Traveling By Train Will Make A Major Comeback In 2023, According To Pinterest

Planes, trains, and automobiles. While the first and third get plenty of play when it comes to travel, the second is often regarded as a thing of the past. But just like all the wonderful—and not so wonderful—fashion trends of yesteryear, things have a funny way of coming back. In 2023, train travel is due for a long-awaited return to the spotlight .

According to Pinterest Predicts , the social media platform’s annual data analysis of what will be trending in the coming year, trains will be all the rage in 2023. Since people use Pinterest to plan for the future, what people are pinning now is often a great indicator of what’s to come. And in this case, all signs point to train travel.

From September 2020 to September 2022, train-related pins rose dramatically. Pins for “train trip aesthetic” went up 205%, “train travel aesthetic” rose by 40%, and “interrailing Europe aesthetic” pins saw a 105% increase, which means things are looking up for locomotive lovers.

There’s something romantic about taking the long and winding road. And there’s something extra dreamy about doing it on a train. The steady thrum of the wheels gliding along the tracks, a warm (or stiff) drink from the dining cart , and all the time in the world to soak in the gorgeous scenery and drown in nostalgia. Watch the world flash by in a dizzyingly beautiful blur, and conjure up fantasies of 1940s train travel and all the black-and-white movie romance your little heart can handle.

If you’re ready to make train travel part of your 2023 bucket list, there are plenty of options to choose from. Whether you’re looking to take a long-haul Amtrak trip across the country, a weekend getaway to a neighboring Southern state, or if you just want to devote an evening to a scenic ride—there’s a route to suite your fancy. Need a little more inspiration? Check out our roundup of some of the South’s best train routes and rides .

Hop aboard a vintage dinner train in Kentucky, traverse the Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Mountains on the Virginia Scenic Railway , or plan a leaf-peeping ride for next fall. Southerners have always appreciated the timelessness of train travel, and now it seems the rest of the world has hopped aboard, too.