We were well into our journey from Los Angeles to Chicago, surrounded by cornfields and grain elevators, when the train halted and a voice rang out.
“All right, folks,” said a man on the PA system. “We’ve come to a stop in what appears to be the middle of nowhere.”
To a traveler in a hurry, this is the stuff of nightmares. To a seasoned passenger on the L.A.-Chicago train known as Amtrak’s Southwest Chief, it’s just another day.
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When you board an American long-distance train in 2025, you are trading the airport routine for entry into a locomotive-driven realm where there is neither TSA nor WiFi. And AI might as well stand for aged infrastructure.
There will be delays, often because of passing freight trains. But in the bargain, you are freeing yourself from worry about aerodynamics or the chronic shortage of U.S. air traffic controllers and gaining access to ground-level scenery and idle hours.
You’re also joining a modest trend. Even before this fall’s bout of flight cancellations during the government shutdown, Amtrak had set records for passengers and revenue in fiscal 2024, then again in 2025. Ridership on the Southwest Chief rose 12.6% in the last year. Amtrak’s long-distance trains haven’t caught up with their pre-pandemic numbers yet, but we seem to like them a little more lately.
Passengers board the Southwest Chief at Los Angeles Union Station.
(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
To learn why, I boarded the Southwest Chief at Los Angeles Union Station on a recent Monday afternoon. I was ready to see a few desert sunsets from the Sightseer Lounge and hear what people say when they have the time to chat with a stranger IRL.
Before long, I had been party to conversations about fear of flying, doctors in Tijuana, how to make beef jerky and how to sleep in a moving metal box. I’d also heard these sentences:
“I like watching the country go by. I draw and I paint,” said passenger Nancy Roeder.
“I’m a fourth-generation model railroader,” said William Angus.
“I’m not going to lie to you. I took his life.”
This last comment came from a fellow traveler, ruefully disclosing an act of self-defense many years ago. No proof was offered, but I believed it. I also found the teller of the story (whom I won’t name) to be good company, thoughtful and generous.
In other words, on a two-day train, you meet people and hear things that you might not on a four-hour flight.
What Paul Theroux wrote 50 years ago in “The Great Railway Bazaar” is still true: “Anything is possible on a train: a great meal, a binge, a visit from card players, an intrigue, a good night’s sleep, and strangers’ monologues framed like Russian short stories.”
Flagstaff by dawn
Passengers relax in the Sightseer Lounge on Amtrak’s Southwest Chief.
(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
There’s one Southwest Chief departure from Los Angeles every day (and one from Chicago). If everything goes right, the 2,265-mile, 32-stop trip takes about 43 hours.
But only a rookie would count on that. About 60% of the time, the Southwest Chief arrives at least 15 minutes late.
For much of its route through Arizona, the route is flanked by old Route 66 and other lonely desert roads.
(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
Back in 1936, when the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway introduced Southwest Super Chief service between Los Angeles and Chicago, this was a roughly 40-hour journey. The passenger list included plenty of show-biz people and the first stop was in Pasadena.
Nowadays, the Southwest Chief is run by Amtrak (which gets government funding but operates independently enough to be unaffected by recent government shutdowns). There are not so many show-biz people now, not as many frills. Instead of Pasadena, its first stop after Los Angeles is Fullerton, followed by a bend to the northeast. By the time I arrived in the dining car for my first dinner aboard, we were nearing Barstow.
“This way, young man,” lied the server winningly as he steered me to a table. (I am 65. In the dining car, every traveler, no matter how aged, gets greeted as a young man or young lady.)
Since booths hold four people, dining car stewards like Chuck Jones manage the delicate task of putting travelers together. Through PA announcements and whispers in the aisles, he encouraged us to introduce ourselves and keep phones off tables.
He also suggested we steer clear of politics — a tall order when traveling through a government shutdown from a city the president had just called “lawless” to one he had just called “the worst and most dangerous city in the world.”
Surprise: Almost everyone complied.
Over the course of six dining car meals as a solo traveler, I heard no political disagreements and met travelers from their 20s to their 80s.
Claudette Toth, a senior from Massachusetts, estimated that she’d only flown three or four times in her life. William Angus, a 24-year-old returning to Chicago from a pilgrimage to the San Diego Model Railroad Museum told of how much he loved running a 1/87 scale model of the Bakersfield-Mojave rail system, re-enacting operations from February 1953.
Ernie Haecker, of Sante Fe and New York, is a regular on Amtrak’s Southwest Chief train between Los Angeles and Chicago.
