Ever thought about taking an epic train journey across the United States? Our journey on the amazing Sunset Limited might just whet your appetite even further.
When I think of America, and particularly about its wide-open spaces and its historical development, few things come as readily to mind as the railroad. Although the car long ago established itself as a core requirement of suburban life and therefore as king in these parts, the extensive and historic railroad network rightfully continues to exert a strong hold on many people’s imagination.
I am certainly one of those people, and armed with an imagination fed by umpteen songs, films and books in which trains have been key supporting or even central characters, I was determined to ride the rails of America (or at least some of them).
“For those that value train travel for the ability to watch the scenery go by, then the observation cars are something truly special. With seats facing outwards and floor to roof windows, I soon found it difficult to imagine any other way to travel.”
The Options
Any self-respecting list of the world’s greatest train journeys is sure to include a couple of entrants from the USA, and yet for some Americans it would seem as if inter-city train travel is at most an afterthought. Many that we spoke to appeared only vaguely aware of its presence and few had first-hand experience of it. Online research seemed to show that for every account of epic journeys, there were an equal number of complaints regarding patchy service, quality and punctuality. Amtrak, the company that operates medium and long-distance train services in the US seems to inspire very mixed emotions.
Nevertheless, we persisted with the plan. Our first task was to consider our itinerary and work out where a train journey might be possible and then whether or not this was a promising line for scenery, adventure and enjoyment. Unfortunately, Chicago to New Orleans wasn’t on our route, so paying homage to the classic song The City of New Orleans wouldn’t be possible!
The Sunset Limited
What seemed more feasible as a potential route however was New Orleans to Houston. We were therefore exited to find out about the existence of The Sunset Limited, which runs the epic journey from New Orleans to Los Angeles. When we discovered that it was introduced in 1894 by the Southern Pacific Railroad and is the oldest continuously running named train in the country, then it was clear that this was something we had to experience. The thing that excited me more than anything was finding out about the train’s observation car, of which more later.
The journey from New Orleans as far as Houston takes around nine hours. Although this is an hour longer than the same journey by bus, anybody who has undertaken long-distance train and bus travel will likely concur that the overall experience and the ability to stretch your legs far outweighs any small sacrifices in terms of time.
Booking online was very straightforward and the combined price of $114 for two people was a pleasant surprise compared with the exorbitant price of British train tickets. For booking international train tickets, we often make use of Omio, which is a really useful and easy to use tool.
On the morning of departure, a short taxi journey from New Orleans’ French Quarter brought us to the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal, close to the city’s CBD. Built in 1954, this imposing and airy building was almost entirely empty, and certainly a far cry from the bustling and hectic train stations of Europe. Finding a seat therefore wasn’t a problem, but the lack of people perhaps contributed to the lack of food and drink options.
Given that the station boasted only a Subway, an expedition was mounted to locate a nearby café offering some more traditional breakfast fare. Fortunately, we found a great option just a few streets away and took our food back to the station where we could eat whilst anticipating the journey ahead and pondering the murals that depicted the history of Louisiana.
Setting Off
An attendant at the station allocated our seats prior to departure, and the whole process of boarding the train was straightforward and relaxed. The two-level Amtrak-branded superliner train looked every inch the sort of train well-suited to traversing large expanses of wilderness.
Having purchased coach class seats, we were very pleasantly surprised with what this meant in practice. Our seats on the upper level were huge (think somewhere between airline business class and a comfy armchair) that almost fully reclined. Even in the upright position we had enough leg room to mean that bending your knees was optional.
The Observation Carriage
Nice though this was, I didn’t intend to spend much time in these seats. My eyes were firmly set on the observation car (which opened soon after we departed the station in New Orleans) and that is where I spent the entirety of the trip. The observation car was a new concept for me, but it apparently exists on a number of Amtrak routes. For those that value train travel for the ability to watch the scenery go by, then these observation cars are something truly special. With seats facing outwards and floor to roof windows, I soon found it difficult to imagine any other way to travel. Being able to do some whilst sipping a beer or a glass of wine just feels like an eminently civilized way to travel.
The Sunset Limited is a venerable old line so whilst it goes along at a decent speed, it is by no means a high-speed rail line in the mould of the Japanese and Chinese systems or the French TGV. As a result, we were really able to take in the scenery as we passed through the swamps of Southern Louisiana’s Bayou Country and then East Texas. It also afforded us our first glimpses of rural American life and took us past the US Navy’s Reserve Fleet at Beaumont Texas. Having crossed the state border into Texas, we soon realised that East Texas with its swamps and abundant greenery was very different to the (West) Texas scenery of popular imagination. We even stopped next to an enormous colony of herons and other large wading birds.
Something else that contributed to the special journey was the people and atmosphere aboard the train. Although we appeared to be the only non-Americans onboard, it was apparent that the majority of people (at least those in the observation car) were not here simply to get from A to B. For them, like us, the journey was an essential component. Whether they were going all the to Los Angeles or just a shorter distance, they had in the words of Simon & Garfunkel “all come to look for America.” As people swapped stories about their journeys along with tips and suggestions, it felt like a diverse community of interest. As our first introduction to real social engagement with Americans from all over the country it couldn’t possibly have been any better.
Another aspect of the journey that I had been looking forward to was the dining car, which looked terrific from the online images. Unfortunately, lingering Covid protocols meant that on our journey it reserved solely for those passengers with a cabin. We therefore had to content ourselves with the onboard café, which to be fair had a more extensive range of options that you would typically find on a train.
The nine-hour journey flew by and we subsequently became quite evangelical about sharing the magic of our journey. We are now committed to making further long-distance journeys by Amtrak in the future, and would also love to get a cabin and experience The Sunset Limited in its entirety. This time, the next stop of our trip was to explore Texas.
The Considered Journey is a travel blog focused on travel reviews, travel tips and travel guides, all focused on travel inspiration with a view to helping you make the most of your trip and maximise your travel time.
Having travelled across Europe, Asia, South America, North America, and parts of Africa, we have a host of experiences to share with you. As our focus is on helping you make the most of your trip and maximise your travel time, we highlight the best things to eat, best things to drink, best places to go, and best things to do. In addition, we have written a range of airline reviews, hotel reviews, airport lounge reviews and credit card reviews, and also cover topics such as travelling as a couple, career break travel and sabbatical travel.
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