If you want to visit downtown Oceanside or the Oceanside Pier, this Metrolink stop will get you…read morethere. Located pretty central to the beach/pier side and downtown. Make sure you know which tracks you're going or coming to, as arrivals an departures are on opposite side of the tracks. There's good seating here while you're waiting for the train. Metrolink operates here during the weekends, so you can make a visit and relax by the beach side here without the drive.

Metrolink only has three northbound trains from Oceanside. I used to go up to Orange to visit my…read moresister in the hospital last year and there were many connections both northbound and southbound but now there are only three I think one at 4:30 in the morning one at 5:30 in the morning and one at 1:30 in the afternoon. With gas prices being so high and traffic jams everywhere this is absolutely the worst service. For me as a senior it was $6.75 for a ticket to travel up to Orange now it's impossible Metrolink is the worst service to Orange county. So disappointed I can't take Metrolink anymore I wonder when this will change or if it ever will

We rode the Coaster twice on consecutive days.  The first trip was literally a five-minute jaunt…read morefrom Carlsbad to Oceanside.  The next day we took the Coaster from Carlsbad to the Santa Fe Depot downtown on our way to a Padres game.  That trip took a solid hour. The first trip to O'Side was great.  We bought tickets at the kiosk at the Carlsbad Coaster Station.  The train was on time, we hopped on and five minutes later we were in Oceanside.  The train was not crowded at all and we were able to sit just about anywhere.  Much cheaper and more convenient than a Lyft or Uber.  It was great. On the second trip to the Santa Fe Depot we found ourselves on a very packed train.  We found seating for the four of us on the second floor of the train car.  It was two seats on either side of a little table.  As we travelled down the coast, with each stop more people climbed aboard.  By the time we arrived at our destination it was standing room only. The ride itself was quite pleasant.  The views along the coast are great.  It affords one the opportunity to see some backcountry that can't been seen form the interstate, so that's pretty cool.  It was an hour from Carlsbad to downtown, but it was a quick hour.  There were quite a few stops along the way, but they were brief. After the game we made our way back to Santa Fe Depot.  For the ride home the Coaster was packed with tired, but happy campers celebrating a Padres victory.  Once again the cars were standing room only.  Becky found a seat, the last one, I stood next to her.  Our companions were in a different car altogether. The beauty of starting in Carlsbad is that you have the pick of seats because the train starts in Oceanside.  On the way back, however, it is a free-for-all, so you get what you get.  Even though I was standing it was still a quick hour return trip.  The seating on the cars was perfectly comfortable.  Certainly much better than the trolley.  The cars also have small bathrooms should the need arise.   We were visiting our friends who in live in Carlsbad and they use the Coaster quite a bit.  In fact our friend commutes to work on the Coaster on the days she has to go to the office. We found it to be a comfortable, fun and affordable way to travel. The NCTD could improve on signage.  We had the luxury of travelling with seasoned Coaster riders.  I could see how a novice could easily be overwhelmed and confused.  That would really be my only critique.

I've ridden the Coaster several times previously and always considered it the best train system…read morealong the California coast, but I rode it again recently and the Wi-Fi was out. Although, I had ridden it 2 days previously, and the Wi-Fi was out then also, on my next ride, I asked the conductor and he acted as if he wasn't aware of that and would report it. Also, at least 1/2 the bathrooms were out of order. That's a problem. I hope that's not a sign of deterioration.

This railroad station in Downtown Carlsbad serves the Coaster computer rail line between Oceanside…read moreand Downtown San Diego. It has a single side platform for the single set of tracks that go through Carlsbad. Overall, I think this is a very nice station. North County Transit District buses also stop here, most importantly in my book, Route 101 that runs on Historic 101 between Oceanside and UTC in La Jolla. There are over 400 parking spaces at the station, which is a short walk to restaurants, coffee shops, retail shops, and more. The Carlsbad Village station is not the historic Carlsbad station that was used by Santa Fe Railroad until 1960. That station still stands about 1/10th of a mile south.

