I always say that it’s about the journey and not the destination, and that’s especially true when it comes to train travel. You may not get there on time, but that’s not the idea.

Amtrak’s Coastal Starlight travels between Seattle and Los Angeles.

For about $100, you’ll travel along the Pacific, and even a full circle around Mount Shasta.

If you plan your reservation right, you can hop on and off and take side trips to cities like Portland, Sacramento, even Santa Barbara.

The California Zephyr is considered to be one of the most scenic train rides in America, traveling for two days from Denver to San Francisco, across the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada.

Best of all if you’re traveling westbound, or eastbound in the summertime, it’s scheduled so you’re traveling through the most scenic parts in the daytime, and sleep through the more boring stretches.

And last but not least, check out the Lakeshore Limited, which travels from Albany, New York to Chicago.

For about $80, it’s a great way to view the Great Lakes.

Get more information in our Train Travel section.

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