Amtrak Borealis Review: Round Trip From Chicago To Minneapolis St. Paul
Published April 27, 2025
A few weekends ago, I took a round-trip journey on the Amtrak Borealis from Chicago to Minneapolis–Saint Paul. I’ve always loved traveling by train, so I was excited to try this route that began service in May of 2024. I’m writing up this review so that you’ll know what to expect when taking the train between the Windy City and the Twin Cities!
Overall, I was very pleased with the Amtrak Borealis. With travel time of about 7.5 hours each way, the Borealis is not as fast as flying. However, I personally find train rides so much more enjoyable than the whole airport experience. I’ll get into more detail about all of that in this blog post.
This review contains the following topics. To skip down to a particular item, click or tap the corresponding link below!
General Overview
The Amtrak Borealis is a route that runs between Chicago Union Station and Union Depot in Saint Paul, MN. As of April 2025, there is one run per day in both directions. The current schedule has the northbound train departing Chicago at 11:05 a.m. and arriving in Saint Paul at 6:29 in the evening. If you’re going in the opposite direction, the Borealis departs Saint Paul at 11:50 a.m. and arrives at downtown Chicago at 7:14 in the evening. Verify the schedule on your ticket as things could change.
For my trip, I left Chicago on a Saturday and came back on a Tuesday. In both directions, my train departed exactly on time. On Saturday, the train pulled into Union Depot at 6:55 p.m., so about 25 minutes late. On Tuesday, the train got to Union Station in Chicago within a few minutes of the scheduled 7:14 p.m. arrival.
Note that Borealis is not the only Amtrak route that runs between Chicago and Minneapolis–Saint Paul. The “Empire Builder” connects Chicago to Seattle, with an intermediate stop in Saint Paul. If the Borealis times listed above don’t work for you, be sure to check the ticket reservation section of the Amtrak website for additional Empire Builder schedule options.
Chicago, IL to Saint Paul, MN
As you can see in all of the pictures above, Union Station in Chicago is absolutely stunning. I got to the station about 50 minutes before my scheduled departure. That gave me more than enough time to admire the Great Hall, purchase some food, and find my gate. The Amtrak website recommends that “you arrive at the station no more than 30 minutes before your train departs, [or] 60 if you’re checking a bag or need ticketing/passenger assistance.”
Once I found my gate and boarded the train, I settled in for my seven-hour ride. It was pretty comfortable, and the time passed quickly. You can read more details about the onboard experience below.
Upon arrival in Saint Paul, I gathered my belongings and walked through Union Depot. It was quiet, clean, and beautifully maintained.
On this visit, I booked a hotel in downtown Minneapolis. Unfortunately, the Amtrak Borealis doesn’t go into Minneapolis, but Saint Paul is not that far (about 12 miles from one downtown to the other). You have two main options to get from Union Depot to Minneapolis: rideshares or the METRO Green Line.
I decided to take the Green Line to Minneapolis, which has its terminal stop right in front of Union Depot. One-way tickets only cost $2 as of April 2025, so it’s very cheap. However, I have to be honest: the light rail didn’t feel extremely safe to me right at dusk. I didn’t experience any problems, but I felt like I had to be on alert. It’s also pretty slow, taking about an hour to get from downtown Saint Paul to downtown Minneapolis. In hindsight, I probably should’ve just taken an Uber to my hotel; they’re fairly affordable in the Twin Cities.
Saint Paul, MN Back to Chicago, IL
On my return trip, I knew more or less what to expect having already taken the Borealis in one direction. I used the METRO Green Line again to get from Minneapolis to Saint Paul, and it felt safer during daylight hours.
Union Depot in Saint Paul is significantly smaller than Chicago Union Station, so it’s unlikely anyone would get lost here. I boarded the train, and off we went.
The Borealis from north to south was basically the same experience as coming from Chicago except in reverse. After pulling into Union Station on schedule, I walked about 20 minutes to the Monroe CTA Red Line stop to head home. Other options for getting where you need to go in Chicago include: the CTA Blue Line Clinton station, CTA Green Line and Pink Line Clinton station, Metra trains leaving from Union Station, Metra trains leaving from Ogilvie Transportation Center (three blocks north), various buses, Lyft, or Uber.
Facilities Review
Superliner Car Configurations
The following review pertains to the Amtrak Superliner, which I rode on both halves of my round-trip journey. This type of train car contains two levels with passenger seating on the upper level. The lower level has luggage storage space, a cafe in one of the cars (more on that below), and restrooms. Note that future runs of the Borealis are not guaranteed to be done with Superliner trains, so the layout of your car may be different than what’s described here.
