New Orleans to Chicago via Charlottesville VA

[bwaisanen1975]

When searching for trains from New Orleans to Chicago, there are 2 trips. The direct trip on the City of New Orleans, which takes 19 hours,or taking the Crescent to Charlottesville, Va and then the Cardinal to Chicago with a about a 3 hour layover, and a total time of an extra day. Is it worth the extra time? Is the scenery good? What's the station like in Charlottesville? Is the 3 hour layover enough time most of the time?

 

[tgstubbs1]

If you like riding trains you will get to ride more trains for a longer period of time going through Charlottesville. They have a good station and Charlottesville is a nice place to visit. The Amtrak web site provides a link to Google maps with the location of the station.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/C...91811!10e5!16zL20vMDdxbTg3?hl=en-US&entry=ttu
The days are getting shorter, and scenery depends on daylight. The Cardinal goes through a lot of valleys through the Appalachians which is why it takes so long to get to Chicago.

 

[moselman66]

For the past year it looks like 92% of the time the connection from the inbound Crescent (20) connecting to the outbound Cardinal (51). So your odds ar very good.

https://juckins.net/amtrak_status/a...6=1&df7=1&buffer_mins=15&sort_dir=DESC&dfon=1
The Cardinal through West Virginia is widely considered to be among the handful of especially beautiful Amtrak segements, so it may be something to experience. But it's about an extra 30 hours -- around 19 hours on the City of New Orleans and 49 hours via Charlottesville VA. Cost will also likely be well over double the fare. But if you've the curiosity, extra time and the price does not scare you it's an interesting option.

 

[Steve4031]

The Cardinal runs 3 times a week. If the New Orleans-Charlottesville-Chicago trip is booked on one reservation it should be a protected reservation. I wonder how a passenger would be accommodated if they missed the connection. I recommend spending one night in Charlottesville or Washington, DC, and then catching the Cardinal the following day.

 

[Willbridge]

I took this optional routing from Chicago to New Orleans rather than spend two more nights in Chicago when my CZ from Denver missed the Friday night CONO. The reroute was my suggestion, as the Chicago hotel stay that Amtrak had booked would have caused me to miss the majority of the reunion I had paid for. After the AGR agent checked, there was no extra charge, which made sense since I was saving Amtrak a pile of money.

The Charlottesville station and staff were good. There was a new Turkish restaurant across the street and down the hill a block with good food.

https://www.smyrnacville.com
The Crescent was pretty much what I expected.

 

[bwaisanen1975]

Thanks for all the advice especially moselman66, that chart kind of seals the deal for me. This is coming back from a long needed vacation to New Orleans on the CONO the way there, so may as well try to go back the alternate way. Pretty good chance of connection, 92%, plus even some of those 'missed' connections were only a couple of minutes, so I'm thinking if they know the itinerary, maybe they will hold it? But anyway thanks for all the help

 

[tgstubbs1]

Thanks for all the advice especially moselman66, that chart kind of seals the deal for me. This is coming back from a long needed vacation to New Orleans on the CONO the way there, so may as well try to go back the alternate way. Pretty good chance of connection, 92%, plus even some of those 'missed' connections were only a couple of minutes, so I'm thinking if they know the itinerary, maybe they will hold it? But anyway thanks for all the help

If you book the two segments as one reservation I have heard they will hold a train for a while, probably less than a hour.

Charlottesville might be a good place for a multi day stop. You could visit Monticello for example. You would probably have to rent a car.

 

[TwoBells]

If you book the two segments as one reservation I have heard they will hold a train for a while, probably less than a hour.

Charlottesville might be a good place for a multi day stop. You could visit Monticello for example. You would probably have to rent a car.

Monticello is worth the visit. It's only about 5 miles from downtown Charlottesville, so a taxi or uber would work.

