Crescent Amtrak trains travel between New York City and New Orleans. It’s a long-distance route that travels through college and mountain towns as well as large Northeast and Southern cities (including Atlanta). One of the notable highlights is travel over Lake Pontchartrain near New Orleans via the longest rail bridge in the United States.
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Schedule Highlights
- There is one train each day in each direction.
- Trains depart from New Orleans in the morning.
- Trains depart from New York City in the afternoon.
- Trains heading to New Orleans depart Atlanta in the morning.
- Trains heading toward D.C. and NYC depart Atlanta late at night.
- Northbound trains stop in the Carolinas in the middle of the night.
- Charlotte arrival and departure times are not ideal (middle of the night and very early in the morning).
View latest schedules and timetables on Amtrak.com.
Travel Times
- Travel time between Atlanta and New Orleans is 13 hours.
- Travel time between Atlanta and Birmingham is about 4.5 hours.
- Travel time between Washington D.C. and New Orleans is 27.5 hours.
- Travel time between Washington D.C. and Atlanta is about 14 hours.
Things to Know
- Total trip time is 30 hours without delays.
- Transfer to the Sunset Limited and City of New Orleans trains in New Orleans.
- Transfer to the Cardinal in Alexandria or Washington D.C. for travel through the New River Gorge.
- Trains have WiFi, a lounge, café car, viewliner sleeper cars and flexible dining option for passengers who book sleeping accommodations.
Cost
The cost of Amtrak tickets varies by type of ticket, distance traveled, time of year and how early you book your tickets. Coach seats are the most affordable, followed by roomettes and bedrooms. Note that if you plan to travel for Mardi Gras or the New Orleans Jazz Festival, ticket prices for roomettes and bedrooms are typically much higher than normal and you should purchase tickets far in advance to save money.
Here are estimated Crescent ticket costs if you travel the entire route (based on 2023 prices):
- $130-$200 for a coach seat
- $450-$800 for a roomette
- Over $1,000 for a bedroom
FAQ
Where does the Amtrak Crescent go?
Crescent trains essentially travel in a diagonal line between New York City and New Orleans and are in parts of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.
How many stops on the Crescent route?
There are 33 stops on Amtrak’s Crescent route (see the list of stations below).
Does the Crescent have a dining car?
The Crescent does not currently have a dining car. There is a café car, and sleeper car passengers have meals delivered to their rooms.
Popular Stops
- New York City
- Philadelphia
- Wilmington
- Baltimore
- Washington D.C.
- Alexandria
- Charlottesville
- Atlanta
- Birmingham
- Hattiesburg
- Laurel
- New Orleans
Stations
- New York, NY – Penn Station (NYP)
- Newark, NJ – Penn Station (NWK)
- Trenton, NJ (TRE)
- Philadelphia, PA – 30th Street Station (PHL)
- Wilmington, DE (WIL)
- Baltimore, MD – Penn Station (BAL)
- Washington, DC – Union Station (WAS)
- Alexandria, VA (ALX)
- Manassas, VA (MSS)
- Culpeper, VA (CLP)
- Charlottesville, VA (CVS)
- Lynchburg, VA (LYH)
- Danville, VA (DAN)
- Greensboro, NC (GRO)
- High Point, NC (HPT)
- Salisbury, NC (SAL)
- Charlotte, NC (CLT)
- Gastonia, NC (GAS)
- Spartanburg, SC (SPB)
- Greenville, SC (GRV)
- Clemson, SC (CSN)
- Toccoa, GA (TCA)
- Gainesville, GA (GNS)
- Atlanta, GA – Peachtree Station (ATL)
- Anniston, AL (ATN)
- Birmingham, AL (BHM)
- Tuscaloosa, AL (TCL)
- Meridian, MS – Union Station (MEI)
- Laurel, MS (LAU)
- Hattiesburg, MS – Amtrak Station (HBG)
- Picayune, MS (PIC)
- New Orleans, LA – Union Passenger Terminal (NOL)
Photos
Amtrak Guide 