Coast Starlight, several questions.

[alan_s]

Thanks for all the great info here. I've asked a few questions already and have been browsing many old topics.

I will be booking a roomette on the Coastal Starlight from Seattle to LA for next July. I would appreciate advice on the following:

Timing of Purchase. Next July is eight months away but I know roomettes can be booked out. This morning it showed "Only 2 rooms at this price"; that became 3 this afternoon. Are discounts likely to appear between now and then, if so would I be wiser to book now or wait for discounts? If I book now and discounts appear later would it be possible to call and have the discount applied to the booking?

Debiting My Card. My card is debited in AU$ after adjustment for the exchange rate for US$. Is my CC card debited immediately at time of booking or at date of travel? Exchange rates can fluctuate very significantly over time.

Selecting Roomette. It appears that the best way to be sure of obtaining the desired roomette is to book over the phone; I can use Skype from Australia to do that. I will be trying for 3, 4, 5, or 6 upstairs. Is there a way to be sure of booking a roomette on the East side when travelling South?

Safety at LA Union station at night. Scheduled arrival is 9 pm on a Saturday night. I am aware it may arrive significantly later. I am likely to book the Metro Plaza Hotel nearby, recommended by several forum members, but I am concerned at the safety of a lone walk as a 69 year old trundling a case from the station to the hotel at that time of night. Would I be safer to take a cab from the rank to a more distant hotel in those circumstances? Are there likely to be cabs on the rank at that time of a Saturday night? Another possibility is to take the shuttle to a hotel near LAX, but the last shuttle bus departs at 23:30. How late has the train been arriving recently?

Late arrival. The scheduled ETA is 9pm Saturday, my flight leaves at 11pm Sunday 26 hours later from LAX. I know trains can arrive late but I presume 26 hours is an acceptable buffer. Am I correct?

Thanks in advance.

 

[BCL]

I'm trying to decipher some of your language. Not quite sure what "rank" means in this context. It sounds like you mean the taxi stand. However, your hotel is so close and that area should be safe enough at night for such a short walk.

Also, the train is the "Coast Starlight". I don't believe anyone will fail to understand your meaning, but that's the name.

You should have little issue rebooking if the price is reduced. I think you just call it in. Also, your card will be charged immediately.

There's always the chance you miss your flight, but the on-time performance is extremely good. It would take a monumental issue 26 hours to be a problem. There were routine issues with freight trains holding up the Coast Starlight, but that was perhaps 7 years ago. At the time the on time performance was around 2%, but now it's up to over 75%. Delays right now tend to be much shorter than the 5 to 15 hours back - mostly from freight traffic holding up the trains. The joke going around was that it was the "Coast Star-late". There used to be a second train on the route called the Coast Daylight. I suppose that could have been the Coast Day-late.

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/COAST-STARLIGHT-LOSING-ITS-LUSTER-The-train-2491613.php

http://www.amtrak.com/coast-starlight-train&mode=perf&overrideDefaultTemplate=OTPPageVerticalRouteOverview

 

[alan_s]

I'm trying to decipher some of your language. Not quite sure what "rank" means in this context. It sounds like you mean the taxi stand. However, your hotel is so close and that area should be safe enough at night for such a short walk.

Thanks for the rapid response.

Yes, a rank is a taxi stand; I didn't realise you had a different term for it. I drove cabs for 17 years and tend to automatically use the Australian term . I know it's a short walk but am worried about the locality in the dark.

Also, the train is the "Coast Starlight". I don't believe anyone will fail to understand your meaning, but that's the name.

I stand corrected; should I edit the topic title? Thank you for the information on lateness and card debiting.

 

[oregon pioneer]

Just a little to add here:

• I am a sixty-something woman and would not hesitate to walk as far as the Metro Plaza at night with a suitcase. This is the center of the "old town" and as such is a tourist area. I would stay on the street, and not walk through the park, though.
• With July being "high season, I would not expect more discounts to appear as the time gets closer. It is more likely that the train will book up completely.
• There is no way to be sure of booking a roomette on a specific side of the train. I have seen cars turned both ways. On the northern part of the route, the east side is more scenic, but on the California coast from San Luis Obispo to LAX, it is the west side, so you can't lose! When you are on the wrong side for the view, just go to the Pacific Parlor Car to see out both sides.

