Things to Know Before Traveling by Rocky Mountaineer Train in the US

Besides NYC’s subway and Denver’s airport train, I have never seriously explored the US by train — until now.

As a kid, I remember boarding an Amtrak train in Orlando, Florida, and traveling up the coast to South Carolina. Besides that trip, and a few public trains here and there, I haven’t explored the US by train. 

But after moving to Denver, Colorado, I realized some of the country’s most breathtaking train journeys are right in my backyard.

One of Amtrak’s most scenic lines, the California Zephyr, goes through the heart of Denver. And the Rocky Mountaineer, one of the most luxurious train companies in the world, launched its first US route between the Rockies and Utah’s red rocks. It departs from my home city of Denver and travels to Moab, Utah, with an overnight stop in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. 

Earlier this year, I decided to give train travel a shot and hopped on the glass-dome Rocky Mountaineer. My ticket cost $1,052 on sale — it typically costs $1,465 — and I spent 15 hours traveling to Moab.

Through glass-dome windows, I spent two days amazed by the West’s beauty. But as a train newbie, there were a few things I wish I had known before boarding the train. 

Insider paid for the train ticket in accordance with our editorial policies for expenses and gifts.

The train had a quick check-in process, and I wish I hadn’t gotten to the station so early.

As someone who hasn’t traveled much by train and who gets to the airport hours before their flight, I wasn’t sure how early I needed to get to the train station.

Passengers meet at Denver’s train station, where they board a bus that takes them to the Rocky Mountaineer train. 

The Rocky Mountaineer advises that guests check-in the evening before their trip at a nearby hotel. If they can’t make it to a hotel the day before, travelers can check in the morning of the trip around 8 a.m. 

I wasn’t able to make it to a hotel the night before. As someone who hadn’t checked in yet, my itinerary suggested meeting at Denver’s Union Station at 8 a.m., which I thought was the same time the bus departed. I didn’t think it made sense to arrive at the same time the bus was leaving, so I got to the station about a half hour early. 

I checked in with train staff, and because there was no security screening or confusing terminals to navigate, the process took about five minutes.

Our bus didn’t end up departing until 8:30 a.m., so I spent the next 50 minutes scrolling on my phone and sipping my coffee. 

I significantly overestimated how long the check-in process would take. Next time, I won’t get to the station so early.

I packed distractions for my 15-hour trip that I didn’t end up needing. I was immersed in scenery, food, and history the entire time.

Before boarding the Rocky Mountaineer, I packed a book, downloaded TV shows, and queued up podcasts in fear that I’d get bored on the 15-hour trip. 

On top of entertainment, I also had every expectation to work, too. 

Surprisingly, there was never a moment where I craved a distraction. It seemed like there was always something happening in my train car. If I wasn’t being served a meal or drink, our train host was sharing historic facts about the tunnel we were traveling through or the indigenous populations that used to live near the border of Utah and Colorado.

When there were breaks between meals, I chatted with friendly passengers instead of turning to my Hulu app. 

By the end of the first day on the Rocky Mountaineer, I realized that I hadn’t flipped through my book or opened my laptop once. 

Next time, I might pack a deck of cards to play games with other travelers, but I’d skip packing a heavy book or stress about staying entertained. 

With limited space in each train car, I should’ve exercised more before boarding the train.

Exercising is one of the key things I do to survive a long flight. Before any flight, I try to squeeze in a quick run or, at the very least, walk a few laps around the terminal. 

Unfortunately, I didn’t exercise before boarding the Rocky Mountaineer, since the boarding times were early each morning. But a few hours into the journey, I was itching to get up and stretch. 

Although passengers were free to move around the train, due to the tight aisles, I often felt like I was in the way of train hosts who were serving meals and pouring drinks if I got up. 

Next time, I’ll wake up a bit earlier to squeeze in a walk or run before boarding a long train ride.

The train was bumpier than I expected.

