Emeryville or Oakland for layover?

[river]

I have never been to the San Francisco Bay area and am planning a layover there. I know these cities are close to each other, but are there any advantages or disadvantages to staying in one over the other? I would like to stay in a hotel near the Amtrak station and plan to continue on to Los Angeles in a day or two. For example, will I get breakfast on the train if I get on in Emeryville and not in Oakland?

 

[darien-l]

If you are planning a one or two day layover, I'd recommend neither. Simply get off in Emeryville, get on an Amtrak thruway bus, and you can be in San Francisco in 20 minutes. It's far more interesting than Emeryville or Oakland.

 

[p&sr]

If you are planning a one or two day layover, I'd recommend neither. Simply get off in Emeryville, get on an Amtrak thruway bus, and you can be in San Francisco in 20 minutes. It's far more interesting than Emeryville or Oakland.

That's the right idea. From the Zephyr or the southbound Coast Starlight, there is a connecting Amtrak Bus from Emeryville into San Francisco.

For the return trip, an Amtrak Bus connects from San Francisco to Oakland (OKJ) in time for the southbound Starlight. Or, if you're so inclined, you could even take an early morning trip on the Oakland-Alameda Ferry, from San Francisco to OKJ (arrives just several pleasant blocks away from the Amtrak Station... maybe not so pleasant if you have a lot of luggage, however).

 

[darien-l]

If you are planning a one or two day layover, I'd recommend neither. Simply get off in Emeryville, get on an Amtrak thruway bus, and you can be in San Francisco in 20 minutes. It's far more interesting than Emeryville or Oakland.

That's the right idea. From the Zephyr or the southbound Coast Starlight, there is a connecting Amtrak Bus from Emeryville into San Francisco.

There is a bus for the northbound Coast Starlight as well:

14 Coast Starlight

Departs: 10:15 AM Los Angeles, CA Union Station (LAX)

Arrives: 9:32 PM Oakland, CA - Jack London Sq (OKJ)

6014 Bus

Departs: 9:45 PM Oakland, CA - Jack London Sq (OKJ)

Arrives: 10:10 PM San Francisco, CA - Ferry Building (SFC)

There are also lots of buses from EMY, attached to various Capitol Corridor, San Joaquin, and long-distance trains, that run from 6:10 AM to 10:50 PM. You can get on any of them pretty easily.