I don't actually think I've been inside Union station the whole time living in LA. I've been out…read morefront picking someone up but never actually been in and walked around. First time and it was a little intimidating. I like to know what to do and how to get about with it. Picture me, someone who has never been inside trying to find their way around dragging a suitcase.... lol... I had a connection coming from Palm Springs which lead me to here. It's quite big and the whole Amtrak, Surfliner to metro was a learner for me. First off, I never knew that you could actually take public transportation from the city to the desert. I had a connection ended at Union which was pretty easy to get around. It's a pretty big station but plenty of signs to get you where you need to be. Plus with the metro, it's pretty self explanatory with the colors for the train. There's construction going on in the tunnel which wasn't much of a factor as we got to where we needed to be. Also, I didn't expect loads of food stalls available. I guess you have to feed people while they're waiting. I believe the main tunnel area was where all the trains, ie Amtrak and Surfliners come in while the another is where all the Metros are. There was plenty of staff on hand with questions if needed. I did both arrival and departure on the same day to test out the whole process. It was quite simple. Even if you arrive early, your train can already be docked and waiting till departure. Make sure to look on the board for which gate you suppose to be at. It's a big station but pretty simple once you get the hang of it.

Yes, it's a very historic building, the architecture is neat, I love that there's a fish aquarium…read morethere, lots of exhibits and events, but as someone who has had to use the public transit here, it's not the best to say the least. Parking is affordable, but can get fisted and it's nice that they have the free Dodger Express Shuttle. But the restrooms are abysmal, especially for the women's restroom and the men's isn't any cleaner (according to friends' first hand accounts) and there's always litter somewhere and the subtle scent of human waste, but that's the DTLA experience if anything. That's why when I was told we were going to go to Union Station for dinner (when I was in Denver), I was aghast. Completely different expectations and execution. Union Station does its job, could always be a bit better, it's just that society needs to get to that point and we need to be a bit less of a car driven (haha) ecosystem where public transit is more friendlier and easier to use.

I live in Orange County and have friends in San Diego so I've only taken the surfliner from the…read moreSanta Ana station to Oceanside to meet them half way. It cost me $38 RT and about a 50 min-1 hr ride. Booking is very easy to do online. They text you any updates for any delays with your train. The stretch along the coast between San Clemente to Oceanside is beautiful! The tracks go right along the beach. Make sure you sit on the correct side of the train to view this. When you get closer to Oceanside, you can see the cars on the 5 freeway and usually we are going faster than them. The train station in Oceanside is just a quick walk to restaurants, breweries (green cheek is my favorite), coffee shops, stores, the hyatt hotel (they have an amazing rooftop bar), the beach and the pier! This is a great stop to meet friends at and enjoy the afternoon! Highly recommend.

The conductor on our trip from Irvine to San Diego was the one bright spot--friendly, attentive,…read moreand genuinely helpful. He took our large suitcase and stored it for us so we didn't have to haul it through the train. His service was appreciated. Unfortunately, nearly everything else fell well below any reasonable standard. On our return trip, the Café car attendant announced he had no refrigeration and was selling warm beer. He was also out of many basic items that should always be stocked. This is unacceptable. Amtrak doesn't keep a spare refrigerator at the Santa Fe station for situations like this? It comes across as sloppy, lazy, and completely avoidable. The bathrooms were filthy--worse than a gas station restroom. That level of neglect doesn't happen by accident. It's a management choice. Allowing restrooms to reach that condition is intentional failure. We paid for Business Class and were given a coach car. The real Business Class cars have leather seats, better spacing, and functioning AC. Lately, Amtrak has been slapping a coach car at the front of the train and calling it "Business Class" while still charging the premium. It's deceptive, and it's happening too often to be a mistake. We received an email 53 minutes into the trip informing us that the Wi‑Fi wouldn't work due to "technical difficulties." Nearly an hour into the ride is far too late to disclose that. It feels like an afterthought rather than honest communication. The train itself looked tired and dirty. Grimy windows, missing curtain ties, broken seats that don't recline, dirty carpet, unwiped tray tables--small things, but together they paint a picture of a company cutting corners and letting standards slide. It's disappointing because we genuinely love traveling by train. But this level of neglect and corner‑cutting makes it harder and harder to justify choosing Amtrak.

LT/AD Station is one of the 107 subway stations in LA county. This station hub connect the E and A…read moreline. Moreover, it is one of the cleanest and homeless free-somewhat, stations in the system. And you will also see those metro community staff and cops patrolling. Taking about safety and security. I liked the murals on this station as well. Overall, I liked this station.

