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Amtrak Pacific Surfliner

2.8 (463 reviews)

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Sharp metal trim at elbow height

After hearing so many great stories from friends who take the train, I thought I'd try it. It's about $18 cheaper than driving plus paying for 3 days of parking, so why not. Well: All trains are cancelled for the following two days thanks to maintenance, so this train is packed to the gills. I'm rubbing knees with some random guy I'm facing, I can't stretch out my legs, and there's no table available here. Why is there even a seating configuration where people are face to face? This is easily worse than coach on an airplane. The armrest is 2" too low to be of any use, and instead there's this protruding piece of sharp metal trim on the wall that digs into my elbow. It appears to cover the 120v power conduit. Why is this not at least rounded smooth? I relayed this to my friends who love the train and discovered they pay extra for business class. At that price it's just way cheaper to drive to my destination and pay for parking, even when I'm by myself. I won't be doing this again.

Coach
Anton F.

I enjoy traveling by train. Amtrak Pacific Surfliner is one of my favorite lines to ride. In California you can cruise the coast and see some of the most beautiful views of the ocean, mountain peaks and historic sites. There is coach and business class seating available along with a quiet car for testing and relaxation. Tickets can be purchased online or at train stations. There is also food and beverages for purchase on board. The train has racks up top to store your items. A convenient and affordable way to travel

Nohely M.

It was a decent ride to get to San Diego Santa Fe depot; we had a trip to visit rosarito Baja California and decided to take public transportation to the border. The views were actually not that bad, except the train windows are a bit cloudy. Also Friday it was gloomy and rainy but I still enjoyed the coast beach views. The train for 11AM 3/14/25 ran late and it was raining and cold. Other than that, the seats are ok, best seat is by the window, bathrooms are clean. Cafe has its hours and they announce it, I rode coach class, seats were ok, tables are reserved for a party of three only and they do check. Not much room for leg stretch and if riding for a long time, it is best to get up a few times and take a walk Atleast to the restroom. They do have a plug to connect your wires to charge your devices. Air circulation is not the best so wearing a mask is highly suggested. Always be aware of your surroundings. Be prepared to share a seat if it gets packed.

Jo S.

I love riding trains like back in Europe, it is a stress free type of transportation, I enjoy sitting by the window and enjoying the view! I have travelled a bit with Amtrak lately and I wasn't impressed. The trains had delays, are dirty, the seats kind of old-fashioned and the windows need serious scrubbing. I also thought they are crowded so it is harder to get seating, the personnel is rude, their system outdated. The restrooms were just OK. Not as enjoyable as I expected. Amtrak can do better!

Snack packs at business class.
Vanessa G.

I love taking this train from Fullerton to LA. This is the ideal way to attend a Dodgers game. The surfliner trains are so fun. The staff is friendly and the train station is very clean and organized. It's a huge station, so give yourself plenty of time to walk around and find everything. I suggest taking business class. You get a snack pack and a beverage included, featuring wine or beer!

lunch reservation
Fred T.

We just completed our annual EastCoast Trek but it started on the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner traveling from Union Station (LAX) to Tacoma, WA. It was a great trip with with one overnight on the train. We departed LA on time at 9:50ish am and arrived the next day - early evening in Tacoma around 7pm. We mixed things up a bit by starting in the Amtrak Metropolitan lounge relaxing, grabbing some snacks and preparing for the journey. We did bid for a roomette but the train was full and our bid was not accepted so since it was only one night on the train, it was not that big of a deal. Of course with the roomette you have access to private quarters, meals, showers, etc. we made it work and actually saved money over what we would have spent had our bid was accepted. As usual we met some great people and it cannot be overstated that riding the rails offers a great opportunity to travel while seeing some great interior parts of our country. Staff was very friendly and professional and overall it was a great start to our three state trek. We were treated to Gant who played his guitar in the observation car and these are the types of experiences you simply can't plan but another reason why riding the rails is such a unique experience. https://fredyt3photos.net/2024/08/22/gant-eichrodt-and-his-musical-stylings/

Amtrak Pacific Surfliner at Burbank Downtown!
Pamela H.

BEST $20.00 we ever spent...Upgrading to Business Class on the Train! Burbank Downtown to San Diego! Stefon...security staff was great! Thanks again!

The Pacific Surfliner

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Delayed delayed and delayed... it took 10 hours from Santa Barbara to Irvine (138 miles).

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Amtrak Pacific Surfliner Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Amtrak Pacific Surfliner

Best place to park when picking up Pacific Surfliner passengers?

All the stations have ample parking no problem no worries

I will be seeing multiple friends from LA to San Diego and back this weekend. Can I hop on / hop off with a roundtrip ticket on the same day?

Yes I did it when I was heading to la and got off in Anaheim so I can use my annual Disney passport if they don't let you just say I had to get off and grab a quick bite to eat and missed my train. That always works

Going from chatsworth to Santa Barbara round trip in one day, non holiday Thursday. Will an unreserved coach seat suffice or is there a lot of benefit to the business class if I don't care about the snacks and wine?

I think you'll be fine in unreserved coach. There is not much more benefit for business class if the snacks/wine unless you plan on drinking a ton of coffee. The only other benefit is that you are guaranteed to have a seat if you do business class.

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Review Highlights - Amtrak Pacific Surfliner

This is an absolutely amazing passenger train that will take you from San Diego to San Luis Obispo.

