From Towering Skyscrapers to the Golden Gate

Experienced travelers say the California Zephyr is one of the most beautiful train trips in all of North America. As you climb through the heart of the Rockies, and further west through the snow-capped Sierra Nevadas, you may find it hard to disagree.

The Zephyr runs daily between Chicago and San Francisco, coursing through the plains of Nebraska to Denver, across the Rockies to Salt Lake City, and then through Reno and Sacramento into Emeryville/San Francisco.

Reserve a spacious coach seat for your journey or, for a more luxurious experience, reserve a roomette or bedroom in one of the Superliner sleeping cars.

Scenic highlights include:

• Rocky Mountains
• Sierra Nevadas
• Moffat Tunnel
• Colorado's Gore, Byers and Glenwood Canyons
• Winter Park
• Truckee River
• Donner Lake
• San Pablo Bay and the Carquinez Strait

The California Zephyr connects to San Francisco and Oakland stations via Thruway Motorcoach Service at Emeryville, California.

For more information, please download the California Zephyr Route Guide.

Planning the Great Escape

I have chosen to combine a business trip to the US with a holiday. As I have always enjoyed train journeys I though it would be a good plan to see if I could fly to one part of the States and fly back from another, joining the two up with a train journey in between which went through Salt Lake City where I shall be for at least three days in late August 2007.

A quick check on the web revealed that most of the rail networks in the US go from East to West (or vice versa) rather than north to south. This seemed to fit in well with my plan and Amtrak provided a suitable itinerary to consider, involving San Francisco at one end and Chicago at the other.

Originally I wanted to travel to San Francisco and head east, but then I discovered the train arrived in Salt Lake City at 3;15 a.m. which was a little early!! but by reversing the travel plan and leaving from Chicago I will arrive at midnight!

Flights have now been booked with Traifinders to leave London Heathrow on 16th August, arriving Chicago the same day and leaving San Francisco 29th August and arriving the next day at London Heathrow.

My exact itinerary has yet to be confirmed for the train journey, but I will be probably stopping at Denver as well as SLC en route.