The Ultimate California Zephyr Guide

A trip on the Zephyr covers 2400 miles or 3900km, about twice the distance from Florida to New York City. This route is consistently considered one of North America's most scenic, making the 52-hour hour adventure between San Francisco and Chicago is a journey you'll be glad you took.

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 Sacramento, the Californian capital. This train 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 always during 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 originally 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 Ruby Canyon in Colorado and passes by Utah’s impressive Book Cliffs! Also not to be missed is California’s Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. It's a trip that really packs a lot into 52 hours and always has an impressive view from the window.

Direction Notes

The California Zephyr timetable is deliberately engineered to ensure the route's best scenery, being the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada are crossed during daylight hours in both directions. While most rail buffs slightly prefer the western service our of Chicago there is no definitively "better" direction for scenery. The schedule is highly optimized whether traveling east or west.

To achieve this daylight mountain routing, the transit of the Great Plains and the Great Basin desert is pushed to the overnight hours. Stops scheduled between around midnight and 7:00 AM in both directions primarily include stations in Nebraska (Omaha, Lincoln) and Utah/Nevada (Salt Lake City, Elko, Winnemucca).

Train 5 (Chicago to San Francisco/Emeryville): Departs Chicago early afternoon. Overnight transit of the Midwest plains. Day two features a morning departure from Denver and full daylight transit of the Rocky Mountains. Following a second overnight crossing the Nevada desert, day three provides a morning transit of the Sierra Nevada before a late afternoon arrival in Emeryville.

Train 6 (San Francisco/Emeryville to Chicago): Departs Emeryville early morning. Day one focuses on the eastbound climb over the Sierra Nevada. Overnight transit through Nevada to Salt Lake City. Day two provides full daylight transit of the Rocky Mountains, terminating with an early evening arrival in Denver. Following a final overnight across the plains, the train arrives in Chicago mid-afternoon.

California Zephyr Train 5 – Westbound (departs Chicago)

Westbound Day 1

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

The Chicago Union Station has been described as a grand building worthy of the city’s status as a national 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, wifi, more comfortable seating than you'll find in the terminals and showers are available. Coach passengers can buy a lounge pass for $35 (May 2026 pricing). 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 2

That famous Zephyr scenery starts after Denver, making this a popular boarding point for those doing only the most scenic part of the journey.

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 - and it often is - staff may ask folks to limit time in the sightseer lounge. This may not happen on all trains, it seems to depend on the staff of the day, although the general idea is to give everyone an opportunity to take in the immersive views the extra-large windows offer.

After the keynote 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 the westbound service offers the best timing for a Salt Lake stopover. 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 at Reno 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. To use the coach connection be sure to book your destination as San Francisco not Emeryville. The connection will then be included on the ticket.

California Zephyr Train 6 – Eastbound (departs Emeryville)

Eastbound Day One

The Eastbound Zephyr departs just after 9am 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 not Emeryville.

Emeryville station is a modern although no-frills affair. There is no lounge for sleeper passengers nor substantial food and beverage options within the station. There are places to eat nearby although it’s probably best to have breakfast and stock up on those snacks for later before arriving.

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

Eastbound Day Two

In both directions the Zephyr’s famous scenery is scheduled for day two. The train is scheduled for its first stop in Colorado at Grand Junction around 10am. Be sure to head to the sightseer lounge early in the day. 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!

Sleeper Options

Sleeper tickets have the highest level of onboard service. Sleeper tickets include main meals, that is breakfast, lunch and dinner in the dining car or your room. Items from the cafe between meals are purchased separately. Access to the no-frills Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge is available in Chicago for sleeper passengers. Coach passengers can purchase a $35 pass for access.

Each sleeper car has an attendant who will introduce themselves at the start of the trip. In the evening they complete a turn down service and convert the room to night mode, and the reverse in the morning.

