Coast Starlight: L.A. to Oakland

[VictoriaShe]

So I've been thinking that we won't really get the full train experience and full value from the Roomette, and we will miss the most beautiful scenery, if we just do a day trip to Santa Barbara and back. Having slept on the idea, I've decided that we're going from Union Station to Oakland (with Roomette). (He has no input, since it's a birthday surprise.) And now I'm really excited about it. Spending a couple of nights in a fleabag motel in Oakland, but taking the BART to SF the day between train rides and having a delicious lunch at The Slanted Door at the Ferry Building, sight-see around SF for a few hours, then the BART to Berkeley for a sublime dinner at Chez Panisse. I do have my priorities (food).

My only reservation about the change in plans is that it is 11+ hours from L.A. to Oakland. We don't have train experience, but I do know that an airplane ride that long would drive me batty. On the other hand, I can, and often do, easily lounge around at home for an entire day.

How do you spend that time? Bring a book? Your laptop? Are you itching to get off the train at the end of the trip, or do you wish you could stay longer?

It's five weeks away, and I cannot wait!

 

[Jeremy]

Prediction: You will arrive in Oakland wishing you could stay on to Portland.

 

[caravanman]

Well, if you have a roomette, and it's your guy's birthday.. I can think of better ways to pass the time than reading a book...

Ed

 

[Bob Dylan]

After lounging in the PPC, drinking the little bottles of wine your SCA gives you, you will be so enchanted by the scenery along the way, meeting others from all over and eating lunch and dinner in the PPC that when you roll into Jack London Square I'll predict you won't want to get off! This was my signigicant others reaction this summer when we made this trip, and watch out, it's addictive!

As to staying in Oakland?, theres a couple of OK places by JLS but there are some real deals in the City, be sure and ride the ferry across the bay! And dont forget the cable cars! :lol: Next time youll want to, as the other poster said, ride to PDX,SEA and Vancouver, BC! (one of the worlds best kept secrets!) As to entertainment, it's right out your window and you'll have a ring side seat (a swivel lounge chair with a picture window!), you may want to get out your phone to take some video or pics, and your lap top to send an e-mail to envious friends (this includes us here, a trip report is expected! :lol: )

but doubt if a book is necessary! Also you probably wont even spend any time in your roomette, most people dont that arent going overnight on this route!

 

[Long Train Runnin']

I think you will have a great time, and when you roll into Santa Barbra you will be so glad you have more time to ride. Don't forget to leave your room :lol: the PPC is really worth it.

 

[sunchaser]

It looks like according to the schedule, you have at least one short stop before arriving in Oakland.

You will be able to detrain, stretch your legs briefly, but stay near the train.

You will have lunch, you could go to the wine tasting, have dinner.

If you do imbibe, you can bring alcohol on board to consume in your roomette only.

You can either stay in your roomette, go to the Parlor Car, Sightseer Lounge Car, or read/snooze/watch a movie on your computer if you want.

I also expect you will want to stay on the train longer!!

Enjoy your ride!

 

[VictoriaShe]

Woohoo! They are going to give us little bottles of wine!? Yes, I think we will take the ferry, rather than the BART, from Oakland to SF.

And Ed, you do make an excellent point....

 

[sunchaser]

Woohoo! They are going to give us little bottles of wine!? Yes, I think we will take the ferry, rather than the BART, from Oakland to SF.
And Ed, you do make an excellent point....

Yes, they will give you Champagne splits. They are 187 ml (about 2/3 cup). The brand we got was JFJ, California Champagne, extra dry. It didn't taste too bad.

If it is not offered to you, ask your Sleeping Car Attendant for some.

We brought a small cooler designed to hold wine with a couple of bottles in it-and drank it in our bedroom. It was kinda romantic.......

 

[the_traveler]

You will have 1 (but I believe 2) meals northbound, and 2 (maybe 3) meals southbound included, plus the wine tasting each way! Spend time in the PPC, and you won't be bored at all!

 

[acelafan]

How do you spend that time? Bring a book? Your laptop? Are you itching to get off the train at the end of the trip, or do you wish you could stay longer?

Like others have said, check out the Pacific Parlor Car - it's a fantastic view. Make sure you are in there for the ride around Vandenberg Air Force base - that is between Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. The ocean views along that particular route are stunning. And no highways or billboards to clutter up the view! I think they do wine tasting around that time for the northbound journey, which is perfect.

If you want a quiet dinner for just the two of you, take advantage and have dinner in the PPC where you will have your own table. Otherwise you'll share a table with others in the dining car (which is fun, too!)

And when it's time to get off in Oakland, I think you will be yearning for the return trip. The Coast Starlight is a fabulous route. Enjoy!

