Take a fall-foliage train ride

A foliage train is the lazy way to see fall, and the best one. You buy a ticket, sit by a window and watch the trees go past, while someone else drives. Lots of heritage and scenic railways run special fall colour trips for exactly this, and it works as a quiet solo day or a first-date kind of outing.

How to find a train

Search for “scenic railway” or “heritage railway” plus your state or region, and add “fall foliage”. Look for railways that run seasonal or special fall trips, since many run only on certain dates or weekends.

Check a few things before you pick one:

• How long it runs. Some are an hour, others a few hours.
• Where it goes. A river valley, a mountain pass or a lake shore usually has the best colour.
• What’s included. Some have snack cars, some sell food on board, and some offer a seating class with a table.
• What kind of cars it has. Open-air cars give clearer photos but are colder. Enclosed cars are warmer and drier.
• The cancellation policy. Fall colour and weather are unpredictable, and it helps to know whether you can move your date.

Book early

Tickets go fast in October, which is why the catalogue says to book ahead. The best dates, especially weekends around peak colour, sell out first.

1. Decide on a window of dates and check each railway’s colour reports for those weeks.
2. Book as soon as you’ve picked a date. Weekdays are often easier to get, and quieter on board.
3. Choose your seat when you book if you can. Window seats are the point.
4. Read the confirmation email. Check the boarding time, because you’ll usually need to arrive earlier than departure.

Choosing your seat

A window seat is a start, but the side matters. Trains run along one bank of a river or one side of a valley, and the good view is often on one side only. Ask the railway, or read the route description, and choose that side. If there’s a choice between a window you can open and one that doesn’t, the open one gives better photos.

If you’re prone to motion sickness, take a forward-facing seat. If you want to take photos, don’t sit right above the wheels, where the vibration is strongest.

What to wear and bring

• Layers. Stations and platforms are cold in the morning, and open-air cars are colder still.
• A warm drink for the ride. The catalogue suggests it for a reason. Check whether the train sells drinks, and bring a thermos in case it doesn’t.
• Comfortable shoes for walking around the station.
• A phone with space and battery. You’ll take more photos than you think.
• A small snack, if food isn’t included.
• A book or journal, for the quiet stretches.

On the train

Be at the station early: boarding takes time, and you don’t want to be hurrying to your seat. Once you’re moving, the trick is to slow down.

• Look out of the window more than you look at your phone. Pick a few spots to photograph and spend the rest of the ride just watching.
• For photos through glass, hold your phone against the window, tilt it slightly to avoid your own reflection, and take several shots, because the trees move quickly.
• Listen for announcements. Some rides point out sights, and some stop at a station or viewpoint where you can step out.
• Keep your hands, bags and camera inside the car, especially if the windows open or there’s an open platform.

If something goes wrong

• The colour isn’t peak yet. That’s fine. A ride a week early is still a pretty ride, and it’s still the best way to see a valley.
• It rains. A grey day makes colours look deeper, and you’re warm and dry. Wipe the window and keep going.
• The seat isn’t what you wanted. Ask staff, since they sometimes know which cars have the best view. Don’t move to a seat that isn’t yours without asking.
• You get cold. Bring a blanket or a thick scarf next time. Open cars are exposed.

Things to do around it

A train ride works best when it’s the middle of a day, not the whole thing. Look for a small town near the station and stop for lunch beforehand. You could also finish with a short walk by the river, or a coffee at the end of the line before you head back. If the railway is near an orchard, apple picking makes a good morning to go with an afternoon ride.

Make it a fall day

Pick a weekday if you can, take your best scarf, and treat it as a proper day out. Bring a friend, or go alone and bring a book. Either way, the best part is not driving: you can look out of the window the whole way, which is the whole idea of a foliage drive with none of the work.