I ditched my car and hopped on a train to the Grand Canyon. Getting there took twice as long, but the $80 ride was worth it.
- Last year, I was sick of driving during a road trip, so I hopped on the Grand Canyon Railway.
- The train departs from Williams, Arizona, and drops travelers off at the park's South Rim.
- The ride took twice as long as driving would've, but it was a new way to explore a national park.
By the time I reached Williams, Arizona, my hands felt permanently bound to my van's steering wheel. My back ached, making me feel decades older than I actually am, and my legs cramped from being in the same position for hours.
It was only day four of my 13-day road trip. I had already covered 800 miles and spent far too long in my rented Ram ProMaster van.
Simply put, I was done driving.
Thankfully, that's why I was in Williams in the first place. The small Arizona town is home to the Grand Canyon Railway.
Instead of driving another two hours round-trip to the national park, I decided to let someone else do the driving and hopped on the train.
Living in Colorado means I'm lucky enough to have dozens of national parks just a road trip away.
I've even visited the Grand Canyon before. Last summer, I hiked with a group of friends around the park's North Rim during a road trip exploring Utah's national parks.
While cars and vans grant a level of independence, I was excited to explore a new part of the park via train. It would remove the hassle of extra driving time and the dreaded hunt for parking.
Between a break from driving and exploring a new way to see a national park, I was eager to board the Grand Canyon Railway.
The Grand Canyon Railway has six different class options. The bottom-tier class is the Pullman class, where round-trip tickets cost $70. The highest tiers are the luxury parlor and luxury dome, where tickets cost $240. These prices do not include a $35 park entry fee.
When picking my train class, I was just happy to be in a train car and not in a van. I opted for the second-tier coach ticket on the way to the Grand Canyon and a Pullman ticket on the way home. Besides design, the main difference I spotted between the two classes was that the coach class offers air conditioning, while the Pullman car does not.
Altogether, I paid $82 for the ride in October 2023.
The train ride takes about two hours and 15 minutes, compared to an hour by car.
Passengers have about 3 ½ hours to explore the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.
The train depot in Williams was built in 1910.
A group of cowboy actors lined an Old West-style set and acted out a cliché shootout.
Sure, it was a little gimmicky, but after traveling along Route 66 and exploring America's old Art Deco movement, I learned to embrace it.
The coach car was only about half full, so all the passengers could grab a window seat to admire the ponderosa pine forests and grasslands we were traveling through.
The ride is 65 miles and travels through a range of landscapes.
Along the ride, I learned about the Indigenous peoples who call the region home, and our train attendant dove into the railway's history.
Someone from our train car spotted a bald eagle within the first 10 minutes of the journey. Throughout the rest of the trip, we also saw cattle, horses, and pronghorns.
I grabbed some pretzels and peanut M&M's for the rest of the ride.
Little did I know that you can't see any part of the Grand Canyon from the train. Instead, after disembarking, the canyon is a short walk away.
I've spent entire days wandering through Arches National Park and Zion National Park.
While I could've easily spent days in the park, an afternoon offered an ideal taste of its offerings.
I spent about an hour walking a segment of the Rim Trail, a paved path that gives visitors a view into the canyon. I also wandered through the visitor center, gift shop, and restaurants.
On the hunt for some new perspectives, I did a portion of a hike that led down into the Grand Canyon.
I still had enough time to grab a quick bite before boarding the train back to Williams.
Though it was the lower class, I enjoyed the Pullman car a bit more. The seats were a tad more comfortable, and the entire space felt a bit more historic. Plus, I was traveling in the fall, so the air conditioning in coach class was an unnecessary perk. (I wasn't even sure it was on.) But if it had been the height of Arizona's summer, I would have picked coach.
After settling in the emerald-green train car, we left promptly at 3:30 p.m.
Both a violinist and a guitarist played for passengers during the ride.
As an avid hiker, I'm itching to return to the national park and take on more challenging hikes.
I returned from the daylong adventure energized and no longer dreading the drive ahead.