PS. I brought several books/magazines to read on the train, but even when it's dark out I just found myself chatting with others in the PPC or relaxing and listening to music from time to time. Didn't get to do much reading - I can read at home!

 

[rail_rider]

I am soooo jealous of your man! That sounds like a birthday present I'd like to receive. As to what to do for 11 hours you can bring magazines, crossword puzzle books, or an ipod. I think you'll find yourself wondering around the cars meeting interesting people, or just looking out the window at all the passing scenery. I used to bring a book but never could spend enough time reading it to justify the extra weight so I find a magazine satisfies my desire to read. This will be a great opportunity to have some alone time with your man. Enjoy yourself, relax and just go with the flow.

 

[BeckysBarn]

So I've been thinking that we won't really get the full train experience and full value from the Roomette, and we will miss the most beautiful scenery, if we just do a day trip to Santa Barbara and back. Having slept on the idea, I've decided that we're going from Union Station to Oakland (with Roomette). (He has no input, since it's a birthday surprise.) And now I'm really excited about it. Spending a couple of nights in a fleabag motel in Oakland, but taking the BART to SF the day between train rides and having a delicious lunch at The Slanted Door at the Ferry Building, sight-see around SF for a few hours, then the BART to Berkeley for a sublime dinner at Chez Panisse. I do have my priorities (food).
My only reservation about the change in plans is that it is 11+ hours from L.A. to Oakland. We don't have train experience, but I do know that an airplane ride that long would drive me batty. On the other hand, I can, and often do, easily lounge around at home for an entire day.

How do you spend that time? Bring a book? Your laptop? Are you itching to get off the train at the end of the trip, or do you wish you could stay longer?

It's five weeks away, and I cannot wait!

11 hours will go by so fast! It's not airplane hours where you have to sit in your seat most of the time.

The only time I was ready to get off the train was my first trip on the CZ. I had flown to SFO for a family emergency and took the CZ back. It was exactly what I needed - strangers to talk to when I wanted & a place (roomette) to go hide when I wanted. But by the time we hit Nebraska, it looked too much like Illinois. I was ready to be home.

You'll have a great time. And like others, I think you'll wish you were going all the way to PDX!

 

[JayPea]

Not only Portland, but you'll wish you'd gone all the way to Seattle as well!!

 

[VictoriaShe]

Not only Portland, but you'll wish you'd gone all the way to Seattle as well!!

... Or maybe even to Vancouver! (Next time. )

Well, I keep upgrading, little by little. Now we are going to San Francisco and staying at the Omni for two nights (instead of the place in Oakland where one reviewer said, "I'd rather sleep on a bus bench" :unsure: ). It's a bus ride from the Oakland Station to the Ferry Building. Probably no Chez Panisse, but I'm still expecting it to be a wonderful trip.

You all sound just as excited as I am! That's so nice! And I really appreciate all of your input and suggestions. Your love of the train makes me know this is a good birthday present.... Thanks.

 

[Michael061282]

As to staying in Oakland?, theres a couple of OK places by JLS but there are some real deals in the City, be sure and ride the ferry across the bay! And dont forget the cable cars! :lol: Next time youll want to, as the other poster said, ride to PDX,SEA and Vancouver, BC! (one of the worlds best kept secrets!) As to entertainment, it's right out your window and you'll have a ring side seat (a swivel lounge chair with a picture window!), you may want to get out your phone to take some video or pics, and your lap top to send an e-mail to envious friends (this includes us here, a trip report is expected! :lol: )but doubt if a book is necessary! Also you probably wont even spend any time in your roomette, most people dont that arent going overnight on this route!

on a side note, I booked 3 nights at the Courtyard Inn in Downtown Oakland for $40/night on Priceline. It's the Amtral crew hotel, or at least the CZ crew hotel. It's a good place, right on the edge of Chinatown and abut 7 or 8 blocks from JLS and 1 block from BART.

I took the Starlight for the first time since 1989 2 years ago from LAX to PDX and I was just blown away by the service, and also the number of people that were just taking roomettes from LA to Oakland. Does Amtrak actively market doing that ? It's a great idea.

 

[GG-1]

Not only Portland, but you'll wish you'd gone all the way to Seattle as well!!

... Or maybe even to Vancouver! (Next time. )

Well, I keep upgrading, little by little. Now we are going to San Francisco and staying at the Omni for two nights (instead of the place in Oakland where one reviewer said, "I'd rather sleep on a bus bench" :unsure: ). It's a bus ride from the Oakland Station to the Ferry Building. Probably no Chez Panisse, but I'm still expecting it to be a wonderful trip.

