CS to San Francisco

[Jacob Goes By Jack]

Hey any San Francisco transit riders on this board - can I ask your advice about something?

I'm planning to travel from Seattle to SF in a couple months, by Coast Starlight (most of the way). I'm staying in the Mission relatively far from both BART stops but really close to the 12 bus on Folsom. What do you think would make the most sense for getting there from the Coast Starlight... should I just get my ticket to Richmond and then take BART to the mission, and walk? Or use the Amtrak bus from Emeryville over the bay bridge and then transfer downtown to BART or the 12? Or Richmond->BART downtown->12? .....

I'm just trying to get some idea of what makes sense, so I know whether to buy the Amtrak ticket just to Richmond, or all the way to downtown SF.

Thanks so much!

-Jack

 

[PRR 60]

Hey any San Francisco transit riders on this board - can I ask your advice about something?

I'm planning to travel from Seattle to SF in a couple months, by Coast Starlight (most of the way). I'm staying in the Mission relatively far from both BART stops but really close to the 12 bus on Folsom. What do you think would make the most sense for getting there from the Coast Starlight... should I just get my ticket to Richmond and then take BART to the mission, and walk? Or use the Amtrak bus from Emeryville over the bay bridge and then transfer downtown to BART or the 12? Or Richmond->BART downtown->12? .....

I'm just trying to get some idea of what makes sense, so I know whether to buy the Amtrak ticket just to Richmond, or all the way to downtown SF.

Thanks so much!

-Jack

I would first just buy the Amtrak ticket to San Francisco. The fare from Seattle to Richmond or from Seattle to San Francisco (using the bus) is exactly the same. With a ticket through to San Francisco, all your options are open. Assuming you have not checked luggage, you can still get off at Richmond even if you have a ticket through to SF. However, if you only have a ticket to Richmond, staying on to Emeryville and then getting the bus ride would be more difficult.

Two options seem to be reasonable. One is to get off at Richmond, change to BART, then (after a transfer), go to Montgomery and catch the 12 there for the Mission district. A second option is to ride the train to Emeryville, take the bus to the San Francisco Hyatt Regency stop (SFF), and either walk up to Market to 2nd Street for the 12, or take BART one stop from Embarcadero to Montgomery, then get the 12 (you might do as much walking getting in and out of BART as the walk to 2nd).

If you have luggage, then you have to go to Emeryville and use the bus to San Francisco. You could go to the SFF stop and use BART / 12, or you could grab a cab at the Hyatt cabstand and go door-to-door with no luggage hassles.

 

[George Harris]

Given that the Starlight gets into Richmond or Emeryville fairly late in the evening, the frequency of the 12 bus will not be that high. The daytime norm is every 20 minutes, but by that time of night, the frequency may be every 30 minutes or even longer. If there is any glitch much longer, sometimes near an hour. If you do go that way, the stop is near half way toward Mission from Market, right in front of the Alexander Book Store, which will be closed by that time of night. It will be lonely.

Having done it once, if you go the Emeryville - transbay Amtrak bus, DO NOT get off at the Ferry Building stop late in the evening. It is reasonably close to the streetcar route, but a good walk to anything else, and by late in the evening the streetcar frequency is down. The Ferry Building station is a ghost towm late in the evening. Taxis are usually not found. According to one driver, they do not meet the late evening Amtrak busses there as there is seldom anyone there to pick up.

Definitely if you go the Emeryville - transbay Amtrak bus, get off at the Hyatt. I would suggest taking the streetcar down Market Street to the point nearest opposite your target and then walk. Quite a few of the Muni busses also work, but you should ask before you get on if they go as far as whatever cross street you want to get to. Alternately, take a taxi from the Hyatt. You can get taxis there. If you have much at all in the way of baggage, that will be your best bet.

Name your target cross street and that will be helpful. After Second St, the next cross street with buses going south from Market is Fifth Street. The maps may say Fourth St, but due to construction the southbound busses have all moved to Fifth, and it looks like they will stay there for a long time to come. The bus routes are 30, 45, and 8. 30 and 45 go to Caltrain. Northbound, these routes come up Third. There is a Denny's on Mission just west of Fourth if you are in need of a late night meal. We are regulars there.

 

[Jacob Goes By Jack]

Great, thanks for the transit advice all. I didn't realize Richmond and SF were the same fare, should have checked that. But I still think it might matter on the way back - if my round trip ticket is Seattle->SF->Seattle, will they even let me get on the northbound train in Richmond?? Or would I be forced to get on in SF even if it's less convenient.

