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An ultra luxurious, exclusive Journey traveling through an intriguing diverse countryside featuring Cajun, space age, Hispanic, cowboy, vibrant cultural and musical, paddlewheel riverboats, and metropolitan America characteristics and ambience at different layover locations where passengers live on board rail cars; there is no moving in and out of hotels. A unique, one of a kind vacation; an outstanding value. |
| Groups | Private Cars | Reservations | Payment | Specials | Details | Other Routes |
| New Orleans to Chicago – 11 Days* and 10 Nights Live on board your luxurious rail Car while visiting New Orleans – Houston – San Antonio – Fort Worth – St Louis – Chicago *Or, 9 or 10 days by disembarking 1 or 2 days early, eliminating 1 or 2 days visit to Chicago, with a fare reduction. See Itinerary below. |
| Departure Dates | Fares | Fare Comparisons | Itinerary |
Departure Dates |
| 2025 – Early 2025 |
| Fares Per person, double occupancy per bedroom: Early confirmed booking/reservation discounts:* Payments, cancellations and refunds Special Offers Comparable Train Vacation Fares |
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Experience America’s history and cultural diversity, from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes.
| vv New Orleans is located where the Mississippi River flows into the Gulf of Mexico. It has a personality unlike any other and is world-renowned for French Quarter architectural treasures, jazz, blues, zydeco and funk music, unique dialect, Cajun and creole cuisine and vibrant night life along Bourbon Street. The city has been described as the most unique in the United States. Founded in 1718 by French colonists, New Orleans was once the territorial capital of French Louisiana before being traded to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Houston, the Bayou City, is a vibrant, diverse city and the home of NASA, and Mission Control. It is a culinary and cultural capital of the south and one of the USA’s most exciting cities with world-class museums, attractions and an unparalleled music scene. A special tour of NASA’s space center is a must do. An optional 51 mile road trip tour visits Galveston on the Gulf of Mexico. Galveston was established in 1825 by the Congress of Mexico following its independence from Spain and was the main port for the fledgling Texas Navy during the Texas Revolution of 1836. It later served temporarily as the new national capital of the Republic of Texas. San Antonio has a 300-year history that stretches back to Spanish Texas with the establishment of a presidio, town, and five Franciscan missions along the San Antonio River. The Alamo, an 18th-century Spanish mission preserved as a museum, marks the famous 1836 battle for Texan independence from Mexico. Following the San Antonio River, the miles-long River Walk is a landmark pedestrian promenade lined with cafes and shops. There are a wonderful mix of local historical, cultural, destination, shopping, dining and other attractions. Fort Worth, Cowtown, has grown from a cattle drive stop to a vibrant city but still retains its old west culture including the original stock yards, cattle drives, the world’s largest honky-tonk (Billy Bobs) which is a must play venue for famous country western entertainers, rodeos, the best selection of western wear shopping, and a wide variety of optional activities that let you experience where the west begins and cowboys are remembered. St Louis, founded in the 1700s by fur traders on the Mississippi River, is a vibrant cultural destination boasting a wide array of museums, music and theatre venues where paddle wheelers ply the river. Its famous for its barbecue restaurants and blues music; historians write that the blues moved up river from the Mississippi Delta and grew in St. Louis. Chicago on Lake Michigan, is famed for its bold architecture, including skyscrapers like the 1,451-ft. Willis Tower and the neo-Gothic Tribune Tower. The city is renowned for its museums, including the Art Institute of Chicago with its Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works, and is known for its vibrant arts scene, numerous cultural attractions, excellent shopping, interesting architecture, Navy Pier and beautiful beaches that stretch along the waterfront. The downtown Millennium Park features a centerpiece 110-ton Cloud Gate sculpture, fascinating Crown Fountain, an outdoor concert venue and Lurie Garden, a ‘secret garden’ and naturalistic place of rest and renewal for humans and wildlife alike. |
Journey by Rail Timetable |
| Day 1 – Sunday – New Orleans |
| Board after 9:00 am Enjoy all-inclusive comforts living on your luxurious rail Car while you Visit New Orleans Click on Activities, New Orleans for optional things to do Evening welcome reception, on board, Cajun dining options Overnight in New Orleans, on board |
| Day 2 – Monday – New Orleans, Houston |
| Depart New Orleans early morning, arrive Houston early evening Enjoy all-inclusive comforts on your luxurious rail Car while you Visit Houston Click on Activities, Houston for optional things to do Overnight in Houston, on board |
| Day 3 – Tuesday – Houston |
| Enjoy all-inclusive comforts living on your luxurious rail Car while you Visit Houston Hosted tour of Nasa Space Center; of alternative tour if desired Overnight in Houston, on board |
| Day 4 – Wednesday – Houston, San Antonio |
| Enjoy all-inclusive comforts living on your luxurious rail Car while you Visit Houston Optional road trip to Galveston (45 minute drive) Depart Houston early evening White glove evening dinner, en-route on board Overnight en-route, on board |
| Day 5 – Thursday – San Antonio |
| Arrive San Antonio very early morning Enjoy all-inclusive comforts living on your luxurious rail Car while you Visit San Antonio Click on Activities, San Antonio for optional things to do Hosted tour of attractions and off-car restaurant dinner, USA’s authentic Mexican cuisine; or alternative dining if desired Overnight in San Antonio, on board |
| Day 6 – Friday – San Antonio, Fort Worth |
| Depart San Antonio early morning, arrive Fort Worth early afternoon Enjoy all-inclusive comforts living on your luxurious rail Car while you Visit Fort Worth Click on Activities, Fort Worth for optional things to do Hosted evening at Billy Bob’s Texas, ‘The World’s Largest Honky Tonk’; or alternative tour if desired Overnight in Fort Worth, on board |
| Day 7 – Saturday – Fort Worth |
| Depart Fort Worth early afternoon White glove evening dinner, en-route on board Overnight en route, on Board |
| Day 8 – Sunday – St Louis |
| Arrive St Louis early morning Enjoy all-inclusive comforts living on your luxurious rail Car while you Visit St Louis Click on Activities, St Louis for optional things to do Hosted off-car St Louis style barbeque dinner and St Louis style blues musical experience; or alternative dining and tour if desired Overnight in St Louis, on board |
| Day 9 – Monday – St Louis, Chicago |
| Depart St Louis early morning Arrive Chicago early afternoon Enjoy all-inclusive comforts living on your luxurious rail Car while you Visit Chicago Click on Activities, Chicago for optional things to do Overnight in Chicago, on board Optional – Disembark after arrival in Chicago on Monday instead of Tuesday or Wednesday with an appropriate fare reduction. |
| Day 10 – Tuesday – Chicago |
| Optional – Disembark on Monday instead of Tuesday or Wednesday with an appropriate fare reduction. Enjoy all-inclusive comforts living on your luxurious rail Car while you Visit Chicago Hosted tour of Chicago attractions; or alternative tour if desired Overnight in Chicago, on board Optional – Disembark on Tuesday instead of Wednesday with an appropriate fare reduction. |
| Day 11 – Wednesday – Chicago |
| Optional – Disembark on Tuesday instead of Wednesday with an appropriate fare reduction. Disembark by 11:00 am |