The Santa Fe Depot serves Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner service, the MTS Trolley, and regional Coaster…read moretrains. This review is of the station facility and not any of the rail services. The Santa Fe Depot was built by the bygone railroad of that name. I'm old enough to remember the advertising slogan "Ship and travel Santa Fe--all the way!" This is one of relatively few major railway stations that have both been preserved largely in their original form, and continue to serve rail passengers. It is a beautiful Mission-style building from the early 20th Century, and will give you a feel for what rail travel was like in its heyday. Gorgeous tile work and some nice landscaping make this a great place to wait for a train. (Search "Santa Fe Depot (San Diego)" on Wikipedia for more on its history and architecture.) For Amtrak passengers, this is a staffed station with ticketing and checked baggage services. Amtrak staff are courteous and helpful. The waiting room is large and has plenty of old-style bench seating. There is a designated waiting area for seniors and people with disabilities needing assistance in boarding. There are restrooms, but Amtrak often has difficulty in keeping unhoused people from making a mess or using the facilities for things other than immediate relief. So at times, not everyone will find them comfortable to use. In addition to the Trolley, the Santa Fe Depot is also served by several MTS bus lines. There is a paid parking lot run by a third-party provider. No free parking nearby. There is a small kiosk--the Silver Streak Cafe--selling food and drink. See my separate review.

One of the greatest historical landmarks the city of San Diego the Santa Fe Train station was one…read morethat had the larger front when you xame to the station the many cars would park. For the many travelers that have cone to San Diego for the City of San Diego has had many years from the early yearz to the tine of World War 1 and 2. From the many areas of San Diwgo to ports of the Naval Bases the trains that came through the city the many stops that would include the trains which serviced areas of the city to the city of Oceanside. For the city of Lemon Grove was obe of the many train depots that you could take the train from the east to main train depot. The Santa Fe Train Station is obe ace that many people use the trolley and the coaster that can take you to the North County and City wide trolley trips. One of the largest train groups that have serviced the many years is the world class Amtrack. Santa Fe Train Depot is one that has had American Prsidents the train station has been the one that you can learn so much about. The arcgetecture of the building has many of the older areas the doors that lead to the second floor the train station is one of the historical landmarks the sounds of the passengers that passed through the doors to the parkked Model Ts and Chryslers. As a Yelp Elite Reviewer the many times that Ive taken the train and the trolley the travels on the trains are adventures to places of adventure to the citys of history . The Santa Fe Train Depot was one of the larger buildings that in the early years history of the building was where the first cars to the Presidential Trains that came to San Diego the many of the trains Prezident Theodore Rosevelt.

The train is such a relaxing way to get around Southern California! I mean grab a ticket…read more A seat by the window with epic view and even a snack car serving hot dogs and pizza and snacks

I've been wanting to try out a taco spot in El Sereno/ Los Angeles for quite some time…read more I've tinkered with the idea to hubby- we can either drive or ride our motorcycles up there. We had our date set for our taco travels- then he whips the idea up of taking the Amtrak. We've discussed Amtrak ever since we've been together for 16 years and finally went with it. I haven't been on Amtrak since- 11th grade! Man, those were the days- taking the Amtrak to LA to attend warehouse raves! LOL Hubby would frequent the Amtrak every weekend to Central Coast before we met. I've read some of Amtrak's San Diego (Santa Fe Depot) reviews prior to our visit. We allowed ample time from the trolley ride/ National City to the Depot for the 8am departure. The gentleman behind the ticket counter was friendly and informative. We opted for round trip business class tickets. We picked the 4:10pm slot for the return back to SD. (Remember this). We inquired- "If we're done with our LA business before/ after our ticketed time, can we switch Departure?" The ticket agent said, yes. But- no guarantee if Business Class seats will be available. Be sure to allow yourself a good 20 minutes to line up. We picked our seats/ on the coastal side for our journey. Once the morning train is moving- there are complimentary juices, coffees, water and breakfast danishes available. The overhead announcement will be made for service at the Cafe down below. The Cafe serves beer, wine, alcohol, hot dogs, refrigerated snacks, chips, etc. Plenty of good sized overhead shelves and luggage stowaway. Staff was very informative when discussing what areas along the route the train travels at. 90 MPH is the maximum. The reclining cushioned seats make such a difference! On our way back later that same day- we had enough time to switch our departure to 3:10pm. It was so refreshing to sit in the strong air conditioned car. Announcements were made before we left LA that for our journey back home- there's only one business class car instead of two. Basically, don't hoarde a seat with your belongings and make room for another passenger. Complimentary snack box provided (dog bar/ trail mix/ pretzel twists/ buffalo chicken stick/ Asiago cheese spread). Complimentary beverages are sodas/ juice/ wine and Stella). Cafe cart is open as well. I heard monthly passes are available. For the both of us, $200 round trip/ Business Class.

I really loved most of the transit centers in San Diego California…read more Old town center is a great way to travel SD's old town area. They're reliable and affordable.