Accommodations for Disabilities
The Superliner did not seem to have obvious accommodations for passengers with limited mobility. To get from the lower to upper level, I only saw a fairly narrow staircase. The Amtrak website has more information, but I didn’t use any services related to accessibility on this trip.
Seats
For a seven-hour journey, I found the seats on the Superliner cars to be very comfortable. There was a lot of legroom, a retractable footrest, a tray table in front of each seat, and a seatback pocket. There was also enough space for me to keep my backpack below my feet without restricting my ability to stretch my legs.
As you can see in the pictures here, the configuration on my train was two seats on each side of a center aisle. There was an electrical outlet next to the window seat, but not on the aisle seat. At one point, a passenger who sat next to me wanted to charge his phone, which kind of awkwardly left a cord draped over me.
Bathrooms
The Superliner cars didn’t feel extremely dated, although I wouldn’t say they felt new or modern either. The part of the train that seemed to have the most visible wear and tear was the restrooms. Some of the restrooms were accessible, which had a lot more room. The other ones on board were pretty tight, and the walkway to get there was narrow as well. The biggest issue I noticed was that many of the locks on the bathrooms were broken, so double or triple check that the door is locked before doing your business.
Wi-Fi
I never used Amtrak’s Wi-Fi on either leg of my journey. Two days before my departure, I received an email saying the service would not be available onboard during my outbound trip. I don’t know if it was working on the way back, but since cell service exists along this entire route. I also downloaded some shows before leaving. Some sources online warn that Wi-Fi on Amtrak isn’t super reliable, and it looks like they might be right.
Food, Drinks, and the Cafe Car
Let me just start off this section by saying that the cafe car on my train was not really what I envisioned. I pictured a dining car with booths where passengers could sit, relax, and enjoy the view while sipping on a beverage or eating a meal. Instead, it looked like this:
While the cafe car technically did have seats, most were occupied with boxes. They also awkwardly faced inward, instead of forwards or backwards like the rest of the seats on the upper level. There were no tables here either, whereas the regular seats up above did at least have tray tables. With that in mind, I always brought whatever I purchased back up to my seat.
The cafe is located on the lower level of one of the train cars. They serve a variety of food, drinks, and snacks, including beer, wine, bottled water, chips, coffee, and much more. (As far as I could tell, there was no free water fountain with potable water on the train, so I would recommend bringing some if you’re not interested in purchasing water bottles onboard.) Below are some notes on the beverages I tried:
- Bottled water: standard
- Coffee: served extremely hot. I was worried I would burn myself if it spilled even a little bit.
- Wine: decent but nothing special
- Beer: a highlight of the trip! I loved that they serve Elysian Brewing’s Space Dust IPA. This was one of my favorite beers back in college, and I’ve never been able to find it anywhere in Chicago.
I paid for all my food and drink on the train with card, but I believe cash is also accepted. In terms of meals, I tried one cold deli sandwich and one burger. The former was definitely better than the latter. The burger was warmed up in a microwave, and I was worried it might have some cold spots in the middle. Luckily, it was very hot (maybe a little too hot, honestly), but in terms of flavor and texture, it was on par with a school cafeteria burger….
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the views scenic?
This is obviously a subjective question, but I personally spent a big portion of my time on the train staring out the window. The main landscape you’ll see is classic Midwest farmland, but with stops in towns and cities at least once an hour, views are never static.
Two scenic highlights of this route are starting (or ending) in Chicago, and passing through downtown Milwaukee.
According to one conductor on the train intercom, the most scenic portion of the Borealis is the stretch that runs alongside the Mississippi River between La Crosse, WI and Saint Paul, MN. One side of the train offers better views than the other during this portion of the journey. Read on to learn more!
Which side of the train offers better views?
Throughout most of the ride, the views from both sides of the train are similar. However, there are a few portions of the journey where you may want to find a seat on the left or right side of the train car if possible.
Near Chicago
Passengers departing from Chicago Union Station will be treated to better views of the iconic skyline from the right side of the train in the direction of travel (half of the seats in each car face backwards). Before departing, it can be difficult to tell which way the train is going to move in, so ask a staff member if needed. People who are prone to motion sickness may also want to ask in order to try and find a seat that faces forward. I do get carsick occasionally, but I didn’t find the Amtrak to be rough or shaky. However, sitting backwards can still be disorienting.
Near Milwaukee
If you’re approaching Milwaukee Intermodal Station from the south, better views will be on the right side of the train in the direction of travel. From this side, you’ll be able to see Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee skyline.
Along the Mississippi River
Between La Crosse, WI and Saint Paul, MN, the Amtrak Borealis runs alongside the western bank of the Mississippi River. If you’re headed north, that means you’ll want to be on the right side of the train in the direction of travel. If you’re headed south, try to find a seat on the left side of the train car in the direction of travel.
