The American Southwest by Amtrak in 7 Days Without Renting a Car

Book before you go

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  1. Fix dates
    1 hour
    Why dates come first

    One rule governs the week: no car and no domestic flights. You ride the Southwest Chief out of Los Angeles, the 1901 Grand Canyon Railway to the South Rim, and the Rail Runner between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Every transfer has one mode, one price and one backup, and every day is anchored in a station-walkable town — so a late train costs hours, not stops.

    Fix the trip window here: fly into Los Angeles (LAX) by mid-afternoon on Day 1 and out of Albuquerque (ABQ) on Day 7. Everything you book next reads these dates.

    To do

    • Inbound to LAX by mid-afternoon on Day 1, outbound from ABQ on Day 7. If only a late landing is affordable, add the Los Angeles hotel night and shift every date — decide it here, not at the airport.

    • Log every booking, meal and fare under it from here on; the last step reads its total back against the budget.

    To note down

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    The Day 1 date you land in Los Angeles

    Names, count, ages and mobility notes

    Total you will track spend against