Blue Ridge Scenic Railway
Blue Ridge Scenic Railway
4
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
A great family adventure on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway (BRSR) starts at the historic depot, built in 1905, in downtown Blue Ridge, Georgia. This charming mountain village is nestled in the lush Chattahoochee National Forest and is known for it’s pleasant and unique shopping with friendly folks and an old-time atmosphere. Total excursion is 26 miles (4 hours round-trip) winding along the beautiful Toccoa River in passenger’s choice of vintage, climate controlled rail cars or open-air rail cars arriving in the quaint sister towns of McCaysville, Georgia and Copperhill, Tennessee. Passengers have a 2 hour layover in McCaysville/Copperhill; plenty of time to eat lunch, shop for unique crafts and antiques, snack on ice cream, or walk across the old bridge in town to view the river.
Suggested duration
More than 3 hours
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  • Courtney M
    Slidell, Louisiana42 contributions
    Nice Ride for the Family
    Like many of the other reviews state, the views are not breathtaking. We did the 1 hour Holiday Express ride and what made it so enjoyable and memorable was the visit by Santa and Mrs. Clause (with a photo-op) and the Grinch visit as well. Santa also handed out some coloring books and crayons for the kids. If it weren't for the holiday, it would have been a bit of a boring ride. I wouldn't book again but it is worth doing it at least one time if you are in the area.
    Thank you Courtney for taking our Holiday Express ride. We are glad you enjoyed your time with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. We look forward to seeing you again!
    Written December 7, 2022
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited November 2022
    Written December 4, 2022
  • Child.of.God
    Yulee, Florida5 contributions
    Save your $$$ in the Summer
    Went in June. I’ll just cut to the chase. It’s a bore. We went on a Monday and the town that you get dropped off in for an hour or two was terrible. Nothing was open to eat except about 4 places. You don’t see much on the train ride at all. We were in the air conditioned 4 group blue seats and I’m so glad we were because the open compartments were very hot. The red seat compartments were so loud you couldn’t hear yourself talk. Maybe in the Fall it would be nicer or the Polar Express but in the summer it is boring. Didn’t even take any pictures I could post here because there is nothing really to see. I guess our expectation was too high. We thought we would see beautiful mountains, valleys something. Nope. Do yourself a favor and rent a pontoon boat from Lake Blue Ridge. You will see beautiful mountains, the water is fabulous and so much fun.
    Visited June 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written June 21, 2023
  • Culture38438420062
    3 contributions
    Not much scenic views
    We thought this would be a awesome experience. First confusion was booking online. It's deceptive unless you closely read the details. We thought we booked riding in a car with enclosed but ended up in a open car with no windows. It happened to be raining and cold that day. Had I known it was a open car, I wouldn't have booked it. We sat in the back up against the train car wall to try to avoid getting wet as we started the journey. Not much of a scenic ride. Nothing really exciting we saw that you couldn't see driving in your car. When we got to the layover, it's a small town with not much in it to view or kill time. It rained harder. Going back to blue ridge, we were slowed down with a report of the track being slippery from the rain. The train car that was opened had two long benches one facing one side and the other facing the other side. They had everyone switch sides returning so you can see the other side going back. I was truly disappointed but not as disappointed as the town of blue ridge knows this is what draws people to town for this 4 hour trip. The town stresses parking around blue ridge is only for 3 hours and you can get your car ticketed. That doesn't make sense at all. Well on a nicer day this may have been a little better but it lacks scenic and entertaining. If you never went on a train ride before, that's seems to be the lure. Some people who rode in our car didn't like it as well but just said it was something different to try.
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written June 26, 2023
  • Erica G
    5 contributions
    Glad we did it but would skip it in the future.
    Our family did the Christmas tour. We had an inside car which was perfect since it was cooler. The decorations were nice. I was a little disappointed that there wasn’t Christmas music playing during the trip. Santa was a little cheesy but the Grinch was perfect. Magic Mike was our host. He was funny and had a few dad jokes and even a magic trick.
    Visited November 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written November 26, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.0
1,379 reviews
Excellent
688
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380
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193
Poor
60
Terrible
58

