Great station stop, it can get a bit dirty outside because of homeless people hanging about sometimes but they're chill most of the time. This place has cool old trains to photograph and a little train museum open on the weekend. Great for kids. Bathrooms are pretty clean and lots of places to sit and wait inside. I like the overhead area, great for when it's raining and the service is good. They have a kiosk last I checked and the employees are efficient. read more

An eight minute stop on the northbound trip of the Coast Starlight Amtrak from Los Angeles to Seattle, the Salinas station is an important station for folks to use in the Northern California/Monterey County area to go down to LA or further north. Salinas was the final stop on Day 1 of our trip before the sun set. It was designated as a smoke break stop, so was able to get off to look around. Our attendant used a distinctive yellow step stool to make it easier to get off, but also to find our way back to the right sleeping car. read more

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The train cars need a major overhaul. Worn, dirty seats and filthy windows. Just tag on an extra dollar or two per ticket before people stop riding!!!!! read more

We took the Coast Starlight run from Los Angeles to Seattle and back. Great service, fun trains, nice sleeper suites with private shower, sink and toilet. The Metropolitan lounge at Union station is also very nice. We got nothing but excellent service from the entire staff. We will definitely consider doing another train trip like this! Even the food is good! read more

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This review refers to Jinson at the Salinas, CA Amtrak station. I booked tickets on Amtrak for my two sons, 14 and 15, who are labeled as "unaccompained minors" by Amtrak. My boys were visiting my parents in San Jose, and I live in Thousand Oaks, CA area. The person who attended me over the phone was super helpful and patient. According to Amtrak policies, you have to book the tickets via phone, and then the attendants at the station have to print the tickets. Amtrak doesn't send you tickets via mail or online. They also don't require ID of the children, as long as the adult presents a valid ID, which surprised me immensely. I was prepared to send a copy of their Birth Certificate, but apparently it's not needed til they are 16. Their train was to leave from Salinas and arrive at the Van Nuys station. Armed with this information, my mother, their grandmother, went into the Salinas station to apply to the attendant for a ticket. Since the Amtrak was running about 2 hours late, they showed up an hour before the adjusted time. The Amtrak attendant, Jinson, left much to be desired in the terms of helpfulness and graciousness. One could say he was borderline racist/sexist. My cancer-ridden Argentine mother approached the desk and didn't expect the resistance from Jinson that he continued to give her. It began with the fact that the computer systems, which had at that time already been down for 2 days, could not print the tickets. He expected them to go to FedEx to print out tickets. My mother called me, and I explained to Jinson that I had no tickets, only a detailed itinerary and confirmation number, and the reason for this was Amtrak's policy regarding "unaccompanied minors". Jinson still gave my mother alot of grief, while she was filling out her paperwork, and still insisted on them going somewhere to print up their tickets. Finally, my father came in, and Jinson decided to be more assistive, but still rude. Jinson insisted the boys needed ID's and I was summoned again, over phone, to explain to Jinson the rules of Amtrak, instead of him trying to research before he gave them problems. He finally gave in, but told them that he was doing them a favor, even though they had gotten there after the time they were supposed to. Now, according to Amtrak policies, the minors are supposed to arrive with adults an hour before the train's departure, but Jinson insisted it was from the orginal time of the train's departure, which meant that my parents would've been waiting in the train station for 3 hours... How ridiculous! As they were finishing the interview of the kids, one of my kids looked at him with a bit of disgust, because they had been treated so abominably. Jinson immediately took exception, and started to say something, but my parents continued on their way. They were greeted by the nicest train conductor, who heard the story of their experience and was appalled by their treatment. He was very helpful and kind to my children and made their trip so easy for the rest of it. I went to their destination, and the attendant there, in Van Nuys, Monique, was so sweet and kind! I told her of my parents's experience, and she was horrified. She guided me to report the actions of Jinson to Amtrak, which I continued to do. Hopefully, noone has such a horrible experience in the future with Jinson. With the lessening of the attraction of train travel due to the length of trips and the lateness of the trains, one would think Amtrak would try to gain back some customer base with the good representation of superior staff. The experience with Jinson turned my parents off to Amtrak so much, that I don't know if I'll be able to use it in the future for my other kids. What a sad result to something which could have been so fun and entertaining to my kids and so easy for us adults! read more

Small station with only a couple trains that stop a day. They have a station staff during the day when the trains are arriving. They also have a few bus connections that are contracted by Amtrak. They go all the way to San Jose to short route to the local Monterey, Carmel, and CSUMB. The station itself it's really clean and well maintained. The inside is beautiful. The restrooms are inside and locked. You need the station staff to open it for you and you can only use them during the day when the station is open. The busses run all night to San Jose and Santa Barbara. You can wait outside at night. It seems shady at night and there are a few homeless in the area but when I had to catch a midnight bus I waited outside with no issue. I felt as safe as any other part of downtown at that time of night. The cops don't pull into the parking lot but they are constantly passing by on the road that runs past the station. read more