(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
As Angus spoke, Ernie Haecker, a longtime train lover, nodded in understanding, grinning beneath a handlebar mustache. Haecker, 77, an audiologist, told us he takes the train every six weeks, splitting time between Santa Fe and New York. After so many trips, he knows the crew, knows where the train will pause long enough for him to shave, knows he can count on chatting with “a whole panoply of folks every time.” He even knew the spot in Illinois where the train would switch from one old company’s tracks to another’s.
“We just left the old Santa Fe,” he would say when the moment came. “Now we’re on Burlington.”
My dinner on the first night was another happy surprise — a fairly tender and flavorful flat iron steak. There was a vase holding flowers at every table, along with white tablecloth.
A meal is served in the dining car.
(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
Still, nobody should expect a Michelin-star meal in an Amtrak dining car. It’s common for servers to bring out dessert before the main dish (to avoid running behind later) and at one meal, someone forgot my order and I had to start over half an hour later.
By the time we crossed into Arizona that first night, I was back in my roomette nodding off, lulled like a baby atop a washing machine.
We were near Flagstaff when I blinked awake, glad to catch sight of the sunrise and grateful to have a sleeping area of my own.
Arizona sprawl and the Amtrak class system
Roomettes measure about 23 square feet.
(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
Of the three ways you can travel long-distance on Amtrak, the fanciest option is a private room that’s about 50 square feet (including private bath). The cost — about $3,200 for a couple, one way, when I booked — includes meals in the dining cars. (Family rooms, which hold four people but share bathrooms, cost about the same. All rates fluctuate by season and demand.)
That was too pricey for me and my expense account, so I booked a roomette. The roomettes are about half the size of a private room, with dining-car access and upper and lower berths that allow two travelers to lie flat (or one to spread out). These share toilets and showers. This cost me $809. (For a couple, the tab would have been $1,112.)
The third option was coach class, which means sleeping in your seat. It’s a sensible choice if you’re traveling only a portion of the route, and it’s what I did when traveling this route as a college student 45 years ago.
I was intrigued to see that coach fares start at $198 — only a bit more than the starting price for a flight. But no, not intrigued enough.
As a coach passenger, you don’t get access to the dining car (unless there’s room and you’re willing to pay $20-$45 for a meal). Instead, you bring food, buy snacks in the cafe car below the Sightseer Lounge or, if truly desperate, try to arrange a restaurant delivery to an upcoming fresh-air stop.
Fortunately, all classes get access to the Sightseer Lounge, where armchairs and couches face big windows. I’ve heard of lounges getting pretty crowded and ripe on heavily booked trips, but our trained seemed less than half-full. A few coach passengers dozed in the lounge overnight (which is officially forbidden) and nobody seemed bothered.
That first morning, with coffee in hand, I tiptoed into the lounge, sank into an armchair and watched the desert sprawl while wispy clouds clung to the horizon under a brightening sky.
This postcard (or rather Instagram) moment came somewhere between Winslow and Holbrook. I’m told the scenery is more dramatic on the Coast Starlight (from Los Angeles to Seattle) and the California Zephyr (from Emeryville through the Rockies to Chicago). But this comes down to taste. If you like deserts, the Chief is hard to beat. (Though no matter the route, if you like photography, the train is a challenge: no open windows, so you’re always shooting exteriors through glass.)
As Arizona yielded to New Mexico, the dirt seemed to get redder and the ridges rose to form buttes. Along rivers and creeks, bright yellow cottonwood trees congregated in bursts of yellow. Occasionally we’d glimpse small towns and timeworn roadside attractions — a reminder that Old Route 66 basically follows Southwest Chief’s path between the West Coast and Albuquerque, N.M.
Amish in transit, elk at sunset
Travelers head toward seats at Chicago Union Station.
(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
“Living in L.A., you forget all this space,” said Kim Rinauro, a nurse from Los Feliz. “When you come out and see how vast this is, it really gives you a different perspective.”
“America is so ginormous,” said Jeanine Bass, a softball coach from Costa Mesa who was on her way to see family in upstate New York.
Meanwhile, one end of the observation car had been filled by several women in white bonnets, joined by men with straw hats, footlong beards and no mustaches. Occasionally I’d hear a sort of clapping sound. Amish families. Playing dominoes.
Amish travelers have been using this route for decades, one of the men told me, on their way to and from doctors in Tijuana. Seeking medical treatment that’s more affordable and easier to schedule than in the U.S., they take trains to Southern California, then continue overland across the border.
