Amtrak's Coast Starlight Review | Bedroom Suite - San Francisco to Los Angeles
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- Опубликовано: 17 окт 2024
- Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new video onboard Amtrak's Coast Starlight. Today I'm riding from Emeryville (San Francisco Bay Area) to Los Angeles. I booked a Bedroom Suite with the family which consists of two interconnected bedrooms. I also got to try out the brand new Traditional Dining. Train wasn't as busy because it was cancelled from Sacramento to Seattle. This was probably my favorite Amtrak experience yet! Amazing views and a great way to head down the California Coastline! Highly recommend this trip for anyone who wants something different from the plane!
Note: This is my first video using voiceovers instead of subtitles, open to any comments/suggestions.
Date of Travel: July 8, 2021
Train: Amtrak 11 (8)
Thanks!
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This is one of my favorite train trips. The scenery is beautiful, and the crews have always been friendly and kind. Thanks for featuring it.
I had a wonderful trip as well! Thank you for the kind words :)
@@PhilLin yes it’s cancelled because of the bridge repairs.
@@BNSF36542 You're right. On the other hand, it will be back once the repairs are complete. UP is having a very bad year, with at least two of its main lines in and out of service.
@@charsbob that’ll be good. How was the food during your trip because I got to try some of the terra chips at home and I thought they were ok.
@@BNSF36542 I've always liked the food on the Starlight. I've been riding it for years between LA San Jose or Oakland. If the train is on time, you can change for a commuter in SJC and arrive directly into San Francisco without the bus ride.
Well done ... good camera work, lots of detail, great info. As a kid we traveled the Coast Starlight from Portland to grandma's place in Seattle. A few years ago we went down to LA and had roomettes ... my sis and her husband in one and me across the aisle in my own. We kept doors open during the day ... Bluegrass entertainers were on with us ... we did a lot of sing a long. Food was excellent, I'm vegan and they could provide. This was all pre-Covid. Am getting ready to travel again, and Amtrak will be on my list. Thanks, good memories and you brought them all back!
Thank you so much for the kind words. I'm glad it brought back some memories. Train travel is always so nostalgic for me too!
I suggest you bring vegan food since Amtrak sonetines runs out of vegan items.
Very Informative!! Thank You 😎
Nice Video. I myself have taken the Coast Starlight from LA to SLO. The experience was very nice.
Nothing beats the Scenery of the Coastline of California.
I will be going from San Diego, CA to Seattle, WA next month. I Will be taking the Pacific Surfliner and the Coast Starlight. The Service Interruption going to suck, but it will also be an adventure.
Again thanks for the video.
Thanks so much for the comment! The bus bridge is unfortunate, but I'm sure it will be an interesting experience. I agree that the scenery is spectacular! Good luck on your trip!
@@PhilLin The Bus Bridge was bad, very bad. My knees hit the seat in front of me, was unable to get any sleep at all it seemed. Then when we got back on the Train, the Train had no food whatsoever in the Cafe. So, no coffee at all for the whole next day.
@@timlider oof sorry to hear that
You should call 1800 USA rail and talk to Customer relations department and they should give you a partial voucher for a future trip, that is if anything goes wrong on Amtrak.
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I actually enjoyed this video , thanks for sharing it with us all 🍻
Salinas is also the county seat of Monterey county, The city of Monterey was the first state capitol of California.
Very detailed , nice scenery. Great job 👍👍
This is an awesome video! You have a great public speaking voice too. Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much :)
I love food ,
If you can have more shots or introduction on Amtrek's menu and food, that will Make it more enjoyable to me.
Nice video and great narration.
Thanks!
Thank You!
great video! just did this Seattle-Oakland route, liked it alot. thanks for the video !
Thank you for your informational video, I was wondering about the stops the train made because I have a Service Dog, and was wondering about Potty Breaks. I also didn’t realize you had a ocean view that you could see, or I should say you still had sunlight. Nice 👍 job !
I love it!
