Parking at SJC Diridon

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GAT

GAT

GAT
AU Supporting Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2008
Messages
625
Location
San Francisco
Looking at the "Stations" tab for SJC on the Amtrak website, I can find lots of information except for two important items: whether or not there is parking, and a local phone number to call to find out.

I know there's free parking at EMY, so I checked the "Stations" info for that location, and the same two items are missing. Living in San Francisco proper, I have the choice of driving to San Jose to catch the CS and saving some train time and a bit of fare, but that option's not so viable if there isn't free and convenient parking nearby.

Any ideas as to how I can find out? Perhaps I need to talk with Julie, who's probably in Minneapolis or Chicago or somewhere.......... :blink:

Thanks!
 
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San Jose has it's own Amtrak parking lot. And it is free. You'll just need to get a permit from the ticket clerks and put it on your dashboard.
 
IHC said:
San Jose has it's own Amtrak parking lot. And it is free. You'll just need to get a permit from the ticket clerks and put it on your dashboard.
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That is good to know. How did you find out about this and where is the Amtrak lot located?

I had also done searches for parking info there and all that I could find was paid parking for CalTrain with a 24 hr limit.
 
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The Amtrak lot is located to the far left of the train station (in the corner). It is near the old baggage rooms, which are now in use by the Amtrak PD. The lot is specifically marked for Amtrak passengers only, and valid Amtrak permits are required to park there.
 
IHC said:
The Amtrak lot is located to the far left of the train station (in the corner). It is near the old baggage rooms, which are now in use by the Amtrak PD. The lot is specifically marked for Amtrak passengers only, and valid Amtrak permits are required to park there.
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Thanks for the info. I'll check it out this weekend. :)

Free parking would certainly make a s/b round trip on the CS a little more enticing since I was having trouble making it work both ways by parking at GAC and using CC to connect. That option would work on the outbound but the n/b CS arrives too late to catch a CC back to GAC.
 
Thanks for everybody's help. Now I have to decide. Here are some factoids (assuming trains are on schedule):

EMY-SLO-EMY - Leave my house at 7:30am; return to house at 10:45pm - Fare $196 (Roomette $69) - Breakfast and lunch southbound; dinner northbound; wine tasting and movie northbound

SJC-SLO-SJC - Leave my house at 8:30am; return to house at 9:45pm - Fare $186 (Roomette $69) - Lunch southbound; dinner northbound; wine tasting northbound

Difficult decision, no? Breakfast out of EMY is certainly worth the extra $10 fare, but I save two hours travel time (door-to-door) out of SJC. But I don't get to see the movie. The last two times it was Julie and Julia, and the Sandra Bullock movie about the football kid - both really good movies.

What to do! What to do! (The client will be paying the fare either way.) :lol:
 
George said:
Thanks for everybody's help. Now I have to decide. Here are some factoids (assuming trains are on schedule):
EMY-SLO-EMY - Leave my house at 7:30am; return to house at 10:45pm - Fare $196 (Roomette $69) - Breakfast and lunch southbound; dinner northbound; wine tasting and movie northbound

SJC-SLO-SJC - Leave my house at 8:30am; return to house at 9:45pm - Fare $186 (Roomette $69) - Lunch southbound; dinner northbound; wine tasting northbound

Difficult decision, no? Breakfast out of EMY is certainly worth the extra $10 fare, but I save two hours travel time (door-to-door) out of SJC. But I don't get to see the movie. The last two times it was Julie and Julia, and the Sandra Bullock movie about the football kid - both really good movies.

What to do! What to do! (The client will be paying the fare either way.) :lol:
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Interesting...

I had never even considered a same-day r/t on the CS going that direction. Maybe because everyone says the best scenery (ocean views) is south of SLO. 23 minutes at SLO (if both trains are on time) is cutting it pretty close too. :eek:

As for your quandary, I'd prefer to just leave from SJC but that's just because there ain't much to see between EMY & SJC (other than the ghost town of Drawbridge) but I've been that way many times already. I guess the real question is how valuable is your own time?

Enjoy the trip whatever you decide! ;)
 
Yes, Cristobal, that would be cutting it pretty close. Just to be clear, I'm going south on the 12th and returning on the 13th after a 1:00pm meeting in SLO on the 13th. Personally, also, I think the most spectacular scenery is between Paso Robles and SLO, going over the grade and around the double-S curve. The view of the valley to the east is stunning - especially in the verdant springtime. Anyway, I've bought my ticket ouit of EMY, partly because, as a semi-retired person, I feel I don't have to hurry things. Also, if I decide I want to use SJC instead, I suppose all I'll have to do is call Julie and let her know, since I've already paid the slightly higher fare and don't care about a refund.
 
George said:
Yes, Cristobal, that would be cutting it pretty close. Just to be clear, I'm going south on the 12th and returning on the 13th after a 1:00pm meeting in SLO on the 13th. Personally, also, I think the most spectacular scenery is between Paso Robles and SLO, going over the grade and around the double-S curve. The view of the valley to the east is stunning - especially in the verdant springtime. Anyway, I've bought my ticket ouit of EMY, partly because, as a semi-retired person, I feel I don't have to hurry things. Also, if I decide I want to use SJC instead, I suppose all I'll have to do is call Julie and let her know, since I've already paid the slightly higher fare and don't care about a refund.
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Ahhh... That makes a little more sense. ;)

I've read where others share your opinion of the scenery over and around Cuesta Grade. I've only ever driven it before and that was quite a few years ago when the construction on 101 made it a white-knuckle experience. :eek: It may be time to see it again from a more relaxed vantage point and pace. :)

Have a great trip George!
 
On the RR grade, you are much higher than the highway and on the other side of the canyon. That's why the views are so spectacular. Do take the trip some time. I've often thought it would be fun to put the CS and PS on both ends of a long weekend in San Diego.
 
Apologies for replying to this old post - I know some forums would prefer you starting a new topic (and I'm happy to do that if that's preferable). However I found this discussion through Google and thought my experience may be helpful to others reaching this page from a web search.

I am taking a train trip from San Jose to Los Angeles (and then to San Diego) but then flying back a few days later. I was wondering if I could park at or near the San Jose Station with a one-way ticket. The short answer is no.

I first called the 1-800-USA-RAIL number and spoke with someone who told me that parking at San Jose was usually $5 / day, but could increase to $10 or more if there was an event nearby. Having a one-way ticket didn't seem to be a problem. But she also gave me a phone number for the San Jose station to check on the rate. Since I ended up getting conflicting information I'll relay that number: (408) 287-1848

The agent at San Jose told me that, no I could not park at the station with a one-way ticket. I would need to have a round-trip ticket (and then I think in that case it would be free - not positive though). I asked if there was long-term parking available near the station and she said no - best option may be to try downtown San Jose.

Anyway, since I'm flying back to San Jose airport I ended up reserving at a Park n Fly near there. Hope this information is useful to others....
 
We ran into that in Emeryville. Flying down, riding train back. Agent said can't leave car with a one way ticket. We parked at Fly & Ride. When we got back, a short and inexpensive Uber ride got us to the car.
 
Yes, if you have a round trip ticket you can park for free. Park in the lot next to the Amtrak police station, and go to the counter and get a pass. I've never heard about the round trip restriction – that might vary from station to station. I parked in San Jose with a one-way ticket (Reno via Capitol Corridor and Zephyr). I told them truthfully that I was planning to come back via thruway/Cap Corridor from Redding, so that might have made the difference. Plans changed mid-trip, though, and I ended up driving back to San Jose with a buddy.
 
Just wanted to confirm the round trip rule. The first question I was asked was if I have a return ticket
 

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