@George: I'll be arriving in the morning, not the evening... the train goes thru WA and OR during the day and then through southern OR and the Sacramento Valley CA during the night, and arrives in the Bay area at a reasonable time in the morning. So I think your concerns shouldn't be an issue. They might be an issue on the way back though, since the train back to Seattle leaves Emeryville or Richmond fairly late evening. So it's good to know that.

Thanks again everyone!

-Jack

 

[Jacob Goes By Jack]

Also, @PRR -- it looked to me from the official BART map http://www.bart.gov/stations/index.aspx like you can take BART directly from Richmond to Montgomery St, without a transfer (the red route on that link). Am I missing something?? Is there a catch here?

-Jack

 

[PRR 60]

Also, @PRR -- it looked to me from the official BART map http://www.bart.gov/stations/index.aspx like you can take BART directly from Richmond to Montgomery St, without a transfer (the red route on that link). Am I missing something?? Is there a catch here?

-Jack

You're right. Board a Daly City train at Richmond and you've got a one-seat ride to Montgomery.

 

[George Harris]

Great, thanks for the transit advice all. I didn't realize Richmond and SF were the same fare, should have checked that. But I still think it might matter on the way back - if my round trip ticket is Seattle->SF->Seattle, will they even let me get on the northbound train in Richmond?? Or would I be forced to get on in SF even if it's less convenient.

@George: I'll be arriving in the morning, not the evening... the train goes thru WA and OR during the day and then through southern OR and the Sacramento Valley CA during the night, and arrives in the Bay area at a reasonable time in the morning. So I think your concerns shouldn't be an issue. They might be an issue on the way back though, since the train back to Seattle leaves Emeryville or Richmond fairly late evening. So it's good to know that.

Thanks again everyone!

-Jack

OK, for some reason I had my clock turned around. Maybe because I had recently been talking to someone coming up from the LA direction. Duhhhh.

Morning arrival: Erase most of what I said about issues with getting to or from the Ferry Building Station and spread out frequencies of the No. 12 bus. However, even in the daytime the #12 bus frequency is about 20 minutes. it alternates with a No. 10, but that does you no good if your target is on Folsom. By the way, the 12 goes west on Harrison. Folsom is one way eastbound.

Still, if you come in to Emeryville, go on the bus to the Hyatt stop instead of the Ferry Building stop. I see no particular advantage to swapping to BART at Richmond unless you just want to say you did the whole thing on rails or if you figure that you will get on BART after getting off the bus in SF..

 

[sechs]

Personally, I'd suggest taking the Amtrak bus and catch BART at Embarcadero station.

 

[Jacob Goes By Jack]

OK great, thanks everybody. I think I'll just get the ticket to/from Richmond and follow PRR's advice, since the SFF stop doesn't seem to exist on the way back - only on the inbound. On the way back, if I used the Ambus I'd have to either use the ferry building (late in the evening) or some much less convenient location from the 12. At least that's what it seems like from the schedule and the booking website. Thanks again folks.

--Jack

 

[Diecastaussie]

Given that the Starlight gets into Richmond or Emeryville fairly late in the evening, the frequency of the 12 bus will not be that high. The daytime norm is every 20 minutes, but by that time of night, the frequency may be every 30 minutes or even longer. If there is any glitch much longer, sometimes near an hour. If you do go that way, the stop is near half way toward Mission from Market, right in front of the Alexander Book Store, which will be closed by that time of night. It will be lonely.

Having done it once, if you go the Emeryville - transbay Amtrak bus, DO NOT get off at the Ferry Building stop late in the evening. It is reasonably close to the streetcar route, but a good walk to anything else, and by late in the evening the streetcar frequency is down. The Ferry Building station is a ghost towm late in the evening. Taxis are usually not found. According to one driver, they do not meet the late evening Amtrak busses there as there is seldom anyone there to pick up.

Definitely if you go the Emeryville - transbay Amtrak bus, get off at the Hyatt. I would suggest taking the streetcar down Market Street to the point nearest opposite your target and then walk. Quite a few of the Muni busses also work, but you should ask before you get on if they go as far as whatever cross street you want to get to. Alternately, take a taxi from the Hyatt. You can get taxis there. If you have much at all in the way of baggage, that will be your best bet.

