Ride The Rails For A Novel Vacation

by: Matthew Paolini

Looking for a unique travel idea that travel industry insiders say is the modern-day counterpart of a 20th century steamship cruise? You might want to try rail cruising, which pairs enthusiastic travelers with classic luxury trains riding the rails through some of America's most beautiful countryside. Taking anywhere from just a few days to more than a week, these train trips offer well-appointed furnishings, gourmet dining and first-rate service to a small clientele that in most cases is limited to just a hundred or so passengers.

If you watch TV's Travel Channel, you may already be familiar with rail cruising from a travel show about one of these tour trains, the American Orient Express (AOE). The train, which was recently renamed the GrandLuxe Express when AOE's parent company changed its name to GrandLuxe Rail Journeys, is made up of polished, bullet-like lounge and dining cars originating from the 1940s and 1950s. Inside, mahogany and brass give the cars and compartments a chic art-deco touch that definitely suggests the Golden Age of train travel.

GrandLuxe Rail Journeys sends its trains on excursions that offer passengers views and experiences never dreamed of by 20th century patrons of steamship cruisers. One of the most breathtaking must be National Parks of the West, a 10-day luxury pleasure trip that starts its south-to-north leg in Albuquerque, New Mexico. From there, the train winds its way to Santa Fe, Sedona, the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, a choice of Bryce Canyon or Zion National Parks, Salt Lake City, Yellow Stone National Park and finally, Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park. There's also a version of the excursion that starts in Wyoming and then heads south (instead of north) to finish up in Albuquerque.

Another noteworthy trip must be the 9-day journey that visits four of the Pacific Northwest's most stunning national parks. For those who choose to start their trip with the eastbound leg of the Great Northwestern National Parks tour, the trip gets underway in Seattle, Washington, and heads first to Mt. Rainier National Park, where train passengers can enjoy a stunning view of the Cascade Range's highest peak (14,410 feet). From there it's on to the Columbia River Gorge, beautiful Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, pristine Glacier National Park, Helena, Montana, and finally Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Westbound travelers start at Grand Teton and wrap up their excursion in the Emerald City of Seattle.

Remember, these are high-end tours that offer outstanding comfort and five-star cuisine in a truly unique environment, so expect to pay accordingly. Fares for the 2008 season, which includes eight separate departure dates between early May and late June, start at 5,250 dollars per person for the National Parks of the West Tour. The Northwestern National Parks tour starts at 4,710 dollars per person. Included in the fare is the cost of travel, some of the best food on rails and on board sleeping accommodations in two-person, original Pullman sleeper cars. Taking advantage of early booking can cut the cost of the trip by an average of about 250 dollars.

If fares like these are just too steep for your wallet, you can still enjoy the luxury of rail cruising. GrandLuxe Rail Journeys also offers rail trips that are significantly easier on the pocketbook. For example, you can journey from Chicago to Los Angeles for 1,599 dollars or take one of many 789-dollar trips that link cities like Washington, D.C. and Miami, Denver and San Francisco, Denver and Chicago, and Chicago and Washington, D.C.

About The Author

Matthew Paolini is http://Citybook.com's communications manager for the Greensboro, NC business Yellow Pages division.