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Looking to get out of town? For a different way to see the countryside, travel by rail By Kathy Dean
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JUNE 2021 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
Most Georgians stayed close to home during 2020 because of COVID-19. But as lockouts loosen and virus vaccinations increase, some are seeking new ways to get out and about again. There are many road trips that make for fun weekend getaways from Atlanta by car. But another, often overlooked, way to travel is to ride the rails. “I love traveling by train,” said Jeff Morrison, an Atlanta resident and author of Atlanta Underground: History from Below. “It’s more relaxing than going by plane and it’s a great way to see the country.”
Amtrak from New York to New Orleans
The Crescent is the only Amtrak line that provides service to Atlanta. It travels nearly 1,400 miles from New York to New Orleans and along the way, according to Amtrak, the quasi-public corporation that operates many of the country’s passenger trains, “gives travelers a unique window to the beauty and heritage of the American South.” Kimberly Woods, public relations manager for Amtrak, said that since last October, the Crescent had been operating three days a week. “Due to COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting decrease in travel demand, most Amtrak longdistance routes began operating tri-weekly,” she said. The Crescent was to resume its daily schedule on June 7. And it’s worth remembering that Amtrak offers a 10% discount to riders 65 years old and older on most trains. Morrison has traveled on Amtrak’s Crescent and shared what he knows. “The train leaves Atlanta early in the day, and you arrive in New Orleans in the evening,” he said. “It’s the same for the ride home: you leave New Orleans in the morning and get to Atlanta in the evening.” Riders should keep in mind that they’ll be traveling for two days, he said. Morrison said riders get a good glimpse of the towns along the way as they travel through them.
The Amtrak Crescent schedule lists the stations on Atlanta-New Orleans route. They include Anniston, Birmingham and Tuscaloosa in Alabama; Meridian and Hattiesburg in Mississippi and Slidell in Louisiana, before reaching the Big Easy’s Union Passenger The Crescent
Photo courtesy of Amtrak
Terminal. “You can also go north to Washington, D.C.,” Morrison said. “In that case, the train leaves Atlanta in the evening and travels through the night to arrive in D.C. in the mid-morning.” The return trip follows the same schedule, leaving D.C. in the evening and arriving in Atlanta early in the day, he said. And again, it’s two days of travel. “You don’t get any scenery, since it’s dark,” Morrison continued. “You can ride coach or get a roomette and sleep through the journey.” He suggested that travelers consider leaving Atlanta on Friday night, spend the night sleeping in a roomette on the train and arrive Saturday morning ready to tour the sights in Washington. It may even be worthwhile to stay in a hotel Saturday night and enjoy Sunday in D.C. before heading home that night, he said. Again, there are lots of options for stopovers along the way. Amtrak stations include Gainesville and Toccoa in Georgia; Greenville and Spartanburg in South Carolina; Charlotte and Greensboro in North Carolina; and Lynchburg, Charlottesville and Alexandria in Virginia. From Washington, D.C., the Crescent runs to New York’s Penn Station. Stations on the way include Baltimore in Maryland; Wilmington in Delaware; Philadelphia in Pennsylvania; and Trenton and Newark in New Jersey.
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