Sleeper Roomette

The Roomette is a small entry-level sleeper configuration measuring around 3'6" by 6'6" (1.07m x 1.98m) and is available upstairs or downstairs. It functions as a private cabin with two facing seats by day, converting into upper and lower berths at night. A degree of flexibility is required to access the upper berth, and it can be a little claustrophobic if small spaces are a problem. Shared bathroom and shower facilities in the car.

Sleeper Bedroom

The Bedroom footprint is roughly double that of a Roomette, integrating a private en-suite toilet and shower module. The layout features a sofa and armchair which convert to a wider lower berth and a standard upper berth. Upper deck only.

Family / Accessible Bedroom

Largest accommodation, lower deck only. In-room toilet with shared showers. Wheelchair accessible configuration available. It provides two adult-sized berths and two shorter child-sized berths.

Coach

Amtrak coach class is known for its generous leg room and recline although beyond this, there are few additional inclusions for coach passengers. Meals can be purchased from the cafe or at stations along the way. Space permitting, an announcement will be made for coach passengers to reserve a spot in the dining car at meal time for an additional fee. Coach passengers do not have access to showers.

Dining

Dining Car

The dining car is Amtrak’s traditional sit-down dining service for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A range of dishes are available including meat, pasta, burgers etc. While not fine dining its quite reasonable for a train. A recent menu from Amtrak's Long Distance Western services is in the onboard gallery below.

When in sleeper accommodations the car attendant stops by to reserve a time for meals in the dining car. Amtrak joins groups to fill tables, particularly when its busy. It's an interesting way meet new travelling companions. Alternatively meals can be served in your sleeper cabin. The first alcoholic drink is typically included with dinner, otherwise alcohol is an additional charge.

When travelling in coach an announcement will be made for sit-down dining reservations only if space permits. The menu is fixed price for coach passengers. Most recently this was $20 for breakfast, $25 for lunch and $45 for dinner, and $20 children at all meals.

Sightseer Lounge and Cafe

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. All passengers are able to enjoy the sightseer car, although in busy periods you might be asked to limit your time in the car.

Downstairs is a cafe with light meals and refreshments for purchase along with a seating area. Amtrak publishes cafe menu’s on their website although expect typical convenience food – burgers, hotdogs, sandwiches, noodles and snacks such as chocolate bars and nuts along with juices, sodas and alcoholic drinks.

• ▪Emeryville Station is across the bay at Oakland. For starting and ending the trip in Downtown San Francisco book a ticket for San Francsico to include the coach connection. The coach connection goes to Salesforce Plaza at 401 Mission Street.
• ▪While equally spectacular in winter due to the mountain terrain this train can experience more weather-related delays and cancellations in winter on either all or part of the route. This is especially the case during winter storms.
• ▪With all trains operating in harsh winter environments there can be more onboard issues, particularly with plumbing freezing up in winter resulting in some restrooms etc. being out of service.
• ▪When travelling in a sleeper accommodation only you may bring and consume your own alcoholic beverages within your room only.
• ▪As with all train journeys, pack a light jacket or sweater in case the air conditioning gets too cold.
• ▪Bringing extra snacks for the journey is a good idea. The train can sell out of cafe items onboard.
• ▪When in a sleeper room there is only one power socket. Bring along a USB charging hub or small power strip if required.
• ▪Amtrak's long-distance rolling stock is ageing, with the trainsets dating to the 80s and early 90s. The sleeper cars had an uplift in the early 2020s. The cars are serviceable although expect some signs of age to show.

These prices have been sampled in May 2026 for up to 11 months ahead and are for the whole route. 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 here. Amtrak sleeper pricing has been running on the higher side the last couple of years.

This train is very popular in the summer months and can sell out, especially for sleepers. This popularity also makes it 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.

When booking 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 scenery and don't want the hassle of using the top bunk, consider booking two roomettes – upstairs and across the corridor from each other. To get the room assignments locked in book over the phone rather than online.

Coach seats are allocated on the day either at check-in if starting at the first station, or at the time of boarding if starting along the way.