The train station is older style and dated. It is being renovated as of March 2020. I am glad i took son who is a 5 yr old train fanatic... To this station before it changes, gets remodeled. Great for visitors taking cool classic look photos and see old steam trains in the yard. Too bad the museum was closed during our visit. read more

Amtrak - Train Stations Near Me - Salinas, California

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The Starlight(Express) Distress from LA to SJC is a messy disaster with so much potential. How is it that there are (2)TWO "Signal" issues that delayed us On The Tracks In Watsonville for over an hour, followed by another abrupt stop for no reason. Are there cows on the tracks? Flying Monkeys? Is it raining frogs? This could be so amazing, but the inferior are running the show. It makes perfect sense that Elon Musk is boring tunnels to start another kind of experience. This one is ripe fir a take over. read more

Salinas station is only open for limited hours. So, counter and restrooms are only available then. Staff helpful and friendly though and the security guard walked me toward a local restaurant which was filled with locals and friendly staff, although they didn't really speak much English. Hoping my return trip to LA is a better experience than coming up here. Train is a great way to travel but suggest all travelers pack food as on board it was limited as to when it was available and sold out so not all passengers could get food. read more

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Under what looks like a complete restoration. Limited access and limited hours. Lots of great old train cars on the site, as well as the old loading freight station. Open and uncovered platform. This station has seen its better days but, it looks as though it may be restored back to it's old glory. read more

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Sorry to say this ride on the starlite number 11from Salinas Ca to LAX which I take frequently Has left me kinda disappointed this last time! As soon as I got on the train, I had to use tge restrooms. All the restrooms were absolutely filthy! I asked one of the workers if he could clean the restrooms. I told him they were filthy from the momentI got on the train and throughout the whole ride. They were really super disgusting. He said if I can't get to them because there are so many to clean! The coach seats for sure were not sanitized and nether were the tables and benches in the conservatory! I know this because I brought my own antiseptic towelettes and cleaned! read more

This place looks really creepy but it's not that bad. There is plenty of lighting and outdoor seating for people like me who need to take the over night train. I always feel safe and everyone who works here is really nice. read more

I took a trip to Portland Oregon on Amtrak, train #11 on Aug 15, 2019, for my nephews wedding. I returned on Amtrak, train 11on Aug 19, 2019. This is my 1st time that I have ever had such rude & threatening type customer service on Amtrak!! From the conductors to the cafe worker. The cafe person announced cafe was open for only 1 more hour. I quickly went 3 cars over, went down & found2 employees sitting there talking. The cafe door was closed, they coldly looked up at me I asked if the cafe was closed, she replied yes, they will announce when you can come back. I said I had just responded to her announcement & had walked 3 cars over, not so easy at 70yrs old. She repeated herself& said it would be announced. Instead of walking back, I sat there in the sun room & waited. Then here comes a conductor. She started loudly talking to us, in a tone that 1 would use if they were scolding their child for wrong doings! She made it clear this room was the only room where you could talk or use your cell phones, he repeated herself as though we weren't comprehending what she was saying. She ended her speech by saying, & if you are caught using your cell phone or talking, you WILL BE KICKED OFF THE TRAIN!!! There could be so many situations that could deem you to use your cell, especially in emergencies. Also, modern technology allows you to put phone light in night mode as well as mute etc. I paid a lot of money to ride the train & I certainly didn't pay to be treated as though I'm a devious criminal already identified as such! What an insult. I went 2 more times on that trip to the cafe only to be greeted with cold stares & no smiles. When I ordered, her demeanor was as though I was bothering her, making her work when she didn't want to. It made me feel guilty & as though I was imposing on her. This is the 1st time in my many Amtrak train trips that I've experienced such horrible service. Normally it's the Amtrak employees thatmake me feel so welcomed & good that they are the reason I ride Amtrak. This crew really turned me off. The crew on train 11 going up was super fantastic, especially the Cafe person. read more

Karen was very helpful and patient with my huge family! She made sure we understood the checked bag policy and held our bags for us while we took our kids to the train museum next door. read more

Scary deserted location but have to say my son departed and arrived safe so that deserves 5 stars! Can't say much else about this place... lol read more

