Coast Starlight Discussion

Am planning to take the Starlight on my next trip to Seattle. I'd pick up the Starlight in Martinez or Oakland as I'll connect from a San Joaquin. I'm curious as to whether Northbound or Southbound is better for the entire experience? I'm planning on a roomette for access to the Pacific Parlour Car. I hate the fact that the first night Northbound is pretty well over by the time you board in CA. Seems as if you miss a bit of the experience, maybe I'm wrong.

Any suggestions are welcome!

I was actually disappointed in the scenery on the coast starlight route . i think there are other Amtrak trains that offer better , so i would say it doesnt matter much .
i would say the trip between sf and martinez is one of the more interesting parts .

If things are on time, I think northbound will offer the best in the way of scenery. Northern California, in either direction is going to be mostly during the dark time of the day. Northbound, if on time, will have you waking somewhere around Klamath Falls OR, so you will traveling over the Cascades summit area after daylight. IMO, the Startlight's best scenery is south of the Bay Area.....again, just my opinion.

Northbound is the only way to go on this train for best scenery. Not only that, the best scener, in my opinion is from LA to San Jose (especially along the Coast). Then the next day you have the Cascade mountains in daylight. Southbound, much of this is limited or in darkness. I often get off the Coast Starlight at Portland, overnight in Portland, so I then can either head out to the Oregon coast or take a Talgo train during daylight hours further north and on into Seattle. The Coast Starlight is right up there with best scenery - like the CA Zephyr (which is best when taken westbound).

Either way you go, You miss one of the most beautiful sights in the darkness-Mt. Shasta. Northbound after you come through the tunnel into Oregon, the scenery gets better until you get to Eugene. Keep your eyes open for Bald Eagles along Upper Klamath Lake and Odell Lake before you get to the Cascade Summit(northbound).
I've never been on the CS anywhere south of Martinez, so I can't comment on the southbound scenery past Martinez.
Tom Fuller
Crescent, OR (Klamath County)

Hello Railroad.net,

I have an opportunity to travel leisurely from Portland to Los Angeles in late May. I hear the coast starlight is one of the prettiest routes, and so I think I'm going to take amtrak all the way. I have a couple questions for you seasoned veterans:

General Questions:
- General advice for taking the coast starlight (unfortunately I can't afford a sleeper car) is there a way to get a shower in coach?
- I want to stop in San Francisco for a couple days, but it looks like the Coast Starlight doesn't actually stop in the city. Oakland is as close as it gets. What is the best way to get from Oakland to San Francisco Proper?
- Can I buy one ticket from Portland to LA and just stop in SFO and use the same ticket a couple days later to finish the journey?

Specific Question:
- Why does it take 12 hours to get from Oakland to Los Angeles on the coast starlight? It's only a 6 hour drive - Isn't it a direct shot!
- Amtrak offers a 8 hour way to get from San Francisco to LA, but it involves two buses. A bus to Stockton, a train to Bakersfield, and a Bus to LA. How nice are the busses, and why is this indrect route so much faster than the nice coast starline?

Thanks!
Geddes

Taking it from the top:

geddes wrote:- General advice for taking the coast starlight (unfortunately I can't afford a sleeper car) is there a way to get a shower in coach?

No. Showers are for sleeping car patrons only.

- I want to stop in San Francisco for a couple days, but it looks like the Coast Starlight doesn't actually stop in the city. Oakland is as close as it gets. What is the best way to get from Oakland to San Francisco Proper?

There is a connecting bus to SF. Or, detrain in Emeryville and ride a San Joaquins train one stop to Richmond and ride BART under the bay into the city.

- Can I buy one ticket from Portland to LA and just stop in SFO and use the same ticket a couple days later to finish the journey?

No. The Starlight is an all reserved train requiring a separate ticket for each leg of the trip

- Why does it take 12 hours to get from Oakland to Los Angeles on the coast starlight? It's only a 6 hour drive - Isn't it a direct shot!

The train follows the coast and encounters numerous curves and grades.

- Amtrak offers a 8 hour way to get from San Francisco to LA, but it involves two buses. A bus to Stockton, a train to Bakersfield, and a Bus to LA. How nice are the busses, and why is this indrect route so much faster than the nice coast starline?

I don't do busses so cannot help here. The "indirect" route is better engineered than the direct route.

