Flying in to Chicago and Amtrak to New Orleans

[focus]

Hi Everybody,

 

Have just booked a cruise from New Orleans. Will be flying out of Manchester UK to Chicago, one night in Crowne Plaza, Magnificent Mile then Amtrak down to New Orleans and one night in Ritz Carlton.

 

Would love to hear about anyone's experiences of this pre-cruise route

If anyone has any advise/tips re any of the hotels or train journey would also love to read them.

 

Cheers

[Tapi]

Amtrak is NOTHING like trains in Europe. Outdated, many stops, shady people, and a journey that's FAR from scenic. From experience, I would find a different way of getting from Chicago to New Orleans.

[golfer1966]

I bet that gonna be a long train ride. I would think that airfare would almost the same price no..??

[Cigar King]

How long is that train ride? FWIW, I have looked into this on and off, and the train is always a lot more than flying and the travel time is crazy long. One more thing to keep in mind is that trains here in the States are not as comfortable for travel with a lot baggage, when you compare them to the trains in the UK.

[Eng23]

Hi Everybody,

 

Have just booked a cruise from New Orleans. Will be flying out of Manchester UK to Chicago, one night in Crowne Plaza, Magnificent Mile then Amtrak down to New Orleans and one night in Ritz Carlton.

 

Would love to hear about anyone's experiences of this pre-cruise route

If anyone has any advise/tips re any of the hotels or train journey would also love to read them.

 

Cheers

Hi. I use Amtrak often and yes there is a big difference between rail travel in the U.S. vs Europe. The trains are slower with more stops between destinations. Although I feel safe on the trains you do need to keep an eye on your surroundings and personal items. I'm gonna guess and say that the journey from Chicago to New Orleans is going to take about 2-3 days so I hope you have figured that into your travel plans.

[job09]

Interesting way to get to New Orleans. I live in Chicago and I love it, but I wouldn't recommend a train to New Orleans. I would change planes and fly to New Orleans. As another post pointed out, the trains in Europe are a much better product than here in the US. Chicago welcomes you and there is a lot to see but you might be too tired and eager to get on to your cruise. If you can I would rebook. Also staying downtown is great but it can be a challenge to get there from the airport (traffic). Good Luck.

[spookwife]

Amtrak is RARELY on time.. and quite frankly.. sucks. we are talking NOTHING like the excellent system in say Japan and Europe.

 

it will be a helluva lot faster ( and probably no more expensive) to just fly directly to N'awlins even if you don't enter in Chicago.

 

In the US, CARGO trains have precedence. not passenger trains.

[Carolin]

I love Chicago. There's so much to see. Unfortunately, you are only there one night and will be jet laged. I hope you get to see a bit.

 

Amtrak. My experience is taking Amtrak from Detroit to Chicago and back several times. I have never arrived "on time". The most delay I've had is 3 hours on a side track waiting for another engine. So my 5 hour trip turned into a 8 hour one way.

 

The Amtrak schedule said your trip will take almost 20 hours. I hope your planning on getting to New Orleans at least two days before your cruise leaves. Please do yourself a favor and get a sleeper car if you can. This is not express so you will be stopping at 18 stations. The 18 station is new orleans.

 

If you are determined and have the time, go for it. It's going to be an adventure.

[ollienbertsmum]

How long is that train ride? FWIW, I have looked into this on and off, and the train is always a lot more than flying and the travel time is crazy long. One more thing to keep in mind is that trains here in the States are not as comfortable for travel with a lot baggage, when you compare them to the trains in the UK.

 

I travelled Amtrak up the East coast with luggage and it was a darn site more comfortable than travelling on English trains with luggage. English trains are not good - unless you travel first class, then you might find somewhere to put your suitcase.

 

JMHO

 

However given the comments from other posters, I would love to go to Chicago and New Orleans then a cruise - but I too would fly.

