Relaxing Train Travel to Southern California

by J. Michael Key

It’s easy to get to and around California when you choose train travel, no matter where you start your journey. You can get here via Amtrak from any part of the country; there are schedules available at every station as well as on their website, which makes it easy to find out exactly how to get where you’re going. With the cost of gasoline continually on the rise, taking a train can be a more economical and definitely more relaxing alternative to making long-distance drives.

If you’re coming from far away, there are Amtrak sleeper cars which make overnight trips comfortable. Once you’ve arrived in California, it’s easy and inexpensive to travel from city to city by train. Again, you can find information on schedules and routes at a couple of different sources.

Amtrak serves all the major cities along the California coast as well as providing routes which reach farther inland and to the rest of the nation. If you’re headed into Los Angeles, you’ll probably transfer to the LA regional rail network MetroLink, which provides service to areas where Amtrak does not. You can find MetroLink schedules at many train stations in the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

Amtrak can get you into southern California and in greater Los Angeles (including Orange County and areas of Riverside and San Bernadino counties) you’ll probably do your train travel on MetroLink. If you happen to be headed to San Diego, you can ride the San Diego Coaster, which is a major part of San Diego county’s extensive Metropolitan Transit System. The Coaster connects San Diego proper to the northern suburbs; it’s used by many area commuters and is a convenient way to get around the area - it also connects with the Los Angeles MetroLink system.

One thing which southern California is somewhat infamous for is traffic - and you can avoid the hassle by choosing train travel instead of renting a car while you visit. It’s also more convenient than flying; and Amtrak and regional rail systems like the San Diego Coaster and MetroLink let you relax and see some sights you’d miss if you were taking the freeways.

You can find schedule information for the San Diego Coaster on the web - and if you’ll be traveling by rail, you can even print this information for reference while you visit. The schedule features a route map, timetable and everything else you need to know to ride this increasingly popular regional railway. The system has been growing in popularity to the point where cars have been added by trains to accommodate increased ridership.

There are vending machines at Coaster stations where you can purchase your tickets using cash or a credit card - you can purchase round trip or one way tickets, with a one-way being the best choice if you don’t intend on returning on the same day as you depart. You can simply buy a ticket for your return trip when you’re ready to leave.

If you’re coming all the way from the East Coast, you may want to fly into southern California and then use train travel to make your way from place to place. If you don’t have time to take a train all the way across the country, this may be preferable to making your entire trip via Amtrak.

When you’re planning your next trip to California, consider taking Amtrak - and once you’re in the area, remember that MetroLink and the San Diego coaster are a convenient and comfortable way to get around. If you’d rather avoid the traffic and enjoy your trip, train travel is often a faster way to get to the places you want to see on your California vacation.