This Shockingly Cheap Train Pass May Be The Best Way To View California's Beauty
Picture this: you're in a convertible, driving along with the top down and the wind in your hair as you embark on a winding road trip with views of the California coast. Sounds nice, right? The only problem is gas. Once you move beyond "California Dreamin'," into the more practical stage of trip-planning, it soon becomes clear that the Golden State isn't the cheapest or most environmentally friendly option for a road trip. That's especially true if you're renting a non-electric vehicle — with gas prices above the national average and almost 900 miles of road spanning California's length. Going by the average fuel economy (26 miles per gallon) and the average California gas price at press time ($4.68 per gallon), exploring the state could cost over $160 just on gas, to say nothing of tolls.
Keep in mind, California is one of the largest U.S. states, and while it has the country's first high-speed rail system under construction, that project won't be completed for many years. Fortunately, seeing the state by train is still possible, and it might be more convenient and affordable than you think, thanks to Amtrak's California Rail Pass. For $159 flat, it allows you to travel across the state for up to seven days over a 21-day period. This means you could spread your trip out over three weeks, getting on and off the train in different places without breaking the bank. The low-priced pass lets you explore the beauty and diversity of California's landscapes along these routes.
Routes covered by Amtrak's California Rail Pass
The Capitol Corridor route runs from Auburn to San Jose, with stops in the state capital, Sacramento, and cities like Berkeley and Oakland. With a Thruway bus out of Emeryville (which is covered by the pass, along with the train route), you could connect to San Francisco and its rolling hills. That's also an option with the San Joaquins route, which has some overlap with the Capitol Corridor route but starts in Sacramento and ends in Bakersfield. Along the way, a Thruway bus from Merced will take you directly to Yosemite National Park, where you can take a trail up to beautiful waterfall views. Hanford and Fresno are the stations closest to the towering trees of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner route, which runs from San Luis Obispo to San Diego, is your gateway to sunny Los Angeles. Stopping off in Burbank, you can take the Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood. In Anaheim, you can don a pair of Mickey Mouse ears or explore the best things to do other than Disneyland.
In addition to these three routes, the California Rail Pass lets you ride the Coast Starlight train between L.A. and Dunsmuir. If you want to cross into Oregon, you'll need to pay the fare from Dunsmuir onward. The first stop in Oregon is Klamath Falls, which is near Crater Lake, another one of the national parks you can head to on a scenic Amtrak train.
Other things to know about the California Rail Pass
The California Rail Pass has a limit of "four one-way journeys on a given route segment." It's geared more toward travel up and down the state, as opposed to travel across it and out of state. As such, the pass doesn't cover Amtrak routes like the Sunset Limited, the Southwest Chief, the California Zephyr, or the Texas Eagle. Those all head away from the West Coast to places like New Orleans and Chicago. You can, however, use the pass to take Thruway buses to Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada.
There's an additional charge for upgrading from coach to business class or a sleeper car. The fare for kids aged two to 12 is half-price ($79.50), and the rule is that "one child may ride with each full-fare paying adult." To purchase the pass, you need to do it through a travel agent or by calling 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245). The passes aren't available online, and calling that number is just the first step in the somewhat complicated booking process. You'll need to visit the ticket office at your nearest Amtrak station to make the actual purchase and get your pass.
The pass itself isn't meant to act as a ticket, either. You still need to secure a reservation for each leg of your train journey and have a printed ticket you can present with your ID when you board. The pass just acts as a voucher so you can get a free ticket.