Rhythms of the Road: Chicago to New Orleans by Bus, Rail & Self-Launch
10 days · USA (Chicago to New Orleans)
Cosmos charges £1,890
No-markup version: ~£1,045 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 10-day music-and-history run through America's heartland: Chicago's blues and architecture, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Nashville's Music Row and Grand Ole Opry, Elvis's Graceland in Memphis, the Mississippi Delta at Indianola, and finally New Orleans' French Quarter. Instead of a 42-50 person coach tour with a fixed guide, you'll string the same stops together on Amtrak, Greyhound/FlixBus and local transit, book your own hostel/budget hotel beds and pick up the same museum tickets and tours direct. Costs are backpacker/budget-traveller estimates in GBP and exclude international flights into Chicago (ORD) and out of New Orleans (MSY).
Day-by-day
Arrive Chicago — Riverwalk and Magnificent Mile
Chicago, IL
Land at O'Hare and take the CTA Blue Line train into the city (~$5, ~45 mins) rather than a taxi. Check into a hostel or budget hotel near the Loop or River North. Spend the afternoon walking the Chicago Riverwalk and window-shopping the Magnificent Mile, then grab a slice of deep-dish pizza for dinner.
🚌CTA Blue Line from ORD ~$5
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel near the Loop/River North (~£30-40)
- →Chicago Riverwalk walk
- →Magnificent Mile stroll
- →Deep-dish pizza dinner
Chicago architecture and blues
Chicago, IL
Do a self-guided architecture walk past the Wrigley Building, Willis Tower and Navy Pier, or book a Chicago Architecture Center river cruise direct (book ahead, ~£35-45). In the evening head to a blues bar for live music, or pay the Art Institute of Chicago entry (~£25).
🚌CTA day pass ~$5 (walking mostly)
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel (~£30-40)
- →Wrigley Building, Willis Tower & Navy Pier walk
- →Optional architecture river cruise
- →Optional Art Institute of Chicago
- →Live blues bar in the evening
Train to St. Louis — Gateway Arch
St. Louis, MO
Take the Amtrak Lincoln Service or Texas Eagle from Chicago Union Station to St. Louis Gateway Station (~5.5 hrs, book 2-4 weeks ahead for ~£30-50). Walk the compact downtown for an orientation, then visit Gateway Arch National Park and the Museum beneath the Arch (free entry; tram to the top ~£15-18 — book online).
🚌Amtrak Chicago-St. Louis ~£35
🛏Budget hotel or hostel near downtown St. Louis (~£35-45)
- →Gateway Arch National Park
- →Museum beneath the Arch
- →Downtown orientation walk
St. Louis to Nashville via Paducah
Nashville, TN
Bus to Nashville with Greyhound or FlixBus (~5.5-6 hrs, ~£30-45). If you want the Paducah stop, break the journey there for the National Quilt Museum (~£10) and rejoin a later bus. Arrive Nashville in the evening, check into a hostel or budget motel near downtown/Midtown and eat cheap hot chicken.
🚌Greyhound/FlixBus St. Louis-Nashville ~£35
🛏Hostel dorm or budget motel in Midtown (~£35-45)
- →Optional National Quilt Museum, Paducah
- →Evening walk in Nashville
- →Hot chicken dinner
Nashville — Music Row, Parthenon & Grand Ole Opry
Nashville, TN
Self-guided walking loop: Centennial Park and the full-size Parthenon replica (~£8), Music Row street walk past the studios, then the Country Music Hall of Fame (~£30, book online) or a timed RCA Studio B tour (~£25-30, book direct). In the evening catch the Grand Ole Opry show at Opry Mills — book seats direct on opry.com (~£45-70) and take the free/discounted Opry shuttle or local bus out.
