19 HOURS on Amtrak sleeper train: New Orleans to Chicago
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ค. 2024
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Happy New Year! Enjoy my video about my pre-Thanksgiving trip to Chicago from New Orleans on the legendary City of New Orleans train. 19 hours and 1500+km...let's go!
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0:00 Intro
0:35 Union Passenger Terminal, New Orleans
1:47 Boarding and Amtrak Bedroom tour
5:20 Departure, map and route details
6:10 train tour
7:54 Lunch time...hmm!
9:12 Blinkist sponsor integration
10:34 North through Mississippi
11:28 Smoke stop at Jackson MI
12:24 Amtrak bedroom made up to bed mode
13:22 Amtrak's disappointing "flexible dining"
14:58 Through to Memphis
15:53 Daylight Savings quirk
17:27 Day 2
18:00 Breakfast and powering up through IL
20:00 Arrival, conclusions and thanks!
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Happy New Year! Enjoy my video about my pre-Thanksgiving trip to Chicago from New Orleans on the legendary City of New Orleans train. 19 hours and 1500+km...let's go!
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There's something heartrending about looking at a large city's train station departure board and having it show only two departures for the whole day..
😔
Sometimes there are three departures from New Orleans. The Crescent and City of New Orleans everyday, with the Sunset Limited three times a week... At least New Orleans has more than the much larger metropolis of Houston, usually with one departure six days a week, three eastbound and westbound for the Sunset Limited. Usually if the Sunset Limited isn't too late. westbound it arrives in Houston before midnight, whereas eastbound it arrives after midnight. Can you imagine an American city metropolis of nearly SEVEN million without a daily Amtrak service for both directions? Amtrak serves TEXAS, the second largest populated state, very poorly...
About 10 years ago, won a Chicago radio station contest - it was round trip on this train with the sleeper car and 4 days in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. Excellent Trip!
Currently on the Coast Starlight with my 84 year old father, I’m almost 58 myself. And we are having a wonderful time in our room.
Always get the room!!
It’s so worth it!!
Go Amtrak!
Hey if Amtrak were to put a movie car in the back of the consists wouldn’t that be fun to do after dinner?!
Use the two story car to make two cinemas that have a concession stand between them.
Why? There isn't ar motion picture better than the American scenery from your window... If you get bored, instead of using a ear phone, read a good book... Amtrak insists no one wants to hear your cell phone conservations or your hear your videos from your smart phone, tablet, or notebook...
When it’s dark outside there is no view. Watching a movie on my computer is what I always do but having a cinema car I think would be a fun experience. But it would have gone on in the car that Amtrak took out of the consist, the parlor car.
The City of New Orleans is actually on-time more often than other long distance routes. The trick is, most of the way the freight trains run on separate rails from the passenger trains, so there’s no delays waiting for a slow freight train to get out of the way.
Not getting food in NOLA just to end up eating an Amtrak burger is a bit of a crime tbh.
Greetings Paul:
Now you are talking about my neck of the woods.
Born and raised in TN, 7 yrs in KY and 17 years in Chi-town.
Needless to say, I enjoyed the trip.
Health issues prevent me from traveling but I live vicariously through your videos. Feeling a bit homesick but in a good way. Been watching for a few years.
Thank you,
Me
Thank you
I caught that train from Effingham, IL to Chicago. First train I've ever been on, loved it! :) Also at 8:57 I think you meant to put Mississippi lol
I ride Metra and amtrak often I think that Chicago's union Station is one of the most beautiful train stations in the world. Those video was so interesting we have been talking about taking the reverse trip to New Orleans as an adventure. Thanks Paul! Love your videos and perspectives on travel :)
New York City has upped their game, but I love the Washington DC Union Station and the Los Angeles Union Station equally... Portland, Seattle, and Philadelphia being slightly a step below... But when it comes to small depots, few are nicer than the unused Abilene, TX Texas & Pacific depot...
4:03 The Waitrose bag for life! Love it.
My Great Great Grandfather was a Conductor For the Illinois Central Rail Road and ran the City Of New Orleans Route. He worked for the Illinois Central for 60 years.
