Hi Group,
I am trying to take advantage of the promo that ends in 3 days where you have to spend 50 dollars in California and you get 1000 points but was hoping for some advise. Sorry for all the questions and thanks in advance for the help.
First - Is this deal worth it if I plan on traveling only for this deal. IE does anyone know the "value" of that points. For example can you buy points and how much are they worth?
Second - I don't have anywhere to go really and would anyone recommend the best short trip from LA. Money is tight right now and am hoping to use this deal to go home for holidays. But are there any short trips from LA that someone could recommend as being particularly scenic/ fun train etc. Unless I found someone to stay with I would probably get off the train and get right back on the next one if there was any over lap at all.
Third - About how many points does it take for a free trip?
Thanks for all your help fellow train people.
Joe
Hi Joe, and welcome. There are others here who have far more info than I do about these things, so I usually don't answer, but it is late, you are on a close deadline, and I see you are still on tonight. So I'll get you started ...
Most people think these are a good deal.
How many points it takes for a trip: 1000 points for most any trip between Los Angeles and anywhere else in California; 5500 for a coach one-zone trip (LA to Seattle or LA to Denver are examples); 15000 for roomette one-zone. There are other larger sleepers and longer trips for more points.
At Amtrak.com, you can look at cash fares for trips on the San Joaquin or Surfliner to get an idea of comparable fares.
Besides those 1000 special points, you'll get 100 points per segment. There are daily limits for this (and I don't remember what they are). But if you go, for instance, from LA to Fullerton, then Fullerton to Anaheim on the next train (can't be the same train!), then Anaheim back to LA, you'll get 300 points (1300 points total). That run only costs around $22 (exact price depends on time of day).
The trip planner at amtrak.com is your friend for determining where to go and what it costs. I looked at Los Angeles to Santa Barbara but it is $40-$48 RT (depending on day/time), not quite enough! Santa Barbara is a nice day trip. They have a lot of things to do without a car (
Santa Barbara Car Free). The trains don't really run often enough to go further up the coast to bring up the price, but you could start a little further south. Actually, if you were planning on driving to the station, you want to go somewhere else anyway for better parking. I'm partial to either Fullerton or Van Nuys.
I've stopped at most of the stations along the Surfliner route in the car to take pictures and think they are all interesting. Some places, like San Clemente Pier, are terrible with a car because of the rotten parking. If you'd like a day at the beach and/or like pier fishing, I recommend that stop. Take a picnic to avoid the expensive seafood places on the pier, but maybe have some ice cream across the street. Some stops, of course, have nothing to do but watch trains. There are more trains south of LA than north, so that's the direction to go for photos.
In your shoes, I'd look at both northbound and southbound Surfliners, look at prices on amtrak.com, choose a city each way that was just over $50 away round trip, then choose one or the other (or both on different days). Look at
Info about Free Transfers to see if your destination city is listed.
You could also just decide to visit all the stations and share photos of each, and things to do around them. Head south on the Surfliner after already having checked out how far you can go for $50 RT. Look at a schedule so you only stop at stations where the next train also stops so you won't have to wait too long.
Ryan answered about buying points. Another way to get points is to have a credit card that gives them. You'll be getting many emailed offers about how many points you can get by using this credit card for all your purchases. Finally, one AGR wizard here used to commute daily on Amtrak I think from Glendale to Los Angeles, in any case a very short and inexpensive trip. So he got 200 points per day. You might look into more short trips between now and the holidays to build up points like that.
Train Day is May 8. Last year there were bonus points for traveling shortly before and on that day, so I'd suggest keeping your schedule open about then. Several of us met at Los Angeles last year, toured the exhibits and festivities, and did a little riding. I'm pretty sure we'll be doing it again (I will, anyway), and someone will be posting something about that closer to the time.
You didn't say where "home" is for your holiday trip, and that info will help people here give advice.
