Train travel in America and Britain, explained clearly
Free route guides, station details, onboard facilities and accessibility information for Amtrak, VIA Rail, Eurostar and the British network — plus an information line if you would rather ask a person.
Railway Travel is an independent rail travel information service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Amtrak, VIA Rail or any railway operator. Disclaimer
Ask about any journey
Tell us where you are hoping to travel and what you need to know. We will explain the routes that serve it, what the journey involves and what your options are.
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- Which routes serve the cities you want
- What each class of travel actually includes
- Station facilities, access and assistance schemes
- Luggage, bikes, pets and onboard amenities
A rail reference library, and a phone number
Rail travel in the United States and Britain is genuinely confusing — different operators, different fare rules, different accessibility schemes, and information scattered across a dozen sites. We gather it in one place and explain it in plain English.
Route guides
Every major Amtrak service and British intercity route, with the stations it calls at, roughly how long it takes, what equipment it uses and what the journey is actually like.
Station information
Which stations serve which cities, what facilities they have, how the platforms work and how much time to allow before departure.
Classes and accommodation
What coach, business, first class, roomettes and bedrooms actually include — and which suits the journey you are considering.
Accessibility information
Accessible accommodation, station assistance schemes, notice periods and how the process works in both countries.
Practical travel details
Luggage allowances, bicycles, pets, food and drink, power and connectivity — the things that decide whether a trip works.
Someone to ask
If reading is not what you want, call and talk it through instead. Calls are free and carry no obligation whatsoever.
Some questions are faster answered than searched
Timetable sites tell you whether a train exists. They do not tell you whether the connection is realistic, what the sleeping car is actually like, or how to arrange assistance at a station you have never used.
- Straight answers, first time — no menus, no queue, no account to create.
- Both networks — American and British rail work on completely different logic. One call covers both.
- Accessibility handled properly — assistance schemes, notice periods and step-free access explained clearly.
- Open around the clock — including holidays, and whatever hour it is where you are.
- Free, with no obligation — ask what you need and go on your way.
Figures describe the public Amtrak network and are published by the carrier. They are not claims about Railway Travel.
What happens on the phone
No account, no forms, no obligation — and the guides on this site are free to read whether you call or not.
You describe the journey
Where you are hoping to go, roughly when, and what you need to know — the route, the timings, the accommodation, the accessibility arrangements.
We explain the options
Which services connect those cities, what each involves, where the trade-offs are, and what to be aware of before you commit to anything.
You decide what to do next
Book directly with the carrier, or ask to be connected to an independent travel provider who can handle the reservation. Either way, the choice is yours.
Ask to be connected and your call may be transferred to an independent travel provider, at no extra cost to you. How we are funded
The journeys people ask about most
Each guide covers the calling points, the equipment, roughly how long it takes, what the accommodation is like and which stretches of scenery are worth staying awake for.
What the journey is actually like
Trains are not planes with wheels. The seats are larger, the luggage rules are gentler, and the windows show you the country rather than the top of a cloud.
Luggage
Amtrak allows two personal items plus two carry-ons at no charge, with checked baggage at staffed stations on many routes. There is no liquid restriction on domestic services.
Read morePrivate rooms
Roomettes, bedrooms, family rooms and accessible bedrooms — what each contains, and what is included with the fare on long-distance routes.
Read moreFood and drink
Traditional dining still runs on most western long-distance routes, with café service available to everyone. UK first class often includes a meal.
Read moreAccessibility
Level or ramped boarding, wide corridors, accessible restrooms and companion seating — plus how to arrange station assistance in each country.
Read more
Scenery that no highway reaches
Between San Clemente and Del Mar the Pacific Surfliner runs within sight of the surf. The California Zephyr spends hours in a Colorado canyon reachable only by rail or raft. The Cardinal threads the New River Gorge in West Virginia.
Knowing which side of the train to sit on, and which direction puts the best stretches in daylight, changes the trip completely. Our route guides say so on each page.
Routes, stations and operators — two countries
A working reference library rather than a brochure, kept in step with carrier changes as best we can.
United StatesUS Railway Guide
How the American network fits together: Amtrak's route families, the freight railroads that host them, Brightline, and the commuter systems that connect.
United KingdomUK Railway Guide
Britain's network explained for visitors: the operators, how ticket types differ, Railcards, the twelve-week booking window and the scenic lines worth a detour.
StationsStations by State
Amtrak stations organised by state and province, with the principal station for each region, the routes that call there and practical local notes.
Longer reads
Practical and specific. If a guide answers your question without you ever calling us, that is a good outcome.
OnboardYour First Night in a Sleeper Car: What Nobody Tells You
Roomette or Bedroom? Upper or lower berth? What actually happens at 10pm? A plain-English guide to sleeping on an American train for the first time.
FaresThe Nine Ways Amtrak Fares Actually Get Cheaper
Amtrak uses bucket pricing, and buckets move. Here are the nine levers that genuinely lower the price — and the three myths that do not.
RoutesThe California Zephyr, Mile by Mile
Two days, 2,438 miles, and the best scenery on any train in North America. When to look up, which direction to travel, and where to sit.
