If you suggested taking a train holiday to anyone in the UK, worn down by over-priced tickets and rail chaos, they would think that you were crazy. But the key thing to remember is that out of the UK, most trains tend to be an inexpensive and reliable mode of transport.
Take a huge country like the USA, add an overnight journey in a sleeper car and you have a great way to see the sights, all from the comfort of your seat. So jump on board and enjoy our top USA rail journeys.
The Texas Eagle
The fabulously-named Texas Eagle travels between Chicago and San Antonio, a 32-hour trip of 1,306 miles. On the way you'll go through 'Lincoln country' where the President was born and lived.
[Related article: Top 10 travel beauty buys]
You may see wildlife including buffalo, deer, wild turkeys and American bald eagles, some 400 of whom make their winter home in the limestone cliffs around the Mississippi river around Alton.
Keeping it presidential, you also pass through Clinton's birthplace, Hope and the burial site of Lee Harvey Oswald, in Handley.
Top tip: If you like nature you can enjoy a free talk from National Park guides who come on board to point out places of interest in the San Antonio Missions National Historic Park between San Antonio and Fort Worth.
California Zephyr
Travelling from Chicago to San Francisco, the Zephyr is one of the most scenic rail trips you can take, journeying 2,438 miles over 52 hours.
The scenery changes daily, from the greenery and vast width of the Mississippi to the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevadas and Colorado's beautiful canyons and rivers, then through to coppery coloured mountains and desert.
[Related article: Air traveller detained at Edinbugh airport over aftershave]
Again, the 'Trains and Rails' programme is available onboard, with guides from National Parks service talking and showing points of interest on the way. Take a seat in one of the Observation cars, which are specially built with domed glass sides and roof so you can get a great view of the scenery on the way.
Top tip: Mealtimes in the dining car are shared at tables of four, which is a great way to meet people. You could have breakfast with a cowboy...
Empire Builder
Crossing 2,200 miles, three time zones and taking 47 hours, the elegantly-named Empire Builder follows the trail of explorers Lewis and Clark between Seattle and Chicago. You take in the magnificent 'Big Sky country' of Montanta, cross the epic Mississippi and see the stunning peaks of the Rocky mountains and Cascade ranges.
If you book a sleeper, then you get to enjoy a wine and cheese tasting onboard too, with local goodies from the route.
Sleep with your blinds open to enjoy the North Dakota plains early in the morning.
[Related article: Sun creams, SPF and star ratings explained]
Top tip: Try the pancakes for breakfast with syrup and bacon. Piping hot and absolutely gorgeous.
The Adirondack
Voted one of the top 10 most scenic train rides in the world, when you ride the Adirondack from New York City, crossing the border into Canada and Montreal, you'll see why.
Taking just 11 hours to cover 381 miles, although this isn't an overnight train, it's included because it's a jaw-clangingly gorgeous journey and you get two countries for the price of one trip.
As you leave New York, you pass through the Hudson River Valley, a favourite spot for artists and, of course a great wine-growing area.
Top tip: Have a glass of the local wine as you pass through the Hudson Valley, somehow it tastes better when you see where it came from.
Crescent
Journey from the 'Big Apple' to the 'Big Easy' by rail on the Crescent train, on a journey of 1,377 miles over 30 hours. This trip takes you all the way down into America's south, criss-crossing 13 different states as it does so, the most of any Amtrak service.
[Related article: Mountain biking in the French Alps]
Leaving the hustle and bustle of New York behind and passing through the beauty of the Appalachians, the slow-moving rivers and cotton fields of the South on the way to New Orleans. Accents get slower and smoother, and listen up as the conductor announces the final stop, "N'Awlins".
Top tip: Check out the local menus in the dining car. Try a Maryland crab cake or Louisiana shrimp and grits with a sweetly-nutty Georgia pecan pie.
