Sacramento Calif. Arriving late

[boxcar479]

My wife and I are taking a trip in late march. We will be arriving in SAC Amtrak station at 11:59pm. And we will lvng. out on the CZ for CHI the next morning at 11:49am. The station opens at 4:15 am. I know the CSRRM is near but it doesn't open till 10am. Is this neighborhood safe enough to hang out in till 4:15 when the station opens? does anyone know if they will watch our bags for us so we can sight see a little bit. We dont really want to take a taxi and get a motel for less than 12 hours. any ideas on what we can do ? thanks

 

[warbonnet]

Speaking only for myself, I'd walk a block to the Holiday Inn, have a nightcap in the bar, and get a good nights sleep for the next day's train ride. Staying up all night is not my idea of having fun!

Wb

 

[Bob Dylan]

My wife and I are taking a trip in late march. We will be arriving in SAC Amtrak station at 11:59pm. And we will lvng. out on the CZ for CHI the next morning at 11:49am. The station opens at 4:15 am. I know the CSRRM is near but it doesn't open till 10am. Is this neighborhood safe enough to hang out in till 4:15 when the station opens? does anyone know if they will watch our bags for us so we can sight see a little bit. We dont really want to take a taxi and get a motel for less than 12 hours. any ideas on what we can do ? thanks

This is a tough one Tracy but I'd suggest the following: Check out the Holiday Inn by the Station in SAC, consider staying the night there, it's a long 2 days/nights to CHI with beautiful scenery, you dont want to be too tired to enjoy it! If not, check your big luggage to SAC, theyll have there the next mornig when you return, only carry your light carryons with you.There is a Dennys thats 24 hr. not too far away, also the bars should be open until 2AM but I dont have any recommends,perhaps locals can advise.You can Google lots of info on SAC, should be a good web sites and info since its a major city. If yall dont want to hang out so long my other suggestion is: change your rez on the CS from LAX-EMY, there are a couple of hotels right by the station and thats where the CZ starts in the morning. If the CS is on time into EMY you could get like 7 hours of sleep, have breakfast in the hotel and be @ the station in time to leave on the CZ.

Shouldnt cost a whole lot, do Orbitz.com or Priceline on the hotels there, there has been several questions about Emeryville/SAC on this forum, you can search and read them. I havent stayed in either place, just passed through on trains but from what I've heard while its not dangerous hanging out all night in SAC isnt alot of fun!

 

[pebbleworm]

Get a room- there are a lot of options within walking distance of the depot, or just take a cab. 12 hours on a bench is not my current idea of fun.

 

[Michael061282]

My wife and I are taking a trip in late march. We will be arriving in SAC Amtrak station at 11:59pm. And we will lvng. out on the CZ for CHI the next morning at 11:49am. The station opens at 4:15 am. I know the CSRRM is near but it doesn't open till 10am. Is this neighborhood safe enough to hang out in till 4:15 when the station opens? does anyone know if they will watch our bags for us so we can sight see a little bit. We dont really want to take a taxi and get a motel for less than 12 hours. any ideas on what we can do ? thanks

What I'd do is get off the first train in Oakland or Emeryville at a "respectable" hour and get a hotel there, then catch the Zephyr from EMY the next morning at 9:50

 

[guest]

I like the idea of you stopping in Emeryville and staying at one of the several hotels smack dab by the station. That also gives you the added benefit of seeing the route between SF and Sacramento in the day. The CZ runs along the eastern edge of San Pablo Bay and is very pretty.

If you are insistent on going all the way to Sacramento, I'd definitely walk across the street from the station (actually, sort of a triangle walk due to the traffic layout) and stay 10 hours or so at the Vagabond Inn. It's very clean, the rooms are night, and the cost is around $75. You get a very nice free breakfast and you'll be refreshed for the CZ.

By no means hang out in the station (assuming it even stays open) or nearby. Downtown Sacramento is deserted in late night except for miscreants.

 

[boxcar479]

I like the idea of you stopping in Emeryville and staying at one of the several hotels smack dab by the station. That also gives you the added benefit of seeing the route between SF and Sacramento in the day. The CZ runs along the eastern edge of San Pablo Bay and is very pretty.
If you are insistent on going all the way to Sacramento, I'd definitely walk across the street from the station (actually, sort of a triangle walk due to the traffic layout) and stay 10 hours or so at the Vagabond Inn. It's very clean, the rooms are night, and the cost is around $75. You get a very nice free breakfast and you'll be refreshed for the CZ.

By no means hang out in the station (assuming it even stays open) or nearby. Downtown Sacramento is deserted in late night except for miscreants.

I like the idea of EMY as well,but I am traveling on a 15 day rail pass and I think I need the guaranteed connection for a safety net in case of late trains. NOTE: I said "I think "(that is usually where my trouble starts.....I start thinking). I'm not on any schedule but I have filled in 15 days of travel on my 15 day pass so one mishap and it all goes awry. I'm just going by what an old friend told me about garntd. connx. If I am wrong, please help me understand.Thanks

 

[Michael061282]

I could be very wrong, but I think the Sacramento guarenteed connection is only for changing from the Zephyr to the Starlight. I think, especially with a day seperation, that the connection point from the Starlight to the Zephyr would be Emeryville.

