Is there a way to force a Thruway Bus connection?

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cheerose

Train Attendant
Joined
Nov 13, 2021
Messages
25
Location
Atlanta, Georgia
In planning/thinking about a train trip next spring, one of the questions to answer is how to get from Las Vegas to LAUS (as you experts call it <g>)

In trying to schedule it out for a CS ticket (or a CS/EB one), Amtrak doesn't want to send me to LAUS... instead, they would ticket me on a bus to Bakersfield, then the SJ to Stockton, another bus to Sacramento where I would pick up the CS.

To me - this is a bit ridiculous.

Is there a way to force Amtrak to ticket me from LVS (assuming that's the right Vegas code) to LAUS and then the CS northward ? Would I (Could I) ticket the CS trip (would actually be a combo CS/EB trip) and then be able to add on the bus (either online or call Customer Service)?

There are other options that I know I can use (Megabus, for example)... guess I was hoping for one-stop shopping :)
 
In planning/thinking about a train trip next spring, one of the questions to answer is how to get from Las Vegas to LAUS (as you experts call it <g>)

In trying to schedule it out for a CS ticket (or a CS/EB one), Amtrak doesn't want to send me to LAUS... instead, they would ticket me on a bus to Bakersfield, then the SJ to Stockton, another bus to Sacramento where I would pick up the CS.

To me - this is a bit ridiculous.

Is there a way to force Amtrak to ticket me from LVS (assuming that's the right Vegas code) to LAUS and then the CS northward ? Would I (Could I) ticket the CS trip (would actually be a combo CS/EB trip) and then be able to add on the bus (either online or call Customer Service)?

There are other options that I know I can use (Megabus, for example)... guess I was hoping for one-stop shopping :)
You might try booking it as a "Multi-City" ticket. On the web site, that's on the "Other Options" menu, which is on the right end of the menu bar above the "From" & "To" cities.
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First segment would be Vegas to LA; 2nd segment LA to your destination.

I'm not sure that will work, but it's something to try.
 
For whatever reason, Amtrak doesn't offer Las Vegas, NV - LAUS service. The service to Kingman only serves the Southwest Chief to/from the east, and the only other Antrak-connecting service is to Bakersfield.

The bus (5612) does continue from Bakersfield to Oxnard and Santa Barbara, but it's not timed to meet the Coast Starlight. You'd have to stay overnight in one of those cities.

The other option is a bus service to LA. Megabus doesn't meet the CS either, so you'd have to stay overnight in LA. Greyhound has a couple of red-eye buses. You can leave Las Vegas at 11:45pm and arrive LAUS at 5:30am. You can also book a shuttle from the LA Greyhound station to LAUS as part of the ticket -- just put LAUS as your final destination.

Finally, you can also fly Las Vegas to Burbank and catch the CS there. It stops at the airport station.

I wonder how many people have ended up in LSV (Las Vegas, NM).
 
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Megabus does do (at least currently) a 12am-5:40am trip --- so that's what I am shooting for, if I can't get the Thruway Bus. :)

And, unfortunately, trying Multi-City doesn't work because, even though they list LVS as a station... they won't do the segment to LAX.
 
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