The Palmetto is an Amtrak route that runs from New York City, New York to Savannah, Georgia that covers approximately 829 miles and takes about 16 hours. It’s actually named after South Carolina’s state tree, which is the sabal palmetto.

It’s been a couple of months and a change of the seasons since I’ve done an Amtrak trip. Similar to my Vermonter journey, I didn’t want to make this a sleeper experience. The Palmetto seemed like the best next route as it starts in New York (a mere few hours from D.C.) and goes along the East Coast mostly during the day.

Palmetto vs Silver Meteor (and something called the Silver Star?)

If you look up the Palmetto on the Amtrak website, you might be confused to see it advertised with the Silver Meteor. The route map doesn’t help much either as it shows both trains together with a shared path all the way down to Miami, even though the Palmetto actually terminates in Savannah (and we’re not even going to get into what’s going on with the Florida routing south of Orlando).

Part of the confusion comes from how these trains routes overlap. The Palmetto and the Silver Meteor share a significant portion of their route along the East Coast, which is why Amtrak often groups them together. Along with the somewhat defunct Silver Star (it was combined with the Capitol Limited in November 2024), they are part of what Amtrak calls the “Silver Service.”

You’ll also see a divergence around Selma, North Carolina where the lines split before eventually rejoining further south. From what I can tell, the more inland route was used by the Silver Star (and now the Floridian), while the Palmetto and Silver Meteor take the route that’s closer to the coast.

In short, while these trains are grouped together, they serve slightly different purposes. The Palmetto is a daytime train that runs between New York and Savannah, while the Silver Meteor continues overnight all the way to Miami. Because of this, the Silver Meteor offers sleeper accommodations and traditional dining while the Palmetto does not.

To help make sense of it all, I’ve included Amtrak’s full route map below, along very well edited version showing just the Palmetto.

Day 1 – New York City to Savannah

Boarding felt similar to any other major Amtrak station. Everyone was staring up at the departure board with that specific intensity reserved for the busiest Northeast Corridor departures. When the Palmetto’s track was finally announced, I rushed over exactly in the way I had been mentally rehearsing while waiting for the assignment, only to immediately realize I didn’t need to rush. The train had relatively low ridership out of New York compared to something like the Northeast Regional, even though it still runs through major cities like Philadelphia and Washington.

The boarding process itself was memorable, mostly thanks to a single train attendant who ran it like a military operation. She directed passengers to different cars with a level of intensity I’ve rarely seen on Amtrak. At one point she insisted that nobody even think about sitting in seats marked with blue signs. I do not know what these signs were for as I didn’t even see them but she didn’t need to tell me twice.

Getting to Washington went off without a hitch, but of course it wouldn’t be an Amtrak trip without some kind of delay. Due to ongoing construction on the Long Bridge connecting D.C. and Virginia)where Amtrak runs daily work windows Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.) we ended up with a three-hour layover in Washington. Fellow passengers were not pleased, even though the change was clearly reflected in the Amtrak app and itineraries.

The same attendant relayed this information in the same no-nonsense tone she’d used in New York. One passenger made a comment she clearly didn’t appreciate (something along the lines of hoping he could still remember his seat after a three-hour break), and she immediately confronted him about it. I mostly just appreciated that there was no bus involved as the notice had made it sound like we might be getting bussed from D.C. to Virginia. Having ridden an Amtrak bus (“Ambus” if you will) after the California Zephyr, I was very happy to avoid a repeat.

I used the layover to take a springtime jaunt around the station and the U.S. Capitol grounds. While the cherry blossoms were gone, D.C. still has plenty of spring blooms. I also grabbed some non-café food from the station before heading back to the train. It was kind of weird walking around where I live in the middle of a train journey, but it’s always good to get a good stretch in during a long ride.

After leaving Alexandria, the scenery shifted from the city views the Northeast Regional is known for to nondescript forest scenery. While not the most striking views I’ve seen from a train, it was still pleasant, especially with the trees just starting to get their leaves back after a long winter. I mostly relaxed and enjoyed the ride from there. The attendant even seemed to calm down after Washington and became noticeably friendlier.

