We are spending a few weeks in the States on Vacation in September and worked out for roughly the same price as an internal SF to LAX flight we can get the Coast Starlight with a Superliner Roomette from Oakland to Santa Barbara.
However, I've been reading a few posts on this and other forums and it seems that puncuality is very bad at the moment, do you think it will get better by September?
If we do decide to book it, can you ask what side of the train you can have your Roomette on?
Thanks,
Posted by RRRICH (Member # 1418) on :
You don't need a roomette to travel between Oakland and Santa Barbara, since that will be a daytime trip of approximately 8 hours -- you can go coach on that segment. Heading south, sit on the right side of the train to get the views of the Pacific Ocean.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
I must agree with Mr. Rich; you don't "need' a Roomette for the daylight Oakland to Santa Barbara journey. But if the accomodation charge is within Mr. McCormick's budget, why not?
The privacy, access to the Pacific Parlour, and at least one complimentary Dining Car meal would certainly justify the additional cost to me.
As for the timekeeping, it is reportedly bad (6 hours late not uncommon); best not plan any activities other than checking in at your hotel the evening of your arrival.
Posted by 20th Century (Member # 2196) on :
I traveled in roomette from Oakland to Santa Barbara. Enjoyed it immensely. As Mr. Norman mentioned the cost was justified for me. That was 7 or 8 years ago. The service was outstanding.
Posted by Jonathan McCormack (Member # 4035) on :
Thanks for your advice so far
The reason we considered the Roomette is that we arrive in San Franciso on a Thursday night, have a few days there and then leave on the Sunday monrning. I suspect we'll still be a little bit groggy from jetlag and all that walking around the City so it would be a nice place to relax and maybe catch up on a few hours sleep.
Air fare is about $165 vs $180 for the train (and roomette) a wee bit more expensive, but better scenery.
Also, I've never travelled on an American train before so it will be a new experience
The 6 hour delay does worry me, but we had no real plans for that night, I'll email the hotel and see if there is any problem holding the room in case it is late.
Posted by chile2 (Member # 3110) on :
Jonathan--- maybe others know if the delays will be better then, but it's probably best to *plan* on it being late. We took the CS last month in sleeper and it got into Los Angeles at 2 am. Ironically, most of our delays were from San Luis Obispo south to L.A. and unfortunately we were too late to get a glimpse of the ocean near Santa Barbara and points south. I heard from the sleeping car attendant that often there are a lot of delays from near Eugene Oregon which might make the CS late into Oakland, something to plan for.
However, that said, it was helpful to have a sleeper for several reasons. One, is your meals are included in the price. Two, you have access to the Pacific Parlour Car which is very comfy and has afternoon wine tastings and is a good place to catch the scenery. The Pacific Parlour car is a lovely observation car available only to sleeper passengers. Three, if (probably) the train is late, then you can just bed down in your sleeper and your attendant will awake you when you get into Santa Barbara (or LA).
Stopping in Santa Barbara sounds like a nice stop (certainly as opposed to Los Angeles). It would be nice to wake up to the beach, for example. Another advantage of the train, especially since you are from "out of town", is that you will get to see a lot of territory you wouldn't see in a plane.
Posted by 20th Century (Member # 2196) on :
Yes,Jonathon be prepared for lateness.The Coast Starlight was over 3 hours late arriving in Oakland. We arrived in Santa Barbara very late. But having the roomette and the Pacific Parlor Car made it worthwhile.
Posted by sbalax (Member # 2801) on :
I took the Starlight from Oakland to Santa Barbara last month. I booked a roomette and was glad I did. It was a looooong trip. We arrived in SBA 6 hours late. I did enjoy the wine tasting (we had a regular Sightseer Lounge instead of the Parlour Car but the attendant, Andrea, was outstanding), two meals (lunch out of Oakland and dinner) and a place to stretch out. The coaches were less than 50% occupied and my sleeper only had about 10 people in it. We didn't see any of the Coast by daylight but there was a nearly full moon so it was a very different view.
The airfares you are quoting seem a bit high, Jonathon. We just booked Oakland/LAX (Los Angeles International) on Southwest for $39.00 in September. It's very easy to get to the Oakland Airport on BART. There is a $2.00 Shuttle (AirBART) from the Colosseum Station.
Frank in Sunny SBA
Posted by CoastStarlight99 (Member # 2734) on :
As others have said, if you can afford it you should go for the roomette to get the Pacific Parlour Car and meals. I am going to Santa Barbara in September and I am going to get a roomette (from LA) just to have lunch and be in the Parlour car for a few hours before detraining.
