Yep, you read that right. It wasn't 7 days straight on one train, but I did spend around 7 days total traveling by train across the United States.

I like adventures, but some adventures can get really expensive. I live in New York City, and for a long time I had wondered about the mountains and natural beauty of Washington State. I had been to Banff before, and I was stunned by how beautiful nature can be. Because of that, I knew Washington State would probably be one of the closest places in the U.S. where I could get that same feeling.

While I was researching parks in Washington, I started seeing reels about Amtrak and how beautiful some of the train routes can be. Then, out of nowhere, an idea popped into my head:

What if I went to Washington State by train?

That way, I could kill two birds with one stone. I could experience a long Amtrak trip and also visit the mountains and parks I wanted to see. At the time, I thought it was a perfect idea, so I started researching Amtrak tickets.

While doing research, I came across the Amtrak USA Rail Pass. For around $500, you can travel across the country using 10 train segments. This was perfect for what I wanted to do.

I found out that one of the most beautiful routes from New York toward Washington State was the Empire Builder. A round trip on the Empire Builder in coach class could cost around $200–$400 by itself, so buying the rail pass made sense. With the pass, I would still have some routes left if I wanted to do more.

Then I found another famous route: the California Zephyr. This route goes through lakes, mountains, rivers, deserts, and some really beautiful parts of the country. The Empire Builder goes across the northern part of the U.S., while the California Zephyr goes more through the middle.

To connect both routes, I needed another train, and that was the Coast Starlight.

That is how the idea of spending 7 days on trains started.

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Planning the Trip

The hard part was planning the days.

Since I live in New York, I already knew I would need at least 8 or 9 vacation days to do all of this. I decided to take 2 weeks off so I could have enough time and not rush everything.

One important thing to know about the USA Rail Pass is that you have 120 days before it expires, but once you start using it, you only have 30 days to complete your travel.

Also, the Empire Builder and California Zephyr are very popular routes. If you want good dates, you should book at least a month in advance. Otherwise, the train might be sold out or the timing might not work for your trip.

My plan was simple:

- New York City to Chicago

- Chicago to Washington State

- Washington State to California

- California to Chicago

- Chicago back to New York City

Both the Empire Builder and the California Zephyr connect through Chicago, so Chicago became the main transfer point.

I used the TripIt app to organize my plans.(non sponsor) Since I had 2 weeks total, and around 7 days would be spent on trains, that left me with about 7 extra days to explore.

The USA Rail Pass gives you 10 segments. In theory, I was only going to use 4 segments if I didn't make extra stops besides the ones I needed for changing routes.

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Buying the Tickets

If you are planning to do something similar, give yourself a few hours to book everything carefully. I would say around 3 free hours, just so you don't make mistakes.

You have to choose your trains one by one, and depending on your trip, you might need to book everything back-to-back about a month in advance.

For example, I booked New York City to Chicago first. Then I booked Chicago to Washington State. Amtrak gives you different timing options, so you can choose how long you want to stay in between trains.

For example, if your train from New York arrives in Chicago at 10 AM, you could choose a train from Chicago to Washington State at 3 PM. That gives you some hours to explore Chicago. Amtrak also has luggage storage at the station, but you have to pay for it.

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**New York City to Chicago — June 11**

So I hopped on the Lake Shore Limited at Penn Station on the evening of June 11th, departing at 3:40 PM. This was the first leg of the whole trip. The Lake Shore Limited is an overnight train, so I spent most of it trying to sleep and get comfortable in coach. I arrived at Chicago Union Station the next morning, June 12th, around 10 AM.

I had a few hours to kill in Chicago before my next train. That buffer time is actually really nice — you don't feel rushed, and Chicago's Union Station itself is worth a look.

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**The Empire Builder — June 12**

The Empire Builder is one of the most famous Amtrak routes, and I boarded it at Chicago Union Station on June 12th at 3:05 PM.

In my opinion, the best part is closer to the last day of the route, when you start seeing lakes, mountains, and more dramatic landscapes. The closer you are to Chicago, the views can feel a little more empty, but the farther west you go, the better it gets.

I spent most of my time reading and watching movies. Of course, you can also go to the observation car, enjoy the views, and meet people. After about two days on the train, I pulled into Seattle's King Street Station on the morning of June 14th.

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**Washington State — June 14 to June 17**

I had three days in Washington. 

The day I arrived, June 14th, I made my way out to **Palouse Falls State Park** in eastern Washington. It is a long drive from Seattle, so if you are planning to do the same, leave early and be ready for a full day out. The falls themselves are worth it though — dramatic and completely unexpected in the middle of the rolling landscape.

