The Sunset Limited Train Guide

The Route

The Sunset Limited is Amtrak's southernmost long-distance train route, running three times per week between New Orleans and Los Angeles and calling at 22 stations across Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. The route is roughly aligned to Interstate 10 with the train running alongside the highway for parts of the journey.

The Sunset Limited is America's oldest continuously operating named passenger train. First launched by Southern Pacific Railroad in 1894, for over 130 years the train has operated with the service numbers of 1 and 2.

Between Los Angeles and San Antonio the Texas Eagle joins onto the Sunset Limited, with both trains operating as one.

Desert Landscapes

The train passes through three distinctive desert regions, which are the highlight of the trip. Through the night in both directions there is the hot and dry Colorado Desert near Los Angeles. This merges into the Sonoran Desert Region in Arizona and New Mexico. It's here you'll see the iconic saguaro cacti. The Chihuahuan Desert Region is the third distinctive region, covering an area that takes in New Mexico and parts of Texas where grasslands, agave and yucca replace the tall cacti of the Sonoran region.

Louisiana Bayous

The train passes through southern Louisiana's swamps and wetlands, including views of the Atchafalaya Basin, the largest wetland and swamp in the United States. Compared to the earlier desert scenery, it can be hard to believe you are on the same train!

Direction Notes

Train 2 (eastbound) from Los Angeles to New Orleans is generally the best option for travelling the whole route. This direction has a Los Angeles departure late in the evening and arrives at New Orleans around 9:45 PM two days later. this direction the train has more daylight hours in the desert landscape.

The westbound service from New Orleans arrives to Los Angeles arrives at 5:35 AM which is a very early arrival.

For stopovers most stops on this route are reasonably timed in either direction. Where it's not well timed, this occurs on both the east and westbound routes. For example Palm Springs where the train stops in the middle of the night either way.

Train 1: Westbound (New Orleans to Los Angeles)

The westbound Sunset Limited pulls out of New Orleans Station at 9 AM on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

The Magnolia Room, a barebones "lounge", can be accessed by sleeper passengers at New Orleans. Consider this more of a separate sleeper waiting area than a lounge. Unlike Amtrak's staffed Metropolitan Lounges at other stations it does not offer refreshments or attendant services.

Day One: The train leaves New Orleans and almost immediately crosses the impressive Huey P. Long Bridge which spans the mighty Mississippi River. From here the train cuts through wetlands and swamps before entering Texas in the afternoon. Stops include Schriever, New Iberia, Lafayette, Lake Charles and Beaumont before arriving at Houston just after 6 PM. From Houston the train continues onto San Antonio, where it arrives just after midnight.

Day Two: Starts at Del Rio, Texas just before 6 AM. The train travels non-stop through the night to get here, with Del Rio being the first stop after San Antonio. Expect to see far less green today as the landscapes change dramatically overnight. Around 45 minutes after departing Del Rio (approx. 6:00-6:30 AM), the train crosses the Pecos River High Bridge, soaring high above the canyon floor. Later in the day the departure from El Paso is a highlight. For several miles, the train runs parallel to the Rio Grande and the border wall, offering views into the streets of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, just yards away. The train travels through desert landscapes for the rest of the day, with the last stop of the day at Maricopa (for Phoenix) around 9 PM.

Day Three: The train passes into California and in the early hours of the morning makes stops at Palm Springs, Ontario and Pomona before arriving into Los Angeles Union Station. It's an early arrival. When all goes to plan, the Sunset pulls in around 5:30 AM, just in time for sunrise.

Train 2: Eastbound (Los Angeles to New Orleans)

The eastbound Sunset Limited departs Los Angeles Union Station at 10 PM on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

The Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge at Los Angeles Union Station is accessible to sleeper passengers. Here light refreshments and snacks are available, along with more comfortable seating than is available int he general terminal. Staff call the train when its time to board and provide directions on walking or point out the red-cap buggy service that is available for the cost a tip to the driver.

Day One: Following the late night departure there isn't much to do other than settle in and get comfortable. Once underway the Sunset travels across California. Overnight there are a few stops, including at Palm Springs.

Day Two: The first stop of the day is at Maricopa, Arizona bright and early at 5:30 AM. An Amtrak bus connection is available to Phoenix and takes approximately 90 minutes. The train travels across Arizona, New Mexico and Texas for the balance of the day, taking in the desert landscapes. Key stops include Tucson, El Paso and Alpine, with the final stop of the day at Sanderson, Texas.

Day Three: Overnight the train makes a stop at Del Rio, with the first major stop of the final day at San Antonio just short of 5 AM. Out the window this morning are greener landscapes, with the desert regions left behind. Across the morning the Sunset continues across Texas and onto Houston around lunchtime. Houston is a great place for a stopover on this service. From here the train continues on, crossing into Louisiana later in the afternoon. All going to plan the Sunset arrives into New Orleans around 9:40 PM.