Hadn't ridden the Coaster in a while, but recently took it to an event at the Belly Up in Solana…read moreBeach and it turned out to be a great choice. Traveled on a Friday around 5pm and parked at the Carlsbad Village station. Parking took quite a while to find, so I'd definitely recommend giving yourself extra time if you're leaving during peak hours. The ride itself was smooth and relaxing. One cool perk is that you're allowed to bring and enjoy alcoholic beverages onboard, which is a great way to save some cash before hitting your destination. Free Wi-Fi was also a nice bonus. All in all, it was a convenient and fun way to get to the show! Also on Fri and Saturdays they have a later schedule.

Here you go -- strong, sharp, but still platform-safe:…read more 1 Star - Absolutely Disgraceful Experience at Amtrak Oceanside I've traveled all over Southern California and rarely leave negative reviews, but what happened at Amtrak in Oceanside was beyond unacceptable. I purchased a $30 ticket to Los Angeles for an important business meeting. I arrived with my Segway -- a small, compact mobility device I've traveled with over 100 times without issue. Suddenly, I was told it was "prohibited" and I would not be allowed to board the train. No clear explanation. No attempt to problem-solve. Just flat-out refusal. The way it was handled was even worse. The staff raised their voices, treated me like I was doing something criminal, and even threatened to call the police for "trespassing." Trespassing? With a valid paid ticket? Completely unprofessional and humiliating. Meanwhile, I've personally seen electric bikes, scooters, and other devices allowed without issue. So what exactly is the policy? It felt inconsistent at best and borderline discriminatory at worst. Because of this, I missed an important meeting in Los Angeles and it cost me serious money. There was zero empathy, zero customer service, and zero accountability. This was not just inconvenience -- it was a complete failure of professionalism. I will be contacting corporate directly and requesting a formal explanation of their policy and how their staff handled this situation. Extremely disappointed. I will be reconsidering using Amtrak in the future. They have to address this major concern immediately a total disgrace. Amen

几个月前我来这里，准备搭乘太平洋冲浪者号列车沿着海岸去圣巴巴拉。车站本身和美国大多数类似场所一样，看起来井井有条、管理得当，但（相比世界上其他地方）人手不足。我们想在售票窗口确认一下行李和已购车票的事…read more但那里没有人能回答问题----估计那个人当时在站台上忙别的事情。慢慢地有人开始排队，等着有人出现。于是我们拨打了美铁的客服电话，试图解决问题。等了一会儿，接线员接听了，最后的答复大致是："我们在电话里确实没法高效地帮到你，但开车还时间快到了，售票窗口应该很快就会有人来了。"接着，那种经常发生的事情发生了：那个人出现了，回答了我的问题，处理好了我的麻烦，也照顾到了排队的每个人----所有事情在大概8到10分钟内就搞定了，而那时离火车到站还剩10分钟左右。效率相当高。列车本身体验很不错，我在别处写过。非常棒，强烈推荐。和我习惯的东亚火车在很多层面都很不一样（不是更好或更差，只是不一样）。 Came here a couple of months ago to take the Pacific Surfliner along the coast to Santa Barbara. Station itself like pretty much most similar situations in the U.S. seemed organized, well-runned, and understaffed (as compared to some other places in the world). We tried to get some confirmation on some things around luggage and our pre-purchased ticket from the booth, but there was nobody there to answer our questions (think the guy was working on something else around the platform). A bit of line began to form waiting for someone to show up. So we called the Amtrak number to try to get things sorted out and after waiting for awhile the operator and answered and the conclusion of the discussion was something to the effect of: "we can't really help you in an efficient way here over the phone, but there should be someone at the booth soon given how much time remains." And then kind of what often happens, happened: guy showed up, answered my questions, took care of my problems, took care of everybody on the line, got everything done within like 8-10 minutes, all with about 10 minutes left before the train arrives. Pretty efficient to say the least. The train ride itself was quite good, and I wrote about it elsewhere. Quite amazing and highly recommend. Also very different from what I'm used to in East Asia on several levels.

