Vancouver to LA: Amtrak or Greyhound?

[Piperpals]

We live in Vancouver BC, and are planning to cruise round-trip out of LA next spring. I have a few questions and any help would be appreciated.

 

Firstly, I don't fly so we always use alternate transportation. We have been looking at the difference between taking the Amtrak and the Greyhound, Vancouver to LA. Price is the same for Greyhound vs Amtrak Coach seats but obviously can move around more on the train but, the train takes about 6 hours longer than the Greyhound. If anyone has made this trip (or one just as long) on either of these and can tell me what it is like I would appreciate it. We are planning to do this back-to-back with five day LA up to Vancouver, so only need to plan the tip down. We have driven this several times but renting a car one way is extremely expensive.

 

Also, is there more than one pier in LA and how do I know which one the ship is leaving from? I believe Golden Princess sails out of San Pedro, if this is so can you tell me where San Pedro is in relation LA and bus/Amtrak stations. We are looking at going straight there the day before, no sight seeing.

 

Any information to help me plan this trip would be most helpful.

 

Thank you

[skandls]

Have you checked car rental prices to do a one way starting in Seattle? It might be cheaper than a two country car rental. The one way rental rates really vary a lot between all the many auto rental places. I would not want to do either the train or the bus. DH and I are both OK with flying.

[scottbee]

We live in Vancouver BC, and are planning to cruise round-trip out of LA next spring. I have a few questions and any help would be appreciated.

 

Firstly, I don't fly so we always use alternate transportation. We have been looking at the difference between taking the Amtrak and the Greyhound, Vancouver to LA. Price is the same for Greyhound vs Amtrak Coach seats but obviously can move around more on the train but, the train takes about 6 hours longer than the Greyhound. If anyone has made this trip (or one just as long) on either of these and can tell me what it is like I would appreciate it. We are planning to do this back-to-back with five day LA up to Vancouver, so only need to plan the tip down. We have driven this several times but renting a car one way is extremely expensive.

 

I have a friend who did the train, and said it was the screaming baby train all the way.

 

Alaska Air, and Air Canada fly non-stop to LAX non-stop in 2.5 hours for about $200, or Allegiant Air fly non-stop from Bellingham to LAX for about $90. I highly recommend that + a visit to your doctor who will be able to give you something to calm your nerves

[Casagordita]

I haven't done the whole route by bus, only about halfway (Redding to LA, around 600 miles)--and I wouldn't do it again for anything. The seats and aisles are smaller than Amtrak. You have to either use the smelly bus lavatory or wait for a rest stop (which are several hours apart). You have to bring your own snacks or, again, wait for a rest stop. The route that Greyhound takes is most likely the I-5 corridor, which is fairly boring and not very pretty (and this is coming from a Sacramento Valley native). And I'm sorry, but, well...those jokes about some of the unsavory people you meet on the bus aren't altogether made up!

 

On the other hand, I've been on Amtrak quite a bit and I love it. Like you said, you can get up and move around. You can bring snacks, or eat in the lounge car (sandwiches and snacks), or have a full meal in the dining car. Some of the SuperLiner cars (which is what they use on the Coast Starlight route) have electrical outlets at every seat, so you can plug in your laptop or what-not. I've met a lot of delightful people on the train, and none that ever creeped me out. And the train route is far more scenic--especially the part between San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, which is right along the ocean. I would do Amtrak for this trip in a heartbeat, even if it added more than six hours to my travel time!

 

And before you decide against sleeper accommodations on the train, consider that they include your meals, and some nice extras like wine tasting in the afternoons. I know it's still not cheap, but it's a long trip, any way you make it--you may thank yourself in the end.

[Sailorgirlseattle]

I've done a cross-country trip on Greyhound and several on Amtrak and I'll take the train hands-down. If you can swing the extra money, get sleeper accommodations. It looks like a lot more than coach, but keep in mind: You have private space, you get a flat bed for sleeping at night, AND all your meals are included in the dining car. And like the previous poster said, you meet some really amazing people on the train.