Otherwise, enjoy the trip.

Maybe I can answer some of your questions.

No showers for coach passengers on any Amtrak train that I know of.

If one were to drive on the same general route taken by the Coast Starlight, it will take considerably more than 6 hours to get from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The quickest auto route from San Francisco to LA is generally the same route that you mention when you talk of taking 2 buses and a train. That is through the flat country of California's central valley, and it is as close to a "straight shot" as there is. Driving from San Francisco to downtown Los Angeles, even down the valley is more like 7 or 8 hours, not 6. The Coast Starlight, as the name implies, goes along the coast, which is not flat and straight like the central valley. There are buses that transfer passengers to San Francisco (from Emeryville). Also, you used to be able to catch a ferry to San Francisco from very close to the Jack London Square stop in Oakland.....I assume that is still the case.

I would strongly suggest booking a sleeper on this train(on the overnight segment). For a new train rider, I think you will find the ride in coach rough and booking sleeper on this train entitles you to a shower, free meals, access to the pacific parlor car (which I believe offers free wine tasting). The route from Oakland-LA also takes long because Amtrak does not actually own the tracks (Union Pacific RR Does)and this train has to deal with freight trains. California wants to open a high speed rail line from San Fransisco- LA with trains that travel at high speeds (200 MPH) and do the trip in like 3 hours. As far as getting to San Fransisco, I am not familiar with the area, but I would call amtrak (and talk w/ members on this board) for the best solution.

definetly get off in Sanfrancisco area to break your trip . otherwise your in danger of snoozing through the daytime portion and missing the scenery . ( though i was disappointed in the scenery , but im not a beach person . ) . a day off the train , a nites sleep and a shower will make all the diference .

and theres nothing wrong with going in coach , i would just breal the journey thats all .

Mr. Geddes, there is also a Lounge car, the Pacific Parlour, that is a "club' (of sorts) for Sleeping Car passengers. Reportedly it is better appointed than other Amtrak sSghtseer Lounges. Also full service meals at appropriate time of day are included in your Sleeping Car fare (alcohol and gratuity extra).

Best suggestion regarding Sleeper 'find the money'. Unless you are young and part of the backpack-youth hostel crowd that eschew spending money on personal comfort, you will be glad you took this advice. That you are concerned about an en-route shower suggests you value personal comfort when traveling; i KNOW I do.

If it's true you have to buy separate Portland-SF and SF-LA tickets to make the stopover, then Amtrak's bus to SF is the way to go, all right. But leaving SF you might as well take Caltrain to San Jose and catch the Starlight there.

In any case, don't backtrack Emeryville to Richmond just to get on BART to SF. There's a free shuttle from a block away from the Emeryville station to MacArthur BART.

Regarding the "other route".... Amtrak has service from Oakland to LA via the San Joaquin four times a day. You do not need to take the bus to Stockton unless you're connecting with one of the San Joaquins that runs from Sacramento. The San Joaquin's have heavy local traffic, but there's through passengers between the Bay Area and LA as well. The bus is a bus - nothing special. Amtrak has so many bus connections to and from the San Joaquin, that the train stations in Stockton and Bakersfield look like bus stations. As to the difference between the two routes - one is for scenery the other is for those who're basically going from point A to point B.

The San Joaquins on Fridays and Sundays are often standing-room only. During the week, between Stockton and Fresno, you're likely to find one of the coaches is taken over by school groups heading to/from Sacramento. Not a bad thing, except the lines in the cafe car can be long....really long.

I'd stay with the Starlight unless you simply want to get to LA quick.

I see that most of your questions have been well answered. You asked about the buses. They are well maintained and relatively new and the "motor coach attendants" are very professional. They ask that you don't call them "bus drivers" and that when you use the restroom in the back of the bus, please sit down and don't try to "be a man".
You may want to consider getting off the Coast Starlight in Sacramento early in the morning and then catch a later train to Emeryville to get the bus into SanFran.
There is also a 7AM San Joaquin out of SAC all the way to Bakersfield. From Bakersfield the bus goes up over the "infamous"
Grapevine on I-5. Comparing the time from Sacramento to LA Coast Starlight- 14.4 hours. SJ and bus- 7.7 hours.
My advice is to carry only one bag of less than 44 lbs whichever way you go.