N.C. Ale Trail By Rail

ale-trail-by-rail-banner

​​NC By Train in partnership with the N.C. Craft Bre​wers Guild presents N.C. Ale Trail By Rail. Explore the craft brewery scene on the Piedmont and Carolinian​ routes with 10 daily trips between Raleigh and Charlotte.

How to Book Tickets

​Visiting one city?

  • Select "Round Trip" to book tickets to and from the same location.

Visiting multiple cities?

  • Select “Multi-City.” This will take you to the Amtrak website where you can view what trips are available and purchase your tickets.

​On Amtrak.com

  • Open the ticket type dropdown menu in the top left-corner of the webpage and select "One- Way." ​Then reselect "Multi-City" to plan your trip and purchase tickets.

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​​​​​Book Tick​ets Now​​​

Watch a video on how to book tickets.

Perfect for day trips, overnight getaways or a weekend of whistle-stop crawls, N.C. Ale Trail By Rail allows travelers to enjoy locally crafted beers while discovering vibrant communities along the way.

Alcohol is not available for purchase on Piedmont trains and no open containers of alcohol are allowed on NC By Train and Amtrak services.

Interactive Map

N.C. Ale Trail By Rail Interactive Map
 

​Videos​

​​How to purchase tickets for N.C. Ale Trail By Rail​​

​Learn more about N.C. Ale Trail By Rail

 
Frequently Asked Questions

Tab/Accordion Items

The nine stops on the Ale Trail by Rail route include Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Burlington, Greensboro, High Point, Salisbury, Kannapolis and Charlotte. Visit NC By Train’s Stations ​webpage​ to learn more.​

Go to NC Ale Trail By Rail — North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild​ to learn about participating breweries.

​No. The NC Ale Trail by Rail is a self-directed tour of the breweries along the Piedmont and Carolinian routes between Raleigh and Charlotte. Passengers build their own itineraries to visit the breweries. Go to NC Ale Trail By Rail — North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild​ to find some pre-planned stops in the participating communities. 

Tickets can range from approximately $6 to $29 with business-class tickets on the Carolinian​ being more expensive because you can reserve your seat. Go to NC By Train’s Tickets webpage​ to learn more.

​There are 10 daily trips between Raleigh and Charlotte. Go to NC By Train’s Schedules webpage​ to learn more.

​No, there is no additional transportation once you leave the train station but several of the breweries are within walking distance from each stop.

No, you cannot take an open container of alcohol on the train. If you purchase a closed container at a brewery, you may travel with it.

​You must purchase tickets for each train stop. Watch this video to learn more.

​Passengers can start anywhere along the Piedmont corridor which includes Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Burlington, Greensboro, High Point, Salisbury, Kannapolis and Charlotte.

​Dogs and cats that weigh 20 pounds or less are allowed on the train. Restrictions apply, please visit NCByTrain.org​ or Amtrak.com​ to learn more.

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This page was last modified on 05/11/2026