I took a night train from Basel to Hannover. I booked a sleeper and even the trains in Europe rock around and clank so much that I did not sleep a wink. I can only imagine how noisy and turbulent the ride in an Amtrak must have been.
honestly isnt that bad unless you are in lower level and over a set of trucks. upper level rooms arent that noisy
Coast to coast across the United States is a three night journey. I never sleep good on the first night. But on the next two nights I sleep perfectly. I have to get acclimated to the motions.
@@robertgambling502 After a while you get used to the locomotive's horn tooting for eery road crossing... The horn will eventually lull you to sleep...
You passed through my home town of Champaign-Urbana. I remember seeing those City of New Orleans trains in the morning and wondering what it would have been like to take them South to New Orleans on the sleeper. I live out west now where the Southwest Chief runs. Thanks for another great travel video!
No full dining service is a huge disappointment. Nice bedroom accommodation! Thanks Paul😀💚
Sadly during the pandemic the former Delta Airlines CEO who was at that time Amtrak's president taught Amtrak about pre prepared airline food heated/microwaved by a less salaried union crew member. Doing so saved Amtrak a chef, a sous chef, and a dishwasher, three union crew members. Furloughed the diner kitchen staff... Now Amtrak is finding it more difficult to recruit and train new diner kitchen staff. Many chefs like going home every day, something impossible riding on Amtrak's long routes with diners....
I did that years ago, ended up arguing with my ex for most of the journey, the whole journey didn’t seem that long tbh lol Nice memories on the sights, I laughed so much seeing the lounge, looked the same, just like the waiting area in a hospital circa 1988 lol
New Orleans to Chicago in the sleeper was my very first experience of Amtrak back in 2003 or 2004. Nice memories.
Thank you for the fun informative trip. A month ago I travelled from east to west on the Capitol Limited and Empire Builder and then from north to south on the Coach Starlight. A most enjoyable journey.
LOL an early arrival Amtrak! Last time I took the Empire Builder it was about 40 minutes early too, to the dismay of myself and a few train nut passengers who secretly wanted to enjoy a few extra hours of peacefulness on board.
I wish to visit Memphis. I hope to take this train, and do this same journey next year.
I love train travel ! The way I take things is that , it’s the journey no matter how long it takes, not they trip. I’ve been late many times and it’s never bothered me. Paul, please include some of your travel tours during your trips. I’d love to see some of the sites you visit.
Awwww, I missed showing you our town, New Orleans
Looks like a great trip - we are doing a rail trip next year, starting with Coast Starlight - hope it will be as good as yours! Thank you for the great video!
This is what we are waiting for!! Love your train trips! 🥳🤠
19:54 Best name for a food truck. Ever. 🤣
Great trip. Yeah, agree full dining services for sleeper passenger should be comeback on this route.
CoN is one of Amtrak's most on time trains. Yes, Amtrak really screwed the pooch with their rail dining. It truly was a disservice for them to go to airline style dining.
Unfortunately the former Delta Airlines CEO taught Amtrak about pre prepared food during the pandemic, cutting three union crew members from the diner... Furloughing nearly all of the diner staff nationwide. Now Amtrak is discovering it isn't easy to recruit chefs willing to work on long train routes not being able to go home every day... Its a four to six day round trip from Chicago to the Pacific coast...
Good day from Malaysia 🇲🇾
Great video 👍
Another great overnight train journey. Thanks for taking us along!
Awesome trip onboard Amtrak City of New Orleans #58 from New Orleans to Chicago. Hope to take the Amtrak City of New Orleans route roundtrip one day.
Excellent video as always. Great presentation, commentary, and footage.
Lovely video, Paul. Always grateful for your snippets of information on the towns your visit and how certain things work along your journey. Happy new year!
I would have never thought about tipping the attendant (and I've lived in the States my whole life). You're more of a gentleman than me.
Wow, I took the City of New Orleans from Memphis to Chicago last month! Actually looked at your shot on the Memphis platform to see if I could find myself there, but judging by the locomotive number seems that we weren't on the same train. I did have the same sleeper car attendant though (I had a roomette), he was very nice. Glad you enjoyed the trip!
