This article and many more can be found in our 48 page 2024-2025 Winter Guide. The guides are available in racks all across Minot Air Force Base, or can be viewed online at northernsentry.com

Traveling by railroad romanticizes history. We picture classic novels like Murder on the Orient Express or vintage movies like White Christmas where train passengers don their best outfits, enjoy fancy dinners, smoke long-necked cigarettes and doze in comfortable sleeping quarters. Is the glamorous travel of yesteryear realistic in today’s world?

In the US, most of us have adopted the hustle of plane travel or superhighway road trips. But, believe it or not, you can reignite the ease and enjoyment of cross-country train travel staging right here out of Minot! It is here that the Amtrak line named the Empire Builder stops at the nearly-125-year-old historic railroad depot at 400 1st Ave SW.

The Empire Builder line runs from Seattle & Portland to Chicago. Normally, it takes about 28 hours from Minot to Seattle and about 18 hours eastbound to Chicago. While this seems so long, there are so many perks that make the time spent worthwhile.

Trains usually depart once a day in each direction from Minot station. Departure times depend on the direction of travel, but the preparations, unlike with air travel, could not be simpler. Free parking is located right at the depot and there is no need to arrive hours early. If you have luggage, you can check it (2 bags are free) or you can store it in one of the baggage areas.

Inside the train there are a few different seat classes to choose from: sleeper cars, observation cars and even dining cars, where you can eat your meals in style while rolling down the tracks. Coach seats are the most affordable and the seats are huge and very comfortable with tons of leg room. However, a downside to coach class is all food is from the snack bar, or can be brought with you (which you are free to do). If you are traveling overnight, sleeping comfortably can be a little challenging. A major perk with the sleeper cars, like a roomette or bedroom suite, is that all the meals are served to you complimentary in the dining car. While not five star restaurant quality food, the meals are filling and the selections are more than adequate. Prices of rooms or seats vary significantly based on time of year and how far in advance you book travel. But, in the end, traveling in a coach seat is almost always cheaper than airfare to the same location.

While train travel is unique and adventurous, it does have its drawbacks. The Amtrak website can be cumbersome and difficult to deal with, so make sure you first know the train line on which you want to go before searching for fares. Another word of warning about train travel on Amtrak is that they are very susceptible to time delays due to prioritization of freight trains, which share the rails. Prior Amtrak rider, (C)MSgt Derek Geske, 91 MSFS, said that his family’s ride on the Empire Builder from Minot heading east was a “super awesome experience!’ He mentioned that “Trains are horrible being on time, but it was super comfy and roomy. It was way less expensive than a plane ticket.”

As a train traveler in Minot, you not only have the major destinations to choose from, but all the stops along the way too. Westbound, you don’t want to miss Montana’s Glacier National Park, although the East Glacier Park station is closed during the winter months. Or at the Empire Builder’s final eastbound destination, Chicago’s famous Union Station, you can catch any number of trains going all sorts of places.

Rail is the way to travel when you want to see the sights, relax and enjoy a slower pace to your journey. Is it faster than air travel? No, but it is usually cheaper and gives you the time to finish a few books, take naps and take in magnificent views along the way. Is it more convenient than car travel? You do have to plan timetables and get to places on time, and you can’t make stops whenever you need to, but you can walk around and stretch your legs. You don’t have to worry about falling asleep at the wheel and you don’t have to stress about directions or driving in poor weather conditions.

All in all, railroads offer a beautiful way to enjoy travel, truly unwind en route and enjoy the journey, and it can be easily done right out of the Magic City! It’s about the journey, not the destination. Embrace it!