You're at Union Station in LA. The air is slightly cool under the soaring mission-style ceilings. You've got a ticket in your hand that says New York Penn Station. It sounds romantic. It sounds like something out of a black-and-white movie where people wore hats and carried leather trunks. But then you look at the itinerary. It’s 67 hours. Minimum. Usually more.
Honestly, taking a train from Los Angeles to NYC isn't a "commute." It’s a lifestyle choice, a test of patience, and a weirdly beautiful way to see the country that 99% of people only ever see from 35,000 feet. Most people think it’s just one long, continuous chug across the plains. It’s not. There is no direct train. You can't just hop on in California and wake up in Manhattan. You have to navigate the Chicago hub, deal with freight train delays, and figure out if a $1,000 roomette is actually worth the price of a used car.
The Reality of the Cross-Country Route
Amtrak doesn't run a "Transcontinental Express." Instead, you’re basically stitching together two legendary routes: the Southwest Chief (LA to Chicago) and either the Lake Shore Limited or the Cardinal (Chicago to NYC).
The Southwest Chief is the heavy hitter here. It follows the old Santa Fe Railway trail. You’re looking at the Mojave Desert, the red cliffs of New Mexico, and the literal Raton Pass. It’s spectacular. You’ll see parts of the American West that aren't even accessible by car. I’m talking about canyons where the tracks are the only human imprint for miles.
Then comes Chicago.
Chicago’s Union Station is the "Great Filter" of American rail travel. You’ll likely have a four-to-six-hour layover here. It’s just enough time to grab a deep-dish pizza at Lou Malnati’s and realize that the humidity in the Midwest is a very different beast than the dry heat of Southern California. If your train from LA is late—and let’s be real, freight interference often makes it late—you might be sprinting through the terminal. Amtrak generally tries to hold connecting trains, but they won't wait forever.
The Cost of Comfort: Coach vs. Sleeper
Let’s talk money. You can do this trip for $250 in coach. Don't do that. Just don't.
Sitting in a coach seat for three days is a form of endurance art. Yes, Amtrak coach seats are huge—they’re basically La-Z-Boy recliners compared to airline seats—but after 48 hours, even the plushest foam feels like concrete. Plus, you’re sharing a bathroom with 60 other people who haven’t showered since Albuquerque.
If you’re serious about the train from Los Angeles to NYC, you look at the sleepers.
- The Roomette: Two chairs that face each other and turn into bunks. It’s tight. If you’re traveling with a partner, you better really like them.
- The Bedroom: You get a private sink and a tiny (very tiny) shower/toilet combo. It costs a fortune, often over $2,000 for the full trip, but it changes the experience from "surviving" to "vacationing."
One major perk of the sleeper car that people forget: meals are included. Real meals. We’re talking steak, salmon, and omelets. On the Southwest Chief, you still get "Traditional Dining," which means a chef is actually cooking on the train. On the routes East of Chicago, you usually get "Flexible Dining," which is basically high-end microwave meals. It’s a weird discrepancy in the Amtrak system that rail fans complain about constantly on forums like Flyertalk or Reddit’s r/Amtrak.
Why the Freight Trains are Your Boss
Here is a fact that surprises everyone: Amtrak doesn't own most of the tracks it uses. Outside of the Northeast Corridor, the tracks belong to freight companies like BNSF or Union Pacific.
Federal law says Amtrak is supposed to get preference. In reality? If a mile-long coal train is coming the other way, you’re pulling onto a side track to wait. This is why "on-time performance" is a suggestion rather than a rule. You have to go into this trip with the mindset that time doesn't exist. If you have a wedding to get to in NYC on Friday, don't leave LA on Tuesday. Leave on Sunday. Give yourself a "buffer day" in Chicago or Manhattan.
The Sightseer Lounge: The Heart of the Train
The best part of the train from Los Angeles to NYC isn't your seat or your bed. It’s the Sightseer Lounge. This is a car with floor-to-ceiling windows and chairs that face outward.
You’ll meet people here. It’s inevitable. You’ll meet a grandmother visiting her grandkids in Ohio, a college kid who’s afraid of flying, and maybe a professional "rail fan" who can tell you exactly what year the bridge you’re crossing was built. There is a communal vibe on long-distance trains that died out in every other form of transport decades ago.
What to Pack (The Non-Obvious List)
Forget the standard travel lists. If you’re on the rails for three days, you need specific gear:
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- A Multi-plug Extension Cord: Older Amtrak cars might have exactly one outlet. In a roomette, it’s usually near the floor or behind your head.
- Wet Wipes: Even if you have a shower, sometimes the water pressure is... suggestive at best.
- Real Coffee: Amtrak coffee is fine for a caffeine hit, but it won’t win any awards. Bring a thermos.
- Download Everything: You will lose cell service in the mountains and the desert. Your 5G is useless in the middle of a Kansas wheat field. Download those podcasts and movies before you leave Union Station.
The Route Transition: Changing Gears in the Midwest
Once you leave Chicago for the second leg of your journey to NYC, the scenery shifts. If you take the Lake Shore Limited, you’re hugging the Great Lakes and then cutting through the Hudson River Valley. This last stretch into New York is actually one of the most beautiful sights in the Eastern US. You’re literally feet away from the water as you glide south toward Manhattan.
The Cardinal route is different. It’s slower. It only runs three times a week. But it takes you through the New River Gorge in West Virginia. If you’re not in a rush, this is the "insider" choice for scenery. It’s rugged, green, and feels incredibly isolated.
Is it Worth the Price?
Let's be blunt: a flight from LAX to JFK takes six hours and costs $300. The train takes 70 hours and costs $1,000+.
You do this because you want to see the "flyover states." You do this because you want to watch the transition from the Mojave Desert to the Colorado Rockies to the Missouri River to the industrial heartland of Indiana. You do it because you want to read a whole book without being interrupted by a flight attendant asking you to put your tray table up.
The train from Los Angeles to NYC is an exercise in "slow travel." It’s for the person who values the story more than the destination.
Actionable Steps for Your Journey
If you're ready to pull the trigger on this bucket-list trip, don't just go to Amtrak.com and click the first thing you see. Follow this sequence:
- Book 11 months out: Amtrak uses "buckets" for pricing. The first few sleeper rooms sold are significantly cheaper than the last ones.
- Check the "BidUp" program: If you can only afford coach, book it, then use Amtrak’s BidUp feature to bid on an unsold roomette a few days before departure. You can sometimes snag a sleeper for 40% off.
- Plan the Chicago Pivot: Don't book a tight connection. If the website offers you a 90-minute layover in Chicago, ignore it. Select the option that gives you 5+ hours. You'll thank yourself when the Southwest Chief gets stuck behind a freight train in Iowa.
- Pack a small "transit bag": Your big suitcase will be hard to access. Keep a small bag with your toiletries, a change of clothes, and your electronics right at your feet.
- Join Amtrak Guest Rewards: This trip alone will earn you enough points for a free regional trip somewhere else. Don't leave those points on the table.
Traveling across the continent by rail is a fading American tradition, but it’s still very much alive for those willing to look out the window. It isn't always glamorous, and it certainly isn't fast, but it is the only way to truly understand the scale of the country.