Great trip report
It’s a 22 minute video released 4 minutes ago; and your comment is 3 mins old…
Am I missing something
@@congresssux9766 maybe they just read the title and thought that it would be a great trip report based on the destinations.🤷🏼♀️. I saw the title and thought Yey this looks really good!
Great video, as always!! I just took the City of New Orleans in early December from Chicago to New Orleans. I loved it - you really get to see a big stretch of America. Splurged for a bedroom and was really happy - besides the extra comfy bed, it gives you more room to move around during the day. Food tip: if Amtrak's just serving flexible dining, I bring my own food in a hot/cold bag and pick up a local food specialty from whatever city the train's departing from. Weirdly, on my trip, they allowed sleeper car passengers to get breakfast, free, from the snack car, which was pretty nifty.
I learn so much from these videos! Thank you for taking the time to make them so insightful!
Paul, as a regular rider of the Wolverine (one of the Amtrak Midwest services), don’t ride the Ventures until they sort out the issues. They ride very well even over rough track, have much bigger windows than the Amfleet, improve the luggage/bike storage, have nice digital announcement/information boards, and are handicap-accessible, but there are too many teething issues right now to appreciate their improvements. A narrower seat and slightly worse recline is fine, but the doors (both to the vestibule and outside) have constant issues, the automated announcements run on a constant loop (which more than cancels their better sound isolation), and the wi-fi speed is worse than the Amfleets (that’s being fixed). Until recently, they also had an issue with the tabletop magnets wiping the hard drives on people’s devices, and issues with lead contamination in the potable water. Makes you appreciate how much more competently Brightline procured their cars.
That said, if you do a Midwest service, do the Wolverine or Blue Water. These two are the only Amtrak trains outside of the Northeast Corridor that reach triple-digit speeds, and are probably the most competitive schedule-wise with planes or cars. Would be interesting to see a comparison between them and a puddle jumper from Detroit to Chicago.
Cheeseburger and a Coke Can. Tell me you’re having an American meal without telling me you’re having an American meal.
Nice video, I’d bring my own food
I prefer Amtrak's peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from the cafe... But alas, many Europeans do not like peanut butter????
@@ronclark9724 not sure where you got that generalisation from lol
On a 3 day train right that’s going to cost more than a $1.000 Yep. Sounds like America!!!! Lmfao.
@@ronclark9724 My wife eats peanut butter, I do not care for it. (from UK)
I really enjoyed this video and appreciate you filming it so much. Thank you!!!😁
When we traveled NO to CHI, we had a sleeper car and restaurant car meals. We took breakfast in our room. Delicious! 2011.
I’m liking the Delta Blues influenced music. Geographically appropriate.
There is a Chicago to New York that has a stop in Cincinnati Ohio. My daughter and I have talked about taking it from Cincinnati up to Chicago.
Another great video Paul. Thanks!
Knew that fun fact about the stop would come in handy! Lovely seeing it here.
Great review as usual! I especially enjoyed the glimpse of my home station in Champaign! It requires an early start to catch the City of New Orleans in Champaign to run to Chicago, but as you noted being able to enjoy the sunrise is worth it!
Lovely sunset! Thank you for the video
That train goes through my hometown.
Happy New year to Paul and posted on your previous video but thank you for your advice re connecting in the US and was painless at RDU. I have admit the one terminal did help. Anyway another excellent video
In April we are taking an epic Amtrak trip around the country - New Orleans to Chicago then to Seattle on to LA and back to New Orleans
How did it go?
That leg of the trip was the first time we had been on Amtrak so there was alittle getting used to things but overall I would do it again.@@henrybrar
@@dirtfootracing8788 Thank you.
I grew up in New Orleans but never took the train but I did take the greyhound next door a lot growing up to Houston and Atlanta. Great video!
Great trip video Paul, always nice to watch a new one from my home country :)
Great trip! Thank you for sharing!
I always enjoy your videos and this was no exception to that rule.
Thanks for riding my hometown train. I grew up in Centralia and my father was the Amtrak ticket agent there. Good work!
