# San Diego to Vancouver, BC



## dart330

I recently completed a journey of the entire west coast as a honeymoon trip. This was my first time over the whole route other than Irvine to LAX. My new wife and I used the train to get from city to city instead of flying or renting a car as we wanted to relax, but still see some scenery. We took 5 separate trains over the period of one week. We took Business Class where available and had Bedroom D on the Coast Starlight.

We flew into San Diego after getting married in Las Vegas (lived there the previous 3 years, no Elvis officiate). It was both our first time there, the weather was great and the hotel was really nice (http://www.hortongrand.com/). We spent most of the time walking around the gas-lamp area, Old Town, spent half a day at the zoo and also hit the Hotel Del Coronado.

Train 1: Pacific Surfliner - 785 - SAN to LAX

We took a taxi from the hotel to the train station, but could of walked if we didn't have so much luggage. The station is really nice and the Silver Streak Cafe is pretty humorous. This was my first time checking luggage on Amtrak, it was very quick and easy. Not much to report on this short trip, we took the train up the day before we left on the Coast Starlight as we didn't want to have to leave San Diego at 6AM to make the connection in LAX. We were glad to have gotten business class as the boarding line was much shorter, a trend that continued throughout the trip.

Once on board the business class attendant quickly came through with snack packages and a free drink selection for everyone.





We were surprised that we got a free alcoholic beverage, had not been expecting that. The scenery was great, and it is so funny how the people along the beaches wave at the train. We got into LAX on time, scoped out where we needed to be in the morning, collected our luggage, and took a cab to the hotel (http://www.thebonaventure.com/).

Train 2: Coast Starlight - 14 - LAX to PDX

We arrived back at the LA station about an hour before our scheduled departure as we needed to print our tickets and check our luggage. The check-in line was pretty long so we hopped right in as quick as we could. I had printed off all of the quik-trak bar code emails, but i figured we had to check our luggage anyways so we might as well just get the tickets from the counter as well. A few minutes later an agent came through the line asking if anyone already had tickets and was just checking luggage. She informed us that if we went ahead and got our tickets from the quik-trak, we could cut in front of the line and drop our bags off.

We made our way to the Traxx lounge and all the seating was in use. They had a bartender there, with juice and coffee for free, alcoholic drinks for purchase.





I don't think that building has AC, and it was pretty warm in there with all the people, so we went right outside for a while where it was cooler and we could keep our eye on the lounge for any movement.

The train was late getting backed into the station from the yard. It was probably an hour after our scheduled departure before we could even board. We were pretty anxious to get to our room and be able to sit down and rest. Once they finally led us to the train, it was probably another half hour or more before we finally started moving. Our bedroom was clean, had a couple amenities bags for the shower, stocked with towels and much larger pillows than we had on the Southwest Chief last summer. Once we started moving we realized our bedroom window was not ocean side which was disappointing as the other two sleepers were arranged the opposite way.





There were 3 sleeper cars on this train and we were in the one closest to the front. Pretty shortly after we got moving the Parlor Car attendant came and took our lunch reservations. We opted to do the Parlor Car since we had never been in it before. Later our attendant, Tampa, came by and introduced herself. She then went and got the complimentary champagne and sparkling cider and began handing it out. We both were given a bottle which was nice, thought we would only get one per room. Later she brought a large box of fruit (apples & oranges) to add to the free juice and coffee.

Lunch was good, nothing out of the ordinary, had a sandwich with pasta salad as a side. Desert was a brownie or carrot cake. The only bad thing about the parlor car attendant also serving lunch is there are still people trying to get drinks from the bar, so she had to juggle both tasks. We spent most of the rest of the afternoon in the Parlor Car just watching the scenery. We did decide at one point to walk towards the back of the train to see the Sightseer Lounge and the "Arcade". We grabbed a seat in the SSL during which the Park Service narration was taking place. I find the information interesting, but they usually have the microphone turned up so loudly it is not pleasant to sit and listen to the whole presentation. At one point we got a huge whiff of pot, like someone had lit up right next to us, followed by a girl spraying perfume. The guy next to us loudly said, "who's got the reefer?". Three people quickly got up and left, it was pretty funny. We then made our way to the arcade, which was in the 2nd coach behind the lounge. We had no idea what to expect, but it was pretty sad. The video games are "arcade" style, and you have to exchange dollars for tokens, and each machine took 50 cents in tokens to play.





We went through the horse shoe curve at some point late afternoon, we both thought the scenery as we climbed into the mountains was a good change of pace after seeing the ocean for so long. We then hung out in the room until dinner which we took in the diner. I tried the much talked about new steak, medium rare. Wasn't bad, I would order it again. Tampa came by to put our bed down and we hit the hay as we pulled into Jack London Square. My only disappointment with the bedroom is that the removable partition is not a good sound blocker. We had a couple with two very young children in the room next to us and the baby was very noisy and cried a lot.

