Taking the Train to the Grand Canyon

[1970 CST Short Wide]

In a couple weeks we’re Flying to Los Angeles to catch an AmTrac Train to the Grand Canyon. LA to Flagstaff AZ is an over night trip so we got a sleeper car.
Once in Flagstaff it’s a short ride to Williams AZ to catch a Steam Loco to the South Rim for a 2 night Stay then reverse to get home. 5 days total
I’ve taken the Train to Reno a couple times , it’s a lot slower than driving but the scenery is much better and a LOT more stress free. We get home first week in August so I’ll let you know how it was then
Looking forward to going

[HO455]

Too cool! But I'm quite jealous. I really like traveling by train. But your schedule needs to be flexible since the trains schedule is.

I've taken the train from PDX to San Francisco and Sacramento, taking in the rail museum in Sacramento. And when I was in first grade we took the train from Reno to Sacramento when they were still running dome cars on the Feather River route.

Hope the trip goes well. I'll be looking for reports.

[jumpsoffrock]

Hmmm I may do this someday, I'm here for the pics.

EDIT: Yikes, looked at the prices. Might have to wait til retirement for this one lol

[Sheepdip]

Done the Sacramento to Reno and back several times and was always a good trip..it's like a party train.

[1970 CST Short Wide]

Originally Posted by jumpsoffrock

Hmmm I may do this someday, I'm here for the pics.

EDIT: Yikes, looked at the prices. Might have to wait til retirement for this one lol

I am retired. We paid $3600

[tutone]

There are some pretty cool videos on youtube from this guy that rides the sleeper cars cross country. Look and sounds like a great trip to me.

[farmall]

https://www.rockymountaineer.com/

I would really like to do this.

[CG]

We were at the Grand Canyon in May. We saw that train, looked neat.

We looked at some of those cross country train trips and man they can be really pricey.

[1970 CST Short Wide]

We’ve been looking at doing a train tour through the Canadian Rockies. That ones a 10-12 day trip so we thought a 5 day trip would tell us if we want to set on a train that long
Would hate to be day 2 of 12 and Not Like It. Hopefully Next Year

[Lokin4AReason]

take plenty of foto s

would be interesting to see the surroundings of the train trip

[LS short box]

Always wanted to go to the Grand Canyon. I flown over it a few times and it still looks cool even from 35,000 feet.
Seems to me someone told me they flew to Vegas and then rented a car. Then drove 4? hours the Grand Canyon.

[weq92f]

.

Sounds like such a cool trip...from my Online "research" I have learned that train travel can be a lot of fun. It's certainly a much slower, more casual and sometimes cramped experience. The surrounding landscape becomes front and center and you have chosen a great route for that methinks.

Take pics please and share here. Try to get a shot of your riding companions near the window when there's lots of close up trees or other objects flashing by outside. If you can adjust your shutter speed, bring it down to as slow as you can so all the things in the window are blurred with motion and your subject is crystal clear.

-Kevin

[Steeveedee]

The wife wanted to visit the Grand Canyon, so we went a few years ago. Cab to the AMTRACK train in LA. Train to Williams, shuttle bus to the parking lot and a train the rest of the way. Herded onto some bleachers to watch a gunfight. The place has some awesome views, I can tell you that! On the train off the site, we got "robbed" by some bandits on horseback. I'll just call it for what it was, shameless grifting, imo. The shuttle driver drove like an idiot back to Williams. There was construction and he failed to merge, taking out several of the sawhorses with flashing lights on them, then swerved back into traffic from a dead stop, pulling a trailer with everybody's luggage. Thankfully no semi rigs came around the curve when we "merged". I know that I will never ride a train again, either. I served on an aircraft carrier when I was in the Navy, and it delivered a smoother ride at 30+ knots, and is quieter than a train, even during flight ops.

[1970 CST Short Wide]

Originally Posted by Steeveedee

The wife wanted to visit the Grand Canyon, so we went a few years ago. Cab to the AMTRACK train in LA. Train to Williams, shuttle bus to the parking lot and a train the rest of the way. Herded onto some bleachers to watch a gunfight. The place has some awesome views, I can tell you that! On the train off the site, we got "robbed" by some bandits on horseback. I'll just call it for what it was, shameless grifting, imo. The shuttle driver drove like an idiot back to Williams. There was construction and he failed to merge, taking out several of the sawhorses with flashing lights on them, then swerved back into traffic from a dead stop, pulling a trailer with everybody's luggage. Thankfully no semi rigs came around the curve when we "merged". I know that I will never ride a train again, either. I served on an aircraft carrier when I was in the Navy, and it delivered a smoother ride at 30+ knots, and is quieter than a train, even during flight ops.

Sorry to hear your experience wasn’t so great. We’ve ridden the train a couple times from Martinez to Reno and loved it. Lots of Room and Very Smooth Ride
Hope this trip is the same. Don’t like to be rushed

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by tutone

There are some pretty cool videos on youtube from this guy that rides the sleeper cars cross country. Look and sounds like a great trip to me.

That sounds like the Downie Live channel, I enjoy it too.

Originally Posted by farmall

https://www.rockymountaineer.com/

I would really like to do this.

I live along the route and would love to do it as well. My wife had the opportunity to do the Vancouver to Whistler route on Rocky Mountaineer and said it was incredible.

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

My son and I for a vacation are planning to hit a couple of railway muesuems near Reno among a couple other things in the area.

We have to get back to Ely to see our brick at that muesuem.

Plus we're planning to do the railway your going on for Christmas one year.

[best view]

I love the train went from Boston to Dallas to run the marathon, they had a glass top bar on the second floor were you could have a drink and watch the world go by, also it goes in a loop and if you wanted you could get of twice and stay at the city and get back on when it came back but that was 10 years ago

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Originally Posted by Ziegelsteinfaust

My son and I for a vacation are planning to hit a couple of railway muesuems near Reno among a couple other things in the area.

We have to get back to Ely to see our brick at that muesuem.

Plus we're planning to do the railway your going on for Christmas one year.

Ah, you're coming in my direction. Last 2 weeks I took my first train rides, from Italy to Switzerland to France and to Germany. Swiss Alps is the most beautiful place on earth, pictures don't come close to serving its justice.

[GOPAPA]

The Grand Canyon Train Ride would sure be a fun one to take .. be sure and post some photos Idaho when you get back ... We may get a Am Track train coming through here in Nampa again ,,, The Pacific Northwest could see two new routes under the preferred plan, serving destinations without any train service at all, such as Yakima, Boise, Missoula, and Pocatello. Both routes would provide daily service from Seattle with one running to Denver and another running to Chicago on a modified alignment from Amtrak’s Empire Builder. ,,,,,,,with all the highway traffic being so much ,, Just maybe train service would lighten the load and we could have many more train rides like the one you speak of to the Grand Canyon ..

[1970 CST Short Wide]

We leave this Saturday. Back on August 1. Pictures for sure. Looking forward to a relaxing ride on the Train. First time overnight, Hope I sleep like a Baby

[farmall]

The sleeping part would piss me off. My intrest would be to watch the world go by. Not much the destination. You cant do that at night.

[1970 CST Short Wide]

Originally Posted by farmall

The sleeping part would piss me off. My intrest would be to watch the world go by. Not much the destination. You cant do that at night.

The overnight trip is just from LA to Flagstaff. Then a quick trip to Williams
It’s a Steam Loco from Williams to the Rim of the Canyon. Plenty of Watch the World Go By Time