Burlington, Vermont: The Perfect Fall Weekend on Lake Champlain, by Train or by Road

From New York’s Penn Station, the Amtrak Ethan Allen Express reaches Burlington’s waterfront in about 7.5 hours, the first direct rail link between the two cities since 1953. Through October 25, 2026, the Champlain Valley Dinner Train leaves from that same station on weekends for a three-hour round trip to Middlebury, just as the valley’s maples reach peak color.

Getting to Burlington by Train or by Road

Two Amtrak routes serve the area. The Ethan Allen Express runs from New York through Albany and Rutland and ends at Burlington Union Station on Main Street, a few steps from the lake. Service on the line resumed in July 2022, with new stops in Vergennes and Middlebury. The Amtrak Vermonter takes a longer route through Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, stopping at Essex Junction, about 8 miles from downtown Burlington.

By road, Burlington is roughly 300 miles from New York and about 215 miles from Boston, with the last stretch following Interstate 89 through the Green Mountains.

The Champlain Valley Dinner Train

Operated by Vermont Rail System, the dinner train runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings from September 11 to October 25, 2026. Guests can step aboard from 2:30 p.m. at the Burlington station, the train departs at 4:00 p.m. and returns around 7:00 p.m.

The three-course dinner is cooked onboard and served in climate-controlled dining cars from the 1930s, with tables for two to four guests and a full bar. The line crosses lake-country farmland and foothills on its way south to Middlebury. Fall fares start around $220 for a shared table for two, entrées are chosen in advance, and passengers must be at least 5 years old.

Burlington on the Waterfront

Burlington is Vermont’s largest city, yet its downtown fits in a short walk. The pedestrian Church Street Marketplace runs through the center, and the waterfront path follows the shoreline north to a causeway that heads straight out into Lake Champlain. In the evening, the sun sets behind the Adirondack Mountains on the New York side of the lake, which stretches more than 100 miles from north to south.

When to Go for Peak Color

In the Champlain Valley, color typically peaks from late September through mid-October, a little later than in the higher Green Mountains. The lake tempers temperatures along the shore, so leaves around Burlington often hold on into the second half of October, in time for the last dinner train departures.

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