The Ultimate California Zephyr Guide | Train Travel Guide (2024)

Many say the Califronia Zephyr is North America’s most scenic train.

On its two night and three day journey the Zephyr passes through mountain ranges and deserts. It crosses the Mississippi, snakes alongside the Colorado through the Rockies and traverses the Sierra Nevada mountain ranges in California.

Such accolades have the California Zephyr in great company withother North American train journeys. High on the list would be Amtrak’s Empire Builder, Via Rail’s Canadian and Jasper to Prince Rupert trains and of course the luxurious Rocky Mountaineer.

California Zephyr at a Glance

• The California Zephyr is an overnight Amtrak train from Chicago to San Francisco
• The journey takes approximately 52 hours, or two nights and three days
• The train crosses California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois
• Key city stops are Chicago, Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake City, Reno, Sacramento and San Francisco
• The train is scheduled to operate daily in each direction and travels overnight
• Coach and sleeper accommodations are available
• Prices on this train vary according to demand
• A traditional dining car is available for sleeper passengers, with three meals a day included
• A sightseer lounge car is available as a shared space to meet fellow passengers, read a book or watch the world go by
• A cafe is available in the sightseer lounge for all passengers to purchase food and drinks
• Checked baggage is available at some, but not all stations
• There is baggage storage onboard
• There is no WiFi on this train
• The train travels through remote areas where phone reception isn’t available

California Zephyr Route Highlights

A trip on the Zephyr covers 2400 miles or 3900km, about twice the distance from Florida to New York City.

With its breathtaking year round scenery you can be sure the 52-hour, two night and three day end-to-end adventure between San Francisco and Chicago is a journey you won’t regret taking.

It’s an impressive journey that passes through California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois. Along the way there are some 33 scheduled stops, including Omaha, Denver, Winter Park, Salt Lake City, Reno and Sacremento, the Californian capital.

This train however, is best known for its journey through the Rocky Mountains on day two.

Rocky Mountains on Day two

Most of the Zephyr’s well-deserved reputation comes from the time traversing the rails in Colorado between Denver and Grand Junction on day two. This section is alwaysduring daylight hours, regardless of which direction you travel.

Westbound: When heading west, the train climbs into the Rocky Mountains after leaving Denver. The most scenic views will be to the left hand side in the direction of travel. Following the climb is the Moffat tunnel, where the Zephyr crosses the Continental Divide through the 6.2 mile (10km) tunnel that was opened in 1927. From here, it’s time to settle in near a window. For the rest of the day natures best remains on display as the Zephyr follows the Colorado River through to Grand Junction.

Eastbound: On the eastbound journey the day happens in reverse. Here, the main scenery starts just after Grand Junction in the morning and the most scenic views will be to the right in the direction of travel. The train follows the Colorado River for the day, descending into Denver from the mountains in the evening. The descent into Denver makes for a great finale to an epic day of sightseeing, and is ideally timed for a hotel check-in if you choose to break the trip here.

Other Highlights

While the mountain scenery is a clear winner there’s other point of interest to keep an eye out for.

Along the way the Zephyr crosses the Mississippi River at Burlington on the state border of Illinois and Iowa, traverses through through Ruby Canyon in Colorado and passes by Utah’s impressive Book Cliffs! Also not to be missed is California’s Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.

In short, with this variety of scenery you’ll never be without an amazing view out the window.

Which direction should I travel on the California Zephyr?

Seasoned rail travelers recommend this trip in either direction. That said, there is a slight preference for the westbound trip.

This is because during the deep winter months on the eastbound trip the descent from the Rocky Mountains into Denver often occurs after sunset. The train is scheduled to arrive into Denver at 6:30pm. By most accounts though, even when this happens the approaching city lights on the descent are impressive too.

Which direction for stopovers?

If you are looking to take a journey on the Zephyr with stopovers along the way, the direction matters. After all, you don’t want to be stepping off the train at 3am!

Westbound: this service is well timed for breaking the trip at stops in Illinois, Iowa, Colorado and California. It’s not well placed for stops in Nebraska and parts of Nevada, where it passes through in the early hours of the morning.

Eastbound: this service is ideal for stop-overs at destinations in California, Nevada, Colorado and Iowa. It’s not well timed for stops at Utah.

See also: California Zephyr Schedule
See Also: California Zephyr Stopovers

California Zephyr Train 5 – Westbound (departs Chicago)

Westbound – Day One

The westbound Zephyr leaves daily from Chicago’s downtown Union Station at 2pm.

The Chicago Union Station building is best summedup on the stations website: agrand building worthy of the city’s status as anational railroad hub. Allow a little time to admire the impressive architecture as they don’t build stations like this anymore. A point that Emeryville at the other end of the line goes some way to proving.

Sleeper car passengers can avail themselves of the Metropolitan Lounge where light refreshments, comfortable seating and showers are available. Coach passengers can buy a lounge pass for $35 (February 2022 pricing).

For lunch nearby before departure consider Vapiano Riverside Chicago. Alternatively, throughout the station there are many fast food style dining options. For those onboard snacks a Walgreens and CVS can be found nearby.

After departure the train makes nine stops between Chicago and Omaha, where it’s scheduled to arrive at 11pm. Passing through Nebraska overnight the Zephyr crosses into Colorado early in the early morning hours with an intended arrival in Denver at 7am.

Westbound: Day Two

That famous Zephyr scenery starts after Denver, making this a popular boarding point.