From what I’ve read, it seems like the smoothness of train rides varies from location to location.

One Insider reporter recently shared she was surprised by how smooth her train trip in California was. Meanwhile, my colleague Joey Hadden documented sleepless nights in very bumpy train roomettes.

I assumed a luxury train meant smooth sailing, but that wasn’t exactly the case. Instead, there were bumps, sways, and turbulence along the entire route, which makes sense since most of the tracks were built in the early 20th century, according to Escape. 

For any future rides, I’ll play it safe and pack some motion-sickness pills.

While I didn’t have to set my phone to airplane mode, I didn’t have phone service or Wi-Fi for the majority of the ride, either.

Since I almost always have an option to buy Wi-Fi on planes and cruises, I expected to have a Wi-Fi option on the Rocky Mountaineer. 

Unfortunately, there wasn’t Wi-Fi onboard, and since I was traveling through remote areas of Colorado, I rarely had cell service.

The train ride went by faster than I expected, so not having cell service or Wi-Fi wasn’t a major problem. Next time, though, I’d communicate with friends and family beforehand to make sure they know I won’t have service for the trip.

My focus during my train ride was on the breathtaking views, but I didn’t consider what to pack to enhance the landscapes even more.

If you hike with me, you know I’m a guidebook fiend. I almost always have some sort of book describing the region’s wildflowers, wildlife, and terrain.

I forgot to pack those books along with binoculars on my train trip, and I spent both days sorely regretting my mistake — especially once I learned that I didn’t have cell service and couldn’t rely on Google to answer my questions. 

I was lucky enough to have a train host who highlighted a few animals and rock formations along the route — something other train rides don’t have — but I would’ve loved to dive deeper into the geology and landscapes I was seeing through the dramatic glass-dome windows. 

As we barreled past Utah’s iconic arches and expansive sandstone canyons, I wish I didn’t have to pester my train host or the retired park ranger who was sitting near me with questions on how the landscapes formed. 

For any future trips, I’ll make sure my guidebooks and binoculars are on my packing list. 

I should’ve expected a handful of delays.

According to Amtrak, the biggest delay for its passenger trains is oncoming freight trains.

Federal law says that passenger trains have a right of way over freight trains, but as Amtrak states, this is often ignored by the freight railroads, which causes unexpected delays on the tracks. 

In a summer filled with travel chaos, I should’ve expected the unexpected. While riding the Rocky Mountaineer, there were a couple of instances when our train stopped to let freight trains pass by. 

This caused delays that each lasted about half an hour. Luckily for me, the Rocky Mountaineer was the vacation. On this type of scenic ride, it was all about the journey. I had no dinner reservations to be on time for or five-star hotels to check into, so waiting out the delays wasn’t a big deal.

However, if I were to travel by train again in the future, I’d factor in additional time for delays.

Since I wasn’t restricted to rigid airline baggage policies, I could’ve packed a larger carry-on with a blanket and travel pillow.

The Rocky Mountaineer has baggage limits, but they’re more flexible than most airlines’ baggage policies. According to its website, each passenger can bring two pieces of checked luggage.

On the Rocky Mountaineer, guests drop off their luggage at the beginning of the trip and don’t see it again until they reach their hotel room or final destination. 

That means that most passengers also pack some sort of carry-on bag as well, which I kept below the seat in front of me at my feet for the trip.

There didn’t seem to be any type of limit for the size or number of carry-on bags. If I had known I’d have plenty of legroom, I would’ve chosen a larger carry-on bag with enough room for a blanket and pillow. 

My seat on the Rocky Mountaineer was comfortable, but I would’ve loved the warmth of a blanket. 

I was bound to learn a few lessons about traveling by train. While this was my first train trip, it won’t be my last.

Taking a train across America’s West was an ideal way to discover new landscapes and meet new people. 

Looking toward my future travels, I absolutely plan to board more trains. Luckily, I’ll be more prepared for my future trips.