With Travel Costs Surging Around the 2026 World Cup, Rail Travel Enters the Mix

Travelers can buy packages that include hotels in host cities

Photo: jontyson/Unsplash

In advance of the FIFA 2026 World Cup, Railbookers and its sister brand, Amtrak Vacations, launched the “Beyond the Match” collection: a series of 14 rail itineraries ranging from five to nine days, all beginning or ending in official host cities. The price for each trip includes transportation between all cities in the itinerary via rail, as well as lodging during all nights of the trip. The idea is that visitors can start or end their trip by seeing a World Cup match, then use trains to explore the surrounding cities and destinations in between.

Trips are available around the country. For example, the “California Icons and Yosemite” itinerary connects Los Angeles and San Francisco, with stops including Yosemite, Sausalito, and Muir Woods, while the “Canada to Broadway” trip links Toronto and New York City, with a stop in Niagara Falls.

Some Amtrak trains have lounges with large windows, so guess can see the sights between cities. Photo: Amtrak

Unlike booking hotels and train tickets separately online, Railbookers does not provide instant confirmation. After a traveler selects dates and submits a request, the company confirms rail segments and hotel availability before finalizing the booking. However, on each trip page, travelers can see the starting rates for their preferred dates. They can then specify which of the available hotels they’d prefer, or leave that to the experts. From there, a Railbookers agent will reach out to confirm the details and final pricing, or suggest alternate hotels in case the selected hotel is unavailable — as some may be during the World Cup matches.

Pricing varies by route, dates, rail class, and hotel tier, but depending on your dates and cities, traveling via a combined rail package may be more cost efficient. Hotel rates in some host cities have already jumped by more than 125 percent, but Railbookers has contracted rates with hotel partners, which may be lower than what’s made publicly available to travelers.

Business class seating on an Amtrak Airo train, planned to launch in 2026. Photo: Amtrak

For example, for travelers attending the June 16 match in the New York region (France vs. Senegal), the “Canada to Broadway” itinerary departing Toronto on June 14 is listed from $879 per person. The package includes four nights of lodging, including two nights in New York, with arrival in time for kickoff. A six-day itinerary beginning in Kansas City on June 16 would work for attending the Argentina vs. Algeria match, and starts at $609 per person.

Rates can increase based on hotel category and train selected departure times, among other factors. Unlike in most of Western Europe, the United States does not offer a single nationwide rail pass for unlimited travel, so visitors will need to select their train departure times in advance. Generally, early morning or late night travel will be most affordable.

Chesler Park within Canyonlands National Park, Utah. Photo: National Park Service/Emily Ogdon

• 9-day Northeast Rail Journey: World Cup fans lucky enough to snag tickets in three host cities could book this trip to move between Boston, NYC, and Philadelphia, without stepping foot into an airport terminal. The trip includes eight nights of lodging and all transportation, with trip rates over Philadelphia’s World Cup match dates starting at $2,359 per person.
• 6-day Mountains, Arches, and Canyons by Rail: Move through some of the prettiest desert terrain in the American West on this trip that starts in San Francisco before making stops in Moab to visit Arches and Canyonlands national parks. You’ll end your trip in Denver (where you could connect to the glass-roofed Canyon Spirit train for a luxurious add-on). Package rates that will put you in SF for the June 13 Qatar vs. Switzerland match start at $2,429 per person.
• 6-day Rails to the Bayou and Texas: Fans headed to Atlanta for the World Cup could consider this three-city tour, starting in Atlanta and carrying visitors to San Antonio, Texas (a roughly three-hour drive from Houston, another host city). The package rate starts at $1,379 per person for fans who want to be in Atlanta for the July 1 Round of 32 match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.