Name your target cross street and that will be helpful. After Second St, the next cross street with buses going south from Market is Fifth Street. The maps may say Fourth St, but due to construction the southbound busses have all moved to Fifth, and it looks like they will stay there for a long time to come. The bus routes are 30, 45, and 8. 30 and 45 go to Caltrain. Northbound, these routes come up Third. There is a Denny's on Mission just west of Fourth if you are in need of a late night meal. We are regulars there.

I am interested in your statement that "DO NOT get off at the Ferry Building stop late in the evening. It is reasonably close to the streetcar route, but a good walk to anything else, and by late in the evening the streetcar frequency is down. The Ferry Building station is a ghost towm late in the evening. Taxis are usually not found. According to one driver, they do not meet the late evening Amtrak busses there as there is seldom anyone there to pick up".

 

My wife and I will be doing exactly that in March next year; our Thruway bus from Oakland is scheduled to drop us at the Ferry Building around 10.00pm on a Sunday night and we had deliberately selected the Ferry Building as our drop off point as we thought that it would be the easiest to get a taxi from to our hotel.

Your comment would seem to indicate that perhaps we have made a mistake and should have picked a different drop off point.

Can you help us to to choose a safer, more convenient drop off point?

Garry :lol:

 

 

 

[PRR 60]

Given that the Starlight gets into Richmond or Emeryville fairly late in the evening, the frequency of the 12 bus will not be that high. The daytime norm is every 20 minutes, but by that time of night, the frequency may be every 30 minutes or even longer. If there is any glitch much longer, sometimes near an hour. If you do go that way, the stop is near half way toward Mission from Market, right in front of the Alexander Book Store, which will be closed by that time of night. It will be lonely.

Having done it once, if you go the Emeryville - transbay Amtrak bus, DO NOT get off at the Ferry Building stop late in the evening. It is reasonably close to the streetcar route, but a good walk to anything else, and by late in the evening the streetcar frequency is down. The Ferry Building station is a ghost towm late in the evening. Taxis are usually not found. According to one driver, they do not meet the late evening Amtrak busses there as there is seldom anyone there to pick up.

Definitely if you go the Emeryville - transbay Amtrak bus, get off at the Hyatt. I would suggest taking the streetcar down Market Street to the point nearest opposite your target and then walk. Quite a few of the Muni busses also work, but you should ask before you get on if they go as far as whatever cross street you want to get to. Alternately, take a taxi from the Hyatt. You can get taxis there. If you have much at all in the way of baggage, that will be your best bet.

Name your target cross street and that will be helpful. After Second St, the next cross street with buses going south from Market is Fifth Street. The maps may say Fourth St, but due to construction the southbound busses have all moved to Fifth, and it looks like they will stay there for a long time to come. The bus routes are 30, 45, and 8. 30 and 45 go to Caltrain. Northbound, these routes come up Third. There is a Denny's on Mission just west of Fourth if you are in need of a late night meal. We are regulars there.

I am interested in your statement that "DO NOT get off at the Ferry Building stop late in the evening. It is reasonably close to the streetcar route, but a good walk to anything else, and by late in the evening the streetcar frequency is down. The Ferry Building station is a ghost towm late in the evening. Taxis are usually not found. According to one driver, they do not meet the late evening Amtrak busses there as there is seldom anyone there to pick up".

 

My wife and I will be doing exactly that in March next year; our Thruway bus from Oakland is scheduled to drop us at the Ferry Building around 10.00pm on a Sunday night and we had deliberately selected the Ferry Building as our drop off point as we thought that it would be the easiest to get a taxi from to our hotel.

Your comment would seem to indicate that perhaps we have made a mistake and should have picked a different drop off point.

Can you help us to to choose a safer, more convenient drop off point?

Garry :lol:

 

 

Go to the Hyatt Regency stop - Financial District (SFF). The Coast Starlight bus from Oakland makes that stop. It is at the door of the Hyatt Hotel (with cabs lined up), and it's next to the Embarcadero BART stop. Even though your ticket now says Ferry Building (SFC), my experience is that you can get off at any stop you want. You could call to change your bus destination, but if they try to bump your fare, forget it. You can still get off at SFF.

 

[George Harris]

Given that the Starlight gets into Richmond or Emeryville fairly late in the evening, the frequency of the 12 bus will not be that high. The daytime norm is every 20 minutes, but by that time of night, the frequency may be every 30 minutes or even longer. If there is any glitch much longer, sometimes near an hour. If you do go that way, the stop is near half way toward Mission from Market, right in front of the Alexander Book Store, which will be closed by that time of night. It will be lonely.