We woke up in Klamath Falls, OR, just across the CA border. We had made up plenty of time and arrived an hour early. It was a beautiful morning, still a chill in the air. It was great to see we had left the golden CA vegetation for the lush deep green Oregon grass and trees. We had breakfast in the diner, had the chef's special breakfast sandwich with hash browns and sausage on the side. My favorite part of the trip was Chemult to Eugene, up in the mountains in the national forest. Went through 22 tunnels, saw so many waterfalls and the pine trees as far as you could see. It was really amazing. It also helped this was both our first time in Oregon so we had never seen anything like it.

Had lunch in the parlor car again and then relaxed in our room until we got to Portland. We had to stop and wait for a freight before we could cross the bridge in downtown Portland to get to the station, but we still arrived early. The station was pretty busy and a lot of people were getting checked baggage. It was also one of the neatest I though, they have done a great job of keeping the historic feel. I forgot to check out the first class lounge before we left. We walked over to the light rail stop across the street and used the free service to get to our hotel (http://www.hotelfifty.com/). Portland was my favorite of the cities we visited. Had a small town feel inside a big city.

Train 3: Cascades - 506 - PDX to SEA

We got to the station via the light rail and headed to the quik-trak to get our tickets. There was a sign between the machines informing us that business class passengers needed to get their tickets from the agent. There was a separate line for BC passengers and we were promptly attended to. They gave us assigned seats together and our $3 coupons for the bistro. Once boarding began, the BC passengers got to go first and the BC cars were closest to the doors. The Talgo trains look very different than anything I have been on before. We were disappointed in the leg room, especially in BC as the Surfliner was much roomier. I would hate to be stuck in coach if there is even less legroom as they claim. The trip was pretty uneventful, nice and scenic once you get to where you can see the sound. The bistro is poorly setup to where the line spills into the dining car. Once again I thought the Surfliner Cafe was superior where you pull out the items you want rather than having the attendant doing it all. It took forever to get through the line and this repeated on all the Talgos we took. They did not show a movie on this trip.

When we got to Seattle, the train pulled into a dead end track up against the station leaving the BC car the furthest away from the station. We walked the entire length of the train to the baggage claim which is a tiny little airport style carousel. The station in Seattle is a dump. I can't believe how that the 1960s "Modernization" included covering anything remotely ornate and installing a hideous dropped ceiling with heating elements running across it. Luckily they are renovating it, and I would look forward to seeing the work completed.

Train 4: Cascades - 510 - SEA to VAC

We took the morning train up to Vancouver. This was the first trip to Canada for both of us. We went to the ticket counter like we had in Portland, to get our tickets for BC and check out bags. They gave us our tickets and took our bags, but did not give us the BC boarding pass or bistro coupons. From there we had to stand in the boarding line where they checked to make sure we all had a passport and then we got our seat assignments and were allowed to board. It was a very scenic trip and it was very nice just chugging past the border and all the lines of cars waiting to get through the check point. After the tickets were collected on board, the Talgo Technician came through selling headphones for $4 if you wanted to see the movie, Alice In Wonder Land. Once in Vancouver the BC passengers were let off first, we grabbed our checked bags and made our way to customs. They scanned our passports and let us through, no hassle at all. If we didn't have so much luggage with us, we would of gone across the street to the light rail station to get to our hotel, but we took a cab instead. They gladly took US Dollars, but said they could of also taken a credit card.

Train 5: Cascades - 517 - VAC to SEA

We took the evening train back to Seattle the next day as flying out of Vancouver was much more expensive. We had to go through US customs to get back on the train and they were much less friendly than the Canadians. We showed our passports and then had to send our bags through an x-ray machine and then have them weighed. When they took them as checked luggage they stapled a copy of the baggage claim to our customs declaration form which we had to keep with us until we got to the US border. Once we crossed the border the train stopped at the first town where the armed inspection people boarded the train and interviewed everyone while collecting the declaration form.





I spoke with the on board Operations Supervisor for the Pacific Northwest Corridor (who was also on the train up to Vancouver) about why we have to go through this twice. He said the Canadian government won't let the US bring armed staff into Canada to do the inspections. Why they need to be armed is beyond me. After we got rolling again they showed the movie Valentine's Day. I spoke some more with the Operations Supervisor throughout the trip, just comparing the service differences we experienced coming from San Diego. Not clear on his position, as he took tickets and made announcements just like a conductor. He said he had been with Amtrak since 1974 and was the most informative of all the announcement makers of the whole trip.

We got back to Seattle on time, collected our luggage and took the pedestrian bridge across the street to the light rail station. Took the newly opened rail to the Seattle airport station where we got a hotel for the night. We flew to our new home in Oklahoma City the next morning. We both felt the entire flying experience was just awful after spending so much time on the train. We both wished we would of had enough time to take the train all the way home.

My final conclusions would be that the Talgos are not nearly as roomy as I had expected, but the scenery is hard to beat. The Coast Starlight was amazing and I wish every LD train had a first class lounge (even if it is just a CCC thrown into the mix). Sorry for the length of my report, but I wanted to cover everything I could remember!


