Amtrak EMPIRE BUILDER Sleeper Train (Seattle to Chicago)

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Watch this video in order to experience the Amtrak Empire Builder train as it crosses some of the most dramatic land in the United States, passing through Washington State, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois

Thanks to a delay, we saw more than most passengers would expect, including some of the most stunning scenery we’ve ever encountered in Northern Idaho.

The entire Amtrak Empire Builder route is scheduled to take 46 hours, but our trip ended up taking a lot longer. We were supposed to leave Seattle at 4:55 in the afternoon, but didn’t get going until nearly 8:00 at night.

The Amtrak Empire Builder is certainly one of Amtrak’s most iconic routes, passing through the very heart of Glacier National Park. My first experience onboard an Amtrak overnight sleeper train was this route, but Westbound back in 2020. It felt incredible to be back onboard!

In this video, you’ll see the unmatched scenery and spectacular sights along the route, get a tour of Amtrak’s Bedroom, learn the history of this route, and we’ll even answer some of the most frequently asked questions we get asked about Amtrak Train Travel.

We’ll also showcase Amtrak’s Traditional Dining, which has (finally) returned to their long-haul western routes like the Empire Builder!

The Amtrak Empire Builder route traces its heritage back to 1929 when it was the flagship route of the vaunted “Great Northern Railway.” In the early part of the 20th century, railroad companies were the airlines of their time. Perhaps none were as storied as the Great Northern Railway.

The Amtrak Empire Builder is the latest incarnation of a route The Great Northern Railway operated. This is the northernmost transcontinental railway in the country and was also the only privately funded transcontinental railroad in the nation’s history. Unlike every other one, it was built without any federal funding.

Today, Amtrak is the only passenger operator the Empire Builder route and, as with nearly all of Amtrak’s operations, we competed with freight traffic, which always takes priority because the freight lines own the track on this route. Amtrak is just borrowing it for the Empire Builder, which means delays are very possible. But, it turns out, our delay was the best thing that could have happened on this journey…

Watch this video to see one of the most luxurious experiences available on the rails in the United States: Amtrak’s Empire Builder in an Amtrak Bedroom!

0:00 Introduction
2:04 Boarding the Amtrak Empire Builder
3:28 Wake Up Day Two
7:14 Getting Ready on Amtrak
11:44 Amtrak Bedroom Tour
16:28 Amtrak Dinner
19:37 Amtrak FAQ’s
28:44 Bloopers

Check out Miles in Transit here:
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And here’s a link to Simply Railway:
https://www.youtube.com/@SimplyRailway

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MUSIC:
I Will Be Gone (Instrumental Version) – Vicki Vox
First Glimpse of You – Victor Lundberg
A Sweet Dream – Victor Lundberg
A Dance in the Sun – Erik Fernholm
The Sun Will Shine (Instrumental Version) – The Eastern Plain
Free Mind – Wildflowers
Summer Love (Instrumental Version) – Kylie Dailey
Calming Rain – Candelion
Swaying – Candelion
I Wish (Instrumental Version) – Mindme
If I Wrote You a Song (Instrumental Version) – Melanie Bell
Songs for a Mockingbird (Instrumental Version) – Gabriel Kelley
This Poor Love Song (Instrumental Version) – Sture Zetterberg
On and On (Instrumental Version) – Lars Eriksson

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24 thoughts on “Amtrak EMPIRE BUILDER Sleeper Train (Seattle to Chicago)”

  2. In the FAQs section you mentioned “it’s not the most efficient”. Well, in one way it is. I read an article a couple of years ago that compared the amount of fuel per passenger per mile. Trains were the most fuel efficient way to travel.

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  3. I would love to know how you would make these train (or boat or sky)travels with medical equipment like a wheelchair or servicedog?
    I know you showed the accessible room but how would the experience change or is there enough time to let your dog do his business

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  5. That delayed departure actually turned out to be a "Blessing in Diguise" for you guys as you got to witness some awesome scenery (to say the least.) in Idaho and elsewhere …

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  6. I grew up on trains…any situation is acceptable. It is really a mindset. As an adult, I gave up flying, except for emergencies, and settled back to always give myself time and enjoy the journey, meeting new people from all over the world, and getting work done as our great country rolls by in all it differences and greatness. No other way to achieve this !

    Reply

  8. That part of Idaho is beautiful. The southern portion not as much. Whitefish is a beautiful town, especially when the lake is not frozen over.

    It’s very safe to leave your luggage in your room. Theft of luggage is almost unheard of even in the coaches. Where there are sometimes problems with theft in the coach class is when folks leave electronics sitting in plain sight when they leave their seats.

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  15. I did the same trip last summer. Summer was beautiful too. The mountains still snow on the mountain peaks. One thing I found that was very interesting was, many of the small towns in the plains all had gambling houses.

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  21. I'm just amazed at how Amtrak sends an email saying your train is delayed by 90min and everyone acts like it's normal. I can imagine that happening in my country and everyone rushing to the station because when long distance trains are delayed by more than 30 min you get refunded completely.

    Reply

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