Having done it once, if you go the Emeryville - transbay Amtrak bus, DO NOT get off at the Ferry Building stop late in the evening. It is reasonably close to the streetcar route, but a good walk to anything else, and by late in the evening the streetcar frequency is down. The Ferry Building station is a ghost towm late in the evening. Taxis are usually not found. According to one driver, they do not meet the late evening Amtrak busses there as there is seldom anyone there to pick up.

Definitely if you go the Emeryville - transbay Amtrak bus, get off at the Hyatt. I would suggest taking the streetcar down Market Street to the point nearest opposite your target and then walk. Quite a few of the Muni busses also work, but you should ask before you get on if they go as far as whatever cross street you want to get to. Alternately, take a taxi from the Hyatt. You can get taxis there. If you have much at all in the way of baggage, that will be your best bet.

Name your target cross street and that will be helpful. After Second St, the next cross street with buses going south from Market is Fifth Street. The maps may say Fourth St, but due to construction the southbound busses have all moved to Fifth, and it looks like they will stay there for a long time to come. The bus routes are 30, 45, and 8. 30 and 45 go to Caltrain. Northbound, these routes come up Third. There is a Denny's on Mission just west of Fourth if you are in need of a late night meal. We are regulars there.

I am interested in your statement that "DO NOT get off at the Ferry Building stop late in the evening. It is reasonably close to the streetcar route, but a good walk to anything else, and by late in the evening the streetcar frequency is down. The Ferry Building station is a ghost towm late in the evening. Taxis are usually not found. According to one driver, they do not meet the late evening Amtrak busses there as there is seldom anyone there to pick up".

 

My wife and I will be doing exactly that in March next year; our Thruway bus from Oakland is scheduled to drop us at the Ferry Building around 10.00pm on a Sunday night and we had deliberately selected the Ferry Building as our drop off point as we thought that it would be the easiest to get a taxi from to our hotel.

Your comment would seem to indicate that perhaps we have made a mistake and should have picked a different drop off point.

Can you help us to to choose a safer, more convenient drop off point?

Garry :lol:

Go to the Hyatt Regency stop - Financial District (SFF). The Coast Starlight bus from Oakland makes that stop. It is at the door of the Hyatt Hotel (with cabs lined up), and it's next to the Embarcadero BART stop. Even though your ticket now says Ferry Building (SFC), my experience is that you can get off at any stop you want. You could call to change your bus destination, but if they try to bump your fare, forget it. You can still get off at SFF.

We always buy a round trip from Ferry Building. With the exception have always gotten of at the Hyatt Regency when coming back. Return time normally Sunday evening. Hyatt stop is better at any time.

 

[sechs]

The Amtrak station is three blocks from the Embarcadero Center. You can literally see the Ferry Building from the entrance to BART. The only advantage of the Hyatt Regency stop is that it's steps to the Embarcadero station entrance.

 

[PRR 60]

The Amtrak station is three blocks from the Embarcadero Center. You can literally see the Ferry Building from the entrance to BART. The only advantage of the Hyatt Regency stop is that it's steps to the Embarcadero station entrance.

And that cabs are available day and night.

 

[sechs]

You mean cabs are just steps away. Worse case scenario, you walk to the Hyatt.

 

[jb64]

Given that the Starlight gets into Richmond or Emeryville fairly late in the evening, the frequency of the 12 bus will not be that high. The daytime norm is every 20 minutes, but by that time of night, the frequency may be every 30 minutes or even longer. If there is any glitch much longer, sometimes near an hour. If you do go that way, the stop is near half way toward Mission from Market, right in front of the Alexander Book Store, which will be closed by that time of night. It will be lonely.

Having done it once, if you go the Emeryville - transbay Amtrak bus, DO NOT get off at the Ferry Building stop late in the evening. It is reasonably close to the streetcar route, but a good walk to anything else, and by late in the evening the streetcar frequency is down. The Ferry Building station is a ghost towm late in the evening. Taxis are usually not found. According to one driver, they do not meet the late evening Amtrak busses there as there is seldom anyone there to pick up.