Sleeper Options

Sleeper tickets have the highest level of onboard service. Sleeper tickets include main meals, that is breakfast, lunch and dinner in the dining car or your room. Items from the cafe between meals are purchased separately. Access to a basic lounge before departure is at Los Angeles and Portland.

Each sleeper car has an attendant who will introduce themselves at the start of the trip. In the evening they complete a turn down service and convert the room to night mode, and the reverse in the morning.

Sleeper Roomette

The Roomette is a small entry-level sleeper configuration measuring around 3'6" by 6'6" (1.07m x 1.98m) and is available upstairs or downstairs. It functions as a private cabin with two facing seats by day, converting into upper and lower berths at night. A degree of flexibility is required to access the upper berth, and it can be a little claustrophobic if small spaces are a problem. Shared bathroom and shower facilities in the car.

Sleeper Bedroom

The Bedroom footprint is roughly double that of a Roomette, integrating a private en-suite toilet and shower module. The layout features a sofa and armchair which convert to a wider lower berth and a standard upper berth. Upper deck only.

Family / Accessible Bedroom

Largest accommodation, lower deck only. In-room toilet with shared showers. Wheelchair accessible configuration available. It provides two adult-sized berths and two shorter child-sized berths.

Coach

Amtrak coach class is known for its generous leg room and recline although beyond this, there are few additional inclusions for coach passengers. Meals can be purchased from the cafe or at stations along the way. Space permitting, an announcement will be made for coach passengers to reserve a spot in the dining car at meal time for an additional fee. Coach passengers do not have access to showers.

Dining

Dining Car

The dining car offers Amtrak’s traditional sit down dining service for breakfast, lunch and dinner. A range of dishes are available including meat, pasta, burgers etc. While not fine dining, they are reasonable for a train. A recent menu from Amtrak's Long Distance Western services is in the onboard gallery below.

When in sleeper accommodation the car attendant stops by to reserve a time for meals in the dining car. Amtrak joins groups to fill tables, particularly when its busy. It's an interesting way meet new travelling companions. Alternatively meals can be served in the cabin. The first alcoholic drink is typically included with dinner, otherwise alcohol is an additional charge.

When travelling in coach an announcement will be made for reservations only if space permits. The menu is fixed price for coach passengers. Most recently this was $20 for breakfast, $25 for lunch and $45 for dinner, and $20 for all childrens meals.

Sightseer Lounge and Cafe

The sightseer lounge car is a key space on the train. Upstairs there are large windows where the seating faces outward. It’s a relaxed atmosphere to meet other travellers over a coffee, read a book or listen to a podcast as the world passes by. All passengers are able to enjoy the sightseer car, although in busy periods you might be asked to limit your time in the car.

Downstairs is a cafe with light meals and refreshments for purchase along with a seating area. Amtrak publishes cafe menu’s on their website although expect typical convenience food – burgers, hotdogs, sandwiches, noodles and snacks such as chocolate bars and nuts along with juices, sodas and alcoholic drinks.

• ▪Long-distance Amtrak trains are known for delays due to challenges involved in sharing the rails with freight trains. While the average delay is under 2 hours, longer delays might sometimes be experienced. Leave generous buffers before booking onward connections such as flights.
• ▪The Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle operate as one trainset between Los Angeles and San Antonio. At San Antonio there will be some extra noise and bumps as the trains are merged or separated. Keep in mind if you are a light sleeper.
• ▪As with all train journeys, pack a light jacket or sweater in case the air conditioning gets too cold. Bringing extra snacks for the journey is a good idea. The train can sell out of cafe items onboard.
• ▪When in a sleeper room there is only one power socket. Bring along a USB charging hub or small power strip if required.
• ▪Amtrak's long-distance rolling stock is ageing, with the trainsets dating to the 80s and early 90s. The sleeper cars had an uplift in the early 2020s. The cars are serviceable although expect some signs of age to show.
• ▪The upper berth in the roomette requires a reasonable amount of flexibility to access and can be a little claustrophobic.

These prices are indicative and have been sampled in May 2026 for several dates up to 11 months ahead.

Booking tickets directly on the Amtrak website is straight-forward. Amtrak uses variable pricing which means prices change in line with demand. Amtrak sleeper pricing has been running on the higher side the last couple of years.

The Sunset Limited train has allocated seating. When booking a sleeper the car and room number are allocated at the time of booking and shown on the e-ticket. As the sleeper cars can be attached to the train from either direction it's not possible to know which side your roomette will face. When travelling with someone and you want views from both sides one option is to call Amtrak and book two roomettes across the corridor from each other.

Coach seats are allocated on the day. When starting the trip at either Los Angeles or New Orleans these are typically allocated at check-in inside the station. When boarding along the way the conductor allocates seats at the time of boarding.