Article by J. Michael Key
No matter where you are coming from, train travel to California is an excellent way of getting there in comfort. The Amtrak system has all the schedules from different areas of the country at each station. The information is also available online, so you can figure out which trains you have to take to reach your destination; it’s really quite simple. With gas prices being high, this is an alternative to driving that can save you time and money.
If you are traveling a long distance, Amtrak has sleeper cars to allow for overnight trips. Once you get to California, traveling within the state, say between San Diego and LA is easy and cost-effective as well. The right connections are all it takes and they can be found at the train station as well as in Amtrak’s brochure which can be ordered online.
Amtrak connects the major train stations up and down the coast, and inland to other parts of the country. Once you are in the Los Angeles area, you’ll often ride Metrolink, the regional rail system. This extensive system hits many stations where Amtrak does not stop. Metro Link schedules are available at the train stations.
So Amtrak is the national system and Metrolink is the regional railway in the greater Los Angeles area (Orange County and parts of San Bernardino and Riverside counties included). An alternative to get you to where you are going in San Diego County is train travel aboard the San Diego Coaster. This regional train links North County and San Diego and many people use this mode of transportation for traveling to and from work. In addition, it is a great way to get to San Diego attractions while you are vacationing in California.
Train travel is a much easier way of getting from one destination to the other without the hassle of automobile traffic, and without the security hassles of air travel. If you are from out of state and have traveled to California via airplane or train, continuing on your way using Metrolink or the San Diego Coaster will be convenient. It will also allow you to see more of the sites than if you were driving.
The Coaster’s schedule is also available online, so this can be printed out and taken with you if this is the way you are planning to travel. All the destinations as well as route numbers, a map and times the train departs and arrives are available on this schedule; it’s really pretty impressive. In some cases the trains have continued to add cars as the number of passengers using the trains have increased dramatically.
The San Diego stations have ticket vending machines that allow you to confirm your destination and purchase the ticket with cash or credit card. If you are not planning on returning the same day, a one-way ticket would be the best choice. This will allow you to purchase a return ticket when you are ready.
There is always the option of flying into one area of California and using train travel to get to your desired destination. This may be what you prefer to do if you have a long way to travel.
When you are ready to take off on your California vacation, you will definitely want to check out Amtrak and the Metrolink and San Diego Coaster trains. Train travel can be a plus when you have a limited amount of time to check out a few things on your vacation.
About the Author
Michael Key has written extensively for 30 years on a variety of issues. For more information on train travel to Southern California check out the SoCal Vacation Guru.com.
Use and distribution of this article is subject to our Publisher Guidelines
whereby the original author’s information and copyright must be included.