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Train to major us city

Posted on 3/2/25 at 10:19 pm
Posted by bulldog95
North Louisiana
Member since Jan 2011
21196 posts
Posted on 3/2/25 at 10:19 pm
Has anyone ridden a train to another city. How was the trip, where is a good destination, would you recommend.
Posted by LemmyLives
Texas
Member since Mar 2019
13520 posts
Posted on 3/3/25 at 5:46 am to
Are you thinking of the Northeastern Corridor, or somewhere else?

Just to give you an idea, to take AMTRAK from Houston to Atlanta, it's a minimum of a 33 hour trip through New Orleans. The next "best" routing takes you through Chicago!!!! at 66 hours.
Posted by Pelican fan99
Lafayette, Louisiana
Member since Jun 2013
38921 posts
Posted on 3/3/25 at 6:40 am to
It takes forever and isn't even that much cheaper. Not worth it unless you're just bored out of your mind
Posted by hoopsgalore
Chicago, IL
Member since Nov 2013
9034 posts
Posted on 3/3/25 at 6:42 am to
Hiawatha between Chicago and Milwaukee is a very popular route. Highly recommend during baseball season, especially. My buddies and go to MKE for the day once in awhile and bar hop. It's a 90-minute ride from Chicago and, honestly, one of the best bar cities in the country.
Posted by jimlsu1
Ellicott City, Md
Member since Oct 2008
1587 posts
Posted on 3/3/25 at 6:49 am to
You can take Amtrak from BYI to Penn Station NY. If you book enough in advance, one way is $30. 3 hours and just relax. The tolls by themselves are approximately $50 to drive car
Posted by AbitaFan08
Boston, MA
Member since Apr 2008
27902 posts
Posted on 3/3/25 at 6:55 am to
I’ve looked into going from Boston to New York on Amtrak many times. It’s somehow always more expensive than flying, so I’ve never done it.
Posted by Pelican fan99
Lafayette, Louisiana
Member since Jun 2013
38921 posts
Posted on 3/3/25 at 6:55 am to
Yeah it can be nice for places like the north east but I assumed this baw was talking about traveling from Louisiana
Posted by LemmyLives
Texas
Member since Mar 2019
13520 posts
Posted on 3/3/25 at 7:12 am to
quote:

so I’ve never done it


But you're missing out on the homeless in Penn Station!
Posted by Saint Alfonzo
Member since Jan 2019
28386 posts
Posted on 3/3/25 at 8:14 am to
quote:

I’ve looked into going from Boston to New York on Amtrak many times. It’s somehow always more expensive than flying, so I’ve never done it.

We looked into doing Jersey to Boston by train before a fall Canadian cruise. It was much more expensive than flying. Ended up just driving instead.
Posted by blueridgeTiger
Granbury, TX
Member since Jun 2004
22049 posts
Posted on 3/3/25 at 10:14 am to
We took Amtrak from NOLA to Charlotte, NC, and return. It was a family thing, I believe there were ten of us, we had three sleeping compartments. It was a great time.
Posted by usc6158
Member since Feb 2008
38613 posts
Posted on 3/3/25 at 10:27 am to
quote:

so I’ve never done it


But you're missing out on the homeless in Penn Station!



I train between DC and NY for work on a regular basis.

Assigned seating and the brand new Moynahan train hall have taken some of the New York charm out of waiting for your train in a homeless encampment that smell like urine and then sprinting to your gate the moment it pops up on the big board.
Posted by Zappas Stache
Utility Muffin Research Kitchen
Member since Apr 2009
42411 posts
Posted on 3/3/25 at 11:24 am to
I've done it several times . Dallas to Chicago-always 5 or 6 hours late
Denver to Aspen
Dallas to San Antonio 8 hours when I can drive it in 4.
Nyc to Hartford
Boston to Portland, Maine
Boston to Providence
Providence to Hartford
Portland, or to seattle

East coast trains are good. The ones out of Dallas are very slow and always several hours late departing and arriving. West coast trains were good but the distances we traveled weren't that far.

Posted by Suntiger
STG or BR or somewhere else
Member since Feb 2007
35637 posts
Posted on 3/3/25 at 12:39 pm to
In the US, I’ve taken a train from DC to Baltimore and a train from NYC to Philly. No real issue. Not as nice as European trains, but easy and relatively cheap. I’d recommend in that region.