As a person who has spent his entire 45+ year career in video production, allow me give you a few tips to improve your videos. First, overall, your video was pretty good. The shots you did looking out windows showing the scenery were fine. However, many other shots were too quick and were moving too much. For example. showing food...setup the shot, hit record and hold for about 10 seconds or longer, then cut it down in editing. Composed shots are much better than panning all over the place. Set a shot, record. Set a shot, record...rinse and repeat. Music is crucial to good videos. Subscribe to a music service that offers you nice background music. I recommend Epidemic Sound. Keep at it though. you're doing well and the better your videos get, the more subscribers you will get. People do appreciate good production quality. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for the feedback. I really appreciate it :). I have a lot of videos that I haven’t yet edited, so thank you again for the advice.
Wait, waiiiit… I’m so confused. The description says “beautiful views”. Where? And there’s no WiFi!? Did I hear that correctly?
What time is dinner served? I am woundering if i still get it if i take the train from san francisco to Burbank?!
They usually start serving dinner around Santa Barbara. Since the train is almost to LA, there are usually limited seating times. Burbank is the last stop until Los Angeles, so you would definitely get dinner.
When you step off for those mid ride 30 minute breaks, are there things you can buy or eat?
The train staff will usually tell you to stay near the train because it will leave without you. At most stops, there aren't any food vendors or shopping areas. At the larger stations such as Denver, you may be able to find something. The only stop for sure you can shop is in Grand Junction, CO on the California Zephyr. There's a small store that directly caters to the CZ passengers that travel through daily and is located inside the station. It is also possible to order food from stops. I've heard about others who do it to order pizza or other things (like in Columbus, WI). However in most cases, you shouldn't expect any extra stores/restaurants. Make sure to pack some snacks or just purchase items from the snack bar. Hope this helps!
if I take the train from Los Angeles to San Francesco, does the room will be on the side of the Ocean or on the other side, or it would be better to take the train the other route from SF to LA to see the Ocean all the way?
Hi, Thanks for your question. I’m not sure if I understand your question because you will see the ocean on both the northbound and southbound trains. However, I do recommend taking the train northbound (LA to SF) because it passes through the ocean area during the daytime versus the southbound train which could pass through in darkness if the train is running late. There’s no guarantee if your room will be on the ocean side during your trip, it’s pretty much based off luck. You can try booking two roomettes (across) or a family bedroom to guarantee a view. Even if you’re in a bedroom, you can keep the curtain open next to the door and look out that side of the train as well. Hope this helps.
Correct me if I’m wrong and if you know, but it looks like between Oakland and San Jose that your train went the way where it continues on the Amtrak California Capital Corridor route traveling through Hayward and Fremont? I’m a little bit surprised if so because all the 6 times I remember taking it south of Oakland it didn’t go that way as it made a turn off just past the Oakland Coliseum and parts ways from the Amtrak Capital Corridor route for a little bit until some point closer to San Jose as of it not the Starlight not going by Hayward and Fremont!
I noticed too that there are two ‘paths’ the train uses from Oakland to San Jose. However, I’m not sure why we went that way. Maybe it’s because of train traffic at the time?
@@PhilLin I think you’re probably right, wherever the train traffic and maybe construction etc is lighter although I believe the other way they go that I mentioned where the Amtrak Capital Corridor doesn’t go is the more common way the Coast starlight goes
Thank You I enjoyed the video!
Thank you so much!
Was this a promo video on behalf of Amtrak? I'm an Amtrak Select member and, over the past 15 years, I have been on all long distance trains (except for the Texas Eagle); some down the East Coast as many as a dozen or so roundtrips. All of my trips have been in bedrooms or roomettes. I have never had my dinner so neatly plated as yours were in this video.
I paid for this trip myself with nothing to do with Amtrak. I'm guessing that since Traditional Dining just returned, Amtrak and the Dining Staff are trying to make things look extra special and revitalized. I did ride Amtrak in previous years and I don't remember this type of plating, but anyhow it looked very nice!
Not having coach-class passengers simplifies life for the dining car crew enormously. I too have been taking Amtrak long-distance trains for years. My sense is that the Amtrak dining car, lounge car, and sleeping car staff are acutely aware of how badly passengers were treated during the prior administration and especially during the pandemic. I suspect they are bending over backwards to win back our appreciate and continued patronage.