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## Shanghai

Thank you for the fine report.

We don't have trains with Parlor Cars or an Arcade

on our trains on the East Coast.

Glad you had a good time.


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## J-1 3235

Thanks for sharing your trip with us. Thanks for the pictures, I've never seen the arcade car before. hboy:

Mike


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## MikefromCrete

Great report, loved the photos. Good luck on your new life together. You certainly found a good way to honeymoon!


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## Guest

Excellent report, enjoyed the pictures also!  A wonderful way to start a life together, great towns and great trains! Had to laugh about the airport comment, most of us totally agree with that assesment for sure! 

You mentioned that yall perferred Portland over the other cities, I like Portland also, but theres also lots to be said for San Diego and Vancouver, Seattle is great when the weather is!Ryan and his bride also spent their honeyman on the LD trains, great minds think alike it seems! 

BTW-I agree with your comments about the Talgos, hope the new ones are a little better layed out, there has been some proposals showing a redesign that IMO makes them even worse, especially the Bistro car!I personally dont think Biz class is worth it on these trains, a $3 voucher is not much and as you said the leg room isnt that much different! The Elvis comment is priceless, makes me think of so many movies and all the various Elvis look-a-likes running around that town! Your new home is OKC, quite a change for sure! One of our members, GG-1 is moving from Hawaii to Vegas,a really big change! :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## PRR 60

dart330 said:


> ...I spoke with the on board Operations Supervisor for the Pacific Northwest Corridor (who was also on the train up to Vancouver) about why we have to go through this twice. He said the Canadian government won't let the US bring armed staff into Canada to do the inspections. Why they need to be armed is beyond me.


The supervisor is not correct. The reason customs is checked at Blaine WA is because the train is not "sealed" between Vancouver and the international border. The train could stop somewhere en route and there is no way to ensure that items or people could not be boarded following the pre-check. So, they do the immigration (people) checking at Vancouver, and they do the customs checking (items), at the border.

This from an Amtrak report concerning the desire to have one-stop pre-clearance in Vancouver for immigrations and customs:



> A mechanism must be developed to ensure the sterility and security of the southbound train. This mechanism must be able to definitively prevent the introduction of any passengers and/or goods onto the train and must be readily and easily audited by USCBP. Due to the fact that the southbound train frequently travels at low speeds or comes to a full stop in Canada, USCBP must have assurances that the train retains its sterile and secure status from the point of pre-clearance until its arrival into the United States. USCBP reserves the right at any time to re-inspect any pre-cleared conveyance at a domestic U.S. port of entry.


US border protection personnel who perform pre-clearance at Canadian airports, Vancouver Pacific Central Station, and cruise and ferry terminals are all un-armed. They are authorized by Canada to perform the pre-clearance functions, but any law enforcement is handled by Canadian police.


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## dart330

That makes a little more sense as to why we had to stop at the border coming back. We did come to a complete stop twice while in Canada, once for someone to hop off and throw a switch manually and the 2nd time was waiting on a barge to clear a bridge so it could be put back into position so we could cross it.

As far as myself liking Portland the best, it is probably because of all the great beer, transportation, and how walkable the city was (also never seen so many bicyclists before). My wife's favorite was Seattle, and I must admit the seafood was probably the best I have ever had. We were both a little in shock I think at how different Vancouver, BC was. I had no idea that 45% of the population is Chinese. It was a wonderful city, and very clean, it just took us by surprise. We had been so busy planning our days in the other cities, Vancouver had just become an after thought at that point. I am sure we would enjoy it more a 2nd time, we would also really like to get out to Victoria. It sounds like it might be more our speed.

A note on the Talgos business class, I do think it is worth it when going to Vancouver simply because of the customs lines. Getting to VAC you get off the train first, and they only release one car at a time until each has cleared through. You could be stuck on there for a long time if you are in the last coach. Coming back, the initial pre-clearance line for coach was very long too, I would have not enjoyed waiting in it. I do think the voucher should get you at least $6 of food / drink.

Here are some more pictures:


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## Guest

Yeah, Victoria is a great City, you can ride the ferry over from Seattle, there is also a great train on Vancouver Island from Victoria to, I believe, Comox!Our resident guru of AGR,the_traveler, is the Portland expert, feel free to PM him for info! I like Seattle also,the disclaimer is when the weather is nice, it can get gloomy fast in the winter and foggy days, even more so than SFO!!As to the Biz class, I see your point about the trip to Vancouver, I was thinking more of the SEA-PDX part of the trip!Perhaps next trip yall can tatake the EB to PDX, then up to SEA to BC, even consider riding the Canadian from VAN-TWO if you have time, this is bucket list stuff! (As Bob Dylan said: "..it can cure the soul, it can ,ake it whole.." Good stuff, we're envious! (and Ive been there several times, just never satisfied! :lol: )


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