Just before we made a 45-minute stop at the station, which is surrounded by a grim neighborhood, an Amtrak staffer took the microphone to sternly address the coach-class travelers.
“Coaches: No alcohol,” she said. “If you bring alcohol, you can stay and spend all night here with the transients.” For those in rooms and roomettes, she continued, booze in private rooms is OK, but not in public spaces.
Farther into New Mexico, we passed the other Southwest Chief train, carrying passengers west.
Between Raton, N.M., and Trinidad, Colo., amid a gaudy sunset, we crept past a herd of elk, then plunged into a tunnel. Emerging, we caught a last bit of sunset, some of the most gorgeous miles of the trip.
Yet this, I learned later, is the part of the trip that Amtrak’s chief executive tried to replace with bus service in 2018. The effort failed and that executive is no longer in the job. But the battles in Washington over Amtrak funding and mission never end, which is why so many cars, like the Superliners on the Southwest Chief, were built between 1979 and 1996. Amtrak leaders have set a goal of replacing their older long-distance cars by 2032.
Speaking of hardware: Eventually I tried the shower. It didn’t go well. First, I saw that someone had stolen the shampoo dispenser. Then I couldn’t find a way to cool the scalding-hot water. I stood as far back as I could in the snug compartment and grimaced my way through it.
Missouri, Iowa and Illinois: The final miles
The concourse at Chicago Union Station is grand but quiet.
(Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times)
On arrival day, I woke just as we reached the station in Kansas City, another gritty neighborhood along the tracks. Our news feeds were filled with fresh reports of nationwide flight delays because of the government shutdown.
Soon we were crossing the Missouri River, roaring through forest and skirting naked farmland where this year’s corn crop had just been cut. Then came Fort Madison, Iowa; the Mississippi River and the beginnings of Illinois. Water towers and grain elevators.
I zipped my bags shut, tipped the roomette attendant and dining car team. Soon I’d be stretching my legs at the Art Institute of Chicago, walking Millennium Park and along the Chicago River, checking out the skyline from Navy Pier.
We pulled into Union Station within an hour of our target time.
Was it a perfect trip? No. But it was full of humanity, scenery and comforting clangs and rumbles. I even liked the lurching way you had to walk down the corridors, adjusting balance as the train shifts. And then, to step off the train after two days into a brisk Chicago afternoon, 2,265 miles from home, having never left the ground? That’s almost magic.
Tracks dominate the view from the last car on the train.
Budget airline announces flights to Greek islands and European cities starting May 2026 with one-way fares from £44.99
Chania is built around an old Venetian harbour(Image: David C Tomlinson via Getty Images)
Travelling to a European island destination with balmy winter weather and a stunning historic centre is about to become much simpler.
This week Wizz Air revealed the launch of six fresh routes from London Luton Airport, including one to Chania in Crete. One-way tickets start from £44.99.
The city is positioned on the northwest coast of the Greek island and is renowned for its 14th-century Venetian harbour, winding alleyways and waterside eateries. At the harbour entrance stands a 16th-century lighthouse showcasing Venetian, Egyptian and Ottoman influences.
In stark contrast to the UK, this week and next Chania is forecast to hit highs of 19C. Brian Dillon, a writer for the Express, recently explored Chania and was utterly captivated by the city. “The holiday destination enjoys stellar weather throughout August, September, and October, and my September trip there was filled with sunshine and scorching temperatures in the high 20s,” he wrote.
“Compared to Spanish hotspots I have been to, such as Gran Canaria, Salou and Mallorca, Chania felt like an authentic taste of where I was. The aforementioned destinations that attract a huge number of Brits have very much adapted themselves to their visitors. However, Chania felt like the best of both worlds, with plenty for tourists to do but still a unique Greek charm, which was more than evident in the food.”
Brian was impressed not only by the climate, but also by the standard of cuisine he sampled, and the overall atmosphere of the island. “Food is perhaps the best way to immerse yourself in a place, and the food in Greece took me on a journey that I will never forget. Dining in Greek restaurants every night, I was blown away by the exceptional service and tantalising flavours I experienced each time,” he elaborated.
“From stuffed aubergine to the most delectable sea bass I’ve ever tasted, Chania’s culinary scene completely exceeded my expectations. Given its popularity among Brits seeking an affordable escape, I had braced myself for something a bit more kitsch. How wrong I was. There was no shortage of classic sun holiday entertainment, including an exhilarating waterpark, beach clubs and a boat trip that was the highlight of my stay.”