@@thomasstambaugh5181I'm not going to make this political but fact based. As one who has taken Amtrak for years, you probably know the downgrading of service happened well before the prior administration. The best way to win back our patronage is to lower the costs of sleeper car service. It has really gone up (including the "buy points" for trips). In June, I was on the computer for 2 hours checking rates for every train between Cleveland & West Palm Beach in August & September. I finally found the cheapest ONE WAY fare of $1,380 (disability fare) & used points for the return. Some days, the one way fare for a bedroom was as high as $2,100. Unfortunately, flying isn't an option for me because of a spinal cord injury & possible turbulence causing discomfort. Flying is much cheaper. A nonstop trip Cleveland-Ft. Lauderdale in First Class on United was $268. each way.
@@tpajay : I share your desire for fact-based exchanges about Amtrak. I agree that Amtrak has been under-funded for as long as it has existed. I've been taking "Amtrak vacations" on the various long-distance trains for twenty years (I think I've done all of them at least twice). The best way to motivate me to ride Amtrak more often is to raise the comfort level of the experience, even if it means an increase in price. I offer the Via Rail "Canadian" as an example. The four-day trip from Vancouver to Toronto is, in my experience, the very best passenger train in North America. While Via Rail offers sleeping-car accommodations comparable to Amtrak in price, they also offer VERY expensive "Premier class" service. As a result, the dining car on that train is a fine-dining experience with uniformed servers, actual white linen tablecloths on actual tables, a menu that is different at every meal, and breathtakingly delicious meals and wines. All but the wine is included in the fare, whatever accommodation is chosen. Via Rail runs a different diner for coach-class passengers.
Thankfully, not all of us are the same. I'm very aware of the increased prices for Amtrak sleepers. The resistance I feel is not because of the price, it is instead because the service level has not increased to match. The mattresses are still thin, the bed linens still thread-bare. The "traditional menu" is a great improvement over the microwave boxes and remains no better than it was before the saboteurs removed dining cars altogether in the prior administration (pre-pandemic, I might add). The food on Amtrak has always been comparable to Denny's or the 99. Via Rail shows that it is possible to do better.
I want passenger rail in America to lead the world, as it did in the first half of the twentieth century.
@@thomasstambaugh5181 It sounds like you use Amtrak more for vacation, whereas I have to use it for traveling needs. I, too, have been on all long distance trains (except the Texas Eagle) with several being to the West Coast & as many as 20 or so roundtrips Cleveland to Florida in the past 15 years. Yes, I want service but not at the higher fares that are becoming more common. Paying just under $2,100. one way for the routing that I mentioned above is a bit much. I'm the only one in my family who takes the train (everyone else flies) & having a roomette on the Viewliners was fine for me. I need the in room bathroom & now that they have removed them from the new Viewliner cars, I have to upgrade to a full bedroom and not travel as frequently (post COVID....but I wouldn't be surprised if schedule reductions might happen with the Delta variant). If I remember correctly, the only in room toilet is with the Prestige Class on Via Rail & the other sleeper service does not have that. Using Amtrak's roomette trip Buffalo to Seattle & Via Rail sleeper Toronto to Vancouver on the same date in February, Amtrak was $655.00 cheaper (US dollars). That should be enough to have upgraded dining.
We are from Kansas and are planning on coming out to San Francisco next year my question is how long does it take to get from Emeryville to Los Angeles on the coast starlight as we are taking the California Zepher from Nebraska to San Francisco then stay there for a week or two then take the coast starlight from San Francisco I mean Emeryville to Los Angeles and then catch the southwest chief from Los Angeles back to Kansas
Sounds like a great trip. The California Zephyr is such an amazing route. The train from Emeryville to Los Angeles is schedule for 12 hrs and 32 m. Just note that there is about 50 minutes of padding time built into the schedule if the train is on-time. Also, there are extended smoke stops that can be shortened if the train is running late. Just note that there is always the chance for your train to be delayed en route. Taking the CS to LA, would be the perfect make combo with the Zephyr. Good luck!
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Can get your meals in your room or do you have to go to the dining car?
