Birmingham to Alexandria train

Birmingham may not be the capital of Alabama, but it does hold the crown as both the cultural and entertainment capital of the Cotton State. The second-most populous city, Birmingham was founded during the Reconstruction Period, which followed the American Civil War.

Quietly going about its business as an industrial powerhouse, producing much of America's iron and steel, Birmingham didn't enter the world's consciousness until the Civil Rights Movement one hundred years later. It’s one of the 8 iconic cities on our Martin Luther King, Jr. road trip, as it’s the city where Dr. King wrote his famous “Letter From a Birmingham Jail.” When visiting, be sure to stop at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute to learn more about the city’s civil rights history.

Today known as America's 'Magic City,' new life has been blown into downtown Birmingham in recent years. Its streets have been cleaned up, allowing the city's historical gems such as the Alabama Theater to shine once more both by day and by night.

The Birmingham Museum of Art contains the most extensive collection of artworks in the southeastern United States. It's connected to the nightlife districts of Five Points South, Lakeview, and Uptown by a series of charming tree-lined public squares. Close by Five Points South also lies Red Mountain's Vulcan Park, home to the world's largest cast-iron statue. It was made for the St. Louis World Fair of 1904.

Birmingham is an important regional hub linking the Deep South, the Appalachian Mountains, and Piedmont. Travelers can easily reach other noteworthy destinations in the U.S., including Dallas, Phoenix, and Montgomery, thanks to the hundreds of bus and train routes to and from Birmingham.

Alexandria is a charming, historic city in Virginia, located just a few miles south of Washington, D.C., on the Potomac River. Alexandria's Old Town entrances visitors with its preserved brick sidewalks and 18th-century homes and buildings; you'll feel transported to the era of the city's founding in 1749. This quarter, especially along King Street, features boutiques, restaurants, and antique shops in quaint, intimate settings.

Thanks to its vicinity to the capital, Alexandria boasts a unique food scene with many high-class restaurants for you to enjoy. The most popular local establishments include The Warehouse, Chart House, and Chadwicks. You can even dine in Gadsby's Tavern, a favorite of some of the nation's founders in the 1780s, and learn more about early American life in the adjacent Gadsby's Tavern Museum.

Washington, D.C. and all its travel connections are only a water taxi away, but the city is also well-served by transportation options directly out of Alexandria. Intercity Amtrak routes regularly arrive at Alexandria Union Station, including the Northeast Regional, Silver Service, Crescent, Cardinal, and Carolinian. The two nearest airports to the city are the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and the Washington Dulles International Airport.