Americans are falling out of love with domestic flying, and who can blame them? With both fares and delays increasing, fees for checked-in luggage becoming the norm, JetBlue charging for pillows and blankets, and US Airways removing its in-flight entertainment systems to save weight, it’s a grimmer experience than ever. At least, this was the point of view expressed by Charles, the man sitting opposite me on the high-speed Acela train from New York to Washington.

“I have to make this journey twice a month,” he said. “And I used to fly. But now, this train takes me from Penn station to Union station, right next to Capitol Hill, in less than three hours. It can take that long just to get onto the plane.”

He leant forward conspiratorially. “And I’ll tell you something else,” he said, “I’m taking the family on holiday by rail this year.”

He isn’t alone. While the American Automobile Association suggests that the traditional family road trip is under threat from the $4 gallon, Amtrak, the oft-beleaguered US rail operator, hit record seat sales and revenue this year. It might not be a return to the glory days of the 1930s and 1940s (although they still yell “All aboard!” and have uniformed Red Cap porters), but as the ardour for SUVs and airports cools, America is heading back to the tracks.

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On this side of the pond, though, we tend to think of American rail travel in terms of epic, pioneering journeys. Worthwhile though many of these great adventures no doubt are (see Cross America by Rail, right), you can use the Amtrak system for far shorter hops, to make up a two-centre trip that doesn’t involve flying or driving. Here are some suggestions for add-ons to your city trips in the USA.

NEW YORK
Start from: the rather pedestrian Penn station, though the journey’s well worth it. Some of our alternative trips (see below) board at the wonderful Grand Central, with its soaring central hall, cocktail bars, delis and the classic Oyster Bar.

All aboard for: Rhinecliff, nestling in scenic horse-farm country and the stop for pretty Rhinebeck. Ninety minutes from Penn (from £26 return), it’s a small town soaked in history. At its heart is the Beekman Arms (00 1-845 876 7077, www.beekmandelamaterinn.com ; doubles from £62, open to nonresidents for drinks), which claims to be the oldest continually operating inn in the United States. All around is the National Historic Landmark District, with nine grand estates, including those of the Vander-bilts and Franklin D Roosevelt. The opulent villa of Wilderstein (845 876 4818, www.wilderstein.org ), famous for its lavish interiors by Joseph Burr Tiffany, is the closest, just a short cab (or cycle) ride south of town. The Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome (www.oldrhinebeck.org ) stages vintage airshows every weekend until mid-October, and the area has plenty of hiking, horse-riding, cycling and kayaking.

Stay at The Rhinecliff (845 876 0590, www.therhinecliff.com ; doubles from £80), an imposing 1854 hotel that stands right on the river and just a two-minute walk from Rhinecliff station. More information:845 463 4000, www.dutchesstourism.com .

The alternatives: Manhattan’s Grand Central, terminus of the Metro-North Railroad, is best for day trips. Take the New Haven Line to Greenwich, Connecticut, with its great views over Long Island Sound. Or try the Hudson to riverside communities such as Cold Spring. For longer journeys, there’s the Empire Service from Penn. It will take you all the way up the Hudson River, and is the most scenic train journey on the East Coast, full of rivers, mini-fjords, waterfalls, forests and historic villages.

CHICAGO
Start from: the imposing, beaux-arts Union station on Canal Street. If you’re early, pull up a stool at the bar of the Snuggery or shoot pool at the Metro Bar & Grill.

All aboard for:Saugatuck, a cute Victorian resort town on the shores of Lake Michigan, a world away from the hard-edged steel-and-glass towers of Chicago. There are soft-sand beaches, board-walks, soaring sand dunes, chain ferries across the Kalamazoo River and paddle-boats on the lake. Thanks to frequent events and a summer school run by the Art Institute of Chicago, Saugatuck attracts plenty of painters and sculptors: there are dozens of galleries, as well as coffee shops, restaurants and locally owned businesses, including the delightfully old-fashioned Saugatuck Drug Store, complete with original soda fountain from 1913.

There is no station at Saugatuck itself: instead, get off at nearby Holland (which has tulip fields and windmills and was founded by Dutch pilgrims) and catch a cab. Train returns are about £35, taking three hours each way; the taxi’s about £13, with Saugatuck Douglas Car Service (269 543 3355).

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