[Cruisin' Chick]

We went to Seattle via the Coast Starlight from Oxnard, CA, in August 2004. We had booked a family sleeper car, which is the whole width of the car (side to side), but doesn't have its own bathroom. There was major plumbing problems on our train going up, which made things quite uncomfortable (we had to go searching for a working restroom each time we needed one, often to one in a car several away from our car). At one stop, an unsuccessful attempt was made by Amtrak to fix the problem.

 

Wasn't a problem on the way back home.

 

It was a scheduled 36 hour trip each way, but ended up four hours late in both directions, due to much sidetracking. The rails are also not in the best shape.

 

Note that Amtrak can be quite picky about luggage weight. The clerk in Oxnard was claiming (by picking it up) that our suitcase was overweight. Hubby insisted that it be weighed, and finally the man did so and it was just a half ounce under the limit.

 

I thought the food was overrated and the menu's for both days were the same.

[mjesf]

Sounds like an interesting adventure that will take two (or more) full days if you take Amtrak.

 

If I were doing it on Amtrak, I would pad an extra day in the schedule as the Coast Starlight is notorious for being late :mad: and you will be arriving in LA at 9:00 PM.

 

Union Station is in Downtown LA, and Amtrak runs a connector to San Pedro that will drop you off either next door to the World Cruise Center or in Downtown San Pedro. It's about 33 miles between the two. The Greyhound Station in LA is about 26 miles north of San Pedro. If you do the Greyhound option, consider going to Long Beach instead as you will wind up closer to San Pedro.

[Jana White]

We just returned from taking the train from LA to Seattle and then again back after the cruise. It was absolutely fabulous. We did book the sleeper and met some wonderful people. We enjoyed the wine tasting, movie theater and parlor car. Our train was 45 minutes early into Seattle and on the return 15 minutes early into LA. We have no complaints a all!

[zephyr17]

Leaving sleepers out of it and just comparing coach to coach. Also leaving air out, as that was not the OPs question.

 

Seats are MUCH bigger, with much more pitch and recline much further.

 

You can get up and move around, you can go hang out in the lounge car, eat a meal in the diner. You will not feel confined near to degree you would on a bus. At the same price, it is a no-brainer.

 

As to travel times, if that is really important, you can shave as much as 5 hours off the trip if you are willing to endure 3 hours of bus rides in conjunction with the rail segments. Instead of using the Starlight all the way to LA, you get ticketed to go via Stockton and Bakersfield. You get off the Starlight at Sacramento, take a 1 hour Amtrak Thruway bus to Stockton, and pick up the San Joaquin train to Bakersfield, then transfer to another Amtrak Thruway bus for a 2 1/2 hour bus ride to Los Angeles. The train down the vallley is short, straight shot down the valley and a lot faster than winding over two passes and down the coast. The downside is you miss a MUCH more scenic trip down the coast - the highlight of the trip - and zoom through the flat San Joaquin Valley instead.

 

BTW time-keeping is much improved on the Starlight in the last year. It has gone from being consistently 4 to 8 hours (or more) late to being on time most of the time. It can still get delayed on any given trip, but the average is MUCH better, well above 80% now.

[Putterdude]

You have posed a very interesting question, one that I haven't seen before. My preference would be to fly but failing that that I would either want to drive myself or take the train. The bus trip would just put me around the bend, I can almost 4 hrs on a bus and I need off.

[yogi2929]

In 2003 we did a repositioning cruise from LA to Vancouver and took the train down the coast. We parked our car at Union Station and arranged a Super Shuttle to take us to the pier. It took less than an hour to get to San Pedro. The vans will either pick up from the front of Union Station or in the back at the taxi stand.

 

We had the family sleeper. At that time the Coast Starlight had refurbished 1940's parlour cars for the sleeper guests. At wine tasting time both days the kids were sent downstairs to watch movies. We had a very good time. Food was good and so were the other passengers. The train was a couple of hours late.