Happy New Year to you, my friend. I will be doing travelling in a bedroom aboard the California Zephyr in April, so I'm glad to see you enjoyed the room itself, even if the 'flexible' dining was bleh. Makes me feel better about purchasing my own bedroom fare. I do agree that they should have a dining car on the east coast trains. Maybe even have a cross country train from LAX to DC or something like that. Cheers from Seattle!
Thank you for sharing amazing tour
Beautiful scenery and very nice editing!
Thank you for sharing your train trip here to Chicago!! It was nice you came here in our downtown Amtrak Station. It was a cold here today Saturday on 1/14/ 2023 but it was sunny earlier...
Yes, this how my Mother use to travel even out to the west coast to Los Angeles. She always would travel First Class with a full sleeper compartment. She loved the train Cabin Attendant use to bring here tea or coffee in the mornings.
Excellent review Paul!
A problem I experienced in the Superliner bedrooms while travelling the Great Northwestern Triangle, California Zephyr, Empire Builder and Coastal Starlight. When the bed was down and I used the washhand basin, it would splash water on to the corner of the bed. Thank you for your excellent and informative videos.
The simple solution is not to use the sink with the bed down...
Happy new year 🎊. Great video as always
Legendary stuff Paul! Hope you are well it's been a while my qppologies
Thanks Paul. That trip brought back some memories....I had ridden on both the "Panama Limited" with the Amfleet cars and the "City of New Orleans" in the older Pullman cars (lightweights of course) They were decent rides even without the Superliners. Glad you still enjoyed the ride, with hopes for a return to a real dinner service.... Next time, you ought to try the "Cresent" from either New Orleans or Washington D.C. if that chance comes up....
Excellent episode as usual.
Really enjoyed watching this video Paul.
I agree with you that having a layover at an airport or briefly alighting from a train at a city or town isn't really 'visiting' that location.
I've had layovers for a few hours a couple of times in Singapore at the airport on flights to the UK from Australia and don't really consider that as visiting Singapore - but those brief stops are still a welcome chance to stretch your legs on long distance journeys.
I just love the west coast dining
very nice video, I have taken this exact route many times from Memphis to Chicago, thank you for this video
Now that's timing as i literally just heard about this route and hoped you'd cover it one day!!! :-)
Excellent !
Fun getting a quick glimpse of McComb, Mississippi. A better place to have come from than to be in, I think. I once bought Bo Diddley a drink (Jack Daniels and water, if I remember right) forty-odd years ago between sets in a bar outside Boston. Really enjoyed the video.
First of all: happy 2023 and thanks for all of the the great videos of last year!
Idea: you might have visited Memphis by taking this train from New Orleans to Memphis in coach and one or more days later by bedroom or roomette to Chicago. Thus, as a Dutch saying goes, you might splash two flies in one blow.
Idea 2: the former makes me think of the blogs I've seen from creators who show the places they go. I wonder how you would do that. I'll be waiting for that rather then the next business class seat from continent to continent I could never afford.
I recommend Amtrak passengers plan at least one stop on a long route for a layover. Nothing wrong with spending a day in a small town close to the railroad depot near downtown in a old two story bed and breakfast. Even if you spend the day at the local fishing hole... Sometimes two tickets on a long route is cheaper than a one ticket fare...
Thanks Paul excellent video I love a train video 👍
I rode this route A few years ago before the pandemic started. But I rode it southbound. You really have to hold onto something when going throughout the train. I did sleep well in coach. i did manage to catch the Ohio River crossing around midnight.
this one looks fantastic
Paul, for having survived Amtrak, you are officially being awarded the Medal of Honor.
Thanks for the upload Paul. “There aren’t too many healthy options”. (Love it). What! In the U.S.A.? Never would have believed it.
As a diabetic it was easier to not eat the starch and sweets with traditional dining, but with all of the frozen entrees involving rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes with flexible dining, about the only thing left to eat is a side salad. I made up my mind I won't ride Amtrak until traditional dining returns to all of the sleeper trains. As it is I am better off eating a cold pre popped jar of popcorn...
