While there are many scenic train rides in Texas, in this post I’m going to be showcasing 5 of the most popular ones across this giant state. While visiting each one might not be feasible for everyone, depending on which area of the state you are visiting, if one of these are close by, it’s well worth checking it out!
Here are the best scenic train rides in Texas:
- Texas State Railroad
- Grapevine Vintage Railroad
- Austin Steam Train
- Historic Jefferson Railway
- Amtrak’s Texas Eagle
Texas State Railroad:
The Texas State Railroad is located in the Piney Woods of East Texas and it offers both a unique combination of historical and scenic experiences. It runs between the towns of Palestine and Rusk over a roughly 25-mile track. This heritage railroad is renowned for its steam and diesel powered trains, providing a nostalgic journey through beautiful forests and over trestles. It features themed rides, including the Polar Express and special event trains like wine tasting excursions.
- Duration: 4+ hours
- Ticket prices: Vary from $50 and up per person
Grapevine Vintage Railroad:
The Grapevine Vintage Railroad offers riders a scenic train ride from the town of Grapevine to the Fort Worth Stockyards. The ride provides an authentic experience of traveling by train as it was in the early 20th century, with special events like the Jazz Wine Train. The train operates on a seasonal schedule.
- Duration: Around 1 hour
- Ticket prices: $10 and up (per person) depending on the car you select and when you go
Austin Steam Train:
The Austin Steam Train is another popular option for train rides. On it you will be exploring the Texas Hill Country area. There are historic trains available to travel on and themed rides throughout the year that are also available. The trains depart from Cedar Park, near Austin, and offer trips like the Bertram Flyer and the Hill Country Flyer, showcasing beautiful landscapes and historic sites all throughout the trip.
- Duration: 2 hours and up to 8 hours in some instances (there’s stops along the way)
- Ticket prices: $50-$60 for most cars (prices during special events rise)
Historic Jefferson Railway:
Before I share information about this railway, I want to note that presently this railway is shut down with no information on when it’ll open back up (see their main site for info on this). However, I will still be including information about what to expect should it ever reopen and here it is:
The Historic Jefferson Railway as the name suggests has you exploring areas of Jefferson Texas, which like most of the rides on this list also offer a scenic and historic experience. Riders get treated to things like a narrated train ride that showcases the natural beauty and history of the region, including the Big Cypress Bayou. The railway often hosts special events and themed rides, such as ghost trains and holiday excursions, providing a variety of experiences for visitors throughout the year.
- Duration: Under 1 hour
- Ticket prices: No info on this as the railway is currently closed
Amtrak’s Texas Eagle:
Out of all the scenic train rides on this list, the Amtrak Texas Eagle is not only the longest and most mainstream but it will also have you crossing several states. This long distance passenger train runs between Chicago, Illinois, and San Antonio, Texas, with an extension to Los Angeles, California (3x a week). With regards to the Texas portion of the trip, it covers significant cities such as Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin, showcasing diverse landscapes. The entire trip from Chicago to San Antonio takes approximately 32 hours, offering various accommodations and amenities.
- Duration: Up to 2 days
- Ticket prices: Typically $150 per person
Ideal times to go:
My advice is to go during the fall or winter seasons. There’s several advantages to this:
- Fall is when you’ll see the best colors throughout any of these scenic train rides so you get even more variety for scenic sights.
- Winter is also a very pleasent time to visit these rides as the weather is usually not too cold, but chilly enough to enjoy a warm train ride, plus there’s also Polar Express themed events that happen with the majority of the choices above then.
- Spring can be a hit or a miss depending on when you go and if you do decide to do it, I’d recommend doing before May as it gets very hot after that.
- Summer months from Jun through September are typically crowded and extremely hot so unless you really enjoy that type of weather, I’d opt out of going during this season and stick to the others.
Other things to note:
- With the exception of the Amtrak ride, the other options on this list are either seasonal so they may not be open year round.
- Another thing to note is that there’s many different cars/options to choose from with the above options and depending on the car and time or special event you choose to go during, the prices may either be very low or super high (themed rides and seasonal events are usually the most expensive on scenic train rides). I’ve included website links to each of the above train rides for you to decide what works for you.
- Purchase your tickets anywhere from 3 or more weeks out, especially if you plan on going during a themed/popular event. As the chosen day you wish to go gets closer, you may find that tickets either quickly go or are already sold out and it’s usually tough to get on a cancellation list or hope that something opens up in general so just reserve ahead of time to make sure you get the seats.
Thanks for checking out this list of the best scenic train rides in Texas and if you have any suggestions/additions you’d like to see to the list, let me know below!