[PhoenixDawgCruising]

Last year we took Amtrak from Los Angeles to NOLA (48 hr. trip), we had 2 sleeping cars for the 5 of us, the best accommodations Amtrak has to offer, each with a sofa and chair that convert to 2 beds, along with private toilet/shower.

 

Well, it was a fun experience, but the beds were awful, there were some issues with the dining car (their fridge system went out on day 2 so most of the food options were not available), and the ride was slow, bumpy, and it was really hard to sleep. And it isn't cheap, flying is WAY cheaper and takes a fraction of the time.

 

I really love trains, but Amtrak is kinda scummy, even when you are paying thousands for the sleeping cars that they have. While I'm glad I did it once, I probably wouldn't do it again on Amtrak. I think I'll stick with day trips, no sleeping.

[emelvee]

It's a shame Amtrak isn't better...the only recent trip we've taken was from NC to Washington DC. It was ok, but the train was filthy, and not as scenic a ride as I had hoped.

 

I looked into giving it another shop for our upcoming cruise out of Baltimore, but it is SCHEDULED to take 9 hours to get from NC to Baltimore - who knows how long it would actually take. We can drive in about 5 hours.

[nutiket]

I rode Amtrak years ago from Chicago to New Mexico and it was a 24+ hour ride. It wasn't comfortable and ran late as always. The rails in the US are owned by the freight companies and rented out to Amtrak, so the freight trains get the right of way. I think my train was 4 hours late getting into New Mexico. You will save money and time by just flying down and seeing more of New Orleans. Skip the train.

[strummer]

I flew into Chicago from the UK and stayed for three nights before travelling to Orlando via Amtrak.

I wasn't travelling to meet a cruise ship but luckily there were no delays and we loved the experience.

We had a roomette from Chicago to Washington and then had a 8 hour layover in Washington where we used the HOHO bus for a quick tour. We then had a roomette from Washington to Kissimmee.

I would recommend it as an experience and we did not meet any scummy people :)

FYI it was myself (37yr female) and my DS 13 and I look back on it with good memories and would def do it again.

By the way I did not sleep much as I was laying in my bed watching the world go by - loved it!!!!

[Langoustine]

I'm gonna guess and say that the journey from Chicago to New Orleans is going to take about 2-3 days

 

No, 19 1/2 hours, though it will possibly/probably run late. Amtrak only has complete control over the tracks from Boston to Washington, D.C. Elsewhere, they sometimes get jammed up behind freight trains even though they are supposed to have precedence over them.

 

I think you'll find the trip interesting, and you should do it. It's a little like a cruise in that you will meet new people in the dining car and lounge and see the countryside. It's overnight, of course, so a sleeping car compartment will make it more expensive (but more comfortable).

[ChicagoBound]

Don't listen to the haters! Take the train. It will be fun. I took the train back in October. It was easy and enjoyable. The train is called the City of New Orleans--made famous by a song of the same name.

 

The train from Chicago to New Orleans takes about 18 hours (not the 2-3 days someone suggested). It leaves in the evening. You can get dinner right after you get on the train. You can then head to the sightseer car, grab a beer and enjoy the scenery. I would highly recommend getting a sleeper car. It's a lot more expensive but you can get a good night's sleep. I'm six feet tall and the beds are fine for me. They're also fairly comfortable. And the motion of the train gently rocks you to sleep. When you wake up in the morning, head to the dining car for breakfast. You can then go back to the sightseer car to relax and enjoy the scenery. A quick lunch and shortly thereafter, you arrive in New Orleans.

 

The train station is walking distance to the port.

 

Amtrak is often late, so please take that into consideration. I would allow at least 6 hours between scheduled arrival of the train and departure of the ship (and maybe more like 8, just in case).

 

Get a sleeper car (a roomette)--just enough room for two. And enjoy.

[Langoustine]

Also, if you get a roomette (or any sleeping car accomodations) all your meals in the dining car are included in the price. But even in coach, I think you'll still enjoy the experience.