One of the greatest locations next to old town in san diego, which is a great town full of unique…read morehistory, stores, and food. The old town transit center is nice and provides free parking to use the trolleys, something so rare nowadays, and the trolleys themselves only cost about $2.50, which is also a price that can't be beat. One of my favorite things to do is utilize the transit to get to shows and venues like at the Gaslamp, the convention, or even Petco Park. Used it this weekend for survivor series, and it was such a lifesaver with parking, convenience, and easy access to get to the venue and back. I loved it, and I wish we had this exact smooth service in L.A.; ours sucks. There's no sugar coating that. L.A. needs to learn from San Diego and take notes.

This open-air railroad station is little more than a platform. It's a NCTD Coaster stop intended…read moreprimarily for commuters who live or work in Sorrento Valley, Sorrento Mesa and nearby areas. NCTD Coaster Connection provides shuttles on weekdays (6:30am to ~6:30pm) for passengers disembarking here. They service employment centers, including UCSD, Torrey Pines, Carroll Canyon, and UTC. There is a car park south of the station that fills up on weekdays.

Generally I enjoy taking the train as it's a nice break from all the traffic and chaos driving…read morecauses. However, when it's cold and dark out, and you're anticipating the train to come at the designated time and it doesn't...kinda ruins your experience. After, waiting some time thinking it was just a bit late...I tried to contact the coaster only to get an automated response saying they were closed. I understand things happen... but when it's over 30 minutes late, there should be a way to notify those who are waiting. If they could put up message signs to inform us of the next train times and or if delayed would be great... just a simple courtesy for riders.

This place is convenient to central Solana Beach. Easy to have a car-free visit if you come by…read moretrain. Track is accessible by stairway, ramp, bridge, and escalator from street level. There is a bit of seating inside and restrooms of moderate cleanliness. Signage inside the station and down at track level provide ETAs for each train. This station is serviced by Amtrak and the Coaster, so make sure you get on the right one!

My son had driven up earlier in the week to spend time with his sister and since I had planned to…read moresupport the two of them running the Santa Anita Derby Day 5K, I decided to take the Amtrak train for the very first time because I didn't want to have two cars driving back home on Saturday. I had anxiety riding the Amtrak because I had never taken it before, but an experienced young student from UCSD gave me the 411 about the train and he helped this old man navigate my first train trip. I started at the Solana Beach train station and took a scenic, relaxing, no stress, and non-traffic congestion ride to Union Station Los Angeles. After my first trip, I'm sold on taking train rides to Los Angeles. The Solana Beach train station is obviously located in Solana Beach just a short walk from the beach, it's across from a plaza where you can grab a bite from Chief's Burgers & Brew, and a stroll to Pizza Port on the west side of the tracks. The main reason I chose the Solana Beach station was that you can park your car in their free public parking lot over the weekend. There is plenty of parking at this station. There are two tracks here at this station. Track 1 is southbound and Track 2 is northbound. If you're traveling to Los Angeles, take the elevator down to the waiting area for Track 2. There aren't that many concrete benches to sit on, so expect to stand while you're waiting for the train. I purchased my Amtrak ticket from the Amtrak website where you can choose to ride Coach for $31 one way to Union Station or Business Class for $46. I highly recommend taking Business Class because for $15 extra, you'll have a higher chance to have a seat, the seats are more comfortable, you have more space, and you get free snacks and drinks. When I got to my business class seats, I noticed that there were many riders who had a snack box. When I went to grab some snacks and drinks, they had run out of the snack box. All they had left at the time were Goldfish crackers, sodas, and water. One of the train staff was able to find extra snack boxes and I was able to grab one. The snack boxes come with pretzels, beef jerky, fruits and nuts, a mini fig bar, and cheese spread. A good snack to hold you down until your last stop. During my trip, I saw beautiful sights, really cool stops, Angel stadium, and I didn't have to worry about navigating through LA traffic. It only took a little over 2 hours to go from Solana Beach to Union Station. I really enjoyed my first Amtrak trip, the comfort of it, the beauty, the free snacks, and the stress-free experience.

Amtrak really needs to up their game in order to increase ridership Here are some areas for…read moreimprovement: 1 Prioritize on time schedule 2 Customer Service is important in both Business and Coach class 3 Time for new cars Some are showing age Am a big supporter of rail and I ride on a regular basis between Irvine and San Diego More updates to come