Sounds like you are going to have a wonderful trip! Please do check back in with a trip report after, and let us know how it went.

 

[BCL]

I'm trying to decipher some of your language. Not quite sure what "rank" means in this context. It sounds like you mean the taxi stand. However, your hotel is so close and that area should be safe enough at night for such a short walk.

Thanks for the rapid response.
Yes, a rank is a taxi stand; I didn't realise you had a different term for it. I drove cabs for 17 years and tend to automatically use the Australian term . I know it's a short walk but am worried about the locality in the dark.

Also, the train is the "Coast Starlight". I don't believe anyone will fail to understand your meaning, but that's the name.

I stand corrected; should I edit the topic title? Thank you for the information on lateness and card debiting.

I looked it up, and it appears to be a British term. Americans won't understand it. I guess that's something I know now.
I suppose it's not a great area, but it's well lit at night. You won't be alone. Others will be going from the train to the same hotel.

 

[alan_s]

Thank you all for the swift responses.

I have booked roomette 3 in the car next to the Parlourcar, so it won't matter much which side it is on. The card was debited immediately and the operator said to ring back if discounts appear.

I will chance the walk to the Metro Plaza. So far the hotel's web-site appears to have the best prices; $119 for a single. Heading off to look at that now.

 

[BCL]

Thank you all for the swift responses.

I have booked roomette 3 in the car next to the Parlourcar, so it won't matter much which side it is on. The card was debited immediately and the operator said to ring back if discounts appear.

I will chance the walk to the Metro Plaza. So far the hotel's web-site appears to have the best prices; $119 for a single. Heading off to look at that now.

It gets a variety of reviews. It appears to be a basic hotel. To some people that's the end of the world. To others it's a good bargain. I wouldn't worry about it. I've managed to stay in places that others said to avoid and it turned out just fine. Mostly the place is older and not really updated.

 

[zephyr17]

Metro Plaza is a good, though basic, hotel. It is fine, I stay there a lot. It pretty much caters to the Asian tourist trade, BTW.

That walk is fine at that time of night, no problem. Just an FYI, a cab will refuse to take you that short of a distance whether or not it is against the taxi regulations. I was not crazy about the walk at 3 am, though, during the bad time a few years ago when the Starlight was catastrophically late on a routine basis. Had a homeless guy who was blind in one eye try to "help" me with my bag and had to repeatedly ring the buzzer to get into the hotel.

The Starlight has one of the better OTP records these days. Last few times I've been on it we got in about 8:35.

 

[kbmiflyer]

I will agree with everything Oregon Pioneer said. Room 3 is a good room but no way to know which side of the rails you will be on.

Metro Plaza is a fairly short walk ( 5 minutes), and anytime before midnight there will be plenty of people around so it will be safe. Most of the other options require a taxi or hotel shuttle and will cost much more. I stayed there last year with my then 9 year old and never felt unsafe. The hotel is fairly basic but it does the job. The breakfast was surprisingly decent.

For your last question -the Starlight generally arrives pretty close to on-time if not early as long as there is no huge track disruption. We were over 90 minutes late into Santa Barbara, but arrived at Union station less the 20 minutes late. They have at least an hour of extra time built into the schedule. It seems like is arrives early more often that it arrives late.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Even though the Metro Plaza has a decent basic breakfast included in the rate, its worth the two block walk to Philippe the Original for a great Breakfast and return for a famous dip sandwich ( the double dip Lamb is fantastic!) and Deli trimmings for lunch!

Unfortunately inflation has caused them to raise the price of coffee from the original 9 cents to an outrageous 45 cents! LOL

 

[andersone]

forget the taxi use UBER ... I have had lots of less than five minute rides

 

[TylerP42]

Even though the Metro Plaza has a decent basic breakfast included in the rate, its worth the two block walk to Philippe the Original for a great Breakfast and return for a famous dip sandwich ( the double dip Lamb is fantastic!) and Deli trimmings for lunch!

Unfortunately inflation has caused them to raise the price of coffee from the original 9 cents to an outrageous 45 cents! LOL

Or go to the very historic, and on the founding place of LA, right next door... the Mexican Olvera St!

Amazing food for breakfast(at La Noche Buena, tried it and it's amazing!) and lunch and dinner and amazing culture.

Prices are great for what you get (Mexican portions are generous)