Living here all my life and I never took the time to step into this station until a little "rail journey" to Santa Barbara back in late Jan. First off, the inside of the terminal has beautifully drawn scenes of the local area and it's history along with an art deco feel. Not being a busy stop on the RR line except for 2-3 times a day, you'll need to ring for the man behind the counter, once you get him, he was helpfully and friendly. I enjoyed my Amtrak ride that week and have taken another since then..One thing, IF, you're in a hurry and absolutely need to be at your destination at a given time.... fly or drive, the train tends not to run anywhere close to schedule, but ,the price is right and the ride quite and smooth. You may want to give it a try just to said you did it. read more

Amtrak is back at the original location, and now sharing the Station with Greyhound. Bathrooms are all remodeled and along with the shared Lobby Area, is maintained now by the City of Salinas. read more

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As a WW2 and Korean War vet I haven't ridden a train since I first enlisted and the ride was at government expense. However about a month ago my wife and I decided to take an overnight Amtrak to Seattle for a few days. First, the station agent at Salinas was very helpful and courteous and she advised us to make reservations on line which I did. We chose to travel in a mini compartment which was smaller than our half-bath. Our tickets included all meals while on board and the food was acceptable and it was fun to interact with fellow passengers. I was surprised at the smooth ride and one does not experience the normal clacking of the train wheels. On straight stretches I clocked our speed on my smart phone as high as 82 mph. The day hour scenery was very enjoyable on the Starlight, especially along the Oregon and Washington coastline. This week we are leaving town for a trip to Santa Barbara--a ride that takes about 6 hours. read more

Why I'll never ride Amtrak again. Rode train Salinas to LA on January 2. 9 hour ride. The compartment must have had mold because when I got off the train, I could not talk. Almost 48 hours later I'm only able to speak in a whisper. Called Amtrak; asked for a refund; no way I'm getting back on the train. Amtrak said: No refund. read more

Lived in Monterey and Salinas for 33 years. Finally, had the chance/opportunity to take the Coast Starlight to Seattle from Salinas. Like a lot of Amtrak stations, this one is owned by the City of Salinas. That being said - As stations go, it was pretty good. I was happily impressed - up to a point. Staffed, with clean restrooms, snack machines, ample free parking, even a pay phone in a booth ! Even though the station is kind of run-down on the inside, there are some great murals high on the walls above, one of the Salinas rodeo, the other of the Southern Pacific Daylight Express. (S.P. used to own the station.) Drawbacks were: Sketchy part of town,and very unsavory characters hanging out. I would be very hesitant to park and leave my car there all day; I would not leave my car there all night. I would have liked to have given this place 5 stars, but the interior does need to be refurbished, and the lack of security for customer cars is a factor. Get aride to the station if you're going to take the train. Still, if you are ever in Salinas, the murals and phome booth are worth taking a look at ! read more

I'd leave negative star reviews if I could. My almost 80 year old husband parked his car in the Salinas Amtrak Train Station on a Monday afternoon. When he returned to the Station Friday evening, his car window had been completely broken!!! The Salinas Police Department could not be bothered to make a report, so he got in his car and drove back to the north bay; 30 miles north of San Francisco. We will never visit this Station or Salinas again. read more

I had a terrible experience on the Amtrak train station. If you have to be at your destination on time, then I definitely recommend against taking this train because you will most likely be delayed an extra 2 hours. Sometimes taking unexpected stops every few miles and staying at other train stops for far too long. The food is sub par and don't even get me started on the restroom facility. I wouldn't recommend this train to any of my friends or family. read more

Just took my 79yr old mom to Amtrak Salinas, which is under construction. They didn't offer her Shuttle to the train. She had to stand 15 minutes on her cane and when she asked for help, the clerk refused. Not set up for anyone with a disability. Don't let your elderly parents try to fend for themselves at salinas amtrak station! read more

The restored Salinas station is quaint but hours are limited and although there is lots of parking, security is questionable. They even have a small museum nearby and an area where vintage trains are being restored but, again, their limited hours which don't necessarily match the station hours might leave train enthusiasts feeling shortchanged. Trains notoriously run late but the friendly station attendant advised us the station & restrooms would remain open past normal hours until the train arrived and all passengers boarded; reassuring due to security concerns. She wasn't sure if we could still dine aboard a train so late when dinner hours were over but the train staff immediately shuffled us off to the diner where limited fare was available. Still, you can enjoy these sites including a pretty garden while wandering around the station. Although the grounds and parking area are spacious, only the small station has benches for sitting/relaxing. Also within walking distance is the charming downtown Salinas area with the Steinbeck museum, multiplex theater, restaurants, pubs, and shops. Lovely Sacred Heart church is off to the right a couple of short blocks in the opposite direction. See pictures posted by others read more