Thanks for the video 👍
Love all your videos. Thanks for sharing all your adventures. And by the way your a doll.
"...you're a doll..." !! 🤗💕
Would love to travel the world by train. Aaah we win lotto. Thanks Paul, ps happy new year.
Happy New Year Paul! I'm traveling long-haul next month for the first time since 2016, then I'm getting married in June. Busy year ahead!
Love your work Paul love these train vids would love to do it one day
Lovely vlog 👍👍👍👍
Keep up the good work
I’ve done the D.C. to NoLa trip. Really good video.
Timetable padding is damn right.
There was a webpage that was going around a month or two ago that had "been in" "visited" and "stayed in" for every US state and assigned different points for the 3 different levels, but they didn't provide any definition. My wife and I had a conversation about what qualifies as "visited" about a month ago. In the end we wound up that "been to" just meant walked around a little in the place outside of an airport or gas station, "visited" meant at least 2 meals and a night of sleep, and "stayed in" was 3 nights of sleep.
With Amtrak's 30 day Railroad Pass coach promotion providing ten fares for around $450, you can plan whatever you desire from it. Coast to coast or a region of the USA very well. The northeast, the east coast, the midwest, the west coast, coast to coast. I sue the Railroad Pass for train rides during the day, and sleeping at hotels in large cities and B&Bs in small towns with one or two day layovers... Not just see America, but EXPERIENCE America if only to visit tourist traps and museums or spend a day at the local fishing hole... Any city or town will do. Memphis is a city worthy of two days, and any of the towns near the Mississippi River have good local fishing holes...
Fantastic video.
You’re my favorite travel vlogger❤
Thank you!
Happy New Year Paul❤️! Your travel vlogs are always so interesting and enjoyable especially the train travelling ones because I'm a huge lover of train travelling! Those sunrise pictures were Amazing!!! Be always good and safe! Greetings from Athens, Greece!
Happy new year! Thank you so much!
@@Paul_Lucas Love your videos from Canada
Another great train video Paul thank you, I still enjoy Sheffield to St Pancras International now and again with the Chilli in first class...maybe Amtrak could emulate EMR ?
Thank you for this excellent review of a train trip I would love to take. I've visited Memphis twice and highly recommend you spend several days there. I also highly recommend you travel someday on the classic "The Canadian" trip between Vancouver and Toronto...chef prepared meals and restored 1955 restored streamlined cars...I made friends with several American travellers who advised me the trip was memorable over 4 nights and 5 days, the VIA rail staff all loved their jobs and their service showed in its excellence...cheers
Loved this video Paul! I hope you do travel to Memphis! You learn all about Elvis Presley there!
I used Metra heavily when I was in Chicago Paul and rode Amtrak a couple times as the trips were short
An Amtrak long distance train that was early to its destination wow.
Thank you so much for this video! I’m researching a trip to Chicago and will definitely use this route. Here’s a tip from a Nashville girl: when you do visit Memphis, there is only one place to stay…the Peabody Hotel. ❤
I'm from Canada and I have been to Memphis.
I did New Orleans to Palm Springs once, awesome trip. Scenery wasn't the greatest but loved the ride and the awesome service and food. Pre-pandemic.
I find the southwest desert has its own charm and beauty... While there may not be forests on the mountains, the rock and sand formations with sage brush isn't ugly...
Memphis, Tennessee is my hometown also I’m Amtrak expert, Memphis Tennessee is great town for Blues, BBQ, and rock and roll.
I love Amtrak and I live just outside of New Orleans. Wishing I could have met up with you for a coffee and beignets! I loved the old dining car and the waiters. A fantastic experience! Have a trip in August to Washington DC and I might go for a sleeper room now I see 👀 this video! Cheers!
You should definitely go for it, the sleeper rooms are pretty good!
@@Paul_Lucas I'm going to do it!
Thanks for video Paul! You are totally right about Amtrak won't leave you hungry, too bad you kinda missed out on the Famous Amtrak Beef Stew (people that ride Amtrak (esp the California Zephyr) will know what I am talking about)
8:26, always better to look a prospective cheesburger over before having a bite vs after. ;-) Great video Paul!