Posted by afternoonhiawatha (Member # 2566) on :
Our family traveled from L.A. to Eugene, OR in 2001. This is one of the most scenic rail routes in the U.S. You don't want to miss it, especially if you aren't in a time crunch (that is, willing to put up with a reasonable delay). I concur with previous posters that the price of First Class accommodations is well worth it as it provides access to the Pacific Parlour car (and all its' amenities), as well as complimentary meals. Hope that you enjoy your journey.
Posted by Mr. Toy (Member # 311) on :
quote:Originally posted by Jonathan McCormack: The reason we considered the Roomette is that we arrive in San Franciso on a Thursday night, have a few days there and then leave on the Sunday monrning. I suspect we'll still be a little bit groggy from jetlag and all that walking around the City so it would be a nice place to relax and maybe catch up on a few hours sleep.
Just to be clear, the daytime coniguration of a Roomette is just two seats that face each other. There's not a lot of room to stretch out and sleep as in a bed. But you do get a pillow and some privacy for a casual slightly reclined nap.
As for timekeeping, it is likely the train will be late. An aquaintence of mine who is an Amtrak engineer reports that Coast Starlight delays due to ongoing track improvements are likely for the next two years.
Posted by sbalax (Member # 2801) on :
A possible alternative would be to take the AMTRAK, dare I use the word, BUS from OKJ (Oakland Jack London) to SLO (San Luis Obispo) and take the connecting Surfliner to Los Angeles. I suspect you'd have a much better chance of seeing the coast in daylight and I believe this is the train that they are using the BIG Dome on. I saw it the other day in the middle of the consist which seemed a bit odd. I thought it was being used for Business Class. Any info?
Frank in "perfect day in Paradise" SBA
Posted by train lady (Member # 3920) on :
while the daytime configuration of the roomette is as Mr Toy said if you want to stretch out the car attendent will lower the beds for you. But remember if you do that you will miss the scenery. We have a beautiful country, welcome and enjoy it.
Posted by Room Service (Member # 2405) on :
quote:Originally posted by Mr. Toy:
quote:Originally posted by Jonathan McCormack: The reason we considered the Roomette is that we arrive in San Franciso on a Thursday night, have a few days there and then leave on the Sunday monrning. I suspect we'll still be a little bit groggy from jetlag and all that walking around the City so it would be a nice place to relax and maybe catch up on a few hours sleep.
Just to be clear, the daytime coniguration of a Roomette is just two seats that face each other. There's not a lot of room to stretch out and sleep as in a bed. But you do get a pillow and some privacy for a casual slightly reclined nap.
As for timekeeping, it is likely the train will be late. An aquaintence of mine who is an Amtrak engineer reports that Coast Starlight delays due to ongoing track improvements are likely for the next two years.
Just ask your porter to make up your bed. Or, do it yourself. A child could do it. It's easy. Or you could climb up to the birth and catch some Z's
Posted by Charles802 (Member # 2162) on :
We were originally booked on the Coast Starlight #14 in June but have now moved our reservation to September, HOPING that the abysmal on-time performance will improve. So far, however, it hasn't. The train is often 2-3 hours late DEPARTING Los Angeles and seldom arrives in San Jose before midnight. The southbound train generally arrives in LA during the wee-hours of the morning (if not later). Anyone know when this UP trackwork is coming to end, or whether the situation will get any better??
Posted by JONATHON (Member # 2899) on :
"Coast Starlight In September, Should We Risk It?"
Sure, I would, and will
Posted by Jonathan McCormack (Member # 4035) on :
Hi everyone,
Just an update, printed off this discussion and talked it over with the wife over the weekend, taking everyone's views into account.
And we've booked the Coast Starlight
Well, we've never been on an American train before, it does look romantic and we'll get to see things that we'll miss on a plane.
Also, it's meant to arrive in Santa Barbara at 18:17, so even a few hours late will be OK.
I assume Santa Barbara is safe to walk around at night? Is there a Taxi Rank at the station?
Also, which train staff is it customary to tip and for how much?
Thanks,
Posted by sbalax (Member # 2801) on :
Jonathon--
I live in Santa Barbara and would be happy to answer any questions you might have.
There are usually cabs at the station to meet the trains, even when they are quite late.
Have you planned on a place to stay in Santa Barbara? I strongly suggest you plan ahead, especially if you will be here on a weekend. Weekends are busy all year round now and most places ask for a two night minimum.
If you do a search on this website for "Carless in Santa Barbara" you will find a great report on hotels, activities, etc. that can all be done using public transportation. I believe you can also find the "carless" organization by doing a Google search.
Will you be taking a Surfliner to Los Angeles? I suggest you do since that way if you miss the coastline north of here you'll still be able to see the stretch between here and Ventura.
