This Wildly Scenic US Train Ride Is A Coast-To-Coast Journey From Skyscrapers To Bayous

Embarking on a cross-country train journey provides visitors with the opportunity to experience the scenic surroundings from inside window-lined cars. In the U.S., Amtrak offers more than 21,000 miles across 46 states to more than 500 destinations for travelers to explore. This includes its longest route, the Texas Eagle, boasting diverse, breathtaking scenery of big cities, mountains, and rivers, and the California Zephyr, known as "America's greatest train journey," a cross-country marvel traversing seven scenic states. There's another wildly scenic train ride offering a coast-to-coast journey, and featuring diverse sights ranging from the skyscrapers of the Big Apple to the bayous of Louisiana.

Amtrak's Crescent route is a 30-hour, 1,370-mile adventure with a daily departure both southbound and northbound between New York City and New Orleans. Along its route, the Crescent passes through 12 states and Washington, D.C., while wandering from the Northeast through the core of America's South. This route has long served passenger train travel between the two cities, dating back to the 1920s when it was known as the Crescent Limited and operated by Southern Railway. The name came from one of New Orleans' nicknames as "the Crescent City," because the Mississippi River, which surrounds the city, forms the shape of a half moon. 

Given its long journey, riding on the Crescent offers coach class service or sleeper cars, both roomette sleeper and bedroom sleeper (including meals). Train amenities include complimentary Wi-Fi, a cafe car, and a lounge car for all passengers, and tickets start at $100 for coach seats, $400 for two people in a roomette sleeper, and $900 for two in the bedroom sleeper cabin.

Whether you're planning to enjoy the ride from beginning to end or planning an excursion along the 33-stop route, there's plenty to see and do. You can experience big-city action, college towns, iconic historical sights, and Southern charm. For history, Philadelphia offers sights such as the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, with its train station adjacent to the Schuylkill River, while Baltimore's Inner Harbor is where Francis Scott Key was inspired to write the Star Spangled Banner. Washington, D.C., boasts the Lincoln Memorial and a collection of Smithsonian museums, putting it at the top of many travelers' bucket lists. Just outside the nation's capital, you can visit Alexandria, with its Old Town district, a historic waterfront Virginia neighborhood full of shops, food, and Scottish charm, with scenic views of the Potomac River. 

Atlanta, Georgia, boasts an abundance of green spaces, along with crowd-pleasers like the extensive marine-life exhibits at the Georgia Aquarium and the deliciously fascinating World of Coca-Cola. While the Crescent passes through several college towns, stand-out destinations include Charlottesville, Virginia, home to the University of Virginia and near Shenandoah National Park, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama, featuring the University of Alabama, with a charming downtown and a riverfront setting. For a taste of small-town Southern charm, you can hop off the train in Laurel, Mississippi, made famous as the filming location for the HGTV home renovation show "Home Town," which sought to breathe new life into the town and its historic buildings. You can stroll downtown streets for antiques and other goods and enjoy some Southern comfort foods, and even tour past homes highlighted on the show.

As you plan your train trip, you'll need to determine your itinerary, the best season, and the direction of travel. Spring and fall bring ideal weather along the route, avoiding the summer heat and humidity or the threat of winter storms delaying travel, plus autumn is particularly scenic as the leaves change color. If you're starting your journey in the Big Apple, skyscrapers and the elegant steel trusses of Moynihan Train Hall will be your inaugural sights prior to your afternoon departure. In the other direction, an early evening arrival will leave time to head to a Broadway show or have dinner in Manhattan. While each train spends its overnight hours among the Carolinas, if you're on the southbound train and up at sunrise, you can catch a glimpse of the suspension bridge and Reedy River Falls in Greenville, South Carolina. Conversely, on the northbound route, Southern charm awaits in Charlotte and Greensboro, North Carolina, with early morning arrivals into the stunning landscape.

One of the most scenic not-to-be-missed sites on the Crescent route is outside of New Orleans, as the train crosses the nearly 6-mile-long Norfolk Southern bridge over Lake Pontchartrain. To best experience this, you'll want to depart from NOLA as the train's current arrival time into the Mardi Gras city is after 9 p.m. While in New Orleans, you'll have beignets, the French Quarter, and jazz music waiting with streetcar transit available. Plan extra time to explore the bayou while in Louisiana, with tour companies available to guide you, or make the trek about an hour from New Orleans to Houma, a laidback city in the heart of Louisiana's scenic bayou country.