The best train trips in the world inspire travelers to see as much as possible of the world with a unique and often more interactive way to travel. From Amtrak trains to Canadian train trips to regional steam railroads, train travel touches on all parts of the North American continent. The incredible distances covered during top Canadian train trips evidence the benefits of train travel in a massive country where seeing it all is too difficult to fathom. Heritage rail lines and historic diesel and steam locomotives join fascinating towns, passing villages, and modern cities to paint a picture spanning almost two decades of history and revealing old and new co-existing almost seamlessly.

Train travel is a quintessential Canadian experience. It’s been sung about, illustrated, written about, and traveled for more than a century. Top Canadian train trips include the long and scenically pleasing cross-Canada train route. It is an amazing long-haul excursion from Vancouver to Toronto, or even farther to Halifax if desired. Lasting four to six days in length and leaving on numerous weekly departures, anyone can jump this train and get a comprehensive look at Canada’s diverse culture and rich history.

One of the best American rail trips begins in the United States and ends in Canada. Travel via Amtrak on the fabled Northwest Passage on a spectacular journey beginning in Oregon and ending some twelve hours later in British Columbia. One of the most beloved highlights of one of the best train trips in North America is the abundance of wildlife spotted all along the epic route. Passengers experience historic towns, local festivals, wonderful museums, collective food markets, sprawling cities, and much more along the way.

Almost fifty-two hours, and countless vivid scenes later, the California Zephyr is one of best American rail trips available today. This train excursion travels almost 2,500 miles across seven scenic states where Western pioneers once settled barren lands. The longest tunnel in the United States, emigrant migration routes, Colorado canyons, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and the California Central Valley are the big shots on this wandering track. The California Zephyr is still a rite of passage for some, and a route where every experience is worth pondering.

More of the best train trips in the United States include the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad, Alaska Railroad, and the incredible Grand Canyon Railway. These are some of the best American rail trips for combining vintage transportation with America’s grandest attractions visited by millions of people every year. The views of Mother Nature’s bounty are incredible and each journey is unforgettable. Festive special trips on these routes, including Polar Express trains, make any of these magnificent rides even more memorable.

Top Canadian train trips like a classic sojourn through the Rockies are the best parts of visiting America’s northern neighbor. The shining jewel of every cross-Canada adventure, the Rocky Mountain train ride carves through the mountains from Calgary to Vancouver or vice versa. The Polar Bear Express is another enduring course that rides the rails in the summer months from Cochrane in the province of Ontario, to gorgeous Moosonee on Canada’s James Bay. This train ride is an ideal way to experience the charms of the north without dedicating a lot of time.

The countless combinations and connections of train routes means anyone can create fully customized railroad vacations and fashion routes that result in the perfect, personalized peregrination. From the Northwest Territories to the Napa Valley wine train and beyond, the hundreds of thousands of miles of train tracks blanketing North America amount to a resource any traveler can tap in to, to go anywhere, anytime, with anyone.