I don't want to give bad stars but here's my place to vent about why you should NEVER get the…read morehotdog from the train cafe. When dreams are just dreams - a hotdog pipe dream that went terribly wrong. On a Saturday night the 45th of January 2025 , I took Amtrack north bound. With the romantic glow of the sun filling the train where you have to imagine that the men inventing trains shook hands with God and made a deal that the light be most warm and most beautiful in a train. The purple haze grazing the palm trees of Goleta as the sun set so beautiful in shades of pink and coral into a rolling ocean of navy. The announcement sounded that the cafe was still open, it was 7:23pm. As I passed the train cars of families playing cards I felt like I was in the most wholesome of nights. The cafe had limited options, such as a hotdog. And there began the question one must ask, do I get the hot dog? I am playing a hasty game of chance if I get a hot dog... I'm on a train. If I get sick the bathroom won't be inviting. Will I gain enemies ? But I love hot dogs- every once in a while. Screw it "I'm only 36 once!" I proclaim in the whole 3 mins these thoughts race through my ADD mind. I bought the hot dog , a ginger ale and made my way to grab two packets of ketchup and a mustard. I got back to my seat. Placing the ketchup and mustard lovingly across the dog - as the buns collapsed like exhausted cartoon tires off their hinges. Caution took wind! This was the red flag. No the hot dog on a train was the first red flag. But while I'm still figuring out dating and not going for red flags , you can't blame me for picking this one. I said a prayer still eager that this might not have been a mistake. Ketchup filled the air as I thought , Oh holy Hebrew National hotdog , will thy bless thy self and use thy hotdog skills to land me a hottie husband who will adore me even when I give in to thy hotdog with plenty of ketchup - amen. I held the buns up. One side was wet of frost bite - like it had traveled too far off course on the Oregon Trail. The other side was very hard, but I thought I think it'll be fine. Very much like past relationships except this time I gaslit myself. I took a bite with the 'good bun' - one entire hot dog with one short hard bun that did not match in size , ok it was weird - so when I say the one and only bite I took was terrible I mean it was terrible. All nostalgic wonder passed me by. This was not "what dreams were made of" Hilary Duff , this was a hotdog nightmare. Alone in my train row I humbly acknowledged my mistake. And covered it to rest with a napkin. Amtrack please supply some decent food for goodness sake!

It's a decent but infrequently served station, not too clean sometimes but still decent, direct bus…read moreconnection for Amtrak bus service, but not city bus lines and has a modern ticket machine.

This station is as posted. I arrived after a canceled flight very early in the morning. The signs…read moresaid the lobby would open at 6:00 a.m. and they opened at 5:40 a.m. the staff were friendly and offered information on where short-term and launching parking were and the best place to leave my car. By the way, long-term parking is free and they will give you a sign to put in your dashboard if you arrive early enough before your train departs so you have time to walk it down to your car. While the staff on the trains themselves are not very friendly for the most part, the staff at the station are very helpful and polite. Train travel, can't be time-consuming, but it can also be relaxing. My hat is off to the staff at the Amtrak station in San Luis Obispo.

Definitely one of the better Amtrak stations in California. There are a few restaurants nearby,…read morewithin walking distance. Highly recommend Roma [Italian Restaurant] or MyThai [Thai Restaurant] directly across the street. Amtrak personnel are on site, so you can make ticket changes or stash your bags if you have time to walk around and explore. There is a railroad museum adjacent to the station as well; railroad buffs and kids will enjoy a visit there. The station is somewhat busy with North and South trains coming through. Just make sure you are boarding the correct train; it can get confusing and the volunteer helpers sometimes make things more confusing. All aboard!!

This station is great! It's super easy to navigate. There is always someone to help guide you in…read morethe correction if you need any assistance. There is a parking lot so there is plenty of parking. Just make sure that you get it validated so you don't pay the hourly rate.

I recently took the Amtrak from Anaheim to this station at Santa Barbara to catch an Amtrak Thruway…read moreConnector Bus. The station itself has some small details of architecture that replicates the old train station feel, but otherwise, a simple station for transfers to your next train or connector bus. The scheduling from the Amtrak train to the bus was impeccably flawless - the connector bus was waiting for us as we boarded off from the train. Worth the train travel if you don't want to drive.