Best,
Frank in cloudy, cool SBA
Posted by sbalax (Member # 2801) on :
As for tipping, I usually tip the dining car staff $2.00 per person at breakfast and lunch and $3.00 at dinner. The sleeping car attendant gets anywhere from $5.00 to $10.00 a day from me depending on how much they actually do for you.
Again, I'm open to any questions you might have.
Frank in SBA
P.S. The donkey pics are a hoot.
Posted by CPBake (Member # 2965) on :
You may seriously want to rethink any travel on the Coast Starlight for quite a while. I took it from LA to Seattle and then back last week and I can say that it was the worst trip I have ever had. The service is in quite a state of disarray and is a mire shadow of itself.
If you go coach, then you will just get basic transportation anyway, because some of your trip may be bused. But if you spend extra $$ for a roomette or deluxe bedroom (like us-over $1200) then you will not get your moneys worth.
While sitting in dirty single level "Horizon" coach cars with no air conditioning and no diner car from LA to Oakland (10 hours), when I had purchased deluxe sleeper car accommodations, it made me seriously wonder why I spent the extra $$. When your ticket includes meals and you have to wait in line (for 1.5hrs) to pay for snack car food for lunch and dinner, or have no food on the bus they put you on and you may want to think about packing your own food.
I was under the impression that the Coast Starlight was Amtrak’s premier west coast train, however what I experienced was little more than basic transportation which now includes busing or sub standard travel part of the way. I talked to one of the Amtrak crew and they admitted to me that it’s now the worst train.
Our car attendant was non existent most of the time and the N.bound dining car manager was rude with his unprofessional PA announcements to his staff, plus the rudeness of the LA Union Station staff is unbelievable. One Union Station employee announced to everyone standing in a long line that she would not answer anybody's questions.
Our return trip from Seattle started off by taking a bus to Portland, and then leaving 1.5 hrs late because the train was not ready (even though it had sat in Portland all day). The station attendant in Portland would not give us any information and just let us sit there.
Arriving back in LA on Sunday night, we were only 3.5hrs late, which the crew said was a new best record for the last 3 months, but being late was the least of my concerns. I expected to be late but did not expect such bad service.
I'm a rail fan and love train travel, but as you can tell, the many incidents that happened on this trip has put me in a state of disbelief.
Posted by sbalax (Member # 2801) on :
I hope you have requested at least a partial refund for the loss of the sleeping car service and the meals you had to buy. I'm surprised that they didn't issue vouchers to the sleeping car passengers for meals.
Was the station attendant in Seattle in the Metropolitan Lounge? If so, that really surprises me. I've found that lounge and the staff there to be exceptionally helpful and aware of customer needs.
Frank in cloudy, cool SBA
Posted by CPBake (Member # 2965) on :
The guy at the Information desk in LA told us to wait in the reservations line for some partial credit. After waiting 1.5 hrs in line, they told us that we need to talk to someone in Seattle about it. (of course all agents are gone at the time you get into Seattle). So we're still trying on that one.
On our return trip, when we had to be bused from Seattle to Portland, the guy was a lot nicer and credited us right there.
The station attendant I spoke of was in the Portland Metropolitan Lounge (tall younger guy). While sitting in the Lounge, people were calling Amtrak's 800 number to find out when the train was going to leave.
Once we finally got on our southbound train though, we did experience a pretty good crew (except for our car attendant). I got to try one of Nanette's Thermonuclear Bloody Marys and Shirley and Penny in the diner car were great. The food was also light years better and even looked nicer (better than some restaurants).
Posted by Mr. Toy (Member # 311) on :
I just went through the Amtrak website and checked 11 & 14's timekeeping for the last week. It is by far the worst I've ever seen. Its the only train I have access to, but there is no way I'll ride it under these conditions.
I notice 14 made it out of LA on time only once, and it was less than an hour late into Salinas, but it was still 5 hours late in Oregon. Other trains left LA between 1 and 3 hours late and were 3-5 hours late at Salinas and 7-8 hours late in Oregon. 11 was doing similar things southbound out of Seattle. Not one train left Seattle on time.
I hear through an engineer aquaintence that UP has warned Amtrak to expect 2 hour delays in northern California for trackwork over the next couple of years. 2 hours is within tolerable limits, if the rest of the route keeps good time. But 6-8 hours every day is absolutely inexcusable, even to this committed Starlight fan. I'm thinking of writing to Amtrak and telling them I won't ride the Starlight until timekeeping returns to something more sensible.
It's really a shame, because not too many months ago timekeeping was the best it had been in a long time.