Definitely if you go the Emeryville - transbay Amtrak bus, get off at the Hyatt. I would suggest taking the streetcar down Market Street to the point nearest opposite your target and then walk. Quite a few of the Muni busses also work, but you should ask before you get on if they go as far as whatever cross street you want to get to. Alternately, take a taxi from the Hyatt. You can get taxis there. If you have much at all in the way of baggage, that will be your best bet.

Name your target cross street and that will be helpful. After Second St, the next cross street with buses going south from Market is Fifth Street. The maps may say Fourth St, but due to construction the southbound busses have all moved to Fifth, and it looks like they will stay there for a long time to come. The bus routes are 30, 45, and 8. 30 and 45 go to Caltrain. Northbound, these routes come up Third. There is a Denny's on Mission just west of Fourth if you are in need of a late night meal. We are regulars there.

I am interested in your statement that "DO NOT get off at the Ferry Building stop late in the evening. It is reasonably close to the streetcar route, but a good walk to anything else, and by late in the evening the streetcar frequency is down. The Ferry Building station is a ghost towm late in the evening. Taxis are usually not found. According to one driver, they do not meet the late evening Amtrak busses there as there is seldom anyone there to pick up".

My wife and I will be doing exactly that in March next year; our Thruway bus from Oakland is scheduled to drop us at the Ferry Building around 10.00pm on a Sunday night and we had deliberately selected the Ferry Building as our drop off point as we thought that it would be the easiest to get a taxi from to our hotel.

Your comment would seem to indicate that perhaps we have made a mistake and should have picked a different drop off point.

Can you help us to to choose a safer, more convenient drop off point?

Garry

Go to the Hyatt Regency stop - Financial District (SFF). The Coast Starlight bus from Oakland makes that stop. It is at the door of the Hyatt Hotel (with cabs lined up), and it's next to the Embarcadero BART stop. Even though your ticket now says Ferry Building (SFC), my experience is that you can get off at any stop you want. You could call to change your bus destination, but if they try to bump your fare, forget it. You can still get off at SFF.

I did this last March. I was ticketed for the Fishersman Wharf stop but had learned just before my trip that taxis are always available at the Hyatt/Financial district. Since we were running about 2 hrs late (after midnight) we got off at the Hyatt and grabbed a cab to our hotel. It was no problem and we didn't change our tickets.

 

[Blackwolf]

I am interested in your statement that "DO NOT get off at the Ferry Building stop late in the evening. It is reasonably close to the streetcar route, but a good walk to anything else, and by late in the evening the streetcar frequency is down. The Ferry Building station is a ghost towm late in the evening. Taxis are usually not found. According to one driver, they do not meet the late evening Amtrak busses there as there is seldom anyone there to pick up".

My wife and I will be doing exactly that in March next year; our Thruway bus from Oakland is scheduled to drop us at the Ferry Building around 10.00pm on a Sunday night and we had deliberately selected the Ferry Building as our drop off point as we thought that it would be the easiest to get a taxi from to our hotel.

Your comment would seem to indicate that perhaps we have made a mistake and should have picked a different drop off point.

Can you help us to to choose a safer, more convenient drop off point?

Garry

I would feel very comfortable in using the Ferry Building stop, even at night. Mind you, checked luggage is only available to/from this station stop. It is also the only manned station in the city should you have questions and/or issues to deal with, has a standard waiting room that is nicer than about half of the actual train stations on the Amtrak system, and is not in any 'bad' area of the city by any means. Better yet, it is on the Embarcadero, and also at the foot of Market Street. You cannot be in an any more tourist-friendly portion of San Francisco. And if you need to have a cab hailed, the station agent can help you with simply a phone call.

 

[tomfuller]

I don't know what people are talking about a late evening arrival in San Francisco. The poster is coming from Seattle and will arrive at SFF between 9AM and 9:30AM on the bus from Emeryville.

When I ride the CS southbound to Sacramento it is either on time or up to half an hour early (5:45AM).

 

[Blackwolf]

I don't know what people are talking about a late evening arrival in San Francisco. The poster is coming from Seattle and will arrive at SFF between 9AM and 9:30AM on the bus from Emeryville.

When I ride the CS southbound to Sacramento it is either on time or up to half an hour early (5:45AM).

Because the Coast Starlight goes both directions, North and South? If you're departing to points North, you'll be leaving in the evening. And if you're arriving from points South, you'll be arriving in the evening. Considering the title of the thread, this is completely relevant.

