No one ever really wants to add time to their journey, but if you want to arrive early, have a beverage and a bite while you scope out the architecture of your train station, we are with you on this! And often, youre stuck on a layover anyway, so a beautiful station can make your wait enjoyable. While some stations are lackluster, we adore the ones that inspire civic pride and make us gasp as the train pulls up. Props to the Amtrak website, Great American Stations, for showcasing the benefits of sustainably reusing older stationsand we love newer stations, too.

　　Interesting tidbit: if a train station has the word union in its title, its usually gorgeous! Thats because a union station originally serviced more than one railway, so its design was funded by two different pockets. Some of these are impressive enough that theyre worth visiting even if you arent booked on a trainand some have thriving food markets and retail that also make a stop worthwhile.

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