 

[Bob Dylan]

It's exactly the same Tracy if you spend the night in EMY after getting off the CS (it gets there around 10PM,) catch the CZ the next morning in EMY for CHI. If you ride to SAC youll get there later, leave later on the CZ on the same day, no difference, your choice really! Google up the hotels!

The Vagabond Inn sounds good, so either way it's better than hanging out all night in uncomfortable places! Even when the station opens people have said the benches are hard, theres really nothing there and it's a looooong morning!

15 days/8 rides is what you got, seems to work fine to me!

 

[tp49]

As a resident of the area near the station in a simple one word no. There is nothing to do overnight short of sitting in the Denny's at 3d and J Streets which is the only place open in that area overnight unless of course you like nightclubs of which there are a couple in Old Sac. I'd recommend staying in EMY as well.

 

[boxcar479]

It's exactly the same Tracy if you spend the night in EMY after getting off the CS (it gets there around 10PM,) catch the CZ the next morning in EMY for CHI. If you ride to SAC youll get there later, leave later on the CZ on the same day, no difference, your choice really! Google up the hotels!The Vagabond Inn sounds good in SAC so either way it's better than hanging out all night in uncomfortable places! Even when the station opens people have said the benches are hard, theres really nothing there and it's a looooong morning!

15 days/8 rides is what you got, seems to work fine to me!

Once again I yhank y'all EMY it is!!!

 

[GG-1]

Aloha

The time I took the CZ to Chicago I rode the CS from LA. Scheduled Arrival 10:00pm(or so) the CZ was due to leave 9:00am (or so).

What I did was arrange with the EMY Denney's to overnight. Even though we go in very late the Denney's served me a snack put me in a large booth in the Back, took my order for breakfast at 6:00am. Promptly at 6 the woke me up with my order ready.

Now if only the CZ was on time that morning, I still had to wait to noon for the engines to be fixed, we got the problem ones from the CS

Denney's are OK in my book

 

[sacto bob]

Hope Denny's put GG-1 on a soft bed of French toast and/or hash browns!

 

[ColdRain&Snow]

Hi Boxcar,

If you've settled on EMY, perhaps consider the Woodfin Hotel directly across from the station. There's a pedestrian bridge from its parking lot to the train platform, so it's an easy walk over to your train. Alternatively, if you have luggage and don't want to cross over, the hotel will shuttle you to the station- just ask when you check in.

I stayed there before my CZ journey last summer, and found it to be a great staging area for the trip. If you think about the hotel cost as an investment in your California Zephyr adventure, it surely pencils out as you will board the train feeling fresh and rested. If you have any questions about the Woodfin, PM me anytime and I'll do my best to answer them. It's going to be an amazing trip, have fun!

 

[leemell]

Hi Boxcar,
If you've settled on EMY, perhaps consider the Woodfin Hotel directly across from the station. There's a pedestrian bridge from its parking lot to the train platform, so it's an easy walk over to your train. Alternatively, if you have luggage and don't want to cross over, the hotel will shuttle you to the station- just ask when you check in.

I stayed there before my CZ journey last summer, and found it to be a great staging area for the trip. If you think about the hotel cost as an investment in your California Zephyr adventure, it surely pencils out as you will board the train feeling fresh and rested. If you have any questions about the Woodfin, PM me anytime and I'll do my best to answer them. It's going to be an amazing trip, have fun!

I can second that. We stayed there when connecting from the CZ to the CS. Very convenient and quite nice.

 

[DET63]

Aloha
The time I took the CZ to Chicago I rode the CS from LA. Scheduled Arrival 10:00pm(or so) the CZ was due to leave 9:00am (or so).

What I did was arrange with the EMY Denney's to overnight. Even though we go in very late the Denney's served me a snack put me in a large booth in the Back, took my order for breakfast at 6:00am. Promptly at 6 the woke me up with my order ready.

Now if only the CZ was on time that morning, I still had to wait to noon for the engines to be fixed, we got the problem ones from the CS

Denney's are OK in my book

Does GG-1 have off-the-wall connections like the_traveler?

 

[GG-1]

Aloha
The time I took the CZ to Chicago I rode the CS from LA. Scheduled Arrival 10:00pm(or so) the CZ was due to leave 9:00am (or so).

What I did was arrange with the EMY Denney's to overnight. Even though we go in very late the Denney's served me a snack put me in a large booth in the Back, took my order for breakfast at 6:00am. Promptly at 6 the woke me up with my order ready.

Now if only the CZ was on time that morning, I still had to wait to noon for the engines to be fixed, we got the problem ones from the CS

Denney's are OK in my book

Does GG-1 have off-the-wall connections like the_traveler?

No my connection is Overhead.

Aloha