Amtrak Coast Starlight - Disappointing Customer Service…read more I took the Amtrak Coast Starlight from Oxnard to Salinas, a trip of about seven hours. Overall, the ride itself was fine, but one experience really stood out--in a bad way. Before boarding, I picked up a Starbucks coffee for the long trip. I prefer my coffee hot, but unsurprisingly it became lukewarm fairly quickly. I went to the café car and politely asked if either the attendant or I could heat my coffee in the microwave for 30 seconds. I was told no, because the microwave was "only for food purchased on the train." That response honestly left me stunned. I wasn't asking for free food, special treatment, or anything unreasonable--just a small courtesy. Heating a cup of coffee for half a minute costs Amtrak nothing. Instead, I was met with rigid rules and zero flexibility. What happened to common courtesy and treating fellow humans with a bit of kindness? This felt like unnecessary gatekeeping rather than customer service. For a long-distance train marketed as a relaxed, comfortable experience, this interaction was anything but. The scenery may be beautiful, but customer service like this leaves a sour taste. Amtrak could do much better by empowering staff to show basic consideration instead of hiding behind rules that don't really matter.

it is a very simple train station. There is no waiting room, no staff, no inside place to sit, if…read moreyou are waiting for the train. Only building structure are two restrooms, and i hope they were functional (I did not go in). The train station has only one track (other simple stations have two) and therefore, there is only one covered platform. No TV monitors. No proper guidance whatsoever. One could get lost, even panic, if you are not a frequent train traveler. However, if you have the train app, you should be in good shape. Because even if there are TV monitors, they are not accurate for train arrival or departure. What I recently discovered is that the south bound Amtrak Surfliner, which reaches Santa Barbara at 1:45 pm actually starts here in Goleta at 1:30 pm. In other words, the train does not come from San Luis Obispo. Actually, it is beneficial to board here because you can get a good seat. in Santa Barbara, the crowds begin to get it. Having said all this, I am still very surprised that since UC Santa Barbara is so close by, this train station did not live up to its clientele and traffic in the area.

Lita was a very sexy wrestler a long time ago. Whenever she'd win a fight, I'd say "Go Lita!"…read more This is named after that. Goleta is basically the end of Santa Barbara that is next to the University. The Greyhound buses I used to take when I got into UCSB (good times) and came to check it out used to stop literally almost on campus. It was a good stop and it was helpful. These days you get off down in Santa Barbara. The Goleta stop - which is just a little gray shack and nothing to write home about - is long gone in terms of usage, or at least isn't on the routes I take anymore, or the ones that most people take into Santa Barbara.

Can't sit inside. Men's restroom was filthy. Women's restroom filled with hostile homeless men…read moreand their shopping carts, so i couldn't even use it. None of the nearby restaurants or shops were open, and the only benches that gave you protection from the elements (while you waited for your train) were close to the bathrooms and hidden from view, so we felt unsafe there. Worst train station ever - can't believe it's in Paso Robles!

well the Amtrak station in Paso Robles is not much to see it's usually a locked door and that's…read moreabout all but the place to get on the train is long and clean and easy to use and man those trains seem to be coming on time these years so we were up to pick up a friend and drop off a friend depending upon when they were coming and going over a week or two and it was always on time it was beautiful and very helpful be sure and be on time if you're going for a train because they don't stop for very long and then it's adios as they shoot on down there the rails to the next stop wherever it may be. traveling the train is really a lot of fun I encourage it

Cute, quaint and feet from the beach. We took a day trip up to San Luis Obispo climbing on board…read morebrought back good memories of rail travel in Europe. This station is unmanned with a reader board for arrival information. Rely on your Amtrak app for up-to-date info. Community bathrooms are located on the street corner of the parking lot. If you have a little time or train is delayed, check out the sweet community garden on the West side of the tracks. This is a great station to get off and spend a fun day at the beach

There is not a better place to wait for Amtrak trains than in Carpenteria. You will enjoy the…read more ocean view while you wait for the train, and a nearby play areas will keep the kiddos happy too. This is really just a train stop with a seat and a ticket dispenser, but it is really convenient and has a huge parking lot. If you have a little bit of time to spare, take a walk around and enjoy the home grown art installations, or grab a beer at the nearby Island Brewery.