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Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum

Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum

4.2(102 reviews)
7.8 miGriffith Park

Shout out to the staff here for really making this a great experience. They couldn't have been more…read morefriendly! We had a great time at the Live Railroad Museum. We got there right before opening and a little line began to form, but they had two trains running the day we went. We waited maybe 15 minutes in line to ride the train. The ride itself is probably 10 minutes or so and it goes on a nice little loop around the area. You pass little towns and figurines throughout the ride. The nature views and bridges along the way were also really lovely. The staff here is very serious when it comes to safety so be sure to keep those arms and feet inside! The only downside was that the seats in the train are pretty uncomfortable. So it's good the ride isn't too long! There are no seatbelts, but it doesn't go that fast and if you have a little one, you can just sit them in front of you and hold on to them. I didn't feel unsafe at all. Tickets were super affordable. It's a great activity for families! I will definitely be back. It's nice that travel town is right next door and there are plenty of areas to picnic if you bring your own food.

For just $4 per person as the suggested donation to ride the model train at the Los Angeles Live…read moreStreamers Railroad Museum, this train ride along a track that goes through small miniature towns, bridges, and tunnels that offers train passengers an open air experience for all ages! Easily accessible off the 5 freeway, exit from Zoo Drive by the L.A. Zoo. Parking is free and is located next door to Walt Disney's Barn. Donations are greatly appreciated and continues to be a low cost way of enjoying LA especially in the Griffith Park area! Open from 11am - 3pm, well worth the ride!

Photos
Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum - Hours of operation as of 7-7-24

Hours of operation as of 7-7-24

Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum
Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum

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Travel Town Railroad

Travel Town Railroad

4.6(15 reviews)
7.9 miGriffith Park

This is such a cute spot for a low cost birthday party! While we were only attendees recently at my…read moreson's classmate's party, I can't imagine booking one of the picnic areas for a party to be any more expensive than it is at a regular park ... but normal parks don't have a huge number of full sized trains laying around, a train museum, and a rideable train (only $2-3 per ticket) that goes around the whole place! If your kid is a train lover, this is a great FREE place to visit. I still can't believe it was free lol. There's a play place for kids inside the museum, but you have to provide your own train toy for the tracks there. There's a gift shop near the museum where you can buy those. We bought our son one of those that you pull backwards, then it goes fast in forward motion on its own. Totally worth the $12 price tag because he hasn't put it down since, and even sleeps with it lol. You can't get into any of the trains, BUT there is a black one under the awning where many of them are that you CAN go up into. The kids were obsessed. There's plenty of space on the property to setup a picnic for the day that doesn't involve having to rent one of the covered spots. We were there for 3-4 hours walking around the grounds with the kids - a huge group of 3-7 year olds - and none of them got bored.

My family and I have been coming to Travel Town for many years…read more After entering travel town and walking past the many old steam engines that display there is a ticket booth and entrance to the miniature railroad. Tickets are $4 for adults and $3 for children, the same as the Griffith railroad on the other side of park. The ride is a brisk 12 minutes or so and takes you around travel town with two laps across that time. The whole breadth of travel town is available to be seen, including the many steam engines, miniatures, gift shop, and more. The train you ride itself is comfortable, covered, clean and well maintained. They make an excellent ride for a family. Our kids loved it! As with Travel town's sister railroad on the other side of the park, I recommend sitting near the back of the train to avoid the exhaust smell. The staff are very friendly and clearly love their jobs - I don't blame them! The rest of travel town is otherwise quite limited. Aside from a large number of locomotives, and nice areas for picnic, the museum and other sites are fairly limited. You come to travel town to see the big locomotives and ride the miniature train - that's about it. A playground would go a long way! Thankfully, admission is free and parking is plentiful. You need not budget more than two hours for your visit unless you are a true train aficionado. Nonetheless, Travel Town is an excellent, worthwhile stop for families and especially those with children 8 and under.

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Travel Town Railroad
Travel Town Railroad
Travel Town Railroad

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Discovery Cube Los Angeles - The race way

Discovery Cube Los Angeles

3.6(417 reviews)
17.4 mi

We came to this location for the Mickey Mouse Exhibition. It was much farther than we had…read moreanticipated, and the location is much smaller than the one in Santa Ana. They also have similar activities like the other location, some different, but overall, great for kids! They offer many interactive activities for kids. (Bring your wipes and hand sanitizers!) They have plenty of parking, a small library, and a park right next to the location. Before even entering the Cube itself, kids will be distracted by the carousel just by the main entrance. There is a small food court, a gift shop, and 2 floors of exhibitions. They have plenty of restrooms around the area, which was nice for changing diapers or for toddlers needing a restroom break. There are plenty of staff and volunteers around the exhibits who can guide you or answer any questions. All the staff we encountered during our visit were friendly. They also have an outdoor area for picnics.

Playful and educational environment The Mickey Mouse…read moreclubhouse exhibit was very much enjoyed by kids and they have an unlimited carousel rides for $6 non members which is pretty cool We noticed the dinosaur fossil display near the exit and would love to see more interactive or hands on dinosaur exhibits designed specifically for toddlers in the future Bring your own hand sanitizers and wipes because given the interactive nature of museums I noticed that many hand sanitizer stations throughout the building were empty. Ensuring these would be consistently refilled would be a great improvement especially in a children's environment

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Discovery Cube Los Angeles - Parent and children creating a holiday gingerbread house

Parent and children creating a holiday gingerbread house

Discovery Cube Los Angeles - Festival of STEM

Festival of STEM

Discovery Cube Los Angeles - Kid interacting with the exhibit

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Kid interacting with the exhibit

Amtrak Pacific Surfliner - trains - Updated May 2026

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