Crescent Train

Crescent Amtrak trains travel between New York City and New Orleans. It’s an overnight route with college and mountain towns and a stop in Atlanta. One of the notable highlights is the segment to or from New Orleans that involves travel over Lake Pontchartrain via the longest rail bridge in the United States.

Things to Know

Trains have WiFi, a lounge, cafe, Viewliner sleeper car and flexible dining option for passengers who book sleeping accommodations.
Total trip time is 30 hours without delays, with decent arrival and departure times in New York City and New Orleans.
New Orleans has connections to the Sunset Limited trains that travel to California, and to City of New Orleans trains that travel to Memphis and Chicago.
Not all stations allow you to check luggage, but you can bring it on board if not. If you plan to bring large suitcases, click on your starting station below to see if checked bags are allowed.

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

Schedule

You can view current schedules via Google Maps or when booking your tickets. If you know your start and end stations, you can also use the Amtrak website to create a custom timetable.

Schedule highlights:

Trains depart from New York City in the afternoon and from New Orleans in the morning.
Northeast-bound trains stop in South and North Carolina in the middle of the night.
Trains arrive in Atlanta late at night and early in the morning.
Travel time between Atlanta and New Orleans is 13 hours.
Travel time between Atlanta and Birmingham is about 4.5 hours.
Charlotte arrival and departure times are not ideal (middle of the night and very early in the morning).