We arrived around 12:25 a.m., which is rough for a morning person. To make things more complicated, I managed to drop my AirPods case between the armrest and the wall of the train, which resulted in an attendant (a different one, thankfully) having to remove the row of seats off their floor hinges to retrieve it and a dwelling charge on the Uber I had ordered when we were pulling into the station. But all said and done, I made it to my hotel and called it a night around 1:30 a.m.

Day 2 – Day in Savannah

After a late night, I kind of lingered around my hotel for a bit, picking up some complimentary breakfast before heading over to the bus station across the street for a ride down to Forsyth Park and the Historic District.

Don’t get your hopes up about Savannah’s public transit, though. I had heard the rumors about buses running whenever they want rather than on any actual schedule, but I still had some faith. I quickly realized I had severely misplaced that faith when I got to the stop and the woman already waiting immediately told me she’d been there for 45 minutes with no bus.

We spent a while waiting (and complaining) but eventually cut our losses after the bus I was waiting for (and her second) showed no signs of ever arriving, or even existing. I ordered an Uber while she headed back home.

When I got in the Uber, I told the driver what had just happened, and she confirmed it wasn’t exactly rare. We ended up chatting about me growing up in Texas and her experience growing up in the South/Georgia. Specifically, we discussed if Texas really counts as “The South” like Georgia. We landed on “parts of it, but it’s kind of its own thing”.

She dropped me off at Forsyth Park, which was clearly the place to be that morning. There was a farmers’ market, a 5K finish line, and a yoga class all happening at once, but somehow it still didn’t feel overly crowded. I wandered around, admired the massive mossy trees, and found a quiet, shady spot to sit for a bit.

From there, I made my way down Bull Street toward the waterfront and River Street, occasionally popping into shops that caught my attention. The charm of Forsyth Park carried over with the tree-lined streets, historic buildings, and a general sense of “oh, this is Savannah”.

I stopped at Treylor Park for a quick lunch (you can’t really go wrong with a burger and fries), then picked up my ticket for a ride with Savannah Riverboat Cruises, which I had booked about a week earlier.

While waiting for my departure time, I walked along River Street and took in more of the city. One thing that stood out to me, though, was how odd it felt that such a busy pedestrian area wasn’t closed off to traffic. There weren’t many cars, but there were just enough to make things feel unnecessarily cramped and a bit unsafe, especially with the narrow sidewalks and growing crowds as the day went on. I’m no city planner, but it feels like an easy win.

Around 3:30, I boarded the boat for a narrated harbor sightseeing cruise. The company offers several types of tours, but I chose this one to learn a bit more about Savannah. Unfortunately, many of my fellow passengers were far more interested in their own conversations than the narration, which made it difficult to hear the guide at first. I eventually moved up to the open-air top deck. This decision was slightly less ideal for my sun-deprived skin, but much better for actually hearing the tour. If you take this cruise and care about the narration, I’d definitely recommend walking around a bit before settling in.

By the time the cruise ended, I was pretty exhausted (unsurprising after the late night), so I headed back to the hotel and ordered some takeout.

One final memorable moment came courtesy of my last Uber driver of the day, who answered a call on speaker from a man she was apparently dating, at least in some capacity. He was calling collect from prison and immediately launched into a conversation about their relationship and where he’d be living once he got out on parole. He opened with an accusatory “so who are you leaving me for,” which didn’t exactly inspire confidence about their future.

All in all, though, a successful day in Savannah!

Day 3 – Savannah to D.C.

I got to the Savannah Amtrak station around 6:45 the morning of my return journey, ahead of the scheduled 7:35 a.m. departure. If you’re unfamiliar, this station is a bit in the middle of nowhere. Given the previously mentioned state of Savannah’s public transit and the lack of nearby hotels, it require an Uber or Lyft to get there. One tip I’ll offer (which may be obvious to some but was new to me) is that prices between rideshare apps can vary quite a bit. Sometimes Uber is cheaper; other times Lyft is the better option. It’s worth checking both before booking.

