City of New Orleans

[wagnew0923]

I know this is a Michigan board and this train has nothing to do with Michigan, however, as I have gotten to know you guys I have come to respect your opinion. So let me give you the back ground here because it is kind of fun. My wife almost gave me a heart attack when a few months ago, when out of the blue and in a completely unsolicited way she said she wanted to do an overnight train trip. Having been married for 11 to 13 years to a person whose idea of "roughing it" is a Holiday Inn Express because she has to serve herself breakfast I was shocked and almost called the cops to say my wife was abducted and replaced by a likable alien. Instead I decided to discuss this with her. I advised the rooms are small and are set up with bunks that it can be expensive, and it is not like a cruise where there are a lot of activities; it is mostly sitting around and enjoying the view. She was fine with that because she is small and her disability keeps her from doing too much strenuous activity.

So I started to plan our next big trip for December of 2016 and was looking at the affordability of our options. My work will give us $1000 worth of gift cards including for Carnival Cruises (stay with me here we are going to get back to trains) for exercising. So I decided the most affordable trip for us would be a cruise and the one we wanted left from New Orleans. The Cruise Port is at the convention center in New Orleans which looks to be a hop, skip, and a jump from Amtrak. So my first thought was it is only $500 to get a full bedroom on Amtrak from Detroit to New Orleans let’s do that. Then I discovered the flight back would cost $550 and the flight to New Orleans only cost $250, and a Roomette on the City of New Orleans would cost $644 but I also save $50 on cab fare to the airport. It made financial sense to take the train from New Orleans to Detroit. The best part is as opposed to the stress of dealing with the Airport and air planes ruining all the advantages of going on vacation I get to instead relax on my way home. So lesson here is if you are going on vacation considering Amtrak, even overnight as a form of transportation.

I do however have some questions for the experienced travelers out there.

1. I know that since I am on a Sleeper and will have a sleeping car room I get to go into the fancy club at New Orleans Station. However, since my train from Chicago to Detroit is a non sleeper train do I still get to sit in the Fancy Club while waiting for the Chicago to Detroit train?
2. I am 6'2" and have a railfan build how bad will a Roomette be for me? I do not move alot while sleeping and I fit the dimensions.
3. What is this train like is there anything to do on board?
4. What is the best way to get from the Convention Center in New Orleans to the train station. What is the cab fare like or can I do a trolley?
5. Why is the trip from New Orleans to Detroit so much more expensive than Detroit to New Orleans? Is there a way to get a better deal or maybe upgrade the room. Granted we would leave for New Orleans on a Friday but leave for Detroit on a Sunday.
6. Does anyone have any traveler tricks for making reservations, saving money, and making the most of the trip on Amtrak?

Thanks all for your open ear and time reading this.

[Saturnalia]

Fares are based on "buckets" like airlines. Chances are one trip is already booked on the lower fares, and has moved to the next level(s).

[Raildudes dad]

This was my daily routine on the Empire Builder. Get up about 7, take a shower, then right back to my compartment for looking out the window and a pre breakfast nap. Breakfast in the dining car. Back to my compartment for scenery, some reading and then my pre lunch nap. Lunch in the dining car, then to the Viewliner for some scenery watching. Back to the compartment for a post lunch nap. More scenery, then a pre dinner nap. Dinner, scenery until dark. reading until bedtime. Naps were looking out the window, propped up by a pillow, then resting my eyes to rest them when I felt like it LOL. Just a very relaxing day(s)

I had my scanner plugged into the wall outlet in my compartment so I could listen to the DD's and dispatcher to train conversations. "Dispatcher to AMTK XX. AMTK XX go ahead. Dispatcher: Watch for some McDonald's on the hoof in the ROW at MP XXX.X. AMTK XX Thanks, XX out"

Be aware: When you go to the dining car you will be sat at a table for 4 with 2 strangers. Some folks don't like that. My daughter took the EB by herself and eating with 3 strangers every meal was her favorite part (She tends to be a people person:) ). She still exchanges emails with some of the folks she met on the trip 3 years ago:)

[ConrailMan5]

Traveler trips on saving money, know a station agent who can find you a lower price bracket. Last time i booked a trip on the builder, I booked 2nd or 3rd price bracket a few months out. My buddy watched the prices for us and got us the first bracket when some space opened up. If you don't know an agent, just book early.