It's the newer Little Tokyo/Arts District station that is now underground. It serves as a station…read moreto go visit Little Tokyo upstairs at the street level and also a main transfer station for the A Line (old Gold Line) and the E Line (old Expo Line). It's a pretty simple station and there's two flights of escalators to get to the street side. There are ambassadors and security during the day upstairs and they were helpful in helping me find my train. But just note both the A Line and E Lines are both located downstairs. It's not a station to hang around, but it serves its purpose as a transfer station that will get you to L.A. Union Station or to the E Line towards Santa Monica.

The hub the connect most! If more stations were as connecting at 7th St/Metro Center LA would be so…read moremuch more public transit friendly! You can connect with the Metro Blue (A) and Expo Line (E) lines on the upper platform or the Red (B) and Purple (D) on the lower platforms not to mention the Silver (J) line above ground. There are tap stands and gates at every entrance and exit, even between switch and when you tap between trains it simple "Transfers" and doesn't reduce your fare at all. I think I had three transfers from near Studio City to NoHo to this station to the Blue line the other day... Was kind of cool! Definitely enjoy going green and riding metro when I can. I did here a rumor that the new K (Pink) Line might extend over to here as well at some point which would be pretty great. It's often busy here and the Expo and Blue are constantly running. The Red and Purple lines don't run as frequently as the others and as the day goes on, but it's about a 10 minute wait usually until after 5 PM where things shift and by night maybe every 15 to 30 minutes. I believe eventually Metro and this station will get back to later hours again and eventually run all night. Great Metro staff and the most you'll see at any station other than Union station. You can catch trains and/or exit from through The Bloc shopping center or across the street on the corner of 7th & Flower St.

Public transportation in Los Angeles, California…read more.. We don't have subways in Hawaii. That's why mainland transportation system is fascinating to me. It's organized and efficient! We had to use the Metro because parking at Exposition Park was sold out per information on an email. Tim knew that the 7th Street Station in Downtown LA would get us to the concert. We parked around 6th and Flower in a metered street parking. It's free after 10pm. Uhg. It's better than parking in a paid lot. We got Tap Cards at a kiosk, entered the station, hopped on the Metro, and got to Exposition Park in no time! Note: it's not the cleanest nor the safest. We just walked quickly and maintained awareness of our surroundings.

Civic Center/Grand Park Metro Station we re-meet…read more After a great night out in DTLA I caught the Red Line (aka B Line) back home. I've been to Civic Center/Grand Park Station more than a handful of times in the past, but it's usually not my default as Pershing is more central. It's a well kept station, minimal issues. I'm not a big fan of the installation of Flying men they have on the train platform. Something about it just doesn't resonate well with me. A for effort and I won't hold that against LA Metro. I do love all the other art, mosaics and overall layout of this station. This station always feels more relaxed and safer than some. You can catch the Metro Red or Purple (aka D Line) heading to Union Station or inbound through Downtown, Koreatown, and eventually through Mid-Wilshire/Central LA and beyond. I typically catch the Red through Hollywood back to North Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley/ area. Fare is $1.75 one way and $3 round trip. You have a lot of options for passes and fares both through the TAP metro app and at the kiosk for purchasing and reloading a physical card. Escalators, elevators and/or stairs available on both entrance/exit ends either at Hill/1st Street or at Grand Park. Q Tip: No metro parking at this station, but there is at Union Station (paid) and 100 free parking spaces at Westlake/MacArthur Park Station. Open 4:30 am until midnight-ish daily.

Civic center/ Grand station is a solid area to come by in the middle of down town Los Angeles. One…read moreof the cleanest parts of the area. My first time ever coming here. This place entails the b red line north Hollywood station & the purple line union station. I wouldn't mind coming back here again though. One of the safest parts of Los Angeles. Eastbound to Union Station Red B line Westbound to North Hollywood Red B line Eastbound to Union station purple D line Westbound to Wilshire/Western Purple D Line I still would drive around the city. But if you want to take a break to get around the city you can come to this location. They also have a nice park here as well.

We took the Amtrak to the valley from SJC we are on our way back, stopping at Union Station for 25…read moreminutes for some reason. It looks like a nice station but I'm still on the train so I can't really tell. They patrol the area well with security guards coming on the train

Really dirty and lots of homeless people. Also has a strange smell. Maybe urine? Convenient pick up…read morethough. Came to pick someone up from the train station. During this time the protests against ICE was going on so there were a lot of closures and a lot of people walking around protesting. However, it was nicely controlled and the union station area was clear of protesters. There are paid parking lots, many bus stops, and a pick up area clearly marked. I just texted my friend to walk out and picked them up really quickly. Fast and convenient. However, the trains are never on time. Most times late some times early. So if your train is late, you might miss your connection to the other train. That's why I had to come to Union station instead of another station. It is a landmark so lots of tourists during normal times. They like taking pictures of the outside and the paintings and decor inside. It is a beautiful station. Too bad there's a horrible odor

Was in the area and my friend and I decided to make this our first stop on our evening of…read moreadventure! I'd ridden Angel's Flight Railway many years ago, so it was really special getting to experience it again and make new memories. Such a fun and unique experience! Even though the ride is short, it's packed with history and offers amazing views. The railway is charming, well maintained, and makes for a great photo opportunity. The staff were friendly, the tickets were inexpensive at $1.50 each way, and it's the perfect little stop while exploring DTLA. Definitely worth checking out at least once--especially if you appreciate historic landmarks and classic LA attractions.