Posted by goduckies (Member # 3885) on :
yeah, the Starlight used to have the best on time performance of any of the trains out west, until the last few months. I have taken the train a bunch of times in the last few years, and I have never been more than an hour late to either Eugene or Martinez, but now I see they are over 4 hours late or more to each of the destinations!!! I will be going down to Martinez on the 2nd, so hopefully it is running on time then, but I doubt it. At least I will get to see the 3985 in Roseville if it is late though. Brad
Posted by sojourner (Member # 3134) on :
It was only about 2 1/2 hours late into Portland when I took it. I guess I hit a lucky day, but I thought the trip well worth it, sightwise.
Posted by Jonathan McCormack (Member # 4035) on :
Hi Frank in SBA
Thanks for the advice, never checked back here before we flew off, but will use it tomorrow as we're in Santa Barbara now, staying in the Holiday Inn. Lovely place you live in.
Just off the Coast Starlight, we had a great trip, the time just flew by. Will post more about the trip when we get back in Northern Ireland. As for lateness it arrived in Santa Barbara at 19:30 which was pretty good I thought.
We where in Alabama Coach, attentant was Fred who was great. Favourite bits I think was the wine tasting and seeing the launch pads.
We're doing Oscar The Grouch does California at the moment as a sequel to Donkey Does London Posted by sbalax (Member # 2801) on :
Jonathon--
Well, we do try to keep our visitors happy! You'll have woken to a bright, sunny morning. Hopefully you're at the Holiday Inn Express/Hotel Virginia downtown. It's an easy walk to Stearns Wharf. If you go to Moby Dick on the wharf before 9AM ask for the 2/2/2 special. It's two eggs, two pancakes, two strips of bacon for $2.22. It's a locals thing that's not on the menu. M-F only. If you are looking for a nice view with lunch or dinner try Longboard's on the wharf just above the much more expensive Harbor Restaurant. Walk East along the beach to the East Beach Grill on the sand at Cabrillo Arts Pavillion for a very casual breakfast or lunch.
I hope you check in again before you leave. Enjoy Santa Barbara! I have since 1959.
Frank in Sunny SBA
Posted by Charles802 (Member # 2162) on :
Took Coast Starlight from Los Angeles to San Jose last week and it was great. Our car attendant Shirley was very chatty. Parlour Car attendent was Gene (a substitute) but a very nice fellow. Muffins, pastries and cereal available upon boarding in LAX. He came through the car taking drink orders and checking up on us, which I thought was nice. He filled us in on all the details as we passed Vandenberg. Wine and cheese tasting was enjoyable...4 wines, 2 of which were really very good. Lunch and dinner were both good...steak at dinner was tender and cooked perfectly, although the Prime rib at lunch was just so-so. Baked potato was very good too. My companion enjoyed the entree salad at lunch. Before arriving in San Jose, Shirley stopped by our compartment with some delicious chocolate chip cookies.
Departed LA on-time and arrived San Jose about 40 min late. On Sat it arrived 20 min late and on Sunday it came in right on-time. The trend is promising certainly.
Posted by Gardyloo (Member # 4094) on :
I was planning to take the CS down to San Luis Obispo from Oakland next month. After taking Mr. Toy's advice and checking the arrivals for the last week, it's really bad. With a normal arrival of 3:07, the best arrival was over 2 hours late, the worst was 1:30 am (!). Guess I'm not taking the CS, sigh... I was looking forward to it.
Posted by D. David (Member # 4055) on :
If you can afford the roomette go for it. Took it from KC to Chicago - a daytrip. It was fun and more comfortable.
Posted by Jonathan McCormack (Member # 4035) on :
quote:Originally posted by sbalax: Jonathon--
Well, we do try to keep our visitors happy! You'll have woken to a bright, sunny morning. Hopefully you're at the Holiday Inn Express/Hotel Virginia downtown. It's an easy walk to Stearns Wharf. If you go to Moby Dick on the wharf before 9AM ask for the 2/2/2 special. It's two eggs, two pancakes, two strips of bacon for $2.22. It's a locals thing that's not on the menu. M-F only. If you are looking for a nice view with lunch or dinner try Longboard's on the wharf just above the much more expensive Harbor Restaurant. Walk East along the beach to the East Beach Grill on the sand at Cabrillo Arts Pavillion for a very casual breakfast or lunch.
I hope you check in again before you leave. Enjoy Santa Barbara! I have since 1959.
Frank in Sunny SBA
Hi Frank,
Sorry it's taken so long to respond, been really busy since I got back from Holiday since while I was away they kept assigning me work and I've been busy catching up on it
It was the Hotel Virginia we stayed in, and wow, never been in a Holiday Inn like it, it was really cool. We didn't read your post in time to check out your recommendations, but on the bright side we loved Santa Barbara so much we plan to return next year to spend a few days there instead of the one day we spent this year, so we'll act on them then
Now work is a bit quieter I'll write up a report of my Coast Starlight trip, I also have uploaded my Oscar The Grouch photos, the Coast Starlight features on a few of them
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