On June 15th, I headed north to **Diablo Lake Vista Point** which the views can be seen in the car. You don't have to hike 

June 16th was the big one — **Colchuck Lake via Colchuck Lake Trail**  It is a challenging hike but absolutely stunning. Snow-capped peaks, glaciers, wildflowers — it felt like a completely different world.

On June 17th, I was back at King Street Station early to board the Coast Starlight heading south.

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**Coast Starlight — June 17**

The Coast Starlight departed Seattle at 9:55 AM.  Arriving next day to Sacramento 

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**Sacramento and the Parks — June 18 to June 21**

On June 19th I drove out to **Lake Tahoe Nevada State Park** and did the Monkey Rock Trail. Lake Tahoe is about two hours from Sacramento and it is one of those places that looks even better in person than in photos. The water is a ridiculous shade of blue.

June 20th was Yosemite day. I had heard so many things about **Yosemite National Park** and it genuinely lived up to all of it. I visited Yosemite Falls and stopped at Tunnel View, which gives you one of the most iconic views of the valley all at once. It is about three and a half hours from Sacramento, so again, leave early. It is a long day but completely worth it.

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**The California Zephyr — June 21**

I boarded the California Zephyr on June 21st at 10:23 AM from Sacramento Valley Station. This is the one I had been most curious about, and it did not disappoint.

Just like the Empire Builder, the California Zephyr is one of the most famous Amtrak routes. It can get very full, so again, try to buy your tickets at least a month before your trip.

The California Zephyr was not less beautiful than the Empire Builder. In my personal opinion, it probably has more variety in the landscape. You see mountains, rivers, canyons, desert, and open space. Both routes are amazing, but they feel completely different. I arrived in Chicago on June 23rd.

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**Chicago Back to New York — June 23**

Getting back home was almost the same as getting there. I boarded the Lake Shore Limited again at Chicago Union Station on the evening of June 23rd at 9:30 PM, and I was back at Penn Station in New York City by the afternoon of June 24th.

That was it. Two weeks, one rail pass, five trains, three national parks, and the whole width of the country twice over.

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**Common Questions**

*Does the Empire Builder or California Zephyr make stops?*

Yes, they make a lot of stops. That is actually one of the good things about Amtrak. You can look at the route map and decide which stop works best for you. In general, the farther west you go, the better the views get, especially on these routes.

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Must-Haves

^(This is what I packed and used during the trip. None of this is sponsored.)

**Mountain House Meals — 10/10**

Mountain House has a big variety of freeze-dried meals, and the flavors are surprisingly good. Believe me, if the package says chicken Alfredo, it actually tastes like chicken Alfredo.

Of course, for these meals you need hot water. I think Amtrak offers hot water on board, but to avoid any problems, I bought a small electric heated mug. There are 120V outlets next to the seats, so you can plug things in.

**Electric Kettle / Heated Mug — 7/10**

This heated up pretty fast, but the touch screen stopped working after about 6 months of use.

**Trtl Pillow — 6/10**

The Trtl pillow is ergonomic and easy to pack almost anywhere. But since it does not have much front or back support, your head can still move around a lot while sleeping.

**Body Wipes — 7/10**

Unless you rent a Roomette, which is Amtrak's private room option, you will need to bring your own hygiene items. Roomettes are not included in the USA Rail Pass, and they can be pretty expensive, although they do include meals.

In my case, as a man, I brought body wipes. You wet them with some water and use them to clean yourself. I gave them a 7/10 because they work, but they feel a little messy because of how much soap comes with them.

**Tea Bags — 5/10**

Having tea in the morning or before sleeping while the train is moving feels amazing. But I can't fully recommend regular tea bags because of concerns about microplastics. I would recommend tea crystals instead.

**Stainless Steel Water Bottle — 10/10**

I bought a Hydro Flask, and it has not failed me yet. Of course, you can buy your favorite brand.

Even though it is big, it became my faithful companion during the train ride and the hikes. It kept my water cold and was also useful when I needed water for my food.

I think Amtrak has free water, and they also sell bottled water and alcohol. But you can also get off at some stops and refill your bottle at the station.

**120V Charger**

If you have a USB-C laptop and phone, I recommend bringing a 100W USB-C charger. That way, you can charge both at the same time.

**Books, or Entertainment**

The journeys are long. Some of these train rides are around 3 days each, and once the sun goes down, there is not much to see.

Make sure you bring entertainment. In my case, I downloaded some of my favorite YouTube videos, a few anime episodes, some movies, and I also brought my Nintendo Switch.

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**Useful Amtrak Links**

You can buy the USA Rail Pass here:https://www.amtrak.com/tickets/departure-rail-pass.html

After you buy the pass, you can schedule your train rides here:https://www.amtrak.com/ride-reserve