Fall Foliage Is Better by Rail on These 13 Scenic Train Trips

This article was originally published in 2018 and most recently updated on October 15, 2026, with current information.

There’s never a bad time for a train ride. They’re a truly serene way to trundle through the snow, gaze at cherry blossoms and wildflowers, and see the leaves change color. Beautiful fall foliage lasts for such a limited time that it’s essential to plan ahead. And while you could go on a backroads drive or hike, consider the most relaxing alternative: a scenic train. Here are 13 of our favorite fall foliage train rides, from New Hampshire to the Swiss Alps.

1. Conway Scenic Railroad Mountaineer: New Hampshire

We’d be remiss to talk about fall foliage and not mention New Hampshire. On the Conway Scenic Railroad Mountaineer’s 1950s-era streamlined passenger cars, you’ll see some of the state’s most scenic landscapes, including the famed Crawford Notch, a pass in the White Mountains that lights up in a riot of red, yellow, and orange foliage from September to mid- or even late October every year. For a taste of this scenic train ride without committing to half a day, book the one-hour Valley Train Excursion.

2. Mount Washington Cog Railway: New Hampshire

Photo by Songquan Deng/Shutterstock

Ride the rails to the top of Mount Washington on a three-hour round-trip excursion that’s been an attraction in New Hampshire’s White Mountains since 1869. The railway still operates two vintage steam locomotives, but most of the trips are now made with biodiesel locomotives to reduce emissions. Visit by mid-October to see the fall colors at their peak in a forest of orange, red, and gold.

On Great Rail Journeys’ nine-day “New England in the Fall” tour, you can combine a ride on the Mount Washington Cog Railway with trips on the Conway Scenic Railroad and Amtrak’s Downeaster.

Related: Not Every Amtrak Route Is Scenic—But These 8 Train Rides Are Truly Worth It

3. Alaska Railroad Denali Star Train: Alaska

The foliage changes early in Alaska, peaking in late August and the first few weeks of September each year. Besides seeing a variety of red, orange, and yellow leaves through the dome-car windows on the 12-hour (one-way) ride that runs from mid-May to mid-September, you can also catch a view of Denali, North America’s highest peak.

Afar contributor Bailey Berg rode the Alaska Railroad Denali Star Train and was awed by the scenery the train rolls through: “The blue of the fast-moving Chulitna River, the red of the shrubs along its banks, the yellow of the lower-level birch trees, and the emerald of the deciduous trees higher up the embankment. And in all directions, sweeping views of the grayish-purple Alaska Range, each peak blanketed by termination dust.”

Related: Why 2027 Is the Year to Visit Denali National Park

4. Great Smoky Mountains Railroad’s Tuckasegee River Excursion: North Carolina

Courtesy of Vacations by Rail

The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad operates several itineraries throughout the year in North Carolina. Its Tuckasegee River Excursion, on a vintage diesel (or occasionally steam) train, is the most scenic in fall. On the four-hour round-trip journey, you’ll take in river valley views from the train’s panoramic windows and explore the handful of shops and restaurants in the small town of Dillsboro during an 80-minute layover. Peruse handicrafts such as ceramics and jewelry from some 60 local artists and artisans at Tunnel Mountain Crafts, or go for an edible souvenir from Dillsboro Chocolate Factory.

Looking for something more than a day trip? This train ride is part of Great Rail Journeys’ nine-day Smoky Mountain Rail Adventure, on which rail enthusiasts travel from Nashville to Asheville, with additional stops for rides on the Tennessee Valley Railroad and the Incline Railway on Chattanooga’s Lookout Mountain.

5. Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad: Ohio

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You can take this scenic Ohio train ride throughout the summer, but go in October to see the sugar maples and dogwood trees turn various shades of red, orange, and yellow on a 2- or 3.5-hour round-trip ride through Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Two trains run Wednesday to Friday and three run on the weekends. Trains departing from Peninsula Depot are two hours round-trip and better for young children. For a full day of fun, choose the all-day ticket, a hop-on, hop-off option that leaves you free to explore the park (board at Rockside, Peninsula, or Akron Northside Stations).

Related: The 11 Best National Parks for Phenomenal Fall Foliage

6. Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad: Colorado

Photo by Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock

Through October 25, 2026, the narrow-gauge steam train Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad makes excursions every day except Monday between Antonito, Colorado, and Chamas, New Mexico, two small towns located right on the Colorado–New Mexico border. There’s also the option to board in Cumbres, Colorado, for a shorter trip to the ghost town of Osier, Colorado. The ticket price includes a buffet lunch that caters to all diets at the midway point in Osier, plus access to the open-air gondola car for better photo ops of the aspen trees that turn bright yellow in autumn.

7. Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad: New York

Photo by Jim Gale

The Cooperstown and Charlotte Valley Railroad’s fall foliage excursions run for four weekends, through Saturday, October 17, 2026. The vintage train departs at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. for a two-hour round-trip ride through New York’s Susquehanna River Valley that bursts with pretty foliage in the fall. Book the Pumpkin Patch Express (same price and schedule) if your crew wants to sip cider and munch on cookies; any kids in your party will head home with their very own pumpkin, ready to be carved. All rides begin and end at the Milford Depot, about a 15-minute drive south of the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

8. Blue Ridge Scenic Railway: Tennessee

Courtesy of Blue Ridge Scenic Railway/Facebook

Through November 3, 2026, take in the season’s colors on this scenic two- or four-hour round-trip excursion along the Toccoa River in Tennessee’s 867,000-acre Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. You can book tickets for a seat in an enclosed, climate-controlled train car or enjoy the mild autumn weather from an open-air train carriage.

The two-hour train ride rolls along the Toccoa River and through the twin towns of McCaysville, Georgia, and Copperhill, Tennessee, but doesn’t stop, while the four-hour option includes a two-hour stopover in town. Trains depart daily at 10 a.m. (the four-hour trip) and 3 p.m. (the two-hour trip). For a shorter and more interactive excursion, book a 90-minute guided rail bike tour to cruise 11 miles through the Blue Ridge Mountains ($63 for kids, $70 for adults).

9. Amtrak Adirondack: New York to Montreal

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This train ride is the definition of the slow, scenic route, where the emphasis is as much on the journey as the destinations. The Amtrak Adirondack runs from New York City’s Moynihan Train Hall through the Hudson Valley and its rows of handsome maple trees and up into the train’s namesake Adirondack Mountains. It then continues along the shores of Lake Champlain, arriving in Montreal 13 hours later (the return trip is two hours shorter).

Related: A Perfect Weekend in Montreal Is All About Historic Architecture and Modern Cuisine

10. Agawa Canyon Tour Train: Ontario, Canada

Photo by Russ Heinl/Shutterstock

The scenic Agawa Train takes you on a daylong journey from the lakeside city of Sault Ste. Marie in Ontario, chugging 114 miles north to the 575-foot-deep Agawa Canyon, where you’ll have 90 minutes to go on a hike or stop for a picnic near the Agawa River. You should hurry if you’re thinking of booking this trip. Tickets for its peak season (through October 18, 2026) sell out quickly.

11. West Highland Line: Scotland

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One of the most beautiful train rides in the U.K., the West Highland Line is an alternative to the Harry Potter fan favorite Jacobite Express at a fraction of the price. ScotRail’s West Highland Line runs from Glasgow to Mallaig, up in the Highlands and across from Skye. The train curves around both evergreen trees and their deciduous cousins whose leaves turn a fiery gold from late September to mid- to late-October.

Like the others on this list, the West Highland Line is a scenic and slow train, covering 160 or so miles in nearly five and a half hours, so pack a picnic and a good book. If the whole trip is too long for one day in your opinion, break it up with a night in Fort William (3 hours and 45 minutes from Glasgow). Hop back on the train the following day for the 85-minute ride from Fort William to Mallaig, during which the train traverses the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which the Hogwarts Express crosses and which has also appeared in The Crown.

12. Bernina Express: Switzerland and Italy

Andrea Michael Badrutt

The Rhaetian Railway through the Albula and Bernina Passes in the Swiss Alps was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2008 for its outstanding architectural and civil engineering achievements, which include the 213-foot-high Landwasser Viaduct, 55 tunnels, and 196 bridges through high mountain passes. The train runs year-round, but fall is particularly beautiful in this region of Switzerland, when the golden larch trees contrast with the green pines. By the time the train arrives in Tirano, Italy, 92 miles away, those trees have been replaced by palms.

This route sells out very quickly, and we recommend booking far in advance, especially if you want to use an Interrail pass (don’t forget to book a seat reservation). If you don’t want to commit to the Bernina Express’s limited schedule, you can opt for the regional train, which runs along the same route and has smaller, standard windows rather than the Bernina Express’s panoramic ones.

13. Sagano Romantic Train: Japan

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Japan’s cherry blossoms are gorgeous, but the country’s foliage is equally colorful. Twenty minutes outside of Kyoto is one of the best value-for-money “dates” you can go on in Japan: a trip aboard the Sagano Romantic Train. It will take you on a beautiful 25-minute ride through the Hozukyo Ravine, which is lined with Japanese maple trees that turn red and orange every autumn, before finishing at the Torokko Kameoka Station. You can then take either the same lovely ride back to Sagano or a regular JR train for 30 minutes.