I will preface this review with the fact that I love the train. After years of cramming my 6'4" frame into tiny airline seats to go just a few hundred miles and spending hours waiting for and changing planes, I started taking the San Joaquin from Bakersfield to Sacramento and back (about a 5 hour trip each way) on a... more

Train from San Diego broke down--had to be towed into LA Union Station. As a result, late for LA connection--incredibly arrogant and unsympathetic Amtrak employee said that putting us on a bus to Bakersfiled was COMPARABLE OPTION, so they didn't pay for our hotel stay in LA that night (we had a family sleeper). Next day, were told by ANOTHER... more

I took this train with my wife to connect with a cruise in Seattle. We got a sleeper as it was reasonable $400 for 2 days for 2 with all meals for 2. The meals were simple food and not outstanding but good. Louie our sleeping car attendent was just great.. What we loved was the easy travel... seeing the... more

Amtrak needs help. Some staff are professional; some seem very unhappy and take it out on you. My 8 year old son and I got on the train just before lunch in late August on our way to Disneyland. It was our once-in-a-lifetime sleeping car/first class train trip down the Pacific Coast. The train offers wonderful scenery and, otherwise, a... more

I took the train from Los Angeles to Seattle, where I then took a bus into Canada. The trip was long, the staff was great. Gus in the dining car, heading North is nice & entertaining. On my way back to L.A, Lorna, my car attendant was nice & caring, and very helpful. It is hard to sleep on the... more

I took the Coast Starlight from LA to Seattle with my 15 year old niece. We had a roomette which, after I have read the rest of the reviews here and what I experienced, makes the difference between a good or not so good trip. Sleeper car accommodations make you "first class" and make the whole trip better. Even though... more

I've taken this trip every month this year (June 2009) so I have some experience. I've taken it all the way from LA to Seattle, and, more recently, from LA to Oakland (after which I flew to Seattle). I have NOT traveled in coach since the Parlour Car is the ONLY thing which makes this trip fun outside the scenery.... more

I took this train with my son from Santa Barbara to San Jose. Like many we enjoyed the scenery (I recommend getting seats on the ocean side of the train for the best views - dolphins in the surf, etc.). Our dining experience was lovely because of the friendly gentleman who shared our table, not because of the food or... more

We just returned from taking the Coast Starlight to Klamath Falls and back. My husband and I had taken the trip all the way to Seattle before and loved it. So, this time we had our friends with us. We didn't want to pay for sleepers as they are so much more, and had slept in the coach seats before.... more