jamieshiver
4 contributions
Oct 2020 • Family
If you are thinking of buying tickets for this train ride because it sounds like the open air cars would be a covid friendly activity and the safety protocols listed on their website seem thorough, think again. My husband and I thought that this would be a well ventilated activity for our 5 yr olds Fall break and that there would be some covid precautions in place (based on what the website states), such as keeping the train cars less full so folks can spread out, not letting passengers switch from car to car, announcements encouraging mask wearing, sanitizing stations, etc. Despite having signs posted throughout the train that say "please maintain 6 ft of distance", no one did. We saw hardly anyone wearing masks. There was not one announcement over the speaker encouraging distancing or mask wearing. Our open air train car was packed so full, we were shoulder to shoulder with other passengers. Not even the fresh air can help a situation THAT packed. A lady a few people down from us had a hacking cough that we listened to the entire way back, no mask on. People from other cars go up and down the aisles, and anyone can switch which car they ride in, tickets aren't checked. We had people next to us on the way back who had previously been assigned to another car and just decided that they wanted to sit in our car for the return trip. An employee, who was well intentioned but absolutely not following the 6ft rule, bent down to where he was inches from my sons face when telling him something about the train. We originally had tickets booked for a Tuesday, but they called and told us we had to switch to a Monday due to staffing limitations for covid, that they were no longer running the train on Tuesdays. So the crowding absolutely makes sense now, being that they are condensing the number of trips they take when, during a pandemic, they should be doing the opposite! I just have to give this warning to anyone who thinks that the open air car could be a safer, low risk activity during the time of covid. It absolutely was not. And anything on the website stating that they are following certain protocols to keep guests safe is false.

Written October 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

gatillero777
20 contributions
Dec 2019 • Family
Not exactly as advertised. Although we enjoyed the train ride and the staff is knowledgeable, we booked to stay in town for a couple of days only to find out the whole town goes dead at night and on the 1st we couldn’t find a store or restaurant open. There are no more train rides until March. Thank god for the wineries,since everyone left town,our tour seemed more private but the kids were bored out of their minds. its a great overnight stop but not much more than that! the family as a while enjoyed Helen a lot more,a short scenic drive away.
Written January 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
So sorry the trip did not meet your expectations. We take all rider reviews seriously.
Written January 23, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Heather
Chicago, IL11 contributions
May 2021 • Couples
Firstly, the staff was so kind and informative. The woman at the ticket counter was so sweet when checking us in and the man who stood in our open-air car was very informative. He walked up and down the train, picking up children’s trash that they dropped on the floor while also stopping to talk to people who had questions. I believe his name was Keith and he was originally from Minnesota - so shout out to Keith (maybe his name).

Secondly, the train itself was very clean and the process to board was highly efficient.

However, the train ride itself was unremarkable (we did the two hour express). I suppose if you’ve never ridden a train, it’s exciting. Or if you have never seen a river, it could be interesting. Perhaps you are a person who has never seen trees before, then I imagine it’s really quite a spectacular trip. There was only one truly interesting landmark/piece of history and I won’t spoil it for you in case you decide to go.

Some may call it relaxing but we found that most people in our car began to fall asleep or would visit the snack car out of boredom. The houses that we could see through the trees were lovely and there were some nice rental cabins that Keith pointed out. Unfortunately for us, the $80 train ride just wasn’t worth it.
Written May 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

David S
Dalton, GA115 contributions
Dec 2019
First thing was that they lost the alcohol deal which we paid extra for. They contacted us at the last minute(when I say last minute...it was New years Eve morning) to let us know that this had happened. Sounds like some poor planning. No big deal as we really did not care if it was served or not and they gave us a discounted rate. It was cold that night and we had to stand outside waiting to board as that was late. A few decorations and a box of hors d'oeuvres in the seat was about it for the 20's theme. Some 20's music at the start and that ended as well so, then the guest started playing their music which was far from the 20's. It was very cold in the car and the attendant said they had the air condition on when we asked...30 degrees outside and the air running. Everyone had their coats on. Then the attendant came around asking for tips. No thank you for what we gave. She must have wanted at least $20 and was disappointed. The Tennessee Railway just leaves a jar on the way out for tips. We had a good time dressing up for the 20's theme and met some nice people but, never again on this railway We have rode the Tennessee Railway before which blows this one away. Better price, staff,and, accommodations. Maybe Tennessee they will do a midnight train.
Written January 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are sorry the ride did not meet your expectations. Our vendor cancelled on us the day before the event, to not fault of our own. We tried to be fair and refund passengers for the loss.
Written January 23, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

