Portland, OR to San Diego...Broken Connection?

[diesteldorf]

Just curious....The Coast Starlight arrives in Los Angeles at 9:00 PM and #796 Pacific Surfliner leaves for San Diego at 10:10. Obviously, options may depend heavily on how late the Starlight is but, if they decide not to hold the Surfliner, will Amtrak normally bus you to San Diego in the middle of the night or give you a hotel in LA and put you on the next Surfliner in the morning.

My dad's taking a trip in March and I was curious.

During the Gathering in 2008, I wanted to kill time while I waited for the group to arrive Friday morning. My train was on time so I made the connection without a problem, stayed a few hours at a Denny's, ate breakfast, and caught the Friday morning train back to LA.

 

[FunNut]

- deleted incorrect information -

 

[guest]

Just curious....The Coast Starlight arrives in Los Angeles at 9:00 PM and #796 Pacific Surfliner leaves for San Diego at 10:10. Obviously, options may depend heavily on how late the Starlight is but, if they decide not to hold the Surfliner, will Amtrak normally bus you to San Diego in the middle of the night or give you a hotel in LA and put you on the next Surfliner in the morning.

My dad's taking a trip in March and I was curious.

During the Gathering in 2008, I wanted to kill time while I waited for the group to arrive Friday morning. My train was on time so I made the connection without a problem, stayed a few hours at a Denny's, ate breakfast, and caught the Friday morning train back to LA.

Usually they put you on the regularly scheduled AmBus at 2:30 a.m. from LAUS that gets into San Diego at 5:15 a.m. But if the CS is within 15 minutes of its scheduled arrival time, they will hold the 10:10 departure of Surfliner 796 for a few minutes. IF everything is running on schedule, 796 actually leaves Santa Barbara 30 minutes AFTER the CS stops there, so it should ideally be following the CS all the way into Los Angeles. But that's not always the case in Amtrak World...

 

[Trogdor]

But if the CS is within 15 minutes of its scheduled arrival time, they will hold the 10:10 departure of Surfliner 796 for a few minutes.

If the Starlight is within 15 minutes of its scheduled arrival time, what's the need to hold 796?

 

[guest]

But if the CS is within 15 minutes of its scheduled arrival time, they will hold the 10:10 departure of Surfliner 796 for a few minutes.

If the Starlight is within 15 minutes of its scheduled arrival time, what's the need to hold 796?

Yo! bad wording there, sorry! Meant to say: 796 will be held if the CS arrives within 15 minutes after the scheduled departure time of 796. If the CS were to arrive 15 minutes after its scheduled arrival, it would be a half-hour ahead of the CS.

 

[gatelouse]

Note that the LAX-SAN ticket should read "unreserved" which in this case means: if the 2am bus is unacceptable and you're willing to pay for a last-minute hotel in LA, then you can ride a morning Surfliner the next day. Better to arrive at 9am rested than 5am exhausted, IMHO.

But by putting you on a scheduled 2am departure, I believe that Amtrak is fulfilling the guaranteed connection. They wouldn't owe you a hotel.

If this scenario concerns you greatly, consider booking to SBA, spending the night there, and riding SBA-SAN on a Surfliner. Leas stress, and you get to see more scenery in daylight this way.

 

[EMDF9A]

I make this connection at least once a year, or more, and have for several years. I guess I've been lucky, as I have always made the Surfliner. If I were put on a bus with a 5 AM arrival, I dont think I would be a very happy customer.

 

[guest]

I make this connection at least once a year, or more, and have for several years. I guess I've been lucky, as I have always made the Surfliner. If I were put on a bus with a 5 AM arrival, I dont think I would be a very happy customer.

Tell me about it! :angry2: But it happens occasionally though I suspect the CS has improved its arrival time into LA (especially given all the padding in the schedule).

On the bright side, you get to travel the I-5 between Los Angeles and San Diego at freeway speeds the entire way, no traffic tie-ups! :lol:

The Santa Barbara sleepover idea is good, especially if you haven't seen the scenery between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles before, or the coastline along the Surfliner around San Clemente and again Del Mar. But Santa Barbara motels can be quite pricey, even at a Days Inn level i.e. $100 plus. That's a lot of money for basically 10 hours in a bed.

 

[Bob Dylan]

I make this connection at least once a year, or more, and have for several years. I guess I've been lucky, as I have always made the Surfliner. If I were put on a bus with a 5 AM arrival, I dont think I would be a very happy customer.

Tell me about it! :angry2: But it happens occasionally though I suspect the CS has improved its arrival time into LA (especially given all the padding in the schedule).

On the bright side, you get to travel the I-5 between Los Angeles and San Diego at freeway speeds the entire way, no traffic tie-ups! :lol:

The Santa Barbara sleepover idea is good, especially if you haven't seen the scenery between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles before, or the coastline along the Surfliner around San Clemente and again Del Mar. But Santa Barbara motels can be quite pricey, even at a Days Inn level i.e. $100 plus. That's a lot of money for basically 10 hours in a bed.

No need to pay Big Bucks to sleep in SBA! There is an OK Tourist Hostel between the Station and the Water in SBA, Google it up,its not the Four Seasons but it will do for a night in a pricey place!! My other suggestion is to stay @ the Metro Plaza (less than $100 a night online!) in LA across from Union Station, its clean,reasonable, convient to Phillipes and you can catch the morning Surliner to SAN getting to see the Great scenery down the Coast after a night of rest asnd a good breakfast without riding a bus down the 5!!!!! :help:

Edited to correct name of Hostel in SBA!!