxing of your videos that I've ever seen. What an absolutely cool adventure! My husband is not too crazy about train trips (we've been stuck for many hours a few too many times) but maybe sometime down the road I can convince one of my girlfriends to do a trip like this one. Thanks for always sharing your awesome adventures with us!

The Glacier Express in Switzerland is one of the most beautiful train rides in the Swiss Alps. The train goes from St. Moritz to Zermatt. I can really recommend this trip.

Safiya has like the perfect channel. Last video it was fashion. This time it's trains. Who knows what next week will bring us?

I've been MEANING to go on a long train trip and ya'll are my favorite. This was a great honest review ❤😊

As someone who was stuck in suburbia during my time growing up in the US, the scenery I missed is absolutely breath-taking, and I'd love to see it for myself by train some day.

I, as a train lover, welcome this new train era of the channel. (aka PLEASE DO MORE TRAIN VIDEOS GUYS)

Curtis is an absolute gem, thr bald head guys story really just killed me Honestly, if I ever get the chance to board the train, I'm straight up mooning the kayakers

Hilarious ! Your experiences on the train brought back so many great memories of my cross country train trips. ( Philadelphia to the west coast) You can't go wrong on any of the Amtrak routes. They all have something different to offer. Some routes are prettier than others but still have interesting things to see. Have seen people get left behind. Traveling across Canada on their train is on my bucket list. Enjoy your next trip.

My hubs and I took the train from Galesburg to Provo, Utah to attend our nephew's wedding. We had a smaller sleeper car and slid in our beds from head to toe as we rounded corners. We had dinner with a man from Japan traveling alone across the entire U.S. by train as an anniversary gift from his wife. When we left the train in Provo in the early 2 am hour of the morning, our steward woke us and escorted us to the door, and the train slowed down and we hopped out. There was no station just a covered bench, like a bus stop. It's an adventure I will not forget. Thanks for bringing back memories.

Looking thru these comments makes me realize the wide range of people who love Safiya and Tyler. They seem like such great people.

As a European, I've been on a lot of trains, but I've never showered on one because there is no trip that long. Looks like a challenge. It's fun to take trains in the Netherlands because you've basically passed the whole country and seen all the cities in two hours (excluding the South) and their train system and the way you pay for public transport is different to the German one. I don't know much about it other than that I think it's still running, but I do want to throw the Orient Express into the mix because it's the only epic historic train ride I know.

loved this concept!!!!! Please do ALL trains that catch your eye. This is my favorite content you guys have done yet!!!

I don't have any specific requests, but I would LOVE more sleeper train content from you guys!

Ohh guys, what a journey!!! My family loves taking the Amtrak!! It is NOT glamorous, but it is an American classic! And compared to flying, the boarding/station time is lightning fast. Amazing!! 🎉❤

Thank you so much for this. My father was an avid train hobbyist and would’ve loved this video. I would’ve loved to have been able to take an excursion like this with him. All I could think about was how beautiful the scenery was and how nice it would’ve been to experience with him. This is our first Christmas without him and this is so very timely. Blessings to you both and thank you again. 🚂❤️

Had to watch... great video. I went from LA to Mpls on the train in 46 (the simplest of situations) and back in 47 on a sleeper car. Your stopping and running for the train brought back some scary moments for me, but nice to see your experience. So much fun getting to know you a little. I'll be watching.

Ever since I was a kid I've wanted to take a long train ride just for the scenery and it seems so relaxing. This was really cool to get a glimpse of it. The shower situation was wild though! LOL! Glad no injuries happened.

YES please do more trains this is absolute peak comfort content here. Japanese trains, the Swiss train that goes everywhere, the Norway train that does the glaciers, please do it all

Safiya always manages to make videos that are in line with her previous videos, yet still are so unexpected.

I love how you borrowed a bunch of visual queues from some of my favourite bloggers out there. Trains play catch up during the night.

I took the Empire Builder Train from Chicago to Portland, Oregon, and it was an amazingly beautiful ride! The biggest highlight that attracts many people to take this train is passing through Glacier National Park in Montana. I feel I had a unique experience, as we ended up having a passenger restrained by the crew and arrested at one of our stops. I slept on the seats, so I didn't have the experience of having a sleeper car, but I loved it regardless. Somewhere in one of the Dakotas, we were caught in a huge thunderstorm, and it was amazing to watch in the observation car. I recommend you try this train!