You all sound just as excited as I am! That's so nice! And I really appreciate all of your input and suggestions. Your love of the train makes me know this is a good birthday present.... Thanks.

Aloha

Several here seem to think the Jack London Inn, about 2 bloks from the station directly on the square, is terrible. I found it quit pleasant when I stayed there for the NoCal Fest. $49 a night for a clean room and bed, pleasant staff, and trains right outside in the midle of the street. Train Sounds to sleep by .

 

[AudenHoggart]

Not only Portland, but you'll wish you'd gone all the way to Seattle as well!!

... Or maybe even to Vancouver! (Next time. )

Well, I keep upgrading, little by little. Now we are going to San Francisco and staying at the Omni for two nights (instead of the place in Oakland where one reviewer said, "I'd rather sleep on a bus bench" :unsure: ). It's a bus ride from the Oakland Station to the Ferry Building. Probably no Chez Panisse, but I'm still expecting it to be a wonderful trip.

You all sound just as excited as I am! That's so nice! And I really appreciate all of your input and suggestions. Your love of the train makes me know this is a good birthday present.... Thanks.

Aloha

Several here seem to think the Jack London Inn, about 2 bloks from the station directly on the square, is terrible. I found it quit pleasant when I stayed there for the NoCal Fest. $49 a night for a clean room and bed, pleasant staff, and trains right outside in the midle of the street. Train Sounds to sleep by .

Another option is the Woodfin Suites in Emeryville. We've stayed there a couple of times prior to taking the Zephyr. It's adjacent to the Emeryville station and is a nice modern hotel. You can get off the train, cross the pedestrian bridge to the other side of the tracks (elevators on both ends) and you're in the Woodfin Suites parking lot. Couldn't be more than 5 minutes from getting off the train to the door of the hotel. You'll be getting in late and this gets you to your room without bothering with buses.

 

[Konrad]

The Woodfin is a bit pricey but the rooms are virtually apartments. If staying there you catch the (free) Emerygoround bus outside the hotel to MacArther BART station for the ride into SFO.

The Slanted Door is our favourite restaurant in SFO, we go there every time but I hope you've made a booking. The food is excellent and really inspired. On the downside it's incredibly noisy so conversation can be a problem, especially if you have a romantic evening planned. But the views of the Bay Bridge!!!!

Sorry to have to say it, but if food is your thing, Amtrak is going to be a bit of a disappointment - I've eaten far better at 40,000 feet.

I suspect that you will spend hardly anytime in your roomette, the PPC is a far better place to while away the journey. In fact we've taken roomettes from Seattle to Portland and LA to Oakland just to gain access to the PPC. The roomettes were just for luggage storage.

Enjoy your trip.

Oh, and I've never known the elevators on the rail overpass at Emeryville to be operational. Be prepared to lug your bags over the overpass if you do choose the Woodfin.

 

[VictoriaShe]

The Slanted Door is our favourite restaurant in SFO, we go there every time but I hope you've made a booking. The food is excellent and really inspired. On the downside it's incredibly noisy so conversation can be a problem, especially if you have a romantic evening planned. But the views of the Bay Bridge!!!!
Sorry to have to say it, but if food is your thing, Amtrak is going to be a bit of a disappointment - I've eaten far better at 40,000 feet.

We have a lunch reservation at The Slanted Door. I've been there a couple of times before (both times for lunch) and enjoyed everything. The only thing I specifically remember, though, is the "Shaking Beef." Mmmm. Dinner plans are not finalized, but I'm thinking maybe Tadich Grill (for the history), since he has never been there.

And yes, I got the idea that the food isn't exactly "first-class" on the Amtrak. That's okay. The experience is the thing.

Michael: To my knowledge, Amtrak doesn't actively market roomettes from L.A. to Oakland. My thought about the roomette is that it seems so fun and old-movieish (wish I had some '40s clothes, pumps and a hat to dress up in for the ride ). Plus, since it's more than eleven hours (and more than twelve on the return trip), it's nice that food is included, and there's the wine tasting, and they'll bring us little bottles of champagne :blink: -- and it might be good to have a place to be alone for a little while, at least, although I do suspect that most of our time will be spent in the PPC.

I did originally have a reservation at Jack London Inn ($55 a night), but then read so many horrible reviews, I changed that plan entirely. And now it's a done deal: We have a non-refundable reservation at the Omni in SF. It was a pretty good deal on Hotwire (great reviews and $94 a night, I think, as opposed to, I think, $159 or $169 for the refundable option). Since we will spend that entire day between train rides in SF, it will just be more convenient to be right there, rather than in Oakland.

Thanks, everybody, for your input!