Peep the leaves by rail: Amtrak has you covered for foliage spotting this fall

It's almost cozy season (or spooky season, depending on your vibes), which means it's a great time to start thinking about a long weekend to peep some fall foliage.

If you don't want to turn it into a classic American road trip, Amtrak is an excellent alternative to watch the scenery go by without ever having to fill up the tank.

According to the railroad, these are the best routes to see the leaves this autumn.

USA TODAY checked to see how much it would cost to ride each line during the peak color weekend, as predicted by our fall foliage map.

► Cardinal: New York to Chicago via the Northeast Corridor, West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana.

• Best weekend to ride: Oct. 28-30.

• Runs: Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays from New York; Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from Chicago.

• Round-trip fares leaving New York on Oct. 28: $256 for a seat, $1,048 for a Roomette. The price per person is lower in a Roomette with two people.

► Capitol Limited: Washington to Chicago via Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana.

• Best weekend to ride: Oct. 21-23.

• Runs: daily.

• Round-trip fares leaving Washington on Oct. 21: $238 for a seat, $1,211 for a Roomette. The price per person is lower in a Roomette with two people.

► Heartland Flyer: Oklahoma City to Fort Worth, Texas.

• Best weekend to ride: Nov. 18-20.

• Runs: daily.

• Round-trip fares leaving Oklahoma City on Nov. 18: $62.

► Vermonter: Washington to St. Alban's, Vermont, via the Northeast Corridor, central Connecticut and western Massachusetts.

• Best weekend to ride: Oct. 14-16.

• Runs: daily.

• Round-trip fares leaving Washington on Oct. 14: $321.

► Ethan Allen: New York to Burlington, Vermont, via the Hudson River Valley.

• Best weekend to ride: Oct. 7-9.

• Runs: daily.

• Round-trip fares leaving New York on Oct. 7: $210.

► Maple Leaf: New York to Toronto via the Hudson River Valley and Niagara Falls.

• Best weekend to ride: Oct. 7-9.

• Runs: daily.

• Round-trip fares leaving New York on Oct. 7: $312 in coach, $348 in business class.

► Empire Service: New York to Albany via the Hudson Valley (some trains extend to Buffalo and Niagara Falls).

• Best weekend to ride: Oct. 7-9.

• Runs: multiple times daily.

• Round-trip fares from New York vary, but tickets start at $72 in coach or $196 in business class.

► Silver Service: New York to Miami and Tampa via the Northeast Corridor, Virginia, the Carolinas and Georgia.

• Best weekend to ride: Oct. 14-16 for the northernmost section of the route, through Nov. 18-20 for the southernmost section.

• Runs: daily departures, but not all stations see daily service.

• Round-trip fares from New York to Miami for the weekend of Oct. 28-30: $260 for a seat, $1,114 for a Roomette. Price per person is lower in a Roomette with two people.

► Downeaster: Boston to Brunswick, Maine, via New Hampshire.

• Best weekend to ride: Oct. 7-9.

• Runs: multiple daily departures.

• Round trip fares leaving Boston on Oct. 7: $50 in coach, $80 in business class.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Leaf peeping routes: Fall foliage by rail on Amtrak