My friend and i are dumb. We were at the bottom of angels flight but we couldnt find out how to pay…read moreto go up so we walked the steps on the left side. Surprisingly i was able to make it all the way up. I did almost die about 80% of the way up. The guy cleaning the steps was laughing. Still havent figured out how to use the trolley though. My friend said we could save money by tapping a card somewhere but i didnt see where to tap. So she just decided we should get exercise.

Lots of empty lands and there are multiple exits if it wasn't next to grand central market and…read moreangels flight prob not too much nearby the broad museum is within walking distance though. Hopefully they can have more densifcation here of either housing or things to do/eat

Pershing Square Station is a multi-access metro station in the heart of Downtown LA…read more You can access both the Red (B) Line and Purple (D) Line below ground as well as the Silver (J) Line above ground. It runs under Hill Street between 4th and 5th, with one main entrance/exit hub on 5th & Hill Street directly across from Pershing Square and two entrance/exit points on 4th & Hill Street parallel from each other. One on the same side as Angel's Flight and the other on the same side as Grand Central Market. Like any metro station you can find kiosk or purchasing, reloading or checking the balance of physical tap cards needed to ride metro below. You can find elevator access both at 5th as well as on the northwest side of 4th (same side as Angel's Flight). Trains run through here between 4am to 1am weekly, which if you're planning for a later night until close at your local watering hole, lounge, bar, speakeasy or nightclub ride share, a sober friend or the city metro busses are likely to be your chariot. They have been making some improvements and there are motions to extend things back to 2:30/3 am as they were prior to 2020. P.S. Station is one I know well from DTLA Proud and Summer Concerts at Pershing Square to adventures to the Last Book Store, meals at Beelman's, round treats at Donut Friend, concerts at The Regent plus trips to their Love Song Bar and also Prufrock Pizzeria for their adobe fries! Still typically busy during the day and on weekends with frequent service in the morning, afternoon and early evening with less frequency by 8 to 9pm. There isn't any direct metro parking for those riding from Pershing Square, but the Pershing Square Garage is 24 hours with a $9 flat rate + $20 max limit, overnight pricing. Other garages and lots in the area, but not all are late night or 24/7. They're doing their best to keep this station clean and safer, but that also means when need to do are part to when riding green/going metro :)

The staff in the dining area were exceptional! The ride was…read morecomfortable & pleasant. my only complaint is the bathrooms were horrible!!!! no toilet paper & no seat covers & it was just dirty & disgusting.

This is a must do if you like traveling by rail…read more You go from union station in Los Angeles all the way to king street station in Seattle. The Coast Starlight is the signature Amtrak ride on the west coast and offers spectacular views of the coast and mountains as you leave California. It is a reminder of life outside the city and a slow relaxing trip by yourself or with your significant others. We got a roomette which seems a bit cramped but it works. Some people might say it's a tight fit, it kind of is, but it's not really. Sleeper cars, roomette or actual room, include all meals and will have attendant service throughout. Sleeper cars are deemed first class. Or you can go coach for a lower fare. I recommend splurging on this. Our attendant Chris was very friendly and attentive with us and easy to talk to when needed. Food was really good and it's community seating, so if you're an introvert, be prepared to speak to strangers. Or lock yourself in your room. The viewing car is awesome and offers stunning forward throughout the journey. All in all, we really enjoyed it and want to do it again soon. We may look at other trips in the U.S. or Canada.

A main Metro A Line stop if you're wanting to be in the Chinatown area. This station is near many…read morelocal businesses, including shops, many food places, low key tourist spots, or if you want to walk to Union Station, if you feel like getting some steps in for about a mile walk. This station has three levels: Street level, Second level for ticket purchase, and Third level for the trains. There's escalators and stairs here, and an operating elevator. Daytime hours there's a small pack of people waiting for trains, probably more on the weekends. It does have that urban feel if you happen to be here on off-peak hours. Didn't see any ambassadors at this station. Just stay mindful as you're still in the downtown area. To/from Union Station from here is about a 10 minute train ride.

Easy to access station if you want to go to Chinatown hence the name of the station or to LA State…read moreHistoric Park where a lot of events happen. It's pretty clean and not very packed. You do have a decent view of city hall and some other structures