 

[Rasputin]

Thanks for all the advice especially moselman66, that chart kind of seals the deal for me. This is coming back from a long needed vacation to New Orleans on the CONO the way there, so may as well try to go back the alternate way. Pretty good chance of connection, 92%, plus even some of those 'missed' connections were only a couple of minutes, so I'm thinking if they know the itinerary, maybe they will hold it? But anyway thanks for all the help

Hope you have a great trip and hope you will post a trip report. Despite its great scenery, the food and service on the Cardinal seem to get very poor reviews so I will be interested in your review. It didn't use to be that way.

 

[dwebarts]

Monticello is worth the visit. It's only about 5 miles from downtown Charlottesville, so a taxi or uber would work.

For the rest of Charlottesville, the local bus routes are decent. They don't go quite far enough out for Monticello.

https://www.charlottesville.gov/879/Transit

 

[Bob Dylan]

For the rest of Charlottesville, the local bus routes are decent. They don't go quite far enough out for Monticello.

https://www.charlottesville.gov/879/Transit

One would think that Thomas Jefferson's Town would feature Transportation to/from Monticello, but No!?????

 

[JamesWhitcombRiley]

One would think that Thomas Jefferson's Town would feature Transportation to/from Monticello, but No!?????

Normally you can take the #1 bus (except on Sunday) to the popular two mile trail up the mountain. But Covid is still affecting service. You could also book a trip on a widespread para-transit, called JAUNT. Yeah, it's obviously a taxi/etc. situation. But that trail is super popular.

Closer to the station, I would start at the Dome Room of the Rotunda. From there you can feast your senses on the World Heritage Site of UVa's quad and imagine it open to the south. An equal distance the other way from the Amtrak station (both by free pseudo-trolley or a fifteen minute walk) is the Downtown Mall, one of the few successful ones, along with Boulder CO, from the 1970s. Kids like saying "downtown mall" for some reason. It's had a slight downturn lately, its ice park replaced by a tech office building.

But where you really want to go is Mel's Diner. Just up the (many) steps from the station. They are used to train people too. And musicians. I don't know, maybe ask them about the Crescent. It didn't become Amtrak until 1979. The Cardinal was saved by some Senatorial intervention. Different world now!

CVS is the third busiest station in VA. Washington and the NEC are the draw, for VA and NC. A train to Richmond would be successful, and the state bought the track, but it's at least ten years out.

 

[niemi24s]

Monticello is, however, only a mere 11 minute, 4.6 mile drive from CVS - probably close enough for a taxi or Uber, etc.

 

[Sauve850]

I took the Cardinal last summer from Chicago to Charlottesville. Stayed at the Omni and enjoyed downtown that evening. Next day I spent the day at Monticello. Took an Uber. Yes this town should provide transportation service to Monticello. Great place immerse yourself in early American history. Nice town. Good food. Location of hotel was perfect.

This year took the Cardinal Chicago to Alexandria. Sunny blue sky weather made the scenery stand out. Room was on the right side. Had a bedroom and my SCA had her very specific rules! Things like I make beds 9-9:30pm and if you want to eat in the cafe car I will escort you down at the proper time. Hmm. I understand how people would view this negatively. We ended up with a (pleasant) compromise of making bedroom up while I was at dinner 7-7:30 and I got to walk down to breakfast and lunch next day on my own She just had her own dining plans and I understood after seeing it play out. When I got to the cafe car a paper towel had RESERVED Bedroom B for me. Only for me. The few other couples had their reservations and private booths. She brought the food and I did the cleanup and put my stuff in the trash. BTW I flunked menu reading class when she originally came to my room to take my dinner and breakfast order. I ordered the meat surprise and a Heineken for dinner. She said "you didnt read the menu right" and I said no, I was on the phone with my 5 year old granddaughter. It all was fine as time went on and I received extra dessert at dinner and lunch. Food not so good but service was fine once we got the details worked out.

Since I like New Orleans, Charlottesville and Chicago I may try that trip. Look forward to a report.