One Of Amtrak's Scenic Trains Offers A Round-Trip Journey Through The Pacific Northwest

The United States isn't short of stunning train routes. From the Grand Canyon Railway to the Rocky Mountaineer, America has several scenic train rides across extraordinary landscapes, offering passengers the opportunity to explore the natural beauty of the country in comfort and style. Although train travel isn't always the most popular way to travel, it is hard to argue with its charm. Due to historically low investment in infrastructure, some trains are older than perhaps they should be and routes are sometimes dogged by delays. However, long-distance train travel remains something magical and delightful and is a wonderful way to enjoy the best the U.S. has to offer.

As you might imagine, Amtrak runs several of the most impressive rail routes in the country. You can set out on an American West adventure on the Empire Builder route from Chicago to Portland, or drink in the dreamy coastline of the West Coast on the Starlight route from Seattle to Los Angeles. But for sheer, unadulterated natural beauty and stunning landscapes, nothing beats Amtrak's Cascades route, a glorious round trip through the Pacific Northwest.

The Amtrak Cascades runs from Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada, all the way down to Eugene, Oregon, stopping at 18 stations in total (including Portland and Seattle) and running right through the magnificent Cascades mountain range. Most round-trip travelers will start and end their journey in Vancouver, Seattle, or Portland, which are the easiest to get to thanks to their international airports. As there is no hop-on-hop-off ticket, you'll need to purchase tickets for different segments of the trip if you want to stop and explore any of the destinations along the route.

From soaring mountain peaks and icy-blue glaciers to alpine meadows and misty rainforests, plus some of the most vibrant cities in the U.S., the Cascades train is filled with excitement and wonder. Starting in Vancouver, passengers can enjoy incredible food and great nightlife in the buzzing districts of Gastown and Chinatown after biking along the Stanley Park seawall, picking up tasty morsels in the Granville Island market, or relaxing at Kitsilano Beach or English Bay. 

The towering peak of Grouse Mountain provides a stunning backdrop for the first part of the Cascades rail adventure. Heading south, the train crosses the border into northern Washington. With the snow-capped Mount Baker and the Northern Cascades National Park on the left and the sparkling waters of Bellingham Bay and the Salish Sea on the right, there's plenty to keep an eye on. Seattle comes next, with its iconic Space Needle and Pike Place Market, one of the tourist traps in America that is actually worth visiting. Enjoy its quirky, alternative cultural vibe before the train heads south to Tacoma and Mount Rainier National Park. Tacoma itself offers some delightful outdoor exploration, from Point Defiance Park to the sea lion-cloaked shores of Puget Sound. Serious adventurers will want to stop and explore the slopes of Mount Rainier further, to discover its gorgeous glaciers, picturesque alpine meadows, and breathtaking panoramic views.

The final stretch of this utterly dramatic train journey takes travelers through sprawling pine forests and past the ominous lava fields of Mount St. Helens down to the West Coast foodie paradise of Portland. This laid-back city offers a smorgasbord of artisan coffee shops, microbreweries, and farm-to-table eateries, alongside amazing public parks and gardens, organic markets, riverside walks, and Powell's, the world's largest bookstore!

No single train travels the entirety of the Amtrak Cascades route. Instead, the network is broken up into a series of round-trip journeys: Vancouver-Seattle, Vancouver-Seattle-Portland, Seattle-Portland, and Seattle-Portland-Eugene. Some people might worry about a train trip that involves a border crossing, but the process is quite simple. Redditor u/edileereads says, "Amtrak checks your ID and boarding pass at the station and gives you a customs declaration form to complete. After Bellingham they do a train survey and check passports again as they approach the border. Then when we disembarked we went through Canadian customs, that only took a few minutes."

Passengers can bring two items of luggage as well as a smaller personal item on board, and cyclists who plan to explore the Pacific Northwest on two wheels can bring their bike along for an extra $5. It is worth booking in advance, as seats fill up quickly, but this can be done simply online or on the Amtrak mobile app. If you are a regular train traveler or if you want to spend some time exploring stops the route, hopping on and off to get the most out of the region, it's worth buying a USA Rail Pass. This gives riders the ability to take any 10 Amtrak journeys within 30 days for $499.

Perhaps most excitingly of all, Amtrak has recently announced that it is upgrading its fleet, with new, modern Northwest-styled trains in manufacturing and ready for testing on the route this year. This will be a significant upgrade and add an extra touch of luxury and class to this magnificent railway experience.