One of the most stunning Amtrak train routes runs from California to Chicago

Amtrak’s California Zephyr covers 2,437 miles in 51 hours and 20 minutes on a daily trip between Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area and has become recognized as one of the most picturesque train routes in North America.

According to Travel + Leisure, Amtrak spokesman Marc Magliari told the outlet that the California Zephyr travels through two beautiful mountain ranges: the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada.

“In some places, you can see views that can’t be seen from the road because a lot of the railroad tracks were there well before cars were invented and roads were paved,” Magliari added.

Stops are made in several major cities like Chicago, Omaha, Denver, Grand Junction, Salt Lake City, and Reno, as well as smaller towns like Naperville, Lincoln, Fraser, Glenwood Springs, Davis, and Truckee along the route as it travels daily through Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California. The Emeryville stop is technically on the East Bay; however, Thruway bus service provides connections to both Oakland and San Francisco.

There are numerous breathtaking vistas scattered all along the route.

“Climbing out of Denver, you can look down from the train and be above the Mile High City as you first make your way through a whole series of tunnels that bring you up to a place called Fraser and Winter Park,” Magliari added. “The train continues on winding its way through the mountain. You pass through Salt Lake City in darkness but pop out in time to be through Reno when you’re in the Sierras.”

The train ride between Reno and Sacramento is charming, he said, since it follows “part of the original transcontinental railroad route built during the Civil War to unite the country.” A further component of the route’s history is the name itself: the California Zephyr was the name of a train that operated between 1949 and 1970, long before Amtrak existed.

The daily departure of Amtrak Train 5 from Chicago’s Union Station is at 2 p.m., and its arrival in Emeryville is at 4:10 p.m., two days later. Train 6 leaves Emeryville at 9:10 a.m., and it arrives in Chicago at 2:50 p.m. On day one, they serve lunch and dinner, on day two, all three meals, and on day three, breakfast and lunch.

Coach seats and sleeping suites are only two of the options available to passengers. The smallest of the five room configurations offered on the Superliner is the Roomette, which ranges in size from 6.6 to 6.8 feet in length and 3.6 feet in width across two decks. The car’s two seats can be converted into a double bed at night, and there’s a bathroom and a shower for all passengers to share.

The Bedroom, which has twice as much space, is an upgrade suited to guests who want a private bathroom and more room. The space can accommodate two adults and has a sofa and separate chair that can be converted into upper and lower beds at night in addition to an in-room sink, bathroom, and shower.

The Bedroom Suite can accommodate a maximum of four adults, making it ideal for families. This is effectively the equivalent of two standard bedrooms joined into one large suite. In addition, there is a Family Room with a private bathroom and shower, adequate seating for four guests during the day (two upper beds and two lower beds), and a separate sleeping area for two adults and two children. The Accessible Bedroom has two full beds, perfect for accommodating passengers with disabilities.

All Superliner rooms feature newly upgraded bedding, pillows, towels, and linens on the beds. Additionally, first-class passengers receive a personal first-class attendant, lounge access, and priority boarding.

Amtrak offers coach class seating for those who prefer more conventional seating. These seats recline and have reading lights, electric outlets, and tray tables; there are no middle seats in this configuration.

All guests staying in private rooms have access to the restaurant, which serves a seasonal menu with an extensive choice of dishes, from burgers and salads for lunch to omelets and quesadillas for breakfast. In addition to wine, the three-course dinners feature dishes like caprese skewers and coconut shrimp as starters, flat-iron steak and Atlantic salmon as mains, and chocolate toffee mousse and lemon cake as desserts. Once on board, coach passengers may be able to purchase dining car access if it is available. Additionally, guests have the option of having meals in their rooms.

Breakfast items, burgers, tamales, and hot dogs, among other items, are available a la carte in the cafe, which is open to all passengers.

The California Zephyr welcomes small cats and dogs, with some restrictions, and provides a checked baggage service and trainside checked bicycles.

The beauty of the American landscape is on full display along the entire route of the California Zephyr, particularly through the country’s best-known mountain ranges. According to Magliari, “The difference between the California Zephyr and some of the other Western routes is simply more miles in the mountains.”

Evie Blanco is a journalist with nearly a decade of experience who was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Queens, New York. She is extremely well-versed in hip-hop music and culture and is always aware of any developments within it. Whether it’s the latest in pop culture, a fascinating foreign destination, a truly amazing new restaurant, or breaking news, she loves to write about it all.

This story was originally published April 27, 2023 at 10:35 AM.