warrenfamily
Atlanta, GA42 contributions
Oct 2020 • Couples
I base a lot of decisions on reviews and felt it was only right to leave a candid one. We’ve been excited to try this after living in Georgia for 8 + years. Booked the trip today, in hopes of Fall foliage. Paid $57 per person to go to 2 towns with nothing to write home about. After having an expensive nothing special lunch, we wondered the 2 towns and went back and sat in the train a half hour before departure time. Half the buildings are boarded up, no special shopping besides tourist spots. The train ride was nice, we had an enclosed car and was able to experience the outdoor open car at our discretion (which was nice). During the first leg of the trip someone comes around and takes your picture and on the second round they come back around trying to sell you that picture for $20. Seems like it would be a nice gesture if they gave everyone a picture with the price of the trip or at least charge only $5 a picture. Otherwise a lot of time and materials are being wasted just to throw them away. It would be better for the train to reverse the pickup and have Blu Ridge, with much more to offer, be the layover point. We seriously couldn’t/can’t figure out the hype/ infatuation. It’s definitely a racket!
Written October 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Larry B
The Villages, FL118 contributions
Jul 2022
Lovely low key activity for a special outing. Great views of countryside en route to TN. Two hour layover with time to shop and dine. Lovely small town to browse, shop, have a meal or a cold drink.
Recommend premium seating: you get air conditioned car, comfortable seating, lunch, and some souvenirs. They were able to provide gluten free sandwich for my wife, who is allergic to gluten; you have to request in memo area when you reserve, though.
Written July 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Larry, we truly appreciate your 5-star review and taking the time to provide feedback. We are pleased to hear you both had a delightful time!
Written July 26, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

russ w
San Diego, CA46 contributions
Apr 2022 • Friends
Our party of 6 took the train from Blue Ridge, GA to Mccayesville, GA. It was a nice day and the views , especially on the riverside were neat. The horn was an annoyance 30 seconds into the ride. I feel bad for residents who live near the tracks where they sound the horns. Maybe take some headphones! Once you arrive to McCayesville, hurry to your lunch spot as it will get crowded quickly as the herd of train travelers arrive to each restaurant. Copper Grill’s bourbon burger was really good. Take a picture at the Tennessee Georgia line and walk over the bridge. We enjoyed it; however, $10-$15 cheaper would have been more reasonable. Also, like all activities in tourist towns, staff solicits tips even though they don’t do much.
Written April 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Amanda
5 contributions
May 2021 • Friends
Views from one side of train aren't super interesting but they have you move to opposite side for return trip and the views of the Toccoa river are beautiful. We were in one of the closed coach cars and loved it. Seating definitely seemed much more comfortable than open air car and was same price. Big beautiful windows and comfortable temperature for the ride. I don't think the premium more expensive car would have been worth it for us but ,at $45 for closed coach, it was worth the money.

Mccaysville/Copperhill was a touristy stop that we enjoyed for the length of time we were there. Had lunch at Burra Burra and it was good. Nothing spectacular but I didn't regret eating there. I'd probably suggest going with a plan of where you want to eat lunch if you are wanting to eat lunch on layover. There are a lot of options in walking distance but the lines built up fast. Managed to have time to eat and go through the shops that interested us
Written May 31, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

dwall
Gallatin, TN54 contributions
Oct 2022
We booked the Fall Foliage Trip for Monday, October 24, 2022. I made our reservations about 3 months in advance and was glad that I did. This trip does sell out. They run 4 days a week, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Monday. We chose Monday in hopes that it would be less crowded in the surrounding area and we made the right choice. We did the 4 hour trip. There is an option for two hours and that would be fine too. For our 4 hour trip, we rode an hour, got off in the quaint towns of McCaysville, Georgia/Copper Hill Tennessee. In the middle of town is the state dividing line of Georgia and Tennessee, which makes for great photo options. Our railway car was # and we were told that it is the largest car providing more leg room than the others. It doesn't matter which side of the train that you choose to ride first, as they have everyone switch sides on the trip back. We took the river side on the first leg and the mountain side on the trip back. I was glad that we did it that way as we were more tired on the way back :).

They gave great information of the area along the way and the sights and scenery was beautiful as we hit the perfect time of peak leaf season. They also have a concession car, but we never even went to it.

When we stopped in McCaysville, Georgia/Copper Hill Tennessee, it was 11 and we opted to go ahead and get a table and eat prior to exploring the sights. I am so glad that we did. This is a very small area, population 450 and the train was 550, so you can imagine the crowd. Although, they do a great job of accommodating everyone. We ate at Burra Burra and I highly recommend. In fact, we tried to go back the next night for dinner, but they were closed. I will review our meals there on there review page.

What a wonderful fall trip this was and I am so grateful that we took the time to do it.
Written October 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi, Dwall. Thanks for taking the time to share your positive experience. We truly appreciate it!
Written October 31, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

owhn
Vero Beach, FL29 contributions
May 2022 • Couples
We selected open air seating in order to feel like we were outdoors. Loved the fresh air. The ride is slow, and not very picturesque nor scenic. There were no grand expansive vistas but it was still a nice outing. Each section of cars has a “host” (ours was Jeff) who entertains and parcels out some historical information along the way. The train one hour ride out stops for 2-hours in a little town which is half in Georgia and half in Tennessee. It’s novel and cute. Throughout the town there’s a blue dotted line marking that boundary: so you can take pictures of yourselves having one foot in two different States at the same time. The town is easy to stroll , and you’ll also find some interesting shops and eateries to explore.
Written May 20, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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