Pacific coast trip

[Exiled in Express]

I will be taking a trip down the Pacific coast this coming spring and am looking for input how to best utilize Amtrak as part of it. I am arriving Vancouver, BC on Saturday afternoon and ending the trip with a flight out of San Diego early the following Saturday.

I want to spend at least a day in Vancouver before traveling south. I also have no real interest in spending any more time in Seattle than I need to, I poorly budgeted time last time I was on the coast and neglected Portland. How is the scenery on the VAC-SEA portion of the rail route? Taking the bus is better for time but I can be flexible. Also are any of the other Cascades cities worth a stop for a few hours/overnight?

The next leg is obviously the Coast Starlight from somewhere in Oregon to somewhere in the Bay Area, I am thinking San Jose over Oakland as it lets me get some more sleep and breakfast on the train. Spend a day in San Francisco and get a late flight

to Greater LA for an overnight and then a Surfliner down to San Diego.

Any comments or suggestions on how to improve it?

 

[City of Miami]

Much of your leg between OR and the Bay Area will be spent at night. Not worth it IMO, esp as it tends to be expensive. Better to fly that segment and take the Starlight south from SF to LA which will be all daylight with spectacular scenery plus you don't need to buy a sleeper. You know it's an hour and a half on Caltrain from San Jose to SF (and another 90 min back) so I'd consider that option carefully.

I will be going to Portland and SF (and SLO & LA) day after tomorrow!!

 

[the_traveler]

Much of the route between VAC and SEA is along or near the coastline!

You would have to spend the night in SEA, as there is no later train to PDX that night. In Portland, you can take MAX right from Union Station (actually about 1 block away) to many parts of Portland - including right to the airport!

Unless you're a very late sleeper, you can easily get breakfast before EMY or OKJ, and then catch the Thruway bus into SF! And although it is a daytime trip, I would consider getting a sleeper between EMY and LAX. It would give you access to the PPC

(Coach passengers can not use the PPC) PLUS 3 meals in the Dining Car! And it's not that expensive, especially considering that can save $40-$50 in food cost alone! (Many people do this!)

 

[Bob Dylan]

I will be taking a trip down the Pacific coast this coming spring and am looking for input how to best utilize Amtrak as part of it. I am arriving Vancouver, BC on Saturday afternoon and ending the trip with a flight out of San Diego early the following Saturday.

I want to spend at least a day in Vancouver before traveling south. I also have no real interest in spending any more time in Seattle than I need to, I poorly budgeted time last time I was on the coast and neglected Portland. How is the scenery on the VAC-SEA portion of the rail route? Taking the bus is better for time but I can be flexible. Also are any of the other Cascades cities worth a stop for a few hours/overnight?

The next leg is obviously the Coast Starlight from somewhere in Oregon to somewhere in the Bay Area, I am thinking San Jose over Oakland as it lets me get some more sleep and breakfast on the train. Spend a day in San Francisco and get a late flight

to Greater LA for an overnight and then a Surfliner down to San Diego.

Any comments or suggestions on how to improve it?

:hi: Suggest riding the train instead of the bus from Vancouver to Seatlle even if it means spending a night in SEA! You can then catch the Cascades Talgo down to Portland (biz class is not necessary nor worth the money on this route), as Dave said spend a couple of days in PDX, then catch the Starlight to either EMY or OKJ. Id suggest staying in OKJ, there is a nice hotel called the Vagabond Inn right close to the Amtrak station by Jack London Square (reasonable and good for the price, google it up)and you can ride the ferry to San Francisco. City of Miami is right, San Jose is too far from SFO, riding the Cal Train is out of the way and a hassle on this route. If you stay in Emeryville you can take BART to the City but theres not much in Emeryville except the hotels around the station and the Bay Bridge to San Fran.

As to going on down the coast, we just rode the Amtrak thruway from OKJ (it also stops in EMY on the way for pickup)across the Bay Bridge to SFO for pickup @ the San Francisco Ferry Station , then down 101 to Santa Barbara where we caught the Surfliner all the way to San Diego and the Great Dome was on the consist!! We left OKJ @ 5;30AM, were in San Diego by 800PM, beautiful ride, no night in LA! There is also an overnight bus that connects in Santa Barbara with the Surfliner, youd be in San Diego for lunch and the bus ride is easy and only for Amtrak pax, not a dog either, nice bus with a meal stop in King City (McDonalds).The Surfliners have Business Class,(reserved seats) worth it unless the great Dome is in the consist, then you run and snag a seat there for the trip down the coast! Have a great trip, Id do it tomorrow if I had the points or the money, four of the best cities in the world!

 

[RailFanLNK]

Hostelling International at the American Inn in Seattle has beds for $40 per night. Yes its a hostel, no they don't have ax-murderers there, yes its cheap, no, its not super comfy but cheap.

 

[the_traveler]

no they don't have ax-murderers there

Only when I'm in town!

Yes its cheap

My favorite word!

 

[Exiled in Express]

Thank you all. It looks like I have a lot to digest, luckily lots of time before travel. I was leaning toward the train on VAC-SEA, just looking for confirmation. I did discover that if you book VAC-SEA (day 1) and SEA-PDX (day 2) as a multicity rather than 2 one ways it prices lower. This seems to be good for any SEA-PDX including the CS, EUG has the same effect though the difference is less.

 

[RailFanLNK]

There are two HI's in Portland. Both of them get very high marks from reviews. There's another hostel there as well but its not a HI so sometimes that can mean..."kinda scurvy". :blink: I find complete delight being in a large city and spending $30 a night in a great area of town and getting free breakfast and other perks when the folks down the street are paying $280 per night.

 

[the_traveler]

I find complete delight being in a large city and spending $30 a night in a great area of town and getting free breakfast and other perks when the folks down the street are paying $280 per night.

I stay at Chez Traveler West when in PDX!

The cost is $-0- and it includes breakfast, lunch and dinner - but you have to prepare tax returns!