Yes, you can. Just make sure to let your sleeping car attendant know as they will be placing your order and bringing your meal to your room. Just note, that it might take longer than usual because your attendant also has to fulfill their other duties in the car (making beds) too.
How many hours travel time is there from San Francisco to Los Angeles?
It's scheduled for 12 Hours and 40 Minutes. There is extra time built into the schedule near Los Angeles for the train to make up time if it's running late. Since the train currently originates in Sacramento, the train is most likely to be on-time to Emeryville and will probably arrive about 30 minutes early into LA.
@@PhilLin Thanks Phil! I'm probably going to make that trip, and trying to determine if I need a Roomette or can do coach.
@@kenvanderbilt7128 I have taken the Coast Starlight twice: once in an economy room and once in business class. I believe the train still has a business class car. It is a good deal.
I missed the roomettes.
Is the food same as the roomettes?
Yep, all sleeping car passengers are served the same meals in the dining car. The only thing different is the accommodation itself. Otherwise, all the other amenities are the same.
I love watching Amtrak Videos. I found your video lacking all around. Your camera angles didn’t put views out the window or the menus in frame. The doors lock from the”inside “ I’m critical because I believe you want to get better Phil.
this looks like it hasn't been remodeled since the 60s
How much does the fare cost from SF to LA?
Amtrak's pricing varies based on demand. You can look up prices at amtrak.com The lowest prices for single roomette are around $200 and $400 for a bedroom. Fares were certainly vary based on how early/busy your date is.
@@PhilLinThanks!😃
How much is the tipping for each service..? Thanks
Thanks for asking. Tipping on Amtrak can be a bit complicated because the amount you tip can vary. Everyone has different perspectives on this. With the Lounge-Car attendant, I would suggest tipping just a few dollars. It certainly isn't required and simply a courtesy to the attendant. I would say $2-$3 per meal. The Dining Car staff should be tipped just as in a restaurant, but in my opinion, you may need to adjust the amounts because you are eating there three times a day. The standard 20% should be tipped, but since prices are no longer posted on the menu, its better to use a standard system. I would say $5 for Breakfast, $7 for lunch, and $10 for Dinner, but these are certainly on the high end. The honest truth is not everyone tips in the Dining Car because some Sleeping Car passengers assume they don't have to since their meals are paid for. It honestly is up to you, but $3 for Breakfast is bare minimum. You can adjust your tip based on the amount of people (if you feel obliged to). As with the Sleeping Car attendant, $10 per person, per day is standard. Tip less for bad service and more for service that is above-and-beyond. The main issue for me is that we travel as a family and tipping $100 for a two-day trip is a bit out of hand. To be honest, I might just tip $20 for everyone. Just remember, tipping is not required, but certainly appreciated. Some think it's not necessary to tip Amtrak staff because they are paid better wages. It's all up to you and how much you want to tip. Just don't tip excessively in the Dining Car, as you will have multiple meals on a trip. I would suggest you read these blog posts by Jim Loomis. He provides a lot more insight into the life of an attendant and why they should be tipped. Again just remember all of this is my opinion and yours can be different than mine. It's a very confusing topic, but the more you ride, the more comfortable you'll be with deciding the amount.
www.trainsandtravel.com/2013/12/16/tipping-your-amtrak-car-attendant-when-and-how-much/
www.trainsandtravel.com/2013/12/18/tipping-in-an-amtrak-dining-car-why-when-and-how-much/
Prior to unionization the wages of sleeping car porters, dining car waiters, etc., were relatively low. Tipping was appropriate; it helped improve their income. Today, however, Amtrak’s sleeping car attendants, dining car servers, and lounge car attendants are well paid. Whether tipping is appropriate is problematic.
According to the Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General’s 2014 report on the company’s food and beverage services, in 2012 the hourly wage for a car attendant and/or dining car server was $25.54 per hour. With benefits the rate was $41.19 per hour. Annually wages and benefits were $88,970. If these pay rates kept pace with inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, the hourly rate with benefits would be $46.73 and the annual wages with benefits would be $100,933, which puts the compensation packages for Amtrak’ on board service personnel well about the median family income in the U.S.
