Ten of the most scenic—and luxurious—train trips in North America

Trip: Amtrak's Adirondack.
Duration: 11 hours.
Cost: $132 for two in coach (no sleepers or business class).
Best time to go: Summer and fall.
The Adirondack slices through two of the Northeast's most scenic areas—the Champlain and Hudson River valleys—on its way from New York City to Montreal (www.amtrak.com).

Trip: Amtrak's California Zephyr.
Duration: 54 hours.
Cost: $1,667 for two in a sleeper.
Best time to go: Year-round.
The Zephyr, known as the "Silver Lady," runs along the last major rail line to be built in the United States: Completed in 1949, it traverses 7 states en route from Chicago to Emeryville, California. The storied train rumbles through the Rockies and the Sierra Nevada; some stretches, including 22 miles along the soaring rock walls of Arizona's Gore Canyon, are otherwise inaccessible.

Trip: Amtrak's Coast Starlight.
Duration: 35 hours.
Cost: $935 for two in a sleeper.
Best time to go: Year-round.
The Coast Starlight travels 1,390 miles along the Pacific Ocean between Seattle and Los Angeles, passing the Cascade Mountains and Puget Sound. Luxury amenities include local-wine tastings and a movie-theater car.

Trip: Amtrak's Cascades.
Duration: Six hours.
Cost: $110 for two in business class (no sleepers).
Best time to go: April–October.
With nonstop service from Vancouver to Portland, Oregon, and from Seattle to Eugene, Oregon, the 15-year-old Cascades trip affords stellar mountain views.

Trip: VIA Rail's Canadian.
Duration: Three days.
Cost: $4,100 for two in a sleeper.
Best time to go: Fall.
From Toronto to Vancouver, the Canadian passes the peaks of Jasper National Park, the prairies of Saskatchewan, and the Great Lakes. The train makes nine stops, but passengers can disembark at any mile marker between Sudbury Junction, Ontario, and Winnipeg—with an advance request. Business-class passengers can visit the upper viewing dome (viarail.ca).

Trip: Amtrak's Sunset Limited.
Duration: 48 hours.
Cost: $1,336 for two in a sleeper.
Best time to go: Fall.
The Sunset Limited crosses the searing Chihuahuan Desert, runs along the Rio Grande, and stops in San Antonio on its way from Los Angeles to New Orleans. Views are best from the immense windows in its Sightseer car. National Park guides narrate along the route between Houston and New Orleans.