I like public transit and was curious where the Sprinter went. I took the hour ride all the way to…read moreEscondido. The ride was nice. The train was clean and comfortable. The scenery wasn't that good though. To board either use your mobile device or a Pronto card like me. Hit the button to enter or exit the train. It's like the MTS trolleys in San Diego. I felt safe taking Sprinter and would ride again.

Jesus Christ dude. How are the schedules so bad right now??? Showed up for the 8:17 am train at…read morecollege boulevard just for it to arrive 20 min later. Looks like I'm gonna be late for my class. "Delays up to 15 min." Yeah right.

My family and I have taken the Coaster several times to enjoy a nice relaxed ride…read moreto watch a Padres game. This Sunday when we returned to Oceanside upon Entering our vehicle I received a notification that my wallet was left behind. I immediately ran back to the Coaster and could see my wallet on the seat where it had fallen out of my pocket. However all the doors were closed, I noticed an employee walking towards the front of the train and ran towards him while repeatedly calling for him only to be ignored. I reached him as he was climbing up to where the driver was also sitting and asked him if he could please open the door so I could quickly hop on and grab it. He said NO we're going home You'll have to contact lost and found. That's policy he said.. Long story short, my wallet had an AirTag in it so I tracked it all night where it sat in the train yard, and went to bed at 11 PM. Woke up the next morning and my wallet was an hour and a half away near Hemet. Call the Hemet sheriff department and they went to the location and talked to the resident who said he was a manager for the train and he accidentally picked up my wallet and put it in his pocket. I wonder if that is policy needless to say it was empty and two days later all my cards & ID were returned to me by a sergeant from Camp Pendleton, who found them scattered along the road, leaving the train yard. So be careful not to leave anything behind on the train, especially your wallet because they're employees and management are thieves and very dishonest.

For the past 2 months I had to take the coaster beginning at Oceanside to the Santa Fe Depot. And…read moreI have no complaints at all in regard to the coaster and the staff onboard. The coasters are always clean. There's never been a foul odor. Even the people traveling on it are polite. The staff onboard the coasters are always courteous and answer and all questions I might have. I've always been greeted with a smile and a hello. You can purchase a pass at the transit center OR download the Pronto app and purchase them that way. The train is equipped with an upper and lower deck. Some seating have a table so you can do work or eat on. Do they run on time? Not 100% of the time. But a lot of that has to do with the fact that sometimes they need to wait for another train to pass by, weather conditions and some other factors that are out of their control. But you get to where you need to and safely. I highly recommend the coaster. Especially if you hate the 5 traffic! *Oceanside Transit Center: The public bathroom is atrocious!!!*

A fantastic slice of early California history with a beautiful church built in 1811, fascinating…read morecemetary, a 200+ year old pepper tree, coffee shop, excellent gift shop, museum, and tours of the buildings and grounds. There is even a priest who sits outside to bless you and any items you purchased in the gift shop -- a nice touch! Notwithstanding Father Junípero Serra's apparent and controversial role in the cultural and physical destruction of Indigenous peoples, the place is a great peek into the past from religious, cultural, and archtectural perpectives.

My goal is to visit all of the missions in California. As an elementary school teacher, I find it…read moreto be fascinating to explore the locations that I teach about during the school year. It helps to personalize all that is taught in classrooms across California. Mission San Luis Rey is one of the prettiest missions that I've visited so far. The parking lot is large, and it also has an overflow to accommodate larger crowds during special events. There is a large, white church that is in the center of the parking lot. Due to its size and proximity, it immediately grabs your attention. Many people begin exploring at the church, but there's much more to see. If you walk to the far left side of the property, you'll see the actual entrance. There is small gift shop as well as a counter where you'll pay your entry fee to explore the museum. One thing that I liked about Mission San Luis Rey is that replicas of various artifacts looked pretty authentic. Also, the backstory for each item was described in detail. The mission was incredibly clean, demonstrating how much pride people take in the presentation of the property. There is a small cemetery adjacent to the church. You can walk around and pay your respects to people who had either a physical or emotional impact on the mission and the community. The grounds are well-maintained and it remains inviting to people who want to explore around. The church is large and inviting. You can purchase candles and place them near the entrance as well as the room off to the side or another room closer to the front of the church. The displays are beautiful and well-lit to draw your attention to details. People maintain a low tone in the church to allow guests to pray, have a moment to themselves, or to make a connection with a higher power. Before you leave, make sure that you stop by the small coffee shop. It's located near the bathrooms near the south side of the property. There is a little gated patio area where you can hang out with friends, family, or even your dog! Mission San Luis Rey is a great place to visit. People are very friendly and quite helpful. When we went to the mission, the weather was perfect and we had a clear view of the area. It was a great experience and I will definitely come back for another visit. I don't know which mission we will visit next, but so far, this is my favorite.