I'm not sure if this is just me but her voice is so soothing. Always helps me to sleep at night watching her videos. Anyone else?

Thanks Safiya! This was so refreshing 🙌🏻 Been out of KZfaq lately because nothing is interesting to me anymore and this was 😚🤌🏻 chefs kiss ✨✨✨✨ Keep doing things you love, this is inspiring ❤️

omg i got into train watching content earlier this year so i was SOOOO excited when i saw the thumbnail for this video!! traveling across america by train is now on my bucketlist 😭 i'm glad you and tyler had a great time and saw some amazing rocks, lol!

This was so lovely to watch. My main takeaways were that the American landscape is stunningly beautiful and that the Zephyr train has a surprising amount of veggie and vegan food 😂 I think you should take the London to Edinburgh sleeper train because I have always wanted to try it!

this might sound strange but thank you for taking the amtrak!! i come from a small train town that has an amtrak stop and i believe that amtrak is severely underrated. i've taken it many times and always have had a good experience, even though it's been delayed every single time haha. passengers on the amtrak help keep little railroad towns like my hometown alive, so thanks for doing a video on it!!

Great job Safiya! Can’t wait for more content 🪨⛰️💛

Oh, this brought back some memories! I went to college in Iowa and took the California Zephyr home to Chicago once. The train was delayed by six hours (I was supposed to leave at 6 a.m., but ended up leaving at 12:30 p.m.) and they couldn't make up time because the engine had a governor on it - basically capping its speed at a certain point. But I still loved that journey because I befriended a stranger. Her name was Lisa and we spent about half the ride talking to each other. She was from California and was meeting up with a friend in Chicago, then the two of them were going to spend winter break in Wisconsin. We never stayed in touch, but she made that train ride so pleasant for me. Personally, I had the most nostalgia when you showed the snack bar - it hasn't changed a bit since December 2009! :)

I'm not a morning person AT ALL and yes, those breakfast hours are excruciating. That's even earlier than most hotels I've been to. I sleep through breakfast when I'm traveling, cuz when I'm at home, breakfast happens at noon at the earliest. 😅

I did NY to Florida the last two years to visit family. It’s a one night thing, pretty similar but no viewing car. I think the breakfast hours were a bit later. It’s hard to explain to people how relaxing it is… no TSA to deal with, and once you are on the train you have nothing to worry about, just sit back and relax and enjoy the view, read a book, have a meal, chat with other people.

Long-time rail fan here, saying how glad I am that Amtrak lived up to your expectations -- well, for the most part, anyway. Next time you head to Chicago, start from Seattle, my local, on the Empire Builder. Like those folks who get off in Glenwood Springs or Winter Park, I get off in Wisconsin to hang with friends for a few days before continuing. Even better: carry on from Chicago to NYC on the Lake Shore Ltd. Enjoy!

Congratulations on 10M!! Much deserved. We made a quiz in celebration of the occasion, we’d love Tyler to give our Safiya Superfan quiz a try! 😊🥰

My wife and I went on a northern Europe train trip this summer (up from Switzerland, through Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Norway then back down). I definitely recommend the Oslo to Bergen train trip. It's "only" 8 hours, but it's absolutely lovely. Within Switzerland the Geneva to Bern journey is beautiful, especially along lake Geneva.

This honestly seems like such a cool trip to take with a significant other or a friend. Cramped spaces and good scenery? I’m putting this on my bucket list

I love traveling by train. I took the train from New York to Chicago and enjoyed every minute of it as did my twelve-month-old son.

Always get excited when you guys post a new travel video! Also, Safiya you look great with your glasses. You should wear them more often.

If you make it back to Japan, I highly recommend the overnight train from Tokyo to Sapporo, Japan. I took that with some friends to attend the Snow and Ice Festival in Sapporo, which takes place in early February every year, and it was great!

Okay, but like imagine doing this trip with a sketchbook and sketching all the beautiful scenery 😍

I love how Safiyas videos are so unapologetically about stuff she likes

I love all the collabs and every video you do! Was so excited that you posted!

Just when I'd started my binge watch of all Safiya and Tyler videos, she's blessed us once again 😩💜

As someone who grew up riding Amtrak, I'm super happy you guys had a fun trip!! When I try to share my experiences people always argue about how the train ' takes too long ' or ' is inconvenient ' but you guys represented how the journey, even if long, can be fun and enjoyable :)))

Love the idea of train travel having a resurgence, this looks so fun!