I was sooo excited to take the Pacific Surfliner train from San Diego to Santa Barbara for a…read morebirthday trip. I thought the chill vibes and ocean views would set the tone for a nice weekend. I was mistaken. There are some decent ocean views but it's a very small portion of the ride. I did business class and ended up in seat that didn't recline or have a foot rest. That combined with a small package of Oreos and potato chips, to me didn't justify the price increase to business. I did research online ahead of time and was lead to believe there would be full reclining chairs fun snack packs and even a glass of wine or beer - none of that was true on the train we got. So keep that in mind if you see fun take the train videos. My fault I should know better than to believe what I see online. Also, its good to know that there less business cars then coach by half so finding a seat with a good view in business is difficult. None of that is a deal breaker or that big of a deal mostly just interesting information to temper expectations. However, the behavior of the ticket taker really sunk this trip. We were at a 4 top for 2 of us and he said that would be fine unless a larger group boarded. We agreed and would've gladly offered up our seats especially if a family with children boarded. we were on it for 6 hrs so figured if we had to move around a bit it'd be no big deal but we'd stay put as long as we could. A group of 3 did get on a few stops later all very grown adults one sat across from us and we made space even giving him the charger. They were only on for one stop and didn't need the group seating. Next to us was another 4 top that had only 1 guy at that the ticket taker never spoke to or warned he may have to move. When he came up and noticed that they were a group of 3 he said we have to move for them. No problem, I started to say we're fine to move he cut me off at we're fine and said no you're not fine you need to move, they're a group and of course they won't ask for your seats but you have to move they shouldn't have to even ask. I tried again to help the situation and explain that I meant we would move but he cut me off again and proceeded to raise his voice to us and not allow me to speak. The group, that we already spoken to said no no it's ok we don't need it, which made him even more angry. He finally left and I offered to the other riders to just switch seats if they wanted to face each other and told them we're more than happy to exchange seats. Right after that the single guy next to us left and they took those seats and were totally fine until they got off shortly after. In retrospect I wish I would've stood up for myself better stating that I was trying to say I'd be happy to move and even explaining that we had already spoken to them. I didn't expect to have to defend myself this way while paying extra (too much) for public transportation. That interaction, which I've read isn't uncommon among Amtrak employees, with the general state of the train means I will not be a repeat customer and will not recommend this ride to anyone. I'm super bummed as I was very looking forward to this and hoped to love it.

Food was good and we enjoyed it. The service was ok. Had the union burger and was very good. Fries…read morecould use additional seasoning.

Being under staffed for a busy weekend, kinda sucked, but the manager on duty, made it all better,…read morefriendly, personable and very nice. You guys rock and we will be back. Thank you for such a great experience. Thank you Monique

With the many trolleys that I have ridden and to see many other stations get crowded by housing…read moredevelopments with the trolley line and the many parts of Grantville are some of the older parts of San Diego and to when the first Railroad had gone through the valley. What is an area that meets at three sections with a river running through the valley? With the valley that leads to the areas of the Stadium is more cleaned and well organized as I see the Grantville area have become as the dumping ground. The many trips that I have taken to see the many stations and to catch the busses that you may need to go to the Zion Hospital and the many major medical offices in the area near Grantville. The Grantville Station is located over near the many hotels and the car dealerships with the bus#88 and the bus #13 that takes you over to the areas of the Camino Del Rio south and the Old Town Trolley Station. With the Bus #13 that services the many areas of the National City 24th street trolley center which connects with the Euclid Transit and trolley Center. Grantville is one of the oldest communities in San Diego and the State of Calif the first European settlement that was organized in the year 1769. Yes, Grantville serves a very vital part of the valley and also has the great history to know of the valley and the connections that it has to the connections of Old Town and the City area of Tecolote. Being on the trolley and taking the day and getting a look about to see the many areas when you don't have a lot of money what else can you do. Traveling the buses and the trolleys on the of a Senior Disabled Bus pass with many people they take to the freeways and the long lines of traffic with worst drivers are not fun for most. The San Diego Transit station is becoming more crowded and with the many businesses of the valley the only thing you can do is build a bigger transit bus connection zone at Grantville. The many stations that are close by and be able to help the many students to help get them to school and the easy access of the trolley makes it much easier and less expensive to pay for parking and the high cost of Gas. As a Yelp Elite Reviewer having been through the station many times with the constant construction and the many trucks coming through it makes the areas much more trashed and the river valley has much trash that comes from the many construction sites and those that are dumping into the San Diego River. To see an area that is clean and well used it can be the greatest thing yet when people throw trash into the San Diego River and the many areas that do pollute .

The city needs to imminent domain MTS, terrible reliability, unsafe feeling, overpriced monthly…read morepass.

I love taking the Coaster and San Diego is the best place on earth Everyone is so nice and helpful!…read moreIt's easy to figure out and so scenic and beautiful! It's not very expensive and it's so much better than driving! Everyone should take public transportation!

With my coaster trip from San Diego to Encinitas for the station was one that had not changed for…read morethe station the surroundings of the station. WS one that was not well organized . The coaster station doesn't have security with the bus terminal for the city buses the buses come for short period and leave. When I had arrived the walk through the city and the main street of Highway 101 there were many places rundown and the parks you would see of the many migrants. The Coaster station is only one track with two tracks that one waits the other passes for the station is not one you be after hours. The few restaurants nearby for the main street of of the city finding that the restaurBtz and the stores have been found selling alcohol to underage the sale of fentanyl the dangerous illegal drug . The train station they do have many of the buses that take you up into the many of Oceanside and the connection with the 101 that takes you back to UTC Mall in Lajolla. The security was of the police that were patrolling up and down the main street for the station there is no security for the terminal. Travel to the many stations you will find many of the buses with the security of the stations needs to have business people traveling. As a Yelp Elite Reviewer from the many places I have traveled to is the need for security at the station seeing the illegal activities and the use of alcohol near by. Encinitas Coaster Station. For the many people that use the coaster there is no alcohol on the train for the station there are no security . Good travels to one and all .