Has anyone taken Amtrak's Coast Starlight?

Question

I'm thinking of taking this train from Los Angeles to Seattle or vice versa just for fun.

What was your experience?

Answer 1

Yes, I have taken the Coast Starlight and the Pacific Surfliner...  both are nice to take (better than driving anyway!).

Answer 2

As for myself, I've never ridden an Amtrak train. I'm not so sure I'll be looking forward to. I hear, and see so much negative press about it. Ohh, how I long for the days when the railroads had their own passenger trains. But, alas.....I know those days will NEVER EVER return. Bummer.

Answer 3

The problem with the Coast Starlight is that tracks are owned by Union Pacific and they are doing a lot of trackwork and bad train dispatching so the Coast Starlight is ever late.

There is a notice in the website telling that until December 2006 the train can be delayed by UP.

Trip time is 35h 15 min.

Cost is US$ 174.00  by coach full fare, but if you purchase in advance US$ 89.00.

You can go in sleeping car, that it´s expensive (add US$ 247 PER BEDROOM -two beds- to the fare) but very comfortable, meals are included.

Answer 4

I've taken the Starlight from LA to Emeryville a couple times and it is a very scenic trip. The previous poster is right in saying that it usually runs late, up to 4 hours late (a nickname is the 'Coast Starlate'). If you have the time, it sure beats driving, especially if you are intending to make the trip at the end of a major holiday like Thanksgiving. One Thanksgiving I drove I-5 from LA to SF and it took 13 hours (it normally takes about 6 hours) simply because the roads were jammed with traffic; I-5 in the Central Valley was literally a big parking lot for many minutes at a time. So I decided next time to try the train.

If you feel like spending the money, especially if you are traveling with a party of 2 or 3, you might consider renting one of the little roomettes. This upgrade also gets you priority at the dining car at mealtimes. The food is not gourmet but pretty good; a lot better than fast food along the highway.

I've never taken the trip from SF to Seattle but everyone says it is really beautiful especially in the summer.

Answer 5

Indeed the Starlight is a beautifully scenice trip through northern California and Oregon.  Because the train is chronically 3 to 4 hours late, the ride through the Siskiyou Mountains of California and the Cascades of Oregon are made in the daylight, during summer months, on the trip north bound, but you have to be awake early.  In this instance, on going tardiness is not necessarily a bad thing (unless you are trying to make a connection with some other transportation that runs chronically on time).

Bring water, fruit and other snacks.  As a pleasure ride, I think you'll have a great trip!

Answer 6

First of all, I have to ask you.......Are you biker chick, Jill, from Long Beach, Cals, "Thrifty Drug Store"??????? Because, if you are, Jill, remember, me...Christy Butner, (at the time) now, Kelley.I married, David, you met him,,,,We're devorced, now , tho. Wow, girl if this is you, email, me at: [e-mail].....If not, to answer your question, I've only, traveled on the "Regular" Amtraks, I thought they were nice, the food "Not so good, for the price", but, I actually went back to Long Beach, via, AmTrak, two summers ago, and it was such a "Luxery", in comparison, to Greyhound, you know....Jill, is this is the same Jill, I use to work with you, are you & "Shotgun" still together? I heard you transfered too, the Seal Beach, Thrifties, you & Joanne, did.... Well, I'd love to hear from you, otherwise, the Starlight sounds like something worth checking out.

Answer 7

Sleeping car passengers also have access to the Pacific Parlour lounge car, which has somewhat more comfortable seats than the regular lounge car, plus a continental breakfast, a daily wine and cheese tasting, and occasional other snacks.  The Coast Starlight is Amtrak's only train with a special first-class lounge car.

One fairly well-kept secret about Amtrak is that, if there's sleeping car space available about 7-10 days before a train is going to depart, they'll start calling people with coach reservations and offer them a discounted price to upgrade.  That happened to me when I took the Coast Starlight in May 2002, so maybe you'll get lucky.

I think I'm part of a very exclusive club as a result of that trip, because the Starlight was running on time for most of the run north from L.A. -- in fact, until just south of Portland, when we sat around for about 75 minutes waiting for a freight.  (I was connecting to the Empire Builder to Chicago, which was held about a half-hour for the Coast Starlight passengers.  These days, they've decided the northbound Coast Starlight is late so often that the connection is in the form of a connecting bus between Klamath Falls, Oregon, and Pasco, Washington.)