For a nice change of pace, consider booking a getaway on one of Amtrak's daily train trips from Charlotte.
The Charlotte Amtrak station is located at 1914 N. Tryon St. — both long and short-term parking are available. Three routes make stops in Charlotte: the Crescent, the Carolinian and the Piedmont. For daily route schedules, click here.
Here's an overview of popular Amtrak destinations from the Charlotte station.
New York, New York
Hop on the train in Charlotte and head north to the city that never sleeps, arriving at New York's famous Penn Station. During your train ride you can sit back and relax, and enjoy taking the scenic route. There's also Wi-Fi aboard the train if you want to get a little work done or watch a movie. Once you've made it to New York, you can catch a Broadway show, explore Central Park or window shop to your heart's content. To get the most out of your trip, plan to spend a few days in the Big Apple, because it takes more than 13 hours to get to the city from Charlotte, depending on the route you take. Trains between New York and Charlotte run daily with some direct routes available.
Raleigh, North Carolina
For a shorter trip, plan a quick getaway to the capital city, where you can take in a history lesson at one of Raleigh's many museums, indulge on a local food tour or take in a show at the symphony. You may also want to check out Raleigh's growing brewery scene. Since the train from Charlotte to Raleigh runs daily, you can decide to make it a day trip or extend it into an overnight trip to give yourself more time to explore and discover the historic city.
For a real treat, during the month of October, Amtrak also offers train trips from Charlotte to the North Carolina State Fair. The train for the fair typically departs the Queen City early in the morning and returns later in the evening, giving passengers plenty of time to enjoy all the fair has to offer. Plus, the train drops passengers off right in front of the fairgrounds. It doesn't get any better or easier than that!
Lexington, North Carolina
While the only train trips from Charlotte that happen daily are to New York and Raleigh, Amtrak does offer one unique opportunity for Charlotteans to visit the small town of Lexington, North Carolina.
Once a year, Amtrak offers a special trip from Charlotte to Lexington for the small town's famous barbecue festival that's held annually on the last Saturday of every October. Lexington is considered the Barbecue Capital and its one-day festival draws in more than 250,000 visitors, which can cause quite a commotion when it comes to transportation. Riding the Amtrak train gives Charlotteans an easy alternative to driving and a way to avoid the hassle of parking at the busy festival. There are typically several departure times throughout the day for guests to plan a trip accordingly.
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