Skip the Traffic and Gas Pump Take Amtrak Cascades
First published August 25, 2026
There are plenty of reasons to leave the car at home. Traffic jams, construction, parking and the cost of filling the tank can turn a simple trip into an expensive and stressful drive.
Amtrak Cascades offers another way to travel.
Connecting communities throughout the Pacific Northwest, Amtrak Cascades lets you skip the highway, settle into your seat and make better use of the time you would otherwise spend behind the wheel. The service connects cities along the I-5 corridor, including Eugene, Salem, Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, B.C.
Leave I-5 Behind
Anyone who regularly travels I-5 knows how quickly a routine drive can change. A crash, construction project, busy weekend or major event can add significant time to the trip.
On the train, you can leave the driving to someone else.
Instead of watching brake lights, changing lanes and searching for the fastest route around congestion, you can read, work, stream a show, talk with friends or simply watch the Pacific Northwest pass outside your window. That difference may be especially welcome this fall. Starting September 11, 2026, all southbound lanes of I-5 through Portland's Rose Quarter between I-405 and I-84 are scheduled to close around the clock for up to five weeks as part of repair work. Travelers are being encouraged to plan ahead and consider alternatives to driving.
For trips between Oregon communities, the train offers one way to avoid adding another car to already busy roads.
Trade the Gas Pump for a Train Ticket
The cost of driving isn't limited to what you pay at the gas station.
A road trip can include fuel, downtown parking, tolls in some areas and the ongoing cost of putting additional miles on your vehicle. When gas prices rise, those expenses become even more noticeable.
With Amtrak Cascades, you know the price of your ticket before you leave. And for travel within Oregon, fares are affordable making the train worth comparing with the full cost of driving, especially when you're traveling alone or don't need a vehicle once you arrive.
More Choices Make Train Travel Easier
Amtrak Cascades now operates six daily round trips between Portland and Seattle, providing 12 trains each day between the two cities. There are also two daily round trips between Portland and Eugene, along with service extending north to Vancouver, B.C., and connecting bus options.
That gives travelers more flexibility to find a departure that works for a business trip, weekend getaway, college visit, sporting event or visit with family and friends.
In Oregon, Amtrak Cascades serves Portland, Oregon City, Salem, Albany and Eugene, making the train an option for trips throughout the Willamette Valley as well as longer journeys north.
Arrive Without the Drive
One of the best things about taking the train isn't necessarily what you save. It's what you get back.
Driving requires your attention from the moment you leave until the moment you park. Onboard the train, that same travel time becomes your own. Amtrak Cascades itself points to this distinction: behind the wheel, you're constantly watching traffic and road conditions; onboard, those responsibilities disappear.
Open your laptop and get some work done. Read a book. Catch up with a friend. Enjoy the scenery. Or do absolutely nothing.
When you arrive, you haven't just spent several hours driving.
Skip the Parking, Too
Leaving the car at home can solve another problem waiting at the end of the highway: parking.
Amtrak Cascades stations can put travelers close to downtown destinations and connections to local transportation. Portland Union Station, for example, connects with light rail, buses, streetcars, taxis and shuttles. Amtrak Cascades also offers an Uber voucher for that first or last mile to/from the station. That makes it possible to build an entire trip around the train and local transportation instead of bringing a car into the city.
Heading to a game or event? Train travel can be particularly convenient. Seattle's King Street Station is adjacent to Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park, while Portland's major arenas are a short distance from Union Station and the University of Oregon campus is a short distance from Eugene Station.
Make the Journey Part of the Trip
Travel doesn't have to begin when you reach your destination.
From the train, the Pacific Northwest looks different. Forests, rivers, communities and mountains become part of the journey instead of scenery glimpsed between lanes of traffic.
So the next time you're planning a trip along the I-5 corridor, compare your options before automatically reaching for the car keys.
Skip the traffic. Skip the gas pump. Enjoy the ride.