No way I’m going to take a 33 hour train trip from NOLA to Chicago though.
Posted by NOLALGD
Member since May 2014
2694 posts
Posted on 3/3/25 at 1:32 pm to
Done a bunch, mostly short/day trip in coach or business car seats, and a few overnight and multi-day trips in a sleeper car. A few from NOLA, some west coast, some mid-west centered around Chicago, a decent bit on the NE corridor, and even both versions of passenger rail in South Florida, Sun Coast and Brightline. Chicago to anywhere within a few hours is good and cheaper than driving when factoring in tolls, gas, parking. The Northeast Corridor has great service, except for driving a few times would always train rather than fly.

It's generally great, I find it way more relaxing than flying and definitely more relaxing than driving between major cities IF...the trip is less than 4 or 5 hours and you are going from city center to city center.

I've taken the amtrak from NOLA several times, main issue is lack of short trips although the Mobile train will change that.

Few years ago was in Baltimore for conference but wanted to do dinner and one night in DC. Left Sheraton Inner Harbor at 3:30pm , caught $10 lyft that got me to Penn Station Baltimore in 10 mins (also could have taken bus that was 15 mins but running late), took 3 minutes from car to be in my b-class train seat with plugs and wifi, with train ride and metro connection to Dupont Circle was walking in my hotel for the night at 5:00 pm. At that time of day in the DMV driving would have taken twice as long, plus I only paid a small metro fare instead of probably $80/night on each end for parking.
Posted by soccerfüt
Location: A Series of Tubes
Member since May 2013
72892 posts
Posted on 3/3/25 at 5:08 pm to
quote:

Has anyone ridden a train to another city. How was the trip, where is a good destination, would you recommend.
NOLA to Washington DC takes ~27 hours each direction and is about $1,300 per person RT for a private room.

~$600 per person for steerage class

I rode the Southern Crescent RT on that route in 1973.

Good then.

Wouldn’t with a spouse today.
Posted by RonFNSwanson
1739 mi from the University of LSU
Member since Mar 2012
24126 posts
Posted on 3/3/25 at 5:45 pm to
I have gone one-way from NYC to Boston. It was pretty cool. 30+ minutes late taking off though. Which I hear is pretty common.

You can bring your own alcohol on board and drink it, so that was fun.
Posted by geauxpurple
New Orleans
Member since Jul 2014
16595 posts
Posted on 3/3/25 at 6:25 pm to
Chicago a long time ago.

Nice trip but I would rather fly.

Europe is another story. I love to take the trains there.
Posted by Teamgravy
Baton Rouge
Member since Feb 2008
247 posts
Posted on 3/3/25 at 8:25 pm to
Nola to Chicago. 19 hours of pain or 90 minutes on a plane. Don’t do it.
Posted by BRich
Old Metairie
Member since Aug 2017
2764 posts
Posted on 3/5/25 at 3:03 pm to
quote:

Nola to Chicago. 19 hours of pain or 90 minutes on a plane. Don’t do it.


Did this two summers ago, but did it the only way proper to do this-- with sleeping compartments (meals included).

It was sorta fun just for the experience. You get on in New Orleans right after lunch, travel the rest of day hanging out iin the view lounge car or in your room. You have dinner passing through the Delta, get to Memphis about 10:30 PM and then go to bed. You actually get to lie down in a bed and sleep all night, waking up somewhere in rural Illinois to an early breakfast and get to Chicago the next morning at about 9 AM.

Would never do that in coach.

Bear in mind that is MUCH more expensive than a plane flight, however, and anywhere you travel via train you can drive there via interstate much quicker; in some cases almost HALF the time it takes via train (because of all the stops and the fact that most trains top out at around 60 mph).
Posted by NOLALGD
Member since May 2014
2694 posts
Posted on 3/5/25 at 3:24 pm to
Unfortunately, long train trips (longer than 8-10 hours) in the US are for those who enjoy the experience, not to save money or time. I do enjoy the experience, with a sleeper car, and would do it more often if I had the time, sometimes the money (its often expensive), and more destinations from NOLA. For instance if there was daily service to Houston or Dallas that left in the morning I would occasionally take it, work on the train most of the day, then have a few "train happy hour drinks from my bag" before arriving.

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