🚌Local bus/Music City transit day pass ~£7
🛏Hostel dorm or budget motel (~£35-45)
- →Centennial Park & Parthenon
- →Music Row walk
- →Country Music Hall of Fame or RCA Studio B
- →Grand Ole Opry show (book direct)
Nashville to Memphis via Brownsville (Tina Turner Museum)
Memphis, TN
Head west with FlixBus/Greyhound toward Memphis (~3.5 hrs, ~£25-35). If the schedule works, hop off at Brownsville for the Tina Turner Museum at Flagg Grove School (~£8) and continue on a later bus. Arrive Memphis and do your own orientation walk: Beale Street for dinner and the Lorraine Motel exterior (now the National Civil Rights Museum — book a ticket if you want to go inside, ~£18).
🚌FlixBus/Greyhound Nashville-Memphis ~£30
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel near downtown Memphis (~£30-40)
- →Tina Turner Museum, Brownsville
- →Beale Street walk
- →Lorraine Motel / National Civil Rights Museum exterior
- →Optional Sun Studio tour (~£15)
Memphis — Graceland day
Memphis, TN
Book a Graceland Elvis Experience ticket direct on graceland.com (~£65-80) covering the mansion audio tour, Meditation Garden, the custom jets and the automobile collection. Take the free Graceland shuttle from downtown or the local bus. Back downtown in the evening: barbecue on Beale Street and live music in a bar.
🚌Graceland shuttle/local bus ~£5
🛏Hostel dorm or budget hotel (~£30-40)
- →Graceland mansion audio tour
- →Meditation Garden
- →Elvis jets & car collection
- →Beale Street barbecue & live music
Memphis to Indianola to New Orleans
New Orleans, LA
This is the longest leg — a hire car or a Delta-area bus makes the Indianola detour easiest. Cheapest route: early bus to Indianola/Greenville (check local schedules via Greyhound or Delta bus lines), visit the B.B. King Museum & Delta Interpretive Center (~£10), then take the overnight or afternoon Greyhound/Amtrak City of New Orleans onward. Simplest alternative: Memphis to New Orleans direct on the Amtrak City of New Orleans (~8.5 hrs, ~£45-60, book ahead) and do the museum as a day trip either side. Arrive New Orleans and settle into a hostel in the Marigny or Garden District.
🚌Amtrak City of New Orleans ~£50
🛏Hostel dorm in Marigny/Garden District (~£30-40)
- →B.B. King Museum & Delta Interpretive Center
- →Mississippi Delta scenery
New Orleans — French Quarter and cemeteries
New Orleans, LA
Join a pay-what-you-want or small-group French Quarter walking tour booked via GetYourGuide (~£15-25), taking in St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square. Visit an above-ground cemetery on a licensed cemetery tour (~£18). Optional add-ons: a Louisiana swamp tour (~£35), a Mississippi River jazz dinner cruise (~£45) or a plantation tour. Evening: live music on Frenchmen Street.
🚌Streetcar day pass ~$8 (~£6)
🛏Hostel dorm (~£30-40)
- →French Quarter guided walk
- →St. Louis Cathedral & Jackson Square
- →Above-ground cemetery tour
- →Optional swamp tour or river cruise
- →Frenchmen Street live music
Depart New Orleans
New Orleans, LA
Last beignets and coffee, then take the airport bus (E2, ~$2) or a shared shuttle to MSY for your flight home. If time allows, add an extra night to explore the Garden District and Magazine Street.
🚌E2 airport bus ~£2
🛏—
- →Beignets & coffee
- →Optional Garden District stroll
Self-launched vs. Cosmos
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Cosmos | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,045 | £1,890 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £845 per person (45%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Cosmos-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,045
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Rhythms of the Road: Chicago to New Orleans by Bus, Rail & Self-Launch cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,045 per person for 10 days in USA (Chicago to New Orleans). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Cosmos?+
Yes — Cosmos charges around £1,890 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,045 — a saving of roughly £845 (45%) per person.
How long is the USA (Chicago to New Orleans) trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through USA (Chicago to New Orleans).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, city-breaks, road-trip trip through USA (Chicago to New Orleans), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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