# NOL Amtrak station



## Genny049 (Oct 6, 2019)

We will be getting back from cruise at 830 in morning, our train leaves 145 can we store our luggage in new Orleans station so we can walk around and also how early can we check baggage?


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## DennisInGeorgia (Oct 6, 2019)

From our experience, you’ll be able to check luggage as soon as you can get to the counter. However, the parts of NOL you’d likely want to see are too far away for you to tour and still make it back by boarding time, which is on the order of 1:15 depending on the length of the line at the track. We learned the hard way to allow more time for “stuff”, much less time for the historic district. You don’t want to miss the CONO no matter what.


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## bratkinson (Oct 6, 2019)

I've never been on a cruise, but I'd assume that their 8:30 stated arrival time means it will be about 9:30 before you're on terra firma with all luggage in hand. Plan on 30 minutes to get a cab/Uber/Lyft and be in the NOL train station. Assume 15 minutes more before the street car outside and to to your right as you exit the station departs and 10 more minutes going down Loyola Ave to reach Canal St. So it's about 10:00 when you reach the 'thick of things' on Canal St. That leaves ABOUT 2 hours time sight seeing before you should be on the way back to the station to arrive about 12:45-1:15. Plan on getting in the 'sleeping car check in' line when announced about 20 minutes before scheduled departure.

Here's a link to Google maps of the station and near vicinity <https://www.google.com/maps/@29.9476009,-90.0767128,15.5z >


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## Qapla (Oct 6, 2019)

Keeping the app with you, active and checking your train arrival time often, will help you gauge when you need to be back at the station.


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## AmtrakBlue (Oct 6, 2019)

Qapla said:


> Keeping the app with you, active and checking your train arrival time often, will help you gauge when you need to be back at the station.



NOL is the terminus station for all 3 trains, so the trains arrived the day before.


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## bratkinson (Oct 6, 2019)

Fortunately, the CONO has about 22 hours turnaround time at NOL. The Crescent, only 11.5 hours. And the Sunset Ltd? 11 hours. 

A 6 hour late arrival of the Crescent or the Sunset WILL delay the next days' departure. However, 6 hours delay on the CONO will have little to no effect on departure time. 

From personal observation, it would appear that they have a relatively small shop and a similarly small staffing level to turn 2 or 3 trains per day. As a result, 2 quite late arrivals the same day would likely gum up the works.


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## Dakota 400 (Oct 6, 2019)

My experience at NOL Union Station: taxis are not plentiful even when a train arrives. One has to wait. And wait, if you don't get one of the few available soon after arrival. Having a phone number which you can call if whatever transportation you choose to use is not available is a good idea. The on duty Amtrak agent was of no use when I complained about the lack of transportation. I asked for him to call for a taxi. Refused to do so. More will come, he said. 

Even more confusing at NOL is where the pick-up location for guests is for such transportation.

A visit to NOL deserves much more than a short visit. One day will scratch the surface. Two or more days really are needed. It's a great city!


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## Sauve850 (Oct 6, 2019)

Call Uber or Lyft and you should have a 2-3 hrs to explore without issue depending upon arrival time at station. French Quarter is not far if that is your destination.


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## Qapla (Oct 6, 2019)

There is a Home Depot and an Office Depot within walking distance ....


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## cirdan (Oct 7, 2019)

Dakota 400 said:


> A visit to NOL deserves much more than a short visit. One day will scratch the surface. Two or more days really are needed. It's a great city!



Agreed, and a short visit will probably just leave you enough time for a quick march around seeing the main buildings from the outside, which is not really what New Orleans is about.

A lot of the great stuff, such as jazz clubs and some of the great dining doesn't really come into its own until late at night. So you need to spend at least a night there, even to just scratch the surface of what there is to see and do and listen to.


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## NapTown Jim (Oct 7, 2019)

We rode CONO round-trip from Champagne, IL for our Carnival Conquest cruise back in 2013. We had lunch at the Subway there waiting for our departure going back.

You might be better off to hire your taxi/Uber/Lyft driver for the day and have them drive you straight to the French Quarter and wait for you to take you back to Union Station. Otherwise, I'd just stay at the station.


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## drdumont (Oct 7, 2019)

Hire the Lyft driver for the day. Parking in NOLA can be a bear and time waster. You are on a pretty tight schedule to see such a rich menu of attractions. I concur that you need to spend the night. I lived in the French Quarter for a couple of years and I think I still missed a few sights.


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## Sauve850 (Oct 7, 2019)

I lived in Memphis and worked in New Orleans M-F. What a great deal that was!!


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## drdumont (Oct 7, 2019)

Sauve - I'm familiar with the concept. I commuted from Dallas to NJ for three years, and NJ to LA for two. Too bad the commuting was on American Airlines rather than Amtrak. 
Got a ton of Marriott points, though. I still hold the longevity record at the Princeton Residence Inn...


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## Rasputin (Oct 8, 2019)

Dakota 400 said:


> My experience at NOL Union Station: taxis are not plentiful even when a train arrives.



That has not been our experience in the four or five times when we have arrived at New Orleans, including in May of this year. Taxis and Uber were readily available. 

I certainly agree that New Orleans deserves a longer visit - like about 5 days.


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## me_little_me (Oct 18, 2019)

Dakota 400 said:


> My experience at NOL Union Station: taxis are not plentiful even when a train arrives. One has to wait. And wait, if you don't get one of the few available soon after arrival. Having a phone number which you can call if whatever transportation you choose to use is not available is a good idea. The on duty Amtrak agent was of no use when I complained about the lack of transportation. I asked for him to call for a taxi. Refused to do so. More will come, he said.
> 
> Even more confusing at NOL is where the pick-up location for guests is for such transportation.


On the other hand, the streetcar is just a short walk and you can't beat the price if your hotel is near a stop. (Seniors were $.70 a couple of years ago).

As to taxi/Uber pickup - it's right in front of the main entrance.


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## AmtrakBlue (Oct 18, 2019)

me_little_me said:


> On the other hand, the streetcar is just a short walk and you can't beat the price if your hotel is near a stop. (Seniors were $.70 a couple of years ago).
> 
> As to taxi/Uber pickup - it's right in front of the main entrance.



Except the streetcar is not running right now due to the building collapse.


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## Asher (Oct 19, 2019)

Since it seems as though the main transportation in town are rickshaws, horse drawn carriages and tour buses. It can be a wait for a taxi. Depending what time you are scheduled to depart the ship, you won't have much time for sightseeing. Things don't get to happening too early, there's is a reason Narleans is called the big easy, you'll just have to play it by ear.


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## Rasputin (Oct 19, 2019)

The best transportation in the French Quarter is walking.


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## Dakota 400 (Oct 19, 2019)

me_little_me said:


> On the other hand, the streetcar is just a short walk and you can't beat the price if your hotel is near a stop. (Seniors were $.70 a couple of years ago).
> 
> As to taxi/Uber pickup - it's right in front of the main entrance.



My visit was pre-Uber. I had too much luggage to try to deal with a streetcar. Many of the passengers needed taxis. Finally determining where the taxi pick-up location was, there were none. I asked someone else waiting to watch my luggage while I went back into the station to ask the Agent to call for more taxis. He thought I was nuts saying that there were no taxis. Well, there weren't! Whether he did make a call or not, I don't know, but, finally, sufficient number of taxis arrived to handle the passengers needing them.


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