How does luggage work?
Because I went to Minneapolis for a long weekend, I only brought a backpack and a gym bag (duffle bag). There is space for personal belongings above the seats on the upper level of the Superliner cars. My gym bag filled with clothes fit there without any issue, as did my backpack. On the lower level of each car was a storage spot for larger pieces of luggage.
According to current Amtrak policy, you can bring one “personal item” and two “carry-on items.” For definitions of each, see their website. For checked baggage, see their general baggage policy. I essentially brought one personal item (my backpack) and one carry-on item (my gym bag), so I didn’t have to check anything. As such, I can’t speak to what that procedure is like. Remember that if you plan to check luggage, they advise arriving to the station one hour before scheduled departure.
How does the Amtrak Borealis compare to flying?
The Amtrak Borealis is in no way quicker than flying direct between Chicago O’Hare International Airport and Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport. The Borealis essentially takes an entire day, whereas flying takes about 90 minutes (plus the time it takes to get to and from airports, etc). With that said, I feel like Amtrak is a much more enjoyable and relaxing experience than flying.
Because there is much more legroom on the train than on a plane, a seven-hour journey on Amtrak is significantly less tiring than a seven-hour flight. You can easily get up and stretch whenever you need to without potentially inconveniencing or waking up someone else. There is cell service throughout this route. The Amtrak coach seats are similar to business or first class seats on a plane (although they don’t lay flat, and the Borealis doesn’t offer sleeping cars or private rooms).
I’ve personally come to dislike flying more and more with each passing year. So often, it’s a really uncomfortable and unpleasant experience for me. So maybe I’m biased, but I personally love that Amtrak offers this alternative between Chicago and MSP. In terms of cost, my round-trip was $103. Just like airlines, Amtrak pricing depends on time and day, so check both options if you’re looking for the best deal possible.
How full was the train?
I traveled to the Twin Cities on a Saturday and returned to Chicago on a Tuesday. As you’d probably expect, the train was fuller on the weekend than on a weekday. However, capacity varied between the different stops along the route. For example, the Borealis from Saint Paul to Chicago on Tuesday was mostly empty until we reached Milwaukee. From Milwaukee to Chicago, the train was basically completely full.
With that said, I don’t think Amtrak ever overbooks their trains. In other words, you should be guaranteed a seat, but you may not get your pick of window or aisle, and you may have to sit next to a stranger.
Final Tips
Eat a full meal before taking the Borealis.
With a total travel time of over seven hours, I highly recommend eating a meal before getting on the Borealis in either direction. In Chicago, Union Station has a food court. I purchased a big slice of pizza and a side of pasta at the Sbarro there. Prices at the food court are relatively reasonable (especially compared to airport food courts), and there are lots of other restaurants within a block or two of Union Station.
In Saint Paul, Union Depot has one main restaurant called 1881 Eating House. It was open for dinner on the evening I arrived in Minnesota, but wasn’t open on the morning I returned to Chicago. Luckily, the Borealis’s 11:50 a.m. departure out of Saint Paul gave me ample time to enjoy a very hearty breakfast in Minneapolis before taking the METRO Green Line to Union Depot.
Bring your own snacks.
Although the cafe car offers decent snacks, and they’re not outrageously expensive, it is still more economical to bring your own food. Furthermore, the snacks offered there are mostly packaged and processed. I brought some bananas and oranges, which helped balance out some of the junk food I bought at the cafe. Note that the cafe doesn’t offer microwaves for food brought from home.
Sit in the car that Amtrak staff directs you to.
Conductors on the train will likely make this suggestion over the intercom multiple times throughout your journey. That’s because the doors on certain cars may not open depending on the stop. When you get on the train, Amtrak staff should ask you where your final destination is, and they will direct you to the appropriate train car based on what you tell them.
Now, you aren’t forced to stay in any car (they’re all connected via gangways on the upper level). You can also get off at an earlier stop than your ticket indicates if, for example, your plans change. Announcements about which doors will open are made before each stop, but ask an employee if you’re not 100% sure. Stops may only last for 30 seconds or a minute, which is not enough time to switch cars if you accidentally wait in front of a door that doesn’t open.
All Aboard the Borealis!
If you consider yourself an enjoyer of trains in any capacity, I highly recommend trying the Amtrak Borealis to get between Chicago and the Twin Cities in Minnesota. Even though a one-way journey does take an entire day, the experience is worth it (at least in my opinion).
Are you booked on an upcoming run of this Amtrak route? Have you taken it before? Leave a comment below to let me know! I’m curious to know if other passengers had a smooth experience like I did, or if you may have been delayed or had other issues. Thanks for reading Caffeinated Excursions!
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This post was published on Apr 27, 2025
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