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classic north american rail routes* Think fast: with the exception of The Adirondack and The Canadian, everyone of the routes on this list may be at risk of extinction as of October 2002. 1 > The Coast Starlight: This 36-hour trip between Seattle and LA offers some of the best scenery of any rail route in the country: the forests , lakes and mountains of the Cascades in Washington and Oregon; vineyards and low. rounded hills in Cal ifornia; and the Pacific coast just outside LA, with the ocean on one side of the train and steep ocean-side cl iffs on the other. Sample fare: Seattle-LA: $201 per person in coach, or $990 for two in a sleeper. www.amtrak.com/trains/coaststarlight.html 2> The California Zephyr: Though the midwestern portion of this daily two-day trip between Chicago and the Bay Area is just average, the western half is truly beautiful. Just outside Denver, the tra in climbs from the plains up to and over the Continental Divide, in a beautiful three- hour excursion through the mountains. Its trip through Colorado's Glenwood Canyon is even more breathtaking. Sample fa re: Chicago- Glenwood Springs, CO: $247 per person in coach, or $1,154 for two in a sleeper. www.amtrak.com/trains/californiazephyr.html 3> The Adirondack: With New York City and Montreal on both ends, and with sights like the Hudson Valley and Lake Champlain in between, this 10- hour trip is especially worthwhile when fall colors are at their peak. Sample fare: New York- Montreal: $113 per person (sleeping car accommodation is not available because the train travels a daytime schedule) www.amtrak.com/trains/adirondack.html 4> The Canadian: It takes three days, but this route between Toronto and Vancouver hits the Great Lakes, the plains, and the Canadian Rockies on transcontinental trips that depart three times a week. Sample fare: Toronto-Vancouver: $287 per person in coach, or $2,334 for two in a sleeper. www.viarail.ca/trains/en_traUoja.html 5> The Southwest Chief: This route crosses the Mississi ppi and offers a beautiful perspective on the desert southwest, sometimes squeezing through canyons that aren't much wider than the tra in. Its daily run between Chicago and LA takes a little under two days. Sample fa re: Chicago-Flagstaff, AZ: $302 per person in coach, or $1,242 for two in a sleeper. www.amtrak.com/trains/southwestchief.html 6> The City of New Orleans: Immortalized by Arlo Guthrie in his song of the same name, the scenery along th is route isn't as outright spectacular as it is in other parts of the country, but it offers an up- close view of Louisiana bayous and also has some of Amtrak's best on- board chefs. Sample fa re, Chicago-New Orleans: $224 per person in coach, or $636 for two in a sleeper. www.amtrak.com/trains/cityofneworleans. htm I 7> The Texas Eagle/Sunset Limited: Heading out of Los Angeles, these trains travel through austerely striking terrain in the southwest and pass through cities like Tucson and EI Paso. The train then divides at San Antonio: the Texas Eagle heads north to Chicago th rough Austin and Dallas, and the Sunset Limited heads to Orlando. Sample fare: LA- Orlando: $372 per person in coach, or $1,652 for two in a sleeper. www.amtrak.com/trains/texaseagle.html or www.amtrak.com/trains/sunsetlimited.html 8> The Empire Builder: Traveling between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest, th is tra in serves both Seatt le and Portland. Along its way, the route covers the upper plains states, Glacier National Park, and the forests and mountains of Washington State and Oregon. Sample fare: Chicago-Glacier National Park: $289 per person in coach, or $1,228 for two in a sleeper. www.amtrak.com/trains/empirebuilder.html ยท Unless otherwise noted, routes are operated by Amtrak. For more information, see Amtrak.com or call 800-USA-RAIL. For Canadian trains, see viarail.ca, or call 88B-ViA-RAIL. Sample fares listed are in US dollars for round-trip travel, booked approximately one month in advance. Additional discounts, some quite significant, might also be available. 40 travel Some ideas far from home. If North American trains are lively, European trains rock and roll. international They transport travelers from all points of the globe, some even traveling by rail for the sake of rail travel alone. Then there are the classic global routes like the Trans-Siberian Express, which takes a week to chug between Beijing and Moscow stopping on the windy shores of Lake Baikal and at small towns, where women in headscarves will line up to sell you pirogi. Australia's cross-continent line between Sydney and Perth takes you from one coast to the other through gum forests, herds of kangaroo and an endless expanse of desert. eurasia> One of the best known train routes in the world is the Trans-Siberian Express which crosses almost the entire breadth of Russia between Moscow and the port city of Vladivostok. A more southerly route ends or originates in Beijing. These trips-which take a week or more- pilSS through exotic cities like Ulan-Ude, in a deep valley in east-centra l Russia that was founded as a fortress by Cossacks in the 17th century, and Novosibirsk, the largest city in Siberia, as well as days of natural scenery, including Lake Baikal, the deepest lake in the world. Make reserva tions with any travel agent or Trans-Siberian tour operators. Or try Trains Unl imited Tours (800-359-4870; www.trainsunltdtours.com; $4,495 per person from Moscow to Vladivostok). australia> Austra lia's ocean-to-ocean Indian Pacific route crosses the entire continent between Sydney and Perth. Departing twice a week, the excursion costs between $230 and $750 US depending on the accommodations you choose. The trip takes a little under three days. For more information, contact Rai l Austra lia (323-962-6028; www.railaustra lia .com.au). mexico> In Mexico's Copper Canyon, trains climb up from the Sonoran desert of the canyon, nearly as deep as Arizona's Grand Canyon. Several tour operators serve the Copper Canyon region via a ra il line completed in 1961, including excursions ranging from $285-$992 per person (double occupancy) available from RailsNW (on line or fax booking preferred : fax 503-292-0713; www.railsnw.com). Another option is an eight-day tour package aboard the Sierra Madre Express (800-666-0346; www.sierramadreexpress.com; $2,795-$3,620 based on double occupancy).