***-*. &. Bring. Cash. For tipping,. No ATM ...
@@paulsmith3820 thanks for the info, I really don't feel comfortable with how employers rely on tips to pay their employees a fair wage, so I prefer to use services where I know the employees are treated fairly.
Anyone have an idea of cost, or is that not allowed here? Thanks.
Costs can vary based on availability and date. You can check at amtrak.com. Unlike airfares, prices are pretty much the same every single date, and prices rise based on distance traveled/demand. There aren't any random price drops or special deals. Low bucket is about $202 for a Roomette and $342 for a Bedroom in the off-season. So for the suite (in this video), it would be about $930 for 2 adults/2 kids. Otherwise, two roomettes cost $490. The bedroom, to be honest, is a splurge. Since the price was cheap and I wanted to make a video, I went for it. However, a roomette for a day trip will be more than comfortable since you're not sleeping. Hope this helps!
Salinas is also the birth place of my family friend Actress Vanessa Hudgens
Why does nobody explain prices?
Is this on the upper or lower level of the train?
Upper level. All Bedrooms are on the Upper Level. On the bottom there are four Roomettes (11-14), Family Room (15) and an Accessible Roomette.
Very squeaky train. No food shots in the dining room or your sleeper cabin?
Yes, the rooms on the train can get quite squeaky. Make sure to bring some duct tape to stop rattles while you're sleeping.
With the bridge out its a pain riding that bus overnight
Yes I agree, I'm fortunate I only booked the San Francisco to LA portion and not the whole route from Seattle :)
A pain ?😐 No ,,, safety,. ! &. U get refund for that part of ride on bus !
Last time I was on an Amtrak service, coach passengers just had to pay for meals in the dining car. It wasn't that they weren't allowed.
Yes, during normal times Coach passengers can eat in the dining car if they pay. Right now, with the return of Traditional Dining, no prices are listed on the menu (except for wine) and only Sleeper passengers are allowed. Amtrak hopes that Coach passengers can eat in the dining car eventually.
My understanding is that the restrictions excluding coach-class passengers result from crowding and health issues arising from the continuing pandemic.
@@thomasstambaugh5181 That sounds more like it. I would really be annoyed if they were not letting coach passengers have access to the dining car as a manner of regular practice post pandemic.
Can’t believe the USA is so far behind in rail travel, Diesel engines? Europe has gone full electric decades ago, and they go 200 mph. USA is so far behind
i dont get it. if the train is truntucated and isnt operating overnight, why have sleepers at all? i think its dumb that they dont let coach class in the dining car. But on the other hand, i'm glad they got rid of that whole boxed lunch format. im not paying $750 for a sleeper to get some box lunch prepared God knows when. oh yay they put the French Toast back in the menu. for a long time you could only get it on i think the Cardinal. I'm sorry I refuse to tip an employee of Amtrak. they get paid by my Taxes. Thats a good enough tip. They probably make 50 times what a waiter does at IHOP. (if not more.)
It's clear that you've never talked to a dining car, lounge, or sleeping car attendant. Do you also refuse to tip servers at restaurants? You are badly mistaken about how those people are paid. So far as I'm concerned, if you aren't willing to tip the people that serve you so well then you have no business riding the train.
@@thomasstambaugh5181 Unlike servers in a restaurant, Amtrak employees are not paid "tipped wages" but are instead unionized and paid a living wage, so they will not starve if you do not tip them. Nonetheless, it is a good idea to tip them -- PARTICULARLY your sleeping car attendant -- for good service. Since they are unionized they are in no way obligated to provide you more than the bare minimum service, and tipping ensures that you are treated better. I find that tipping in advance is far more effective than tipping after the fact. Moreover, they spend long hours away from home in cramped quarters. Sleeping car attendants in particular have a difficult job as they get terrible sleep -- even at night there are still stops that they must wake up for.
