All Aboard Amtrak on the Empire Builder

This article is sponsored by Amtrak

This month Amtrak is featuring the Empire Builder with popular stops in Leavenworth, Spokane, Whitefish, Montana and Glacier National Park. Next month, look for the Coast Starlight route from Seattle to Southern California.

The romance and popularity of train travel is on the rise, especially with seniors and boomers wanting relaxed, carefree travel with a spouse, a fun way to reconnect with friends or to take the grandkids on a magical adventure they will never forget. Some call train travel a cruise ship on rails: relaxation, fine dining, breathtaking scenery, sleeping accommodations and excursions.

Empire Builder: The Rugged Splendor of the American West

Traveling daily between Seattle and Chicago—with popular stops in Leavenworth, Spokane, Whitefish, Montana and Glacier National Park—the Empire Builder takes you on an exciting adventure through majestic wilderness.

Jim Brzezinski, Route Director for Amtrak, says, “Part of the joy of train travel is comfort and a relaxed schedule. Amtrak offers a variety of sleepers from roomettes, deluxe roomettes and a family car for four. Those booking sleepers enjoy full service dining included in the cost of the ticket, and access to the Observation Lounge Car – a great place to hang out.” (More information about sleepers is in following article.)

“Leavenworth is a fun trip, but one of our biggest destinations from Seattle is Montana. You board at 4:40pm, have dinner, retire to your private sleeper and wake up in Whitefish. Or have breakfast onboard, and the next stop is Glacier National Park.

“Amtrak Vacations Packages are for those who love a tour or a package – all by train! In the Northwest, you may see wild animals like bears, bighorn sheep or a moose, or take a trip to the top of the mountain.” Packages can offer excursions, historic and luxury accommodations, shopping and gourmet dining.

Amtrak has special accommodations for seniors such as an accessible sleeper car, menus that accommodate health concerns and a year-round senior discount. “Amtrak is very welcoming to seniors,” says Brzezinski Learn more about senior discounts at www.amtrak.com/seniors-discount/.

“Hotels along our routes provide package deals for Amtrak customers and they make everything so easy. Another benefit of train travel is that you don’t have to go through security as you do on a plane,” he advises.

“All in all, Amtrak is a wonderful way to travel.”

Popular Empire Builder Destinations

• Leavenworth is a Bavarian Village with shopping and grand celebrations throughout the year in the midst of spectacular scenery. It boasts varied accommodations and dining, tours, wine tasting and a quirky nutcracker museum. Nearby wilderness offers biking, hiking, skiing and more.

• Whitefish, Montana serves up rustic charm amid the rugged beauty of the Rockies. Nestled at the foot of Big Mountain and within a short distance of Glacier National Park, the area offers no shortage of accommodations and outdoor activities for all seasons from cycling, hiking, horseback riding and whitewater rafting to skiing in winter. Quaint Central Avenue charms visitors with a taste of historic Montana.

• Glacier National Park: See grizzly bears, gray wolves and mountain lions in one of the most pristine, unspoiled environments in North America. Take a tour on the spectacular Going-to-the- Sun Road and view scenery that will stay with you long after you leave.

For more information or to book your trip, visit www.amtrak.com or call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245)

Train Journeys: Traveling the old-fashioned way

With long lines at the airport security checkpoints and frequent airport delays, air travel today is anything but glamorous. In fact, it’s not unusual to spend more time in the airport than on the plane when traveling to your destination. North American train travel, once the only way to travel across the continent, has been regaining popularity and it’s easy to see why. Cross-country train travel is slow-paced, relaxing and offers travelers a view of the passing countryside that you don’t get at 40,000 feet in the air.

America’s passenger rail operator, Amtrak, covers more than 21,000 miles and reaches 500 destinations in 46 US states and three Canadian provinces. You can reach all of the contiguous United States by rail, except for Wyoming and South Dakota. Routes from Seattle include the Coast Starlight (Seattle to Los Angeles), the Empire Builder (Seattle to Chicago) and Cascades, which starts in Eugene, Oregon and passes through Seattle on the way to Vancouver B.C. Primary Amtrak routes travel along the Atlantic coast from Portland, Maine to Miami, as well as from Washington D.C. to San Francisco via Chicago, Denver and Salt Lake City; and from New Orleans to Los Angeles via San Antonio, Texas.

In Canada, Via Rail is the primary passenger rail operator. This government-run train company has more than 8300 miles of track and runs 480 trains to eight provinces (all except Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island and Labrador.) Most North American trains are equipped with a restaurant or snack service as well as a lounge car. Today’s trains also offer wireless Internet access and plug-ins for lap top computers.

Saving Money Riding the Rails

Traveling by train doesn’t have to be expensive. Both Amtrak and Via Rail offer a plethora of discount train travel. Amtrak gives discounts to those 62 and older, AAA members, students, veterans and active military personnel and their families. There are also 15, 30 and 45- day Amtrak rail passes that give travelers unlimited rail passage within the specified time period. Via Rail extends discounts to travelers age 60 and older, and students between ages 12 and 25.

Cabins for Comfort

Of course, traveling overnight sitting in a chair can get uncomfortable. For this reason, long-distance trains are equipped with a variety of sleeping compartments. Amtrak offers a choice of accommodations, all with an attendant who prepares your bed and can bring meals to your cabin. Cabins also provide access to the lounge car and other perks not provided to other passengers.

Sleeping compartments all have beds the height of standard beds, as well as higher bunks. Options include:

• Roomette - A small cabin with two bunk beds that convert to lounge chairs during the day

• Superliner Bedroom - A cabin with two bunk-style beds, a recliner and an in-cabin washroom, designed to accommodate two people

• Superliner Bedroom Suite - Two adjacent superliner bedroom cabins that are connected to accommodate four people with four beds and two washrooms.

• Family Suite - A cabin with two bunk-style beds that convert to lounge chairs during the day and two child-size bunk beds. Designed to accommodate two adults and up to two children

• Travelers reserving a sleeping compartment pay the standard rail fare plus the charge for the compartment.

If you haven’t traveled by train in the United States, or if you haven’t traveled by train recently, it’s time to get out of the airport and enjoy the pleasures of riding the rails again. You’ll be surprised at what you see.

Content for “Train Journeys: Traveling the old-fashioned way” provided by Spot55.com