SWC vs.CZ

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Kelley

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In several weeks, I am taking the California Zephyr from Chicago to Emeryville. I have only been on the Southwest Chief, as far as LD trains before. Could someone tell me what is similar, and what is different about the two trains (except the totally different route, of course!) I will be in a roomette.

Also, I plan on taking a taxi from Emeryville into San Francisco. Is there a taxi stand at the Emeryville station? How much will it cost me? Any and all suggestions are appreciated...thank you!
 
#1) The CZ's route directly thru the Colorado Rockies and the Sierra Nevadas in NV and CA is considered by many (including me) as the most scenic route on Amtrak today!
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#2) Why do you want to take a taxi from Emeryville to San Francisco?
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There is a Thruway bus that runs right from the train station into SF! And there are 6 different stops in SF! And the best news is that it is INCLUDED IN THE TRAIN FARE! And because it's run by Amtrak just for Amtrak passengers, if the train is late (for some reason), the Thruway bus will wait for the train's arrival!
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The trains utilize the same equipment, so you will not notice much of a change whatsoever. The best advice I can give you is to get a spot in the lounge before you even depart Denver.
 
Another suggestion would be to step out a few minutes before Emeryville in Richmond. There you have direct access to BART which will whisk you over to SanFrancisco. It might bring you much nearer to your destination, as the thru bus has only one destination in San Francisco as far as I know..The most important thing is that you are fast and completely independent of road traffic and you don't have to wait for the bus departure until the last passenger has boarded ,.... At that time you are already in San Francisco with your BART train.
 
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wkaemena said:
It might bring you much nearer to your destination, as the thru bus has only one destination in San Francisco as far as I know
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As stated earlier, there are 6 bus stops in SF. However only one handles tickets, checked baggage, etc... - as a normal train station does. Also, I do not believe that Richmond handles checked baggage, and it may not be easy to carry your luggage aboard BART! If necessary, you can always transfer to BART, MUNI, a taxi or whatever else is necessary in SF for less than from Richmond!
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the_traveler said:
wkaemena said:
It might bring you much nearer to your destination, as the thru bus has only one destination in San Francisco as far as I know
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As stated earlier, there are 6 bus stops in SF. However only one handles tickets, checked baggage, etc... - as a normal train station does. Also, I do not believe that Richmond handles checked baggage, and it may not be easy to carry your luggage aboard BART! If necessary, you can always transfer to BART, MUNI, a taxi or whatever else is necessary in SF for less than from Richmond!
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I prefer to be independent ;-) hate to be a prisoner of road traffic, oil and highway lobby.

http://www.360cities.net/image/san-francisco-bart-metro-rapid-transit-usa#101.75,2.30,75.0
 
From what I have heard, the CZ is also positioning its sleepers on the rear whereas the SWC had them up front. Otherwise, the equipment and services offered will be the same.
 
greatcats said:
I will second the bus operation as being well run, even being rest room equipped. I'd be hard pressed to pay for a cab in this case.
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yeah i did the bus last year...i didn't realize at first how close/easy it was until the concierge in my hotel said go get on the bus by the ferry building...it was the same price, and super easy...short ride too.

(plus i was next to the market at the ferry terminal so i had a hot loaf of bread, some jam and coffee for breakfast! heaven!)
 
If I went hard saying that SWC or CZ was better than the other, people would start taking offence, as I learned the hard way! :giggle:

All I can say is that taking a cab from EMY across the bay is a waste of money and that I like the EB better than the CZ or SWC. However, this is not the place to argue it.

A question: how much sleepers does the CZ have now?
 
I too recommend using the Thruway Bus into SF. If you opt for the Thruway Bus, it will cost an extra $4.50 and you will need to be booked into SF and not EMY. Call Amtrak, speak to an agent, and have them add it to your reservation.
 
Kelley said:
Also, I plan on taking a taxi from Emeryville into San Francisco. Is there a taxi stand at the Emeryville station? How much will it cost me? Any and all suggestions are appreciated...thank you!
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Aloha

You haven't said why or how long your visit is so my suggesrion me no help. But last time I visited SF I stayed at the Jack London Inn by Oakland (1 stop south of EMY) and took the Ferry into SF each day. Was fun to use the boat each morning to join the OTOL gang for the FEST.
 
Thanks so much for all your comments! I am definitely going to take the bus into San Francisco...what a deal!
 
I just did the bus in to San Francisco. It was very easy and convenient. It really doesn't matter which one you are ticketed for. Going in to San Francisco, we got off at the first stop, the financial district, because that was the easiest one to get a cab (they were waiting) for the short trip to our hotel near Fishersmans wharf. On our return, we opted to take a taxi to the Ferry building because I knew they had a waiting room rather than just a bus stop and it was pouring down rain. So, even though we were ticketed to Fishersman's Wharf, we actually used two different stops.
 
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