Starting next spring, Wizz Air patrons will have access to Chania and four additional Greek destinations – Mykonos, Rhodes and Zakynthos – from London Luton Airport. The airline is also introducing routes to the European cities of Bordeaux and Dortmund.
Flights to Mykonos will operate thrice weekly, while the other three Greek destinations will see twice-weekly flights.
The new routes to Greece are set to commence from 13 May 2026, just in time for the summer season. Fares begin at £44.99* and tickets are currently available for purchase on wizzair.com and through Wizz Air’s official mobile app.
These new routes come as Wizz Air continues to expand its operations at London Luton Airport, with the addition of a 14th aircraft to its Luton base. Wizz Air now services 60 destinations from this airport.
Yvonne Moynihan, managing director at W.
The representative from Wizz Air UK announced: “With holidaymakers already dreaming of their 2026 getaways, we’ve got an early Christmas gift for our customers: six brand-new routes from our London Luton base! These exciting additions will whisk travellers away to some of Europe’s most-loved destinations, including Greece’s stunning beaches. As London’s low-cost airline, we’re all about making those dream holidays affordable and accessible. And with our 14th aircraft joining the fleet at London Luton Airport, we’re giving UK customers even more flexibility and choice, because nothing says “Merry Christmas” like more holidays to look forward to.”
The budget airline has announced a new route from Liverpool to a city that’s home to the world’s favourite dish – and it’s perfect for a quick or long winter sun getaway
13:47, 04 Dec 2025Updated 13:47, 04 Dec 2025
EasyJet will soon launch the new route to Naples(Image: Esperanza33 via Getty Images)
EasyJet has unveiled a fresh route from a UK airport to one of the globe’s top foodie destinations.
Scousers and those in the vicinity will soon have the opportunity to jet off from Liverpool’s airport to Naples, with fares starting at a mere £40.99. This new addition brings easyJet’s total to 41 routes spanning 17 countries across Europe and North Africa.
Naples is widely recognised as the birthplace of pizza, with the modern iteration of this universally adored dish first crafted within its city limits. Initially a street food consumed by the less affluent in the 1600s, pizza has since risen to become a titan of international cuisine.
The Neapolitan tradition of pizza making is now honoured by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage – and rightly so. A YouGov survey conducted in 2019 involving 25,000 participants across 24 countries revealed that Italian cuisine reigns supreme worldwide. Naples is teeming with incredible pizzerias just waiting to be discovered.
A simple stroll down any street will lead you to a mouth-watering slice in no time. One of the more renowned establishments is L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele, a historic eatery founded in 1870.
They adhere to a minimalist approach: the menu typically features just a couple of pizzas (the classic Margherita and Marinara) executed to perfection. Sorbillo is another contender for the best pizza in town, often lauded for its light, airy dough and top-notch, fresh toppings.
Once you’ve had your fill, a quick 20-minute train journey will take you to Pompeii for an unforgettable day trip. The city’s inhabitants met a devastating fate when Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, entombing Pompeii under metres of ash and pumice.
The manner of its downfall resulted in the city being preserved exactly as it was – homes, streets, shops, temples, even wall graffiti. It offers us the most authentic glimpse into ancient daily life.
Pompeii isn’t merely a collection of ruins; it’s an entire city complete with streets and pedestrian crossings, villas and working-class homes, bakeries with intact ovens, amphitheatres and even brothels adorned with frescoes.
If that doesn’t whet your appetite, perhaps the climate will. Even in the chilliest months, Naples typically enjoys a mild 15C, with clear blue skies a common sight.
In the summer, temperatures often soar into the mid-30s. Arguably, the best time to visit is in the.
Flights from Liverpool to Naples will be available twice a week on Mondays and Fridays starting from 3 August, with seats now up for grabs on easyJet.com and via the mobile app. To accommodate the new routes from the airport, easyJet plans to add another aircraft next summer, bringing its total fleet size to nine.
Kevin Doyle, easyJet’s UK country manager, commented: “In our 30th year, we’re still as committed as ever to making travel easy and affordable for our customers in the UK. With this latest new route from Liverpool to the vibrant city of Naples now available to book for flights and package holidays for next summer, we’re continuing to provide our customers in the Northwest with even more choice and connectivity at fantastic fares, and we look forward to welcoming them onboard.”
