Explore the West Coast via Train. Seattle to Los Angeles for only $97
I was talking to a friend of mine who travels a lot by train last night. I’ve only traveled on short routes between Portland and Seattle, so I was incredulous when she said she liked long train trips. There was an event in Las Vegas she wanted to attend, and being that she lived near Chicago, she mentioned that signing up for a train ride across the country was the way to go.
As you can imagine, the first thing that I said was “No way you’re gonna see me for 4 days inside of a train!” Once I started looking into the options that Amtrak provides, including the options for actual cabins with beds, my thoughts changed slightly. Turns out there’s some really good deals out there. You could take a weekend trip from Seattle to Los Angeles (or vice versa) for only $97 one way. Seems like an awesome way to enjoy the scenery of the west coast!
The Coast Starlight has service daily between Los Angeles and Seattle. The landscape is gorgeous as you can imagine. The Amtrak description makes it sound magical.
A Grand West Coast Train Adventure, en route daily between Los Angeles and Seattle, the Coast Starlight train passes through Santa Barbara, the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento and Portland. Widely regarded as one of the most spectacular of all train routes, the Coast Starlight links the greatest cities on the West Coast. The scenery along the Coast Starlight route is unsurpassed. The dramatic snow-covered peaks of the Cascade Range and Mount Shasta, lush forests, fertile valleys and long stretches of Pacific Ocean shoreline provide a stunning backdrop for your journey.
Here’s a map of the full route. The trip takes 35 hours and 15 minutes, but don’t let that turn you off!
Amtrak Coast Starlight
Right now you can get a one way ticket for only $97. If you want to get the room that converts to a bed, you can get the Superliner Roomette for only $397. While you won’t have a private bathroom, you will have a bed!
Amtrak Sale
August 17, 2018
Remember that Amtrak can not be trusted to be on time or even get you there. My wife and I booked your trip in reverse. We wanted to start in San Diego and then continue on to Vancouver. We booked a sleeper room with our Amtrak points. And then i booked a flight home with miles as well as a number of hotel and bed and breakfast rooms. And there was a car rental and a ferry ticket as well. A week before our scheduled departure, Amtrak cancelled the trip because the track needed repair between Sacramento and Seattle.. I know, safety first and all that. But, it really sucked. Not just disappointment, but cancelling everything. Most vendors were nice. One Bed and breakfast even gave us a break against their rules. United airlines charged us $120 each to cancel. So, A lot of work and money for nothing. I have had Amtrak screw me before, but am too dumb to learn.
August 18, 2018
Playing devil’s advocate… don’t airlines do the same thing? 🙂
August 17, 2018
It would be great if they had an option when you can hop off in a city (or two) to visit for a night and hop back on to continue the journey. For the same price.
August 18, 2018
Yea, shame that option is around $459 for 15 days