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We are headed out from ABQ to Los Angeles later in the week; one mom, 2 school age kids. We will layover in the LA area (Simi Valley) then catch the Coast Starlight to Oregon from Simi Valley. I can rent a car and drive to Simi Valley or try taking the Surfliner or Metrolink. The Surfliner leaves quite soon after the arrival of the SWC (8:15 am), so that might be pretty close to get tickets and hightail it down to the tracks to catch the Surfliner at 9:05 am. Assuming we probably don't make that one, we'd have to wait for the 12:30 Surfliner. Another option might be the Metrolink which has more frequent departures. This shouldn't be a "downscale" route, I hope, but do they allow luggage? 3 medium rollaways and 3 backpacks total between the 3 of us?
Any tips greatly appreciated!!!
Posts: 72 | From: USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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Others here will know Metrolink better than I but I don't think that would be a problem, especially since you'd be going "against" the morning traffic on the Metrolink train. Also, they are pushing the connections between Amtrak and Metrolink and the Metrorail system with the new LAX Union Station Flyaway.
You could always buy your tickets for the Surfliner in advance on the internet or by phone and pick them up in ABQ before you leave. Or you could buy them on board but I believe there might be a penalty for doing that since LAUPT is a "manned" station.
Somewhere in the back of my mind there is a "Rail-to-Rail" agreement between Amtrak and Metrolink that allows tickets from one to be used on the other but I'm not sure how that works.
Any other suggestions out there?
Frank in gloriously sunny SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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I think catching the Surfliner leaving at 9:05AM will be your best bet. The Metrolink to Simi Valley closest to the time you arrive, leaves LA at 8:50AM, and the next Metrolink to Simi Valley leaves at 1:10PM, so Metrolink won't be of much help.
Best thing to do is buy your tickets from LA to Simi while at the station in ABQ. The Surfliners coach section is unreserved, so you can hop on any train you want.
sbalax: Rail2Rail is only for Metrolink monthly pass holders, and it's only for the trip limits of your pass. 10-trip, roundtrip, and one-way tickets are not valid on Surfliners, with SOME exceptions. I won't get into the exceptions, since they don't apply for chile2's departure time nor destination.
Posts: 286 | From: Knee deep in the retention tank | Registered: Jan 2006
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Thanks Frank and PaulB . My worry is that since the SWC arrives at 8:15 if on time (today it was about 30 some minutes late I think) that I won't make the 9:05 Surfliner (allowing for time to wheel luggage, etc.) Certainly I won't have time to buy tickets there at Union Station. I did enquire at the toll free reservation phone # if I could add the Surfliner tickets to my larger reservation and the clerk said they could not guarantee the 9:05 connection and didn't want to add it. One possibility, if one could buy tickets onboard the Surfliner, then either you made the train or you didn't and could go from there.
Posts: 72 | From: USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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It sounds to me, from what PauB (Thanks, Paul, for the info on the Rail2Rail--I remembered there were some restrictions.) your best bet is going to be the 9:05AM Surfliner if the SWC is on time. You shouldn't even have to go into the main station (althugh it's really work a look). Just ask which track your train will be boarding on. If not, check your bags inside the station and explore Olvera Street (Where LA began) right across the street, ride the Gold Line to Pasadena, Ride the Red line to downtown or Universal City or take the kids to eat at Philippe's, at Ord and Alvarado. They'll like the sawdust on the floor and the model trains. Very kid friendly and coffee is only 9cents.
You can buy your Surfliner tickets in advance. If they don't want to make it part of your SWC reservation just make a seperate reservation and pick the tickets up when you pick up your SWC tickets. If you don't make the 9:05AM train they should be good on the next one if you don't book in Business Class.
I hope this helps. Have a great trip.
Frank in foggy SBA
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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Ok, here's my advice. Metrolink has no problem with luggage, however I've found from experiance that some passangers do. Also, there is very limited amount of room. If the bike area is being used then you might have a problem. Now, the Surfliners are a little better. There is a larger bike area as well as some room along the wall by the restroom if the bike area is full. The only problem I found was that you have to leave luggage on the lower level and sit on the upper level as the lower level is for seniors and those not able to climb stairs. Now, if you are uncomfortable with buying a Surfliner ticket ahead of time since you're worried about missing the train, Union does have QuikTick machines where you can purchase and print your tickets quickly. The wait for these machines is either much shorter than the ticket office line or is completly non existant. If you are unable to pick up your tickets before arriving in LA, I suggest using the machines instead. The wait for the ticket office usually quite long. If by chance you do miss the Surfliner and have to wait for the Metrolink, there is a room over by baggage claim where you can check your luggage if you want to go exploring or get some lunch while you wait.
BTW, where are you staying in Simi? I hope not the Grand Vista. I'm from the Simi area, so feel free to ask me if you have any questions about your stay.
Posts: 13 | From: So Cal | Registered: May 2006
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Thanks everyone! There's some good tips in each of the posts; news I can use. Jamie; in Simi we are visiting some elderly relatives so we don't have to worry about the hotel....well, unless they forget we are coming.
Posts: 72 | From: USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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LOL Well just in case, the Extended Stay is the closest to the station however I don't know what the quality is. The Posada Royal is probably still the nicest even though it's now a Best Western (used to work there). But I've heard hours worth of bad reviews about the Grand Vista and the Holiday Inn Express.
Posts: 13 | From: So Cal | Registered: May 2006
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Amtrak will ticket you to simi ahead of time. They can book you on the noon train so there is no 'connection' issue. Surfliners are unreserved, so your 'noon' ticket is perfectly acceptable on the 9am train if you make the connection.
Posts: 114 | From: pismo beach CA | Registered: Jul 2003
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Thanks again everyone; I managed a combination of all your good suggestions.
Here's what I ended up doing: When it was apparent that the SW Chief was going to get in the station on time to make my preferred Surfliner connection, I called the Amtrak 800 number on my cell phone (about an hour out of LA Union Station).
The phone call was suggested by the conductor, who recommended, like Jamie, that using the QuikTick machine would save a good deal of time. The conductor also said that by calling the 800 number, we don't have to stand at the machine and manually enter all of our names and other information. Once we had a reservation # via the 800 # call, it would be a quick printout and credit card swipe; and he was right.
With reservation number in hand, in the station we quickly tootled over to the QuikTick machine with our trusty credit card. I observed the non-machine line was enormously long and likely would have taken at least 45 minutes, maybe more. The QuikTick had no line and spat out our tickets muy pronto and away we went!
I would recommend these machines, used with a cell phone combo, highly when one needs a quick ticket.
Posts: 72 | From: USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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I'm glad that things worked out so well! That was great advice you got from the conductor. I don't think I would have thought of calling ahead to get the reservation taken care of. I don't have much experience with the Amtrak machines (we don't have them here in SBA) but always use them or online check-in with the airlines. I saw some figures recently that showed the cost of online, kiosk and person to person check-in at airlines. The difference was incredible. Online was pennies while person to person cost $3.16 per transaction. And, at least on Continental, if you check in online you get a coupon for a free headset ($5.00 value).
Frank in SUNNY Santa Barbara
Posts: 2160 | From: Santa Barbara, CA, USA | Registered: Oct 2003
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Frank---- I don't know how the machines would work with a multiple leg, more complex travel plan. Certainly for a complicated, multiple person/family travel plan that might need some changes (as mine often seem to do) it might be best to be in front of an agent. But for a straightforward few tickets, the machine seems pretty dandy; the tickets even look just like the regular ones too.
Posts: 72 | From: USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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