 

[BCL]

Also, @PRR -- it looked to me from the official BART map http://www.bart.gov/...ions/index.aspx like you can take BART directly from Richmond to Montgomery St, without a transfer (the red route on that link). Am I missing something?? Is there a catch here?

-Jack

You're right. Board a Daly City train at Richmond and you've got a one-seat ride to Montgomery.

Daly City? All the old endpoints have changed. Some are even really odd. Millbrae is the end of the line now. On weekdays and Saturdays there's Richmond-Millbrae except in the evening. On Sundays a transfer would be required.

Richmond is an interesting station. Not in the greatest neighborhood and there's a strange assortment of people around the station. I wouldn't worry about it during daylight hours, but at night it's a little bit weird. If I were advising someone from out of town, I'd say take the bus from Emeryville. I haven't had any problems there, but then again I didn't have any luggage.

 

[roadman3313]

My suggestion... get the ticket to/from Emeryville. In the morning if you prefer to take BART just let them know and hop off in Richmond. Assuming you are traveling during the week or on Saturday you will be able to get a train to the city without transfering.

Going back North I would highly suggest taking the bus to Emeryville. Sometimes the train can be up to 3 hours late and if you are not familiar with the area I would suggest not hanging around Richmond, especially with luggage at night. It would be much better and generally safer to be in the staffed station in Emeryville. As someone who works in the transit industry locally, it generally is safe but there is still crime on transit in the Bay Area as well. Keeping yourself out of those situations is the best way to prevent yourself from becoming a victim.

You can generally get on/off at any of the San Francisco stops with the Thruway ticket. Often times if I change they tell me to just use the same ticket and not even bother to change it or the reservation.

 

[tomfuller]

Blackwolf, as I read the questions posed it was how to get to a location after getting off the Southbound CS from Seattle. This trip would be in daylight from at least Martinez.

Leaving San Francisco in darkness on the northbound CS is a different subject. My preference would be to leave SF in daylight on one of many trains and go to Sacramento early enough to go to the CA Railroad Museum in Old Town Sacramento. You can store your luggage at the Sacramento station. Get back to the SAC station before 11PM and wait for the midnight train north.

 

[George Harris]

Richmond is an interesting station. Not in the greatest neighborhood and there's a strange assortment of people around the station. I wouldn't worry about it during daylight hours, but at night it's a little bit weird. If I were advising someone from out of town, I'd say take the bus from Emeryville. I haven't had any problems there, but then again I didn't have any luggage.

Having just been through there this past Saturday BART to bus and then Bus to BART in the daytime, I would say that it was definitely a little weird, sufficiently so that I would prefer not to experience it at night at all, nor my wife by herself at anytime.

 

[BCL]

Richmond is an interesting station. Not in the greatest neighborhood and there's a strange assortment of people around the station. I wouldn't worry about it during daylight hours, but at night it's a little bit weird. If I were advising someone from out of town, I'd say take the bus from Emeryville. I haven't had any problems there, but then again I didn't have any luggage.

Having just been through there this past Saturday BART to bus and then Bus to BART in the daytime, I would say that it was definitely a little weird, sufficiently so that I would prefer not to experience it at night at all, nor my wife by herself at anytime.

I grew up near Richmond and remember a time when the area wasn't great, but also wasn't that bad either.

I once overrode the Coliseum station where I was going to take BART. I talked the the conductor who said it was OK if I just kept on going to another station where I could get a ride or to Richmond. At night there seem to be some homeless or those without anything to do hanging around the BART platform and the station. It's not so bad if you're there with a sense of purpose, but I would be worried at night with luggage. Having to wait for a delayed train would be even worse.

I've taken the CS from there. It was early morning with plenty of light. None of the assorted street people were there. Arriving in the day is fine, but nighttime is another matter.

The prices are strange too. We took Ric-Sjc for $13. It was mostly to visit a few museums with my infant who loves trains. We got to eat breakfast in the dining car. It was less than Capitol Corridor ($20) from the lowest bucket and less than the $14 for Emy-Sjc. The breakfast was a good deal too since the beverages were included.

 

[calwatch]

If you stay on the platform, or within the station complex, it is fine. The BART station and the Amtrak platforms are in the same facility. You have to walk across a corridor but that is the only time you will experience riff-raff, as they generally stay away from the Amtrak platforms (even though there are no signs requiring a ticket). The panhandlers and weirdos are generally outside the station or near the stairs. Not an issue during the day for most, could be an issue at night for some but during the day there are enough people floating around that it is not an issue.