AFAR
By Bailey Berg
November 19, 2025
The history- and nature-themed itineraries include Amtrak train rides, hotel accommodations, sightseeing tours, and activities in destinations along the coasts and in national parks, major cities, and historic sites.
Travelers looking to crisscross the country without getting behind the wheel—or spending half their trip in airport security lines—now have a new way to experience some of the most cinematic landscapes in the United States.
Railbookers Group, a company that sells independent rail vacations around the world, just announced a new Stars and Stripes Collection, a suite of 23 Amtrak Vacations itineraries that link together coastlines, national parks, big cities, musical capitals, and historic sites.
The timing is intentional: 2026 marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and this new collection of rail journeys offers travelers an easy way to explore the places and stories that shaped the country.
“We’re the official national tour operator for Amtrak Vacations and have been for many years, so with the 250th anniversary of the United States, we thought this was the perfect time to create the Stars and Stripes Collection and celebrate America’s birthday, while also celebrating our national railroad system,” Frank Marini, Railbookers Group president and CEO, told Afar.
Some of Amtrak’s most storied long-distance routes—like the California Zephyr, the Coast Starlight, the Empire Builder, the City of New Orleans, and the Southwest Chief—anchor many of the itineraries, carrying travelers through the Rockies, along the Pacific, across the Great Plains, and deep into Delta country. Trips span from multipark Western odysseys to city-hopping journeys along the East Coast.
Travelers drawn to classic Americana can opt for the “Route 66 by Rail” itinerary, which traces the road from Chicago to Los Angeles over 14 days, with overnight stays in cities including St. Louis, Missouri; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Williams, Arizona, as well as time at Grand Canyon National Park.
Meanwhile, the 13-day “Founding Fathers Trail” links Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Williamsburg, and Charleston in one sweeping itinerary. The 12-day “Lewis and Clark Trail by Rail” follows the explorers’ path across the northern plains and into the mountains.
A more presidential bent comes with the 16-day “Journey through Presidential History,” connecting Boston to Austin, Texas via key libraries, museums, monuments, and landmark sites. For culture seekers, the nine-day “Jazz, Blues & Rock ’n’ Roll” highlights the roots of American music in Chicago, Memphis, and New Orleans, and the 12-day “Hollywood to Broadway” ties together L.A.’s film studios, Chicago’s architecture and arts scene, and New York’s theater district.
According to Marini, one of the main goals of this collection is to show how accessible the country is by rail, something many travelers underestimate. “The train goes to 46 of the lower 48 states, which most people don’t know,” he said. “From a history and culture standpoint, whether it’s Hollywood to Broadway or the Lewis & Clark Trail by Rail, everything can be done by train—and we’re the only ones doing it.”
Each itinerary includes long-distance rail segments, hotel accommodations, sightseeing tours, and curated activities.
In total, more than three dozen destinations appear in the collection, from major metros (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco) to early settlements (Boston, Philadelphia, Florida’s St. Augustine), as well as a handful of national parks, such as Arches, Moab, and Yellowstone.
“These are mostly new itineraries celebrating Americana, from our colonial history to discovering out West and more—it really covers everything,” Marini added. “In the end, travel is about experiences, and while Railbookers Group goes all over the world, sometimes people don’t even know what exists in their own backyard.”
Trips are available for immediate booking, with departures as far out as two years from now. The full Stars and Stripes Collection can be explored on the Amtrak Vacations website.
Originally reported by AFAR on November 19, 2025, and republished on railbookersgroup.com.