A station attendant announced boarding, and I again rushed over to line up for seemingly no reason. I suspect this instinct has been ingrained in me and there’s no switching it off in my brain.

I spent the first couple hours of the journey saying goodbye to the moss-covered trees but admiring the views that I had missed because of the darkness on the inbound trip. In reality, it wasn’t all that different from what I’d already seen, but it felt more exciting simply because it was the start of the journey.

Again, even though the train wasn’t particularly busy at the terminus, we quickly picked up many more passengers. By mid-morning, the conductor announced that the train was sold out and that everyone needed to clear the seat next to them.

I went to the cafe car for lunch. My usual order is a grilled cheese because it feels like the least intimidating option (I don’t know if I can ever bring myself to order the burger heated up in the plastic bag), but they didn’t have any for me this time. I pivoted and ordered the turkey sandwich, but that was a rough eat. If you regularly order lunch and/or dinner in the Amtrak cafe car let me know what you get because clearly I need a better backup.

As the afternoon went on and we made our way out of the Carolinas and into Virginia, the scenery began to subtly shift. I started noticing more pine and flowering trees, replacing the flooded forest floors that had been so common for much of the trip. It was one of those gradual changes you don’t fully register until you look up and realize things feel different.

As the sun started to set, we pulled into Washington Union Station. Before heading home, I made sure to grab some Cane’s, which is still relatively new to D.C. (and to Union Station). Taking it to go and eating it at home felt a bit like being back in high school, when I used to work at one. I didn’t have the lingering smell of fried chicken on me this time, but opening the to-go box after a long day felt just the same.

Final Thoughts

This wasn’t the most scenic train I’ve taken, especially compared to routes like the California Zephyr or even the Vermonter in the winter, but it’s still a pleasant ride. In some ways, the less dramatic scenery gives you permission to just sit back and relax instead of constantly worrying about catching that view everyone talks about, sitting on the “right” side of the train, or getting the perfect photo. And if we’re being honest, what could actually top something like the California Zephyr?

What stood out more to me was how important this service clearly is to the region. The train was consistently busy throughout the weekend. I had somewhat naively assumed that in a more car-dependent part of the country, most people would opt to drive longer distances rather than take the train. That’s certainly what I grew up doing. But that didn’t seem to be the case here. Whether it’s a function of state size, corridor density, or simply the idea that if you build the service people will use it, it was genuinely nice to see.

That said, while Savannah is a great city and I had a good time there, the transportation situation, particularly around the Amtrak station, is hard to ignore. Technically, the CAT Route 29 serves the station, but not at times that are especially useful. It doesn’t line up with the southbound Palmetto’s arrival, and while it could theoretically work for a northbound departure, it would require catching the very first run of the day, assuming it shows up at all (it doesn’t, at least in my experience).

If there were hotels near the station, this wouldn’t be as much of an issue. But as it stands, anyone arriving by train is essentially required to take a rideshare. For a city that clearly attracts tourists, it feels like a missed opportunity not to offer more reliable options, whether that’s extended bus service, a dedicated shuttle, or even private hotel shuttles run by hotels within the Historic District where a majority of tourists tend to stay. Airports have figured this out. It’s not unreasonable to expect something similar here.

Even within the city itself, there’s room for improvement. The Historic District, especially around River Street, feels like it should be more pedestrian-oriented than it currently is. It’s one of those situations where a relatively small change could make a big difference.

Overall, the Palmetto offers a solid and surprisingly useful way to travel along this part of the East Coast, even if it’s not the most visually dramatic route out there.

And if you’re wondering what a palmetto tree actually is, there are two of them in the bottom right photo of the Savannah gallery. It’s sort of like a palm tree, but shorter, with a more compact, rounded top. I can’t say I personally see the appeal, but no one asked for my input when South Carolina was picking its state tree.