[astro1861]

I have been on cruises and I have been an Amtrak, but I never combined the two, at least not yet. Based on my experiences, perhaps I can offer some helpful information.

The US does not have any private passenger rail lines, except for some local commuter lines. The ones it had long ago were merged into Amtrak, which is a government owned and run passenger rail service. While it is subsidized by the US government, it is not subsidized to the extent that European rail lines are, hence in most of its routes, Amtrak compares poorly in terms of cost, service, and facilities to its European counterparts. Also, in most cases, Amtrak does not own the tracks it operates on. The companies that do own those tracks are required by law to allow Amtrak to use them, but they are not happy with the arrangement, and tracks intended primarily for freight are generally not maintained in such a way to achieve a smooth ride (or speedy ride) for passengers. On certain routes, delays are all too common.

The City of New Orleans route leaves Chicago at around 8:00 PM and arrives in New Orleans at 3:30 PM the next day, roughly 20 hours in duration. I noticed that you plan to spend a night in New Orleans before boarding, which is always wise. Even if your train is delayed by hours, you should still be fine.

Form my experience, the people who use Amtrak in the Midwest fall into three categories: budget travelers riding in coach, people who hate flying, and people who are nuts about trains (and I am probably borderline nuts about trains). Note that the budget travelers in coach tend to look seedy, but the reality is that anyone who spends 12 or more hours in coach is going to look that way. This is also true on long plane flights.

Now for some of the advantages of going by train: I like it because most train stations are in the heart of the city, right in the downtown, while most airports are well outside the city. In Chicago, the cab ride form most downtown hotels to Union station is less than 10 minutes, and slightly longer in rush hour. The cab ride from that same hotel to O’hare Airport is 35 minutes under good conditions and 80 minutes in rush hour.

I would highly encourage you to opt for either a roomette or bedroom on the train. The roomette is small, but it provides privacy and on a 20 hour train ride, privacy is important. The bedroom has more room (as well as its own bathroom), but it tends to cost more, sometimes much more. If you have either a roomette or a bedroom, you automatically get free meals in the dining car. This is a nice perk, as it includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you are in coach, you have to buy your own meals or bring something to eat. Also, in coach, you share bathrooms with everyone else in coach. In a sleeper car, the bathrooms are better maintained (usually) and are shared by fewer people (and of course, each bedroom has its own bathroom, anyway; therefore, only the roomette passengers use the shared bathrooms in a sleeper car).

As for luggage, I don’t know the precise rules, but from experience it appears you can bring as much as you want at no additional charge. If you are staying in a sleeper car (roomettes and bedrooms), there is a place for holding any luggage that does not fit your room. In coach, you can store luggage in the overhead area or in a shared area. I have had success both ways. Between certain cities, and Chicago and New Orleans probably qualify, you can check your bags. I have never checked bags on Amtrak, but in this case, it is an option.

I like traveling by train because it is usually a low stress way to travel. Train stations are much easier to get into and out of, and they have much less security hurdles than airports. On a train, I can sit in my roomette and read, I can walk to the observation car for a beer and watch the world go by, or I can enjoy a hot meal in the dining car and chat with people. Just being able to walk around is a plus, compared to traveling by plane.

Also, traveling by train provides a different perspective. When you travel by train, you see America’s backyard, which is something you don’t see from the expressway or from 30,000 feet.

Anyway, if your only purpose is getting to New Orleans, then fly. If you want do to something fun and different (and if you have the time), then this should be enjoyable and interesting trip.

[ChicagoBound]

Astro pretty much nailed it.

[strummer]

Astro said it well!!!

As I said before if you are able to I would do it, though I would not go by coach :)

If you book direct with Amtrak make sure you book as far as you can in advance for a bedroom or roomette. Also I also got the AAA discount as I am a member of the AA in the UK.

we stayed a the four pints hotel just off the magnificent mile and loved it, easy to get around and we walked to the John Hancock tower the first evening to take in the wonderful view.