As far as accommodations. If you are in a roomette the lower berths are more spacious and comfortable than the uppers. 6-2 might be a bit tight but should be doable.

Depending on how good your crew is, spending time in the observation or diner during off time can be enjoyable. If not (as mine was on my most recent trip) I would stay in your room once it is made into daytime. Get a few good books and relax or just watch the countryside go by.
Some trains have activity director type deals in the lounge car (such as the builder.) but I don't know much about the city of New Orleans.

And lastly, if you really want an enjoyable sleeping car experience, stay away from Amtrak. Take Via's Canadian. If you take via then Amtrak back to back you'll understand what I mean.

[railohio]

You will have access to the Metropolitan Lounge in Chicago regardless of whether you are arriving or departing in a sleeping car.

The upper bunk is quite comfortable, but you need some level of flexibility to make it up and down the each night. In the daytime, the seats face each other and two tall people can find difficulty after a while finding comfortable places for their legs in the room together.

If you're keen on dining with others, you can request that the sleeping car attendant bring meals to your room. Especially handy if one has a mobility issue. And don't forget to tip the attendant for good service; $10/night is customary.

If you want something better than Amtrak, Pullman Rail Journeys is an option for New Orleans travel.

[C&O6084]

Wow, you can tell from the replies who's actually spent time on the CONO and who's shooting from the hip.

Find an old edition of the now-out-of-print "Rail Ventures." It's a train-by-train, minute-by-minute listing of what's out the window. I have multiple copies, and pring applicable pages and bring them along.

Showering in a moving train is an experience that varies wildly. ALso, bring as little "stuff" as necessary; a mesh tote will prevent re-enactment of clumsy Laurel & Hardy routines.

I wouldn't be surprised that, if you haven't booked yet, your prices have changed, or even disappeared. One little-known bit of scoop: When someone changes or cancels a reservation, the old seat doen't go on sale immediately-- they get re-listed the next time 6AM rolls around (Eastern Time). I've gotten many seats/beds on supposedly sold-out trains that way.

I always get/got a roomette as close to the middle of the car as possible. This cuts down on vibration, swaying, and vestibule noise. It's also closest to the coffeemaker.

Something I've noticed on the CONO and nowhere else-- the massive amounts of fried chicken consumed on the coach end of the train. I always pack wetnaps, but rarely used them anywhere but the CONO, and there I'd use them all, especially in ther SIghtseer (not Viewliner, RD'sD!) Lounge. I guess it's because it's a relatively short long-haul train, and it's also the South. The part that makes me the maddest isn't the greasy fingerprints, it's the fact that everyone else's chicken is a lot better than mine.

On Time-- CONO is either on time or seriously late. I've never experienced anything in between. CN (old IC line) does pretty well, isn't antagonistic to Amtrak, and scanner chatter is more interesting and less cryptic. The On Track On Line website has RR frequency info arranged by train. HEADPHONES ARE ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.

[Tall Paul]

My wife and I took this train to N.O. and back(from Chicago) for a cruise on the Norwegian Dawn last Jan.and will be doing it again next Jan. We board the train in Kzoo and return to Kzoo. The roomette upper bunk does not have much room. During the day it is nice to have your own area. There is a lounge car that has a place to read or play a game. The meals were pretty good. If you stay in the sleeper take ear plugs because the sleepers are near the engine and you hear the horn at every crossing and there are many. To save money travel on "off" days. I suggest you arrive on a Sat. and spend the night for a Sun. cruise. You can take a bus tour if you have never been to the city. The train station is straight north of the cruise ships. We walked to the hotel and to the ship and station. A cab would be about $20. It is a safe area. I was told to not book Carnival because it can be a more "active" group. Make your train res. early because they don't have that many rooms available. One way to save money is get an Amtrak credit card and get points. We travel from Kzoo and back free of charge when we start our train trips. Book Amtrak travel on the card and you get 5 times the points. The Pullman cars are much nicer and much higher in price. We have taken the City of N.O.,the Lakeshore Limited, the Calif. Zepher and the Southwest Chief in the last 2 years and the City of N.O. would be rated #3. We are taking the Empire Builder this Sept. to Glacier. The trains travelling west are much nicer. Don't forget you really need to leave tips on the train for the porter and your meals which are included in the price. Hope this helps.

[wagnew0923]

Thank you all for the information. My train for late 2016 is not available for booking yet but once it is I will get the tickets.