“It’s not the beginning or the destination that counts. It’s the ride in between…This train is alive with things that should be seen and heard. It’s a living, breathing something — you just have to want to learn its rhythm.” 

n a world built around fast flights and tight schedules, train travel across the United States offers something completely different. It slows everything down and shifts the focus from the destination to the journey itself.

Taking the Amtrak Sunset Limited across the country had been a personal goal of mine since I was younger, and finally getting the chance to do it felt like stepping into a different rhythm of voyaging.

History & Significant of American Railroads

The early 1800’s saw the birth of a new means to transfer goods and eventually, humans across long distances. The steam locomotive was the icon of travel especially into the vast unknown of the American western frontier, a time of expansion across a vast continent. Believe it or not, when I imagine these days in my head I hear old western harmonica music and think of tales of how just wild and lawless it was out there.

Train travel is that very essence of retelling history on the very tracks laid upon in a different time in America. Through out the century, with the evolution of automobiles and planes, the golden age of train travel was left in the past. However, that’s not to say that train travel doesn’t exist. The remnants of historic passenger and commercial routes still exist today via regional trains or the famous Amtrak.

The Sunset Limited Route

The Sunset Limited is the oldest train route still in operation in the United States, beginning service in 1894. The route spans roughly 1,995 miles, connecting New Orleans to Los Angeles.

At the time of my trip, the route operated three days a week, with stops ranging from short platform breaks to longer stops in cities like Houston, San Antonio, El Paso, and Tucson.

Note: The original eastern starting point heading west is in Orlando through Jacksonville, the Florida Panhandle, and both southern Alabama & Mississipi. However, sections of the track were destroyed in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina and since then, has been a political mess and debate to get this section back up and running. As of 2021, it has been reported that this section of Amtrak will be back up and in use by early 2022. How exciting!!!! 

Route Segments and Travel Time

I traveled from New Orleans to Los Angeles, with a small break in the journey where I took buses between Houston, Austin, and San Antonio to spend time with a friend and better manage the schedule.

Here’s a rough breakdown:

• New Orleans to Houston: about 9 hours
• San Antonio to Los Angeles: about 21 hours
• Full route: roughly 48 hours if done straight through

The Amtrak does make a number of stops each way for typically a duration of anywhere from a couple of minutes to 10-15 for those who wish to smoke. A handful of stops such as Houston, San Antonio, El Paso, and Tucson have longer duration stops with enough time to get off and spend some time in the city.

Cost of the Sunset Limited

Pricing varies depending on how far in advance you book and the type of seat or accommodation you choose.

• Short segment (points): around 3,000 Amtrak points
• San Antonio to Los Angeles: about $141 USD when booked a couple of days in advance
• Full route: typically starts around $140–$170 and increases closer to departure

The Experience

Traveling by train across the country was something I had always wanted to do, and it lived up to that expectation in a very specific way. There is something different about watching the landscape change gradually over time rather than jumping from one place to another.

The sightseer car was easily the highlight of the trip. With large windows that extend upward, it gives you a wide view of the surroundings while still feeling relaxed and unstructured. It became the place to sit, have a coffee, read, and just watch the country move by.

That freedom to move around the train, rather than being locked into a single seat, made the experience feel far less restrictive than other forms of travel.

Seating and Accommodation

One of my only regrets during the longest segment of the trip was booking a standard coach seat for a 21-hour ride.

Coach is budget-friendly and works if you plan to spend a lot of time in the sightseer car. But when it comes to getting proper rest, it becomes a challenge. Sleeping in a reclining seat for that long is not ideal.

If I were to do it again, I would strongly consider booking a roomette. These private spaces include seating that converts into beds, along with access to shared showers and bathrooms. They are significantly more expensive, often ranging from $500 to over $1,000 depending on distance and timing, but the added comfort can make a big difference on long segments.

Credit: amtrakguide.com

If my backpacker budget allowed for a few extra hundred to spare (or if I set aside extra funds) for a sleeper and I knew better first time around, I would have definitely booked one. ROOMETTES are private quarters with room for two. It has two seats, an upper and lower berth for night, and access to a private bath and shower in the same train car. The cost of a sleeper can range anywhere from $500 to over $1000 depending on how far out the ticket is purchased and the rate is lower for shorter travel distances.

Why Consider Train Travel Across the US

Train travel offers something that is harder to find in faster forms of transportation.

It gives you time to slow down, move at a different pace, and take in the space between destinations. It also creates opportunities to meet people, observe changing landscapes, and experience the country in a more continuous way.

It is not the fastest way to travel, but that is exactly the point.

Final Thoughts

Taking the Amtrak Sunset Limited across the country was less about getting from one place to another and more about experiencing the space in between.

It is not for everyone, especially if time is limited. But if you are willing to slow down and let the journey unfold, train travel across the United States offers something that is difficult to replicate any other way.

Love travel in the US of A, be sure to check out two of my favorite National Parks:

Grant Tetons and Yellowstone and Dry Tortugas National Park.