Frequently Asked Questions

Our dome car offers a unique and elevated experience with two distinct seating options:

Upper Dome seating, located on the second level, provides panoramic views for a truly scenic ride.
Café Class, located below, offers a quieter, more private space without dining service.
Both sections of the dome car include exclusive access to a walk-up bar—a key part of the experience. Because of this, all passengers seated in the dome car must be 21 and older.

To book: Start by choosing your route, then select the dome car as your preferred seating option at checkout.

Due to many factors that can affect the release time frame of our tickets. Ticket release dates are not available upon request. The best way to stay informed about our ticket releases is via our email newsletter. If you are interested in subscribing to the newsletter, please scroll to the bottom of the website page and enter your email into the white box under the text “Stay In The Loop” then press the yellow “Sign Up” button.

Dining Class – The entrees are served about 40 minutes into the ride.

Dome Class – The optional boxed meals are delivered around 30 minutes into the ride.

Dining Class – You will need to reserve 2 tables. First, you will need a 4-top table and seat three people there, then a 2-top and seat the other two passengers there. We will ensure the tables are seated next to one another as long as they are made in the same reservation. If there are no 2-top tables, only parties of 3, 4, 6 or more will be available.

Dome Class –
Upper Dome: Seats are only sold as pairs or groups of 4.
Lower Dome: You will need to reserve 2 tables. Each table can accommodate two, three, or four passengers. You will select the number of passengers at each table during the booking process. We will ensure your tables are seated next to one another.

The sooner the better! We recommend booking your trip at first opportunity for availability as seats are filling up fast and we anticipate strong demand for this new and exciting experience! We release our schedule three months at a time, so if the date you are looking for doesn’t show up as available, just know that it will become available in the following months! We do not take same day reservations. Reservations will close Wednesdays at 4:00 pm for that upcoming weekend’s rides.

Yes, prepaid reservations are required for all our trains. We accept Visa, MasterCard, or Discover. Reservations can only be made online.

Yes, restrooms are available in each passenger car.

When making your reservation, you will choose between the dining class and dome class seating options.

To reserve the dining class you will select the number of tables needed for your party, then you will select the number of passengers at each table. If you have multiple tables in your reservation, our staff will make sure they are seated together.

To reserve the dome class you will first need to choose between the upper dome, or the lower, cafe class.
– The upper dome seating is sold is pairs or groups of four. You will select the number of pairs necessary and we will take care of assigning the seating.
– The lower dome seating had dining tables that can accommodate two, three, or four passengers. You will first select the number of tables needed for your party, then you will select the number of passengers at each table.

Yes, the passenger cars are air-conditioned in the summer and heated in the winter.

All rides are round-trip excursions, and passengers do not deboard until the ride is complete.

The train will be traveling on average 25-30 mph. These speeds may fluctuate as our train is on an active rail line handling other train traffic including Amtrak commuter trains and freight trains. Our train crews will do their best to ensure you get the full length of experience and may need to adjust as needed.

Our excursion experiences are approximately three hours. Train speed and duration may fluctuate during your adventure as our train operates on an active rail line handling other train traffic including Amtrak trains and freight trains. While we cannot guarantee an exact three-hour ride on an active rail line, our train crews will do their best to ensure you get the full duration of experience. All trains are round-trips – you will end up where you started.

All trains are round-trips, so your ride will both start and end at the Staunton Amtrak Station.

Yes, seating is assigned. During the check-in process when boarding the train, the car host present will provide your car and seating assignment details.

At this time, no storage is available for these items.

No smoking is permitted on the train.

Any child that is two years of age or younger does not require a purchased ticket as long as the infant is seated on the lap of a ticketed adult. If a ticket is not purchased no refreshments will be provided to the passenger. The adult accompanying the child is allowed to bring appropriate refreshments for the child so long as they are kept in sealed containers.

There is no dress code, but please dress in a way that will not make others uncomfortable. This is a chance to sit back, relax, and unwind.

All tickets are subject to a 5.3% Virginia sales tax as well as the purchase processing fee and the ticket-processing fee.

Due to the age and history of our passenger cars, stairs, narrow hallways, and other limitations make them inaccessible to persons utilizing walkers, wheelchairs, motorized scooters, etc. We apologize for this inconvenience, we are progressing towards ADA accessibility in the future, your patience in this matter is appreciated.

Neither alcohol nor any other food/beverage may be brought on board the train.

Ticket purchases are fully refundable up to two weeks before your excursion date. If cancellation is received between 2-14 days of departure, a gift card will be issued. No refunds or credits will be given for prior-day cancellations or day-of-ride cancellations or missed trains. No-shows are not refundable. Cancellations may be processed by calling in or requesting a cancellation via email by providing the confirmation number.

Our trains operate rain, snow, or shine. The decision to run is based on weather conditions at the railroad. If the train runs, no refunds will be made. If a train is cancelled, a gift card will be issued – no cash refunds will be made.

The train departs from the Staunton Amtrak Station located at 12 Middlebrook Ave., Staunton, Virginia 24401. Plan to arrive at the Staunton platform 30 minutes before your selected train schedule. Boarding begins 10 minutes prior to departure time. parking is often challenging in the downtown area so leave plenty of time to walk to the loading platform from a parking lot or parking structure. Our train cannot be held for late passengers.

Our train excursions are three-hour round trips, and street parking in downtown Staunton is provided free of charge for only two hours. The City of Staunton offers several reasonably-priced downtown parking locations; we recommend parking in nearby parking garages or parking lots.

After you have completed the purchase on the reservation software, you will immediately receive a confirmation email from Virginia Scenic Railway that identifies the date and time of your experience and the passenger car name in which you are booked. Prior to your ride, click on the “Go to your ticket” button in the confirmation email to open up your unique QR code. This code must be scanned at the time of boarding.

While there is a Buckingham Branch railyard located in Staunton, Virginia, we ask that you do not visit here as it is where we primarily do maintenance and preform critical duties for our freight division. Keep an eye out though, we will have more news on this coming later in the year!

Pets (including emotional support animals) are not allowed. Documented service animals are allowed on the train; we recommend leaving a note in the comment section of the reservation, this will notify the car host who can place you at a more spacious table.

• The use of drone photography/video filming is strictly prohibited aboard the Virginia Scenic Railway.
• It is illegal to access private railroad property anywhere other than a designated pedestrian or roadway crossing. For everyone’s safety, keep off the tracks at all times.
• Prior written authorization is required for all commercial filming, no matter the size of the crew or the type of equipment.

Train Passenger Photography Consent and Disclaimer

If a Train Passenger (PAX) creates, uploads, posts or sends any photography or video footage depicting or relating to Virginia Scenic Railway (VSR), PAX grants VSR and its affiliates the irrevocable, unrestricted, worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free, sublicensable and transferable right and license to use, display, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish and distribute for any purpose in any media, collateral or promotional effort. PAX also agrees to not exploit any photographs or video footage of VSR for any commercial purpose without VSR’s prior written consent.

Our booking agents phone lines are open from 9:00am to 4:00pm Monday through Friday and can be reached by calling 434-391-9772. Our booking agents are able to assist in making alterations to already made reservations, reschedule an existing reservation, or answer any questions that may not be included in our FAQ’s. We highly encourage you to make your initial reservations online by clicking our “Book Now” button in the top right of the page.