Your journey on the City of New Orleans takes you 900 miles through the heart of our nation's musical heritage — from Chicago with its world-class Chicago Symphony Orchestra and still vibrant electric blues scene, to Beale Street in Memphis.
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Northbound trains leave New Orleans in early afternoon, arriving in Jackson in early evening, then traveling through Tennessee and southern Illinois overnight before arriving in Champaign-Urbana at breakfast time the following morning and Chicago just after rush hour.
For shorter trips, it is definitely cheaper to take Amtrak than it is to fly. There is also a much smaller chance your Amtrak trip will be negatively impacted by bad weather.
The California Zephyr® is the longest Amtrak® (3924 km) route, and one of the most beautiful railway routes in the world. During the journey you will see the Colorado River valley in the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The California Zephyr is 51 hours and 20 minutes of great adventure.
Amtrak is a little more expensive but the ride is more comfortable, safer, and the customer service on Amtrak is way better. It's worth it to spend the extra money and take Amtrak.