Seasoned travelers recommend getting a seat in the sightseer car prior to arrival in Denver for the best views as the day starts. If the train is busy, staff may ask folks to limit time in the sightseer lounge to give everyone an opportunity to take in the immersive views the extra-largewindows offer.

After a day of epic scenery in Colorado the train passes into Utah in the evening where the last stop of day two is Salt Lake City, at around 11pm. Even though 11pm is late, if you’re looking for a stopover at Salt Lake the westbound service is best. It’s preferable to the 3am arrival on the eastbound service!

Westbound: Day Three

On the morning of day three the Zephyr aims to arrive atReno around half-eight and continues on to the Californian capital of Sacramento for an arrival of just after two in the afternoon.

For the finale, the Zephyr travels alongside the waters of San Francisco bay, ending the journey at Emeryville, Oakland with a intended arrival of around 4pm.

Amtrak offers a guaranteed coach connection to Salesforce Plaza in the heart of San Francisco – be sure to book your destination as San Francisco rather than Emeryville to include the connection on your ticket.

California Zephyr Train 6 – Eastbound (departs Emeryville)

Eastbound: Day One

The Eastbound Zephyr departs just after9am daily from Oakland’s Emeryville station.

Emeryville station is just across the Bay Bridge from down-town San Francisco. Amtrak offers a connecting coach service that links Emeryville with Salesforce Plaza in the heart of San Francisco for a nominal fee. For this guaranteed connection select San Francisco as your departure destination when booking.

Emeryville station is a modern although no-frills affair. There is no lounge for sleeper passengers nor food and beverage options within the station aside from vending machines. While there are places to eat nearby, it’s best to have breakfast and stock up on those on train snacks before arriving.

On day one the Zephyr is scheduled to pass through Sacramento at around 11am. It’s then onto Reno at 4pm before crossing the remainder of Nevada in the evening and Utah overnight.

Eastbound: Day Two

On day two, the day with the Zephyr’s famous scenery, the train is scheduled for its first stop in Colorado at Grand Junction just after ten before. Be sure to head to the sightseer lounge early in the day, although keep in mind Amtrak staff may ask passengers to limit time in the lounge car if the train is busy. Day two ends in Denver, around half-six in the evening.

Eastbound: Day Three

On day three for the early risers the train passes through Omaha, Nebraska just after 5am.

Beyond Omaha, the service is well timed for all stops in Iowa and Illinois before the scheduled arrival into Chicago around 3pm. Perfect timing for a hotel check-in!

California Zephyr Ticket Types and Prices

As of February 2022 we checked the booking engine for various dates up to 12 months ahead. The following prices are a guide:

Similar to airlines, Amtrak uses variable pricing which means prices fluctuate according to a range of factors. Outside of a sale, the prices above are unlikely to go lower than the minimum we found. Be aware they could certainly go higher than the upper range we found, especially as the train fills up.

This train is very popular in the summer months, making it likely to be more expensive at that time of year. Consider a winter trip on the Zephyr, the scenery is just as spectacular. In fact, many would argue a trip in the fall or winter are the ideal times for travelling on the Zephyr.

Travel Tip: If you book a roomette it’s not possible to guarantee which side of the train this is on. Economy cars are always joined to the train with the seats facing the direction of travel, although sleeper cars can be attached either way. If you’re traveling as a group of two and want the best sceneryconsider booking two roomettes – upstairs and across the corridor from each other. To get the room assignments locked in you’ll need to book over the phone rather than online.

To book travel on the California Zephyr start at amtrak.com

California Zephyr Onboard Service

The California Zephyr uses two-level Amtrak Superliner cars. A typical Zephyr train has sleeper cars, coach cars, a dining car and sightseer lounge car.

Sightseer Lounge: The sightseer lounge car is a key space on the train. Upstairs there are large windows where the seating faces outward. It’s a relaxed atmosphere to meet other travellers over a coffee, read a book or listen to a podcast as the world passes by. Downstairs in the sightseer car you’ll find a cafe with light meals and refreshments for purchase accompanied by a seating area.

Sleeper Service: Sleeper tickets have the highest level of onboard service. Sleeper tickets include main meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner in the dining car. The first alcoholic beverage at dinner is included. Additional alcoholic beverages in the dining car, or items purchased from the café between meals must be purchased separately.

Each sleeper car has an attendant who completes an evening turn down service to convert the room to night mode, and the reverse in the morning. Sleeper cars guests also have access to showers, with towels and soap supplied onboard. These showers are shared in the case of roomettes and family/accessible bedrooms. The Sleeper bedroom suites have an in-room shower.

Coach Service: Amtrak coach class is known for its generous leg room and recline. Unfortunately, beyond this, there are few additional inclusions for coach passengers. Coach passengers don’t have access to showers or the dining car. In coach meals can only be purchased from the cafe or at stations along the way. Normally, coach passengers would have access to the dining car on a paid basis. This access is currently suspended due to COVID-19 related service adjustments.

California Zephyr FAQ’s

California Zephyr Bottom Line

The California Zephyr is a 52-hour, 2 night and 3 daytrain journey across America offering spectacular and varied scenery. It’s a journey seasoned rail travelers highly recommend in either direction in any season, passing through many iconic mid-west cities.

Like many of the world’s great train journeys if you ever get the opportunity, take this train more than once. Each season brings a dramatic change in scenery that will make it feel like a new adventure each time.