Robin Tudor, head of PR & Communications at Liverpool John Lennon Airport, remarked: “It’s great to see easyJet operate flights to Naples from Liverpool. Travellers from across the City Region, the North-West and North Wales can now choose to fly from Liverpool to Naples, where they can explore the famous ancient Roman city of Pompeii, head up to Mount Vesuvius or visit Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. There is so much to see and do in this part of Italy we expect this new route to be very popular – not forgetting that it’s also the birthplace of pizza of course. Over the past 12 months, easyJet has continued to grow its network at the airport, having launched ten new routes from Liverpool including Malta, Fuerteventura, Prague, Berlin, Marrakesh, City of Derry, Sharm el Sheikh, Split, Lisbon and Paphos.”
The budget airline now operates from 22 UK airports, providing over 630 routes connecting passengers to 140 destinations across the UK, Europe, and further afield.
Ryanair has just added two new routes from Cardiff and Aberdeen to a stunning Spanish city with gorgeous beaches and year-round sunshine
The city enjoys 300 days of sunshine a year(Image: arcady_31 via Getty Images)
Ryanair has introduced two new UK routes to a vibrant Spanish city boasting balmy weather in December.
The budget-friendly airline has revealed its updated Alicante schedule, now offering a whopping 79 routes from the Spanish hotspot. Ten fresh destinations have been added to the roster, including Bratislava, Linz, Salzburg, Bydgoszcz, Rzeszow, Stockholm Västerås, Småland and Lanzarote.
Of particular note for UK holidaymakers is Ryanair’s launch of direct flights from Cardiff and Aberdeen to Alicante. The latter will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, with fares starting from just £22 in December. The Cardiff to Alicante route will run almost daily in December, with tickets currently available for a mere £20.
There are countless reasons why a quick winter getaway to Alicante might be appealing. One major draw is the climate. The Costa Blanca city boasts December highs of 18C, occasionally reaching 23C on the warmest days. That makes for a perfect afternoon lounging on its golden beaches, providing a welcome escape from the dreary UK weather.
Alicante’s 300 days of annual sunshine, coupled with its stunning landscape, has made it a favourite amongst European golf enthusiasts. The city is home to championship courses such as Las Colinas and Lo Romero, as well as resort courses like La Finca and Melia Villaitana.
The Alicante Golf course, designed by Severiano Ballesteros, is a popular spot for those keen to hit the greens. But fear not if golf isn’t your cup of tea. The city has plenty more to offer.
“Like Porto, it’s relatively small, so there’s plenty to see without it feeling daunting. It’s the perfect place if you’re planning a day trip, and the proximity of the city centre to the airport also makes it a great city break destination,” writes Clare Bolger in her travel blog.
“Many of Alicante’s buildings were damaged or destroyed during the civil war, so the post-war period saw a mix of restoration and new construction. Some buildings were restored to their former glory, while others were demolished and replaced with new ones. This has led to an interesting blend of old and new architectural styles which can be found throughout the city centre.”
The Castle of Santa Bárbara is perhaps the most iconic and striking building in the city. It towers above the old quarter, which is the stage for the annual Festival of Moors and the Night of San Juan.
“Walking around the winding streets of the Old Town is amazing, with an awesome amount of pubs, bars, cafés and restaurants,” raves Neil Kelly, from Liverpool. “The architecture is absolutely fantastic. There are so many great-looking buildings to enjoy. I love walking down from Castillo de Santa Bárbara. The views from the castle are fabulous.”
A must-see is La Explanada de España, a mosaic promenade composed of over 6.5 million marble tiles arranged in a wave-like pattern. It’s flanked by palm trees, with stunning historic buildings on one side and a charming marina on the other.
A standout characteristic of Alicante is its excellent public transport network. The city boasts a tram service connecting the centre directly to the seafront, ensuring all major sights remain within easy reach.
Most first-time visitors find themselves at Playa del Postiguet, which boasts restaurants, pristine white sand and ample opportunities for water-based activities. Just across the street from the shoreline, there’s a lift that whisks you up to the historic fortress. The city’s other notable stretch of coast, Playa de San Juan, lies several kilometres distant.
Food plays a crucial role in any getaway. Fortunately, Alicante offers numerous excellent establishments dishing up affordably priced regional cuisine.
Santa Gloria, Bar Cento and Café Tres Texturas represent just a handful of the dining spots deserving attention. One much-talked-about destination for morning meals is Brunch It, which focuses on fresh, wholesome fare and bills itself as Europe’s most renowned brunch establishment.
Should things begin to feel overly Continental and you find yourself yearning for familiar flavours, Browns delivers proper British-style cooking. “Another fabulous Sunday lunch the best Sunday lunch around. This carvery is amazing, nothing I can say, only FABULOUS,” writes Jackie M on Tripadvisor.