Once you get bored of the beautiful beaches, you need to check out the local history of Carlsbad…read more Lots of posters, neat period furniture, a barn with tools and a buggy, and player pianos too. There is a small display for the police department, and another one for the schools. Carlsbad is a micro cosmos of much of California history.

From the owner: The Carlsbad Historical Society a non profit volunteer organization, was established in 1975 to…read morepreserve, promote, and enhance knowledge of the surrounding area's history, significant landmarks, institutions and memorabilia. Our museum and research center located in Magee Park is dedicated to reaching out to the community through educational as well as social events. Our site and knowledgeable docents present the complete Carlsbad historical story. Come visit and "Know Carlsbad" California.

Nice clean hotel. Right next to the train tracks…read more Friendly staff. No valet but do charge to self park in their underground garage for $40 a night. We parked across the street for $5. Rooftop pool.

Location, location, location. It's a block from the beach without paying an ocean view room rate…read more Although we didn't have an ocean view, we did have a balcony. This hotel seems newer with more modern fixtures in the room, large beautifully decorated lobby and spacious layout. The 2 bed queen room had a sofa bed type trundle bed so had a seating and desk area. Free breakfast was above average with lots of options including self serve waffle station. They definitely honored my Bonvoy status with an upgrade and late check out which was very much appreciated. Very friendly staff and efficient check in. Like most hotels in the area there is a parking garage which costs $40 a night. Location is walkable to the beach and many restaurants and stores. There is also a bar and restaurant on the 2nd floor. There is a rooftop pool and jacuzzi with several lounge chairs.

We drove in late from out of town. We called ahead to let them know not to give away our room, and…read morethey noted that we would be late and they were open 24/7. The valet who also took our bags up was very nice and helpful. Front desk greeted us with a smile. They do have a handicapped elevator with lots of room. The building had a fresh scent and welcome feel to it. Ice cold water on the main level and coffee in the morning. We got a two bedroom condo. It was not accessible, but the six was beyond what we expected.we were able to fit both scooters. It also has two bathrooms and we were able to call down for a shower chair for the walk in shower in the suit. We had an issue with the safe and the jets in the tub didn't work, but they fixed it quickly when we called. They are all so friendly and helpful and quick. The beds are a little on the firm side, but the space was comfortable. When the windows and doors are closed you can't hear the outside noise except when the guests are slamming their doors in the halls. The pool is on the second floor and heated but mildly. The hot tub is great temperature with powerful jets. They do have a decent sized gym and nice activities center. Each day they have something different going on by the members desk. It is conveniently located across from the pier, attached to two restaurants, and within walking distance of the markets. The balconies are small, but nice. The chairs are metal so a little uncomfortable. The property was clean. The check out was easy. The valet who picked up the luggage when we left greeted us with a smile. They were both quick and helpful. We do plan to come back.

The GOOD: It's location THE BAD: On 12/27/25, one of the…read moreelevators in the north tower was out of order. When both elevators are working, it's already pushing the limits as to wait times and elevators at full capacity whenever one is called to your floor. When one is out of order, it is that much more difficult to use. The resort is beginning to show its age. In the penthouse suite, the left side of the refrigerator is pushed so close to the wall, that the freezer door can only open halfway. Who designs something this bad??? This is not a bad vacation timeshare. The location is the best you'll get at the Oceanside pier, but resort wise, it's due for a refresh remodel