Which was a lot better than the 24+hours late on our LA-NYC trip.

 

Zephyr- Glad to hear that the trains are getting better about keeping to their schedule. If we had the time, we would take more trips by train.

[zephyr17]

They still have the Pacific Parlour Cars for sleeping car passengers, although they are now charging ($5) for the wine tasting. If there is room left after sleeper passengers have signed up, they will sell tickets to coach passengers to the wine tasting for $10.

 

They also are serving lunch and dinner with an alternative menu in the Pacific Parlour Car now. So as a sleeping car passenger, you have the choice of eating in the diner, or in the PPC. They've added an espresso machine in Parlour car, too.

 

For the historically inclined, the cars that are now used as Pacific Parlour Cars were the "Top of the Cap" lounge cars delivered to the Santa Fe in 1956 for their deluxe coach El Capitan train between Chicago and Los Angeles. They also look nothing at all like they did originally when Santa Fe used them (Indian design motif, no wood paneling, etc).

[Piperpals]

Great information from everyone, thank you. Looks like we will be taking the train. Thanks for the tip about taking the longer route for the better senery, I was wondering why it took longer.

 

Did look into renting a car (which was first option) but is about $800 one way for 2 days.

 

Cheers

[skandls]

I did a o---z dot com search on car rentals from Seattle airport to Los Angeles airport and the rates were from $40 to $150 per day. Not $800 for a 2 day rental.

[megr1125]

take the train...............pack some snacks and sandwiches (at elast for the 1st day)

 

if you can swing it, i agree 100% get a sleeper...............even a roomette. yes they are SMALL! but you will cherish your OWN space. (every train has at least one "wacko"-trust me!--if you get bored, i wrote this blog entry a couple years ago. every 'character' was a real person and all the situations happened...i just made up names for them! http://mojitomeg.blogspot.com/2007/10/fellow-traveler-observations.html

)

the trains CAN be late.......Amtrak doesn't really own any track except the NE Corridor on the east coast...THUS they are subject to waiting for freight trains......so give yourself an extra day.

 

if you are a senior or have AAA an (i suppose CAA would work too) and book at least 3 days ahead you can get a discount.

 

the food isn't BAD.....(in the dining car i mean....cafe car food is pretty crappy) and it IS included in the fare.

 

You will have room to move..and if you book a sleeper, you get access to a shower. (some of the larger rooms have shower/restrooms facilities within!)

 

there is NOTHING really in the seattle station for food...and barely anything close by (IIRC there is a little cafe about a block or so away....)

 

i used to pack granola bars, crackers, PB&J sandwiches and some soft drinks, then sometimes just for variety i would buy something...this was in coach)

 

long distance train travel can really be fun! one of these days i want to take a long trip on VIARail!

[Piperpals]

I did a o---z dot com search on car rentals from Seattle airport to Los Angeles airport and the rates were from $40 to $150 per day. Not $800 for a 2 day rental.

 

I am not familiar with o---z dot com, what is that please?

 

Thanks

[zephyr17]

take the train...............pack some snacks and sandwiches (at elast for the 1st day)

 

 

the food isn't BAD.....(in the dining car i mean....cafe car food is pretty crappy) and it IS included in the fare.

 

 

Only if you purchase sleeping car accomodations.

[skandls]

I am not familiar with o---z dot com, what is that please?

 

Thanks

 

orbitz dot com

[Treven]

I would definately take the train. I took the train from Sacramento to Los Angeles a few years ago. You certainly will be seeing a lot more scenic and some not so scenic areas of California. But at least they will be a lot more scenic than Greyhound which simply goes down the freeway.

 

Unfortunately the trip was 13 hours long with all the maintenance delays - not to the train I was on, but freight trains ahead of us.

 

An additional benefit to the train is they generally have electrical outlets at every seat. As I had my laptop (and 10 or so DVDs) with me I simply watched movies all day - going down as well as back.