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Robin Wright

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I'm coming over there from the UK (what's left of it) and planning a trip to travel on the Coastal Starlight - Seatle to Roseville (where relatives live). Everything is fine until I reach Sacremento were I arrive early - around 6am. Then there is a wait for the Thruway to Roseville of 4 hours which seems an incredible length of time especially at that time of day. I have investigated getting a cab but it is very expensive. If I just book Amtrak from Seatle to Sacremento is there another means of transport that I could use?
 
Spend the time in Old Sacramento. It is very close to the train station and feels like a wild west town. Really cool shops, museum's, and great place to walk around and stretch your legs after being on the train all day. Assuming the train is on time. Also, the state capital building and park is one of the most beautiful state capitals in the country. (But that is the opposite direction from Old Sac)
 
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It looks like there are several options for local transit. Go to Google Maps. Choose "directions." Put in your destination, and use "Sacramento Station, 401 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814" for the origin. Click the bus/train icon above. Be sure to change the "depart at" time. Have a nice trip!

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Spend the time in Old Sacramento. It is very close to the train station and feels like a wild west town. Really cool shops, museum's, and great place to walk around and stretch your legs after being on the train all day. Assuming the train is on time. Also, the state capital building and park is one of the most beautiful state capitals in the country. (But that is the opposite direction from Old Sac)
The OP will have been on the train overnight from Seattle, and there is not much to do in Old Town at 6am but walk around, though it is cool to see and will keep a person occupied for an hour or more.
 
If you are willing to rent a car (license?) you can ride a YOLO bus out to the airport (SMF) and rent a car or get breakfast and wait for the downtown car rentals to open at 9AM.

Old town Sac is really dead until about 9:30AM. Jim Denny's is a great place for breakfast (12th st between G and H).

If Jim Denny's is closed, it's a long walk down past the capitol to the Fox & Goose (great English breakfast).
 
The short answer to the OP's question is yes you can get to Roseville without having to wait for the Thruway Bus four hours later. Roseville Transit runs commuter buses into Downtown Sacramento between 5 and 9ish AM. The little known secret is you can take one of those buses back to Roseville you just have to catch AM routes 3, 4, 5 or 9 which you can get if you walk over to 12th Street between G and H St's. The link for this is here.

In the alternative you can take light rali from 12th and I Streets to the Watt/I-80 station where you'll connect to the 93 bus to Louis and Orlando in Roseville. Your relatives should know where it is. Otherwise you can connect at Watt/I-80 to Placer County Transit which would take you to the Galleria in Roseville (where everyone in Roseville should know how to get to.)

Sac RT just raised the fare so it would be $2.75 for light rail to Watt/I-80 (payable at a ticket machine just south of the corner of 12th and H St (it's a proof of payment system so keep the ticket on you for possible inspection) then you'd pay another $2.75 on the bus (exact change only drivers do not carry change.)

Placer County Transit can be found here
Sacramento RT can be found here

If you are willing to rent a car (license?) you can ride a YOLO bus out to the airport (SMF) and rent a car or get breakfast and wait for the downtown car rentals to open at 9AM.
Old town Sac is really dead until about 9:30AM. Jim Denny's is a great place for breakfast (12th st between G and H).
If Jim Denny's is closed, it's a long walk down past the capitol to the Fox & Goose (great English breakfast).
Jim Denny's is on the corner of 12th and Terminal Way between H and I Streets. They're also closed Monday and Tuesday IIRC.
 
Greyhound Bus Lines might get you there a little bit faster, but not much. The first bus departs at 9:25 AM, and takes 35 minutes. Then there's getting to the Greyhound station. I wouldn't think it would be worth it.

The reason for the time between connections is that the Amtrak bus is really tied to Amtrak 524 (Capitol Corridor), which arrives at 9:48. If that train is late, the bus will wait for it. I suppose that's a relatively convenient connection from the southbound Coast Starlight, and enough time if the CS is late. The bus isn't dedicated to the Coast Starlight like the connection to San Francisco from Emeryville. The connection from the CS to Roseville isn't even in the schedule, but it's noted in the Capitol Corridor schedule (comment 22).
 
Getting to Greyhound isn't as difficult as it used to be but still involves light rail and a few blocks walking. Personally, I wouldn't bother with that and just take either a returning Roseville Transit commuter bus or light rail to an RT bus or Placer County Transit. Either of those would be easier and faster.
 
I would note that you might need some flexibility if the train is delayed. Also - if your relatives are picking you up, it might be easier at the Sacramento station. However, if you need to spend some time waiting for them, there's an excellent shopping mall in Roseville, and the Roseville A-line bus from the light rail station does go there.
 
The CS from Seattle actually passes through the Roseville station, but does not stop there. Still, Roseville is only about a 15 minute drive from Sacramento. Perhaps your friends could pick you up? Or perhaps Uber service is available, if not a local bus service.
 
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The CS from Seattle actually passes through the Roseville station, but does not stop there. Still, Roseville is only about a 15 minute drive from Sacramento. Perhaps your friends could pick you up? Or perhaps Uber service is available, if not a local bus service.
The Coast Starlight no longer takes the UP route which goes through Roseville. but now the former WP route directly south from Marysville.
 
The CS from Seattle actually passes through the Roseville station, but does not stop there. Still, Roseville is only about a 15 minute drive from Sacramento. Perhaps your friends could pick you up? Or perhaps Uber service is available, if not a local bus service.
It's also about a half hour from the Sacramento Amtrak to Roseville by car not fifteen minutes.
 
Try to book soon on the 'Coast Starlight.' By booking three months in advance (albeit that my trip is northbound), I saved about 36 per cent on today's price, a week or so before I step on board. Get a sleeper (roomette) on the upper level.
 
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