Trains are intriguing. Beastly machines tugging wheeled containers or passenger cars along routes short and long. I have ridden trains before, but never have I ridden the Amtrak overnight in a sleeper car with the itinerary scheduled for 35 hours. (*Looks at fingers and counts three new things*) We will cover the high level overall experience and hit details separately. This is the Coast Starlight train.
A couple posts ago I mentioned spending 11 hours in Seattle after a last-minute flight. This itinerary was the sole reason for the last-minute trip to Seattle. My goal being to get from Seattle to Los Angeles on a single train route (avoiding mixed transportation) while experiencing stunning views of the mountains and Pacific Ocean. The Coast Starlight train was a surprisingly pleasant journey until the route was terminated. We’ll save that story for another time.
After a Lyft ride to King Street Union Station, I entered the train station into a grand hall filled with people and benches. I followed the signs the best I could and still found myself a bit confused as to where I needed to be. My ticket was not for Coach class so “regular” check-in was not the line I needed to be in. Thankfully my arrival was about 35 minutes prior to departure so we would begin to board soon after.
A loud lady with a poor sense of humor and lackluster guest experience skills got up on a bench to announce where sleeper car passengers needed to go. Finally! We lined up single file behind the door which would lead us to the platform toward our train. Upon successful passage through the loud lady door, I walked the platform to the last train car which would house my seat.
The class of seat I purchased was called a Roomette. I would be in a room that included a table and two seats (tight space) which would turn into bunk beds if needed. For a long trip, having a sleeper accommodation was well worth it. Having a private window seat with the option to shut out the rest of the train made the trip much more bearable.
My ticket included:
- Station lounge access (if there was one)
- Complimentary meals ($30-45 value)
- Car attendant
- Private seats
- Beds and bedding
- Showers and restrooms (in the same car)
Our departure began promptly at 9:50am. There are many stops along the route to Los Angeles, however, there are a very limited number of “fresh air” stops. It is recommended you step off the train during these “fresh air” stops so you can get, you guessed it, some fresh air. Don’t miss the all aboard time or the train will leave without you. The only fresh air stop that I remember was the one in Portland, OR.
Even though we had been on the train for a couple hours, the views were not impressive. There was a cool view of Mount Rainier on our way out of Seattle headed to Portland. Little did I know, we were not really in the mountains with the views until they came on the intercom and said we would be losing cell phone service because of the mountains. We were headed to the real views and I was headed to dinner. Eating a meal with the beauty of creation outside the window created a memorable dining experience.
Meals being included in the fare was a win. That’s easily a $30 to $45 value if you are on the train for the entire 35-hour journey! Surprisingly, the Amtrak meals were pleasant and well prepared. Being on the train solo, I could opt for a table alone, with other passengers, or opt for a meal in my room. I opted to sit with other passengers which was a good idea. I met a couple who were originally from North Carolina and had attended NC State, the enemy (go Heels!), with close ties still to the school and state. They couldn’t believe I was on a last-minute trip with no return flight home.
Thankfully I didn’t have a return flight home because we were informed our route was being terminated early. That was an experience I’ll share later.
Sleeping in my Roomette wasn’t so bad. The privacy of the room made sleeping better because you could close the door, change into some evening clothes, and sleep without folks all around. An early wake up, early breakfast, and swift exit from the train ended the journey at 8:40am the next morning. We had a full day on the itinerary, but due to the route termination, we had to get off the train early.
This was the worst part of the train journey and made for some additional new experiences for me.
Was the Coast Starlight train worthwhile? Overall, I would say yes based on my experience sans termination. The staff on the train was accommodating and friendly and clearly enjoyed their line of work. The meals were excellent. The limited views were beautiful. If you do the Coast Starlight train, get a room in the sleeper car. The value is there. Will I take a last-minute flight to ride the Coast Starlight train again? No. Heck, I wouldn’t even take the train from Seattle since that was a waste of a couple hours. Take the train from Portland so you can save some money and miss mediocre views.
Wait, so what did I do when our train was terminated? Great question! Follow along to read about it.
Signing of from Emeryville, CA.
A Couple New Things 
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