We took the train from Chicago O'Hare which was easy with just one change to the magnificent mile but it depends on how much luggage you have and what time of day you land ( I probably wouldn't do it at night).

We loved the John Hancock tower, we had our first breakfast at Yolk in streetville and absolutely loved the bean!! Would have visited the amazing museums but my DS jetlagged and a teenager so need I say more!!

The architect river tour is also a must do!!

[concour]

From the train station to the port is not within waking distance. You would need to take a taxi.

[joyride21]

Astro1861 did a great summery, but I figured I throw this out there as well since so many people have been negative on this thread. I traveled on Amtrak from Chicago to New Orleans in 2010 and it was a great experience. Had a roomette. In addition to included meals, you also get access to the priority lounge for Amtrak at Union Station where there are complementary snacks and beverages, and much more comfy accommodations while waiting to board.

 

When it was time to board, we were escorted to our room in a very organized fashion. We dropped off our stuff and were asked if we wanted the beds set up while we were at dinner. We said yes and sure enough when we returned from our meal (which was very good) the beds were ready for us. There are honestly not that many stops...as others reported it takes less than a day. It was a very relaxing journey. All in all in was a lovely experience that I would definitely repeat if I had occasion to. :)

 

Edited to add: I would also recommend prebooking a taxi to take you to the pier. Once off the train there was a mob of people looking for transport and not much organization. However, having prereserved we stepped out of the station and heard our driver calling my name. We got to bypass the very long queue for a cab and leave immediately.

[focus]

fly. If you want do to something fun and different (and if you have the time), then this should be enjoyable and interesting trip.

Thanks everybody and especially astro1861 for your brilliant post, your last paragraph is exactly what we are after. Never actually having set foot on the US mainland before (outside of transit airports) so this train journey will hopefully give us a brilliant taster. We have a roomette booked in our package so will have some privacy. We looking forward to seeing a snap shot of America.

 

@joyride21: Thanks will certainly look into pre-booking a tax in NO

 

@strummer: We have transit to our hotel included in our package so that's no problem. Not sure how jet lagged we will be in Chicago but the menu at Yolks looks great

[ChicagoBound]

Yolk is tasty. If you have time in Chicago, as someone else mentioned, the architectural boat tour (make sure to take the one through the Chicago Architectural Society) is absolutely fantastic.

 

Sorry about my mistake about the train depot being walking distance to the port.

[focus]

Thanks Chicagobound, will check out the boat tour, by the way, forgot to mention that we are travelling in November, could be a bit chilly on the water.

 

Sent from my Liquid MT using Tapatalk 2

[astro1861]

Chicago in November can be cold, but it can have nice days, as well. In the second half of the month, the Christmas lights and decorations will be up. Fortunately, there are plenty of indoor things to do in Chicago, including lots of restaurants. Between Chicago, New Orleans, and a cruise, you shall not starve.

 

I am sure you are already checking the various travel sites for recommended restaurants and things to do. Here are a few additional thoughts:

 

For classical music lovers, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra should not be missed. They play in Symphony Center on Michigan Avenue. They usually have several concerts in November.

 

Chicago does not have the theater reputation of New York or London, but it is not bad in that regard. Check out the Goodman Theater and Steppenwolf, among many others.

 

For lunch with a view, I would suggest the Signature Room, on the 95th floor of the Hancock Building. The lunch menu is less expensive than the dinner menu, and the views are better in the daytime anyway. The observation deck is only a couple of floors higher, but you have to pay a fee for the observation deck. The Signature Room provides excellent views for the price of lunch, and it is a much more relaxing environment.

 

Another good lunch view is the restaurant called Sixteen in the new Trump Tower. Again, the lunch menu is more reasonable in price than the dinner menu.

 

If you want more info and opinions on Amtrak, seek out the Amtrak discussion board at

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/

 

Enjoy your trip!