Planning out my first sleeper trip

[Orie]

Hi everybody,

I'm planning out my first ever LD sleeper trip for either this January or February. The route will be NYP -> New Orleans and back. One way will be the Crescent, the other way will be the CONO up to Chicago and then a train to NYP. I'm going to use AGR for one way and pay for the other. I had a few questions I was hoping some people could help me out with... I'm getting super excited for my trip!

1) Is the Crescent to New Orleans or back from the better trip? Regardless, the other journey will be through Chicago. I'm leaning towards taking the Crescent down and the CONO back because of the NYP -> CHI delays, but if the scenery/trip is better in the opposite directions I have no problem going through the delays.

2) Is the LSL or Cardinal a better choice to connect through Chicago? I understand the Cardinal is an extra ten hours, I don't really mind as I'm just looking for the best journey. Note: I have already taken the LSL from Cleveland to NYP (in coach), last October, but I've never been on the route between Cleveland and Chicago. Which is the best route out of these 4, Eastbound Cardinal, Eastbound LSL, Westbound Cardinal, Westbound LSL?

3) If I take the CONO route down to NOL on either the LSL or Cardinal, will they hold the CONO for transferring passengers? They are both scheduled to get in ten hours before the CONO departs, but who knows how long the delay will be with those two trains.

4) If I wanted to spend a night in Chicago (mostly to be safe in case of long delays), would it be possible to make a reservation where my connection would be for the following day instead of the same day? In all cases, the scheduled departure of train #2 is after the scheduled arrival of train #1.

5) I've heard the food on the LSL is a lot better then the food on the Cardinal... is it that big of a difference?

6) Do trains in the north (specifically NYP - CHI) get very cold in the Winter? I always take a sweater on the LD coach trips I've taken but they've all been in the summer/fall.

Thanks so much! I know it's kind of a lot to ask but I've never gone in a sleeper before.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I recommend that you take the Crescent #19 to NOL, spend some fun time in NOL, ride the CONO#58 to CHI and then take the Cardinal #50 back to NYP!!

The scenery on the Crescent is best where you are asleep (/through the Carolinas) ,same thing for the CONO but you'll enjoy the swamps and scenery leaving NOL!

The Cardinal #50 is only 3 days a week but the Scenery Eastbound in WV ( New River Gorge) and Virgina is in Daylight and the Cardinal has been doing better on time than the Lake Shore or the Cap!!

The Crescent and Cardinal have Viewliner Sleepers and AmCans, the CONO has Superliner Equipment! Basically the food is the same in w that standard Menus are in place! As for the Climate, be prepared by layering your clothing, you'll have what you need in the Sleepers! If in Coach you'll want a Travel Pillow and Light Blanket!

Read some of the old trip reports on these routes and decide, well be glad to answer questions and make suggestions!

 

[the_traveler]

The ride north/west on the LSL is along the shores of the Hudson River. The better of the Cardinal trips IMO is eastbound from CHI-NYP. The LSL has a real Dining Car, while the Cardinal has a combined lounge car/dining car. Since it has no grill, there are no cooked to order items like steaks or omelettes.

If you chose NOL-CHI-NYP as your AGR award, stopovers are not allowed. So your award will either end or begin in CHI.

The cars can either be too warm, too cold or just right. Sometimes, depending on the weather, the vestibule between cars may get iced up. I've been on trips when it snowed overnight and with the fresh snow blowing off the tracks, there was a snow & ice buildup between cars. But this is rare.

 

[Orie]

Thanks for the info guys! I'm reading a bunch of the travelogues now... they sound really great. I forgot to mention, if I go in January it's for a wedding, and if I go in February it's for mardi gras/reunion with friends (I lived a few years in New Orleans). I wonder if my possible tired factor would make a non-stop return trip more appealing lol! But aside from that, I think I'm learning towards NYP -> NOL on the Crescent and NOL->CHI->NYP on the CONO/Cardinal right now.

From a little research I've been doing, it also seems like if there are ever any more cuts, the Cardinal may the one to get chopped, so I might as well take it while I can!

 

[andersone]

I concur with Mr. Hudson,, make one of the legs the Cardinal,,,,

The scenery is well worth it, and to me that is one of the core values of LD

Not to be the heretic, but there is also a lot of good info to be gleaned from Trip Advisor for your stopover points

enjoy the journey, life is way too short

 

[Notelvis]

You're getting encouragement to include the Cardinal in your itinerary and I would agree with that encouragement.

If you do include the Cardinal, I prefer to ride this train eastbound because if the train is on-time, daylight will come with the train running mostly along the Ohio River in Northern Kentucky and then the scenery is phenomenal all the way to Charlottesville and DC.

If you ride the Cardinal westbound in the winter, much of the great West Virginia scenery will be after dark even if the train is on-time.

 

[Rail Freak]

I would pay cash for the NYP-NOL use Pts. for NOL-CHI-NYP!

Have Fun

 

[mcott]

Doing something like this in reverse next week. CHI NOL WAS. Will post trip report when done.

 

[Orie]

Just hashing out the details... looks like the Cardinal it is! Also settled on the January trip option. I understand that the right side of the train (odd roomettes?) are best on the East bound Cardinal. Does the Northbound CONO or Southbound Crescent have one side that's better than the other or is it pretty equal? Thanks in advance

I would pay cash for the NYP-NOL use Pts. for NOL-CHI-NYP!

Have Fun

I'm actually travelling down on a Tuesday, and I found roomette fares that are a lot cheaper then I was expecting to find. I guess because it's off peak and only one train, but there are Crescent fares for roomettes that are cheaper than a plane ticket!

Doing something like this in reverse next week. CHI NOL WAS. Will post trip report when done.

Looking forward to it!

 

[neroden]

Currently the LSL and CL are suffering painful delays. If you can reasonably take the Cardinal, I would. :-( Take the LSL some other year when there aren't so many problems.