@Kevin Regarding the reason they have sleepers -- sleeper accomodations are not just for sleeping. They are also a place you can relax in private without having to deal with other people. You can lay in bed in your underwear if you like, and have privacy. It basically takes all the stress out of traveling and depending on how much you like the stress reduction it can be well worth the price. That said, I totally agree with you that the microwave meals were a travesty. They were more Marie Callendar's level than Hungry Man, but they still tasted like microwave meals. Still, there is no other way to get from point A to point B across the US while being able to lie down in privacy, and even if you hired a personal driver so you could illegally ride unbuckled in the back of an RV, the ride would be rougher.
@@NozomuYume : Understood about Amtrak employees. I didn't mean to imply that they are underpaid. It's a tough and demanding job in the best of circumstances, and I'm always happy to tip dining car attendants, lounge car attendants, and sleeping car attendants. I tip generously and frequently. In the dining car, I usually tip $5 for breakfast, $10 for lunch, and $20 for dinner. I generally have wine or beer at lunch and always have wine with dinner. That's comparable to a $25 breakfast, a $50 lunch, and a $100 dinner. That's about what meals cost in urban restaurants in my neck of the woods (Boston MA).
Sad,. Insulting to wait staff !& Room stewards! What if that were your family,. Working on people like u !😐. Are a few $$ going to kill u ?? Stick with vending machines,. NO tipping !
@@nellgrill3845 Theres a difference between a waiter at a restrauant making $2.50/hr without tips, and an Amtrak employee making $60,000 doing the same exact thing. im not tipping a government employee. no. thats why i pay taxes. without my TAXES they wouldnt even have Amtrak. No taxes no job.
The shots are too close....
It's not that good. The whole experience is not worth the time or money. From October 6, 2020 to July 11, 2021 I traveled on 4 of the 5 cross country amtrak routes in a roomette. Air conditioning is the biggest problem next to on board sewer system. If you compare the price of flying, amtrak is not worth the money. About 50% of the amtrak employees are rude and unhelpful. Inter city routes like, New york to Washington DC are great and that's what amtrak should stick with. These cross country trains need to go.
I completely understand the impression you're coming from, but in my experience the train is part of the vacation and its purpose is not to get from place-to-place. I agree that there are air conditioning and employee issues (on top of cleanliness problems), but in my experience, as long as I come in with a set of reasonable expectations, I'm satisfied with the experience. I understand it's cheaper to fly, but the reason why people like us take Amtrak is because we have the time. We're in no rush to get from place to place. The long-distance trains don't profit, but they're necessary to connect Americans from rural areas to big cities. Think about all the small towns LD trains cross through. Some people don't have cars or are too old to drive. Just like the Interstate Highway System, Amtrak doesn't make money, but has the purpose of providing transportation to people in small towns. For those like us, we enjoy taking the train because we're transportation and train enthusiasts. If you simply ride for a luxurious experience, you won't be impressed, but hope you might consider riding Amtrak in the future again :)
@@PhilLin As I said in above post, I'm an Amtrak Select member & no novice about Amtrak travel. The fares on Amtrak have become a lot higher. I went through about a 2 month period (July & August) for a bedroom one way Cleveland to West Palm Beach. It was not uncommon to find fares over $1,700.00 (some even $1,800.00 +). I wanted to use points for return and, on most days, it was around 60,000 points. That is almost twice the amount needed pre-Covid. A one way FIRST CLASS fare on United nonstop Cleveland to Ft. Lauderdale was as low as $268.00 on certain days. When traveling on East Coast trains, I could use a roomette & save money but now that Amtrak is buying new Viewliner equipment, they removed the in room toilet (I want my own...not a communal bathroom). As for travel between rural towns to big cities being essential for certain people who might not drive or don't have cars, that's been the case for many decades. I assume you're not old enough to realize how many small towns had airline service up until the early 1970's and the large presence of Greyhound & (now gone) Continental Trailways Bus Cos. My hometown of just over 5,000 had 16 daily buses leave up to 1974. Now we have none but still have (albeit small) population growth. Point is, they all survived! I have to do more research about the profitability or not of the Interstate Highway System but it is essential for moving not just people but necessary products like food (just like freight trains). We are a car driven society. and, for the long haul, most want to go by car or air.....that's just how it is. The Northeast Corridor & a few other routes is a must for expansion but the present long distance trains are probably just about the right amount.