AMTRAK West Coast

[Guest tmbg]

My trip to Southern California will be extended by 3 months. I am trying to get to San Francisco to visit the my gay homeland :-) Compared to the eastern states the train schedule seems pretty cumbersome. In fact, one route goes through Bakersfield, while another drops you off in Oakland, then they bus riders to SF. I would like to find out if anyone has any experiences with the route from Los Angeles to San Francisco?

 

Also, interested in hiring an escort 18-26 more toward the twink-ish type. Any recommendations?

 

Cheers! Ritchie

[guyinsf]

I don't think that Amtrak comes into San Francisco, but I could be wrong. I think Oakland is the closest.

[N.N.]

The coolest stretch of track in California is the Tehachapi Loop,

but you'll have to hop a freight to ride it. Or: rent a car,

drive from LA to SF, and take a detour just to watch freight

trains looping over themselves at Tehachapi. You'll probably

still get to SF faster than you would've by train, and you'll

have satisfied your rail fix in a big way.

 

To me, half the appeal of passenger train service is arriving

at a big ol' station in the heart of the city you wanna go to.

Taking a bus from Oakland or Stockton (or arriving at Caltrain's

4th and Townsend station) doesn't cut it.

[Guest]

Amtrak does not go to SF. This is because SF is on a peninsula, so the only way in is from the south. There is one train a day from LA to the Bay Area. It's a leisurely ride, which you would only take if you enjoy slow scenic train rides (you can get there quicker and cheaper by bus, and often even by plane). To get to SF, you have to either take the Amtrak train to San Jose, and then a slow commuter train to the SF Depot (in a funky part of SF), or you can take Amtrak to Oakland, and then a bus or cab to SF.

There is also a train which leaves from Bakersfield, but this would be a very wierd way to get to SF. You'd need to take a bus from LA to Bakersfield (about 2 hours), and the train trip from Bakersfield to Oakland isn't very scenic (mostly farm country). The San Jose option also doesn't exist for the Bakersfield train.

[Guest cp8036]

I hope the only reason you consider taking the train from LA to SF is for the views and the nostalgia of rail travel. The west coast is neither cost or time effective.

 

However the plane option may catch up to car and train travel due to the security issues, lines, and weather delays.

 

Train trip from OAK/SF is about 8-9 hours

Car is 5 hours

Bus is 6-7 hours

Plane is 1 hour

 

Airfare, when purchased wisely, costs about $80 round trip. With United Mileage Plus I earn about 3000-3500 miles for each LA-SF roundtrip.

 

There are hourly flights between LA area and Bay area.

[Guest tmbg]

Hey Guys, Thanks for the info. It seems the train schedules here in California are not as user friendly as in the east. I'll probably fly or might even drive.

 

Cheers! Ritchie

[BgMstr4u]

California being what it is, there is no easy way to get anywhere from anywhere else there, and particularly not from LA to San Francisco. San Francisco prefers it that way. A trip across the trackless wastes of LA alone can take the better part of a day.

 

Amtrak has its charms. It meanders, sometimes approximating the published schedule, and as often not, through The Valley, always exciting, and up the coast. It will take you through the Salinas Valley, which can be quite lovely. The station in Oakland is one of the great old stations in the center of a large city, as you enjoy. Unfortunately, it is mostly closed and, of course, it is in Oakland, which is not the great city you wish to reach.

 

Flying only seems to be faster. The approach to LAX is one of the engineering marvels of the modern world, managing to place a great international airport miles from any freeway in the city which invented freeways. There is a wonderful light rail line starting downtown which was designed -- purposely -- to stop just before it gets to the airport. Plan plenty of airport approach time. And don't forget the time of personal scrutiny now required of us all.

 

Actually, flying to San Francisco won't get you to San Francisco. Your destination choices are OAK (Oakland, again, with the advantage of an easy BART connection) or SFO, which actually is in the near vicinity of San Bruno, in San Mateo County. There may be a BART connection there in someone's lifetime.

 

Driving can be lovely, especially if it is nice weather. Take the 101 to the 1, and follow the coast north. It is one of the mostly strikingly beautiful drives in the world, all the more beautiful since as you are going north, you will be on the inside, hugging the hills, and not so easily overcome by fear of falling into the ocean, a common affliction for the faint of heart traveling south. Unless of course the landslides have blocked the way and you have to turn back and retrace hundreds of miles without access roads through the mountains to the east. Be sure to pack extra food and water, blankets for warmth, and lots of extra flashlight batteries. And don't forget to fill up frequently, as sometimes the station in Lucia is open, and sometimes it isn't, but it was and probably still is the only one for many, many miles. And then of course there are the bears..... but that's for another time.

[Guest]

>Train trip from OAK/SF is about 8-9 hours

>Car is 5 hours

>Bus is 6-7 hours

>Plane is 1 hour

>

>Airfare, when purchased wisely, costs about $80 round trip.

>With United Mileage Plus I earn about 3000-3500 miles for

>each LA-SF roundtrip.

>

>There are hourly flights between LA area and Bay area.

 

How do you get all those miles? I thought it was just the 500-mile minimum? Or are you Platinum Elite? With security these days, I would only fly if you have to leave your rental car in LA to avoid drop-off charges. Otherwise, you have to get to the rental car place, make sure your charges are OK (the last time I had to wait in line for 20 minutes because some jerk charged me to fill up the tank even though I brought it in full), then take the shuttle to the terminal, then they may still be recommending 2 hours due to security, then you have to arrange transportation in SF. And, of course, SFO is one of the world's #1 airports for delays. It's just not worth it for me. I'd rather drive, and then I have my car when I get there.

[J-Man]

I've never taken the train that way myself (I usually drive), but if you're going to do so, take the coast route-- it's supposedly very scenic.

 

As for flying, Southwest is almost ALWAYS offering $30 one-way fares within Calif. They don't fly to SFO anymore, but you can get to Oakland. And I'd recommend flying OUT of either Burbank (BUR) or Ontario (ONT.) Much easier to deal with than LAX!

 

(I'm originally from the Bay Area but now "in exile" in the Southland.)

[Guest pressyourluck]

I would agree with you that flying may be faster ... but you have to check in 1 1/2 to 2 hours ahead, 1 hour for the flight and 1/2 hour to get the bags, it basically almost as fast to drive.

 

--------------------

no whammies, no whammies, stop!

[Guest IM_Moore]

The train is one of the worse ways to travel in California. I have taken this once before and never again. 15 hours from San Diego to Oakland. Then another 45 inutes in the bus to San Francisco. It was not worth the hassle. Boring is the best way to describe the trip. As some other person mentioned even if you fly it can be a nightmare because of all the security issues. best to hop in a car and drive up 5, not the coast .... you'll make it from LA in about 7 hours. Oh and San Frincisco itself is a pretty boring place. I have never been able to find the attraction.

 

LICK IT UP :9

[Guest cp8036]

<...How do you get all those miles? I thought it was just the 500-mile minimum? ...>

 

Uni,

 

Can rack the miles up with United or American.

 

500 base miles

250 25% bonus for elite status

500 double miles

1000 on-line booking

500 from hotel

450 from car

 

It sucks with the delays due to 9-11. Oakland has gotten really bad recently. Avoid flying Friday or Sundays.

[RM]

No one drives 1 unless they really want to watch the scenery. I M Moore is right. Unless you want to stop in Big Sur or Monterey or Santa Barbara or several other coastal towns, take 5 through the San Joaquin Valley to 580, past Oakland and over the Bay Bridge to San Francisco.