Sarasota to Nashville train

A culturally-rich alternative to the nearby theme parks of Orlando, Sarasota's Gulf Coast location is hard to resist. It became the winter base for many well-to-do families in the early twentieth century, during which time much of the town developed a subtle Italian feel.

Not only is the climate similar to what you might experience in southern Italy, but many of Sarasota's buildings were constructed to resemble the country's renaissance masterworks too. A good example is the Ringling family's Ca' d'Zan Venetian-style mansion.

The Ringlings made their money from circuses before giving their name to the much-celebrated John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. It contains 21 galleries of European paintings, archaeological artifacts, and American art totaling 10,000 objects.

With weather so fine, you'll probably be looking with more than half an eye at Sarasota's numerous excellent resorts and beaches, many of which lie on a group of keys within the city limits. Bonus: our research ranked Sarasota as the #3 cheapest Spring Break destination, so you can soak up the sun on the cheap.

Arriving in Sarasota is equally easy thanks to its Cattleman Transfer Centre and Fruitville Road bus stations. Between them, travelers can connect by bus everywhere from Tampa to Tucson. Amtrak also operates a Thruway bus service from the defunct Sarasota rail station to Tampa for onward connections by train on the Silver Service. This service runs between Miami and New York City via Washington, D.C.

Nashville may be the capital of the state of Tennessee, but it’s actually much more famous as the country music capital of the world. If you are a fan of country music, or music in general, Nashville is a must-visit destination. Here you can visit several one-of-a-kind museums dedicated to the genre and attend amazing live performances every day at pretty much every bar or venue across town.

There are two places that you absolutely must visit while you’re in town: the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum (for obvious reasons), and the legendary Grand Ole Opry House, known as country’s most famous stage. Once you get those out of the way, head over to Broadway and snatch yourself a pair of cowboy boots before embarking on a tour of the many bars and restaurants that make up Nashville’s most famous street.

And if you’re looking to escape the country-ness of it all, you might want to head over to East Nashville where you will find hip new restaurants and bars full of young and artistic crowds. It’s definitely worth checking out the area, if only for the several Insta-ready murals you will find there.

While there is no Amtrak train service that goes to Nashville, there are several bus carriers that serve the city and the main bus station is located very conveniently downtown, not too far from all the hustle and bustle of Music City. The Nashville International Airport is located on the outskirts of the city, but there is a direct bus transit service that will take you from there all the way to the heart of town.