The Best Way To Experience North Carolina's Overlooked Craft Beer Ale Trail Is On This Scenic Train Ride

Could there be a better reason to explore than to find great beer? We don't think so, especially when that exploration takes place along North Carolina's multi-brewery and multi-city Ale Trail. If you are wondering how to do the Ale Trail without you or one of your friends having to be the designated driver, don't worry: Amtrak has you covered.

N.C. Ale Trail By Rail is pretty simple: Snag a round-trip ticket along either the Piedmont or Carolinian train lines on the Amtrak website and just hop on board on the happy day in question. This ticket will allow you to get off as you like, browse and carouse at your leisure, and come back onto the train when you've had your fill.

As the brainchild of the North Carolina Craft Brewer's Guild - a non-profit trade association devoted to promoting Carolinian beers – the N.C. Ale Trail by Rail exists to give beer enthusiasts a simple way to explore North Carolina's craft beer industry. It does this by giving people access to Raleigh, Charlotte, Salisbury, Kannapolis, Greensboro, Durham, High Point, Burlington, and Cary. The N.C. Ale Trail by Rail trains run 10 times per day along the whole Raleigh to Charlotte route, starting as early as 6:30 a.m. and ending as late as 10:52 p.m.

As mentioned, North Carolina's Ale Trail by Rail route covers nine cities, each with its own craft beer scene. So, while promoting the state's beer is ostensibly the Ale Trail's goal, it's really about spotlighting each city as a tourist destination. And, while the touristic details of each and every city are far too extensive to cover here, we can give you a little taste — a flight, even — of what the Ale Trail offers.

If you're focused on visiting as many breweries as possible, Raleigh should definitely be at the top of your list. This city is home to several excellent breweries, including Crank Arm Brewing, Wye Hill Kitchen and Brewing, and Tobacco Road Sports Cafe. Many of these locations have lovely outdoor seating areas, making them the perfect destination for a warm-weather trip. Durham also has quite a few breweries, many of them clustered around the very walkable stretch from Duke University to Central Park. Cary is also very walkable and has some nice restaurants to boot. By contrast, Greensboro's beer attractions are quite spread out. That being said, fun breweries like Oden Brewing Company, Little Brother Brewing, and Joymongers Brewing Company match the city's quaint, artsy appeal. Salisbury also has a nice art scene that gives this Ale Trail destination further allure.

Since the North Carolina Craft Brewer's Guild created the Ale Trail in conjunction with the Amtrak-operated NC by Train, you've got to buy your train tickets from Amtrak. Do not be confused by the much more expensive multi-ride ticket, which covers multiple trips along a route over a certain period of time; you want to purchase the "multi-city" option. This is what allows you to get off at a certain city, try a few beers, and get on another train to go to a different city. 

Both the Piedmont and Carolinian lines travel along the Ale Trail, but lines and train times are different heading north or south. Certain cities like High Point also have a late first train while Kannapolis has an early last train. So, be sure to double check train times to ensure that you don't get stranded.

As we're talking about alcohol, there are a couple provisos to this whole Ale Trail experience. Firstly, there are no shuttles from the train stations at any of cities, so you'll have to get a cab or walk. Also, open bottles or containers of alcohol are one of the everyday items you are not allowed to have on Amtrak trains (unless you are in a private room). So, don't sneak any onto the train. And, no matter how fun it is to go on a craft beer binge, be mindful of how sloshed you get. Amtrak staff can remove you from the train if you're drunk and causing trouble — enjoy your beer responsibly and you're sure to have a wonderful time.