Advice needed re- Emeryville transfer

[Mrs H]

Hi, we are booked onto the CZ in October, unfortunately I did not do my research properly when booking the tickets and only booked as far as Emeryville, as at that point I did not know exactly where that was in relation to San Francisco (our final destination). I have since realised I should have booked through to San Fran and continued our journey by bus.

I contacted Amtrak to try and get the bus added to our tickets, I was informed that this can only be done by refunding the tickets already purchased and re-booking. The difference in cost is only $2, however the problem is that with exchange rates and Credit Card charges (we are from Scotland)this would end up costing us an arm and a leg and so not a great option.

Therefore my questions are - would we be able to buy tickets for the bus at Emeryville station? The Amtrak lady said the bus may be full up/sold out, if so could we catch a later bus? Should I forget the bus?

OR is it possible to disembark in Richmond, even if we are ticketed through to Emeryville and catch the BART from there?

We are VERY excited about our 3 week trip and especially our 1st US train trip, YAY!!!

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[saxman]

Hmm, I'm not sure why the agent can't just add on the bus segment to your itinerary without having to refund and then charge your card again. I would think a good agent can do this. Usually the bus fare is included when you arrive into Emeryville anyway. I would try calling Amtrak again and maybe hoping to get someone different. If that is no luck, then when you get to the US and pick up your tickets, see if an agent to do it for you when you pick them up. Before they print your tickets, ask if you can take the bus to Emeryville. If that doesn't work, simply get off the train in Richmond and transfer to the BART. This works as long as you don't have too many bags though.

There are many buses operating between San Fran and Emeryville. They won't be sold out. That's almost for sure. The one meeting the Zephyr, from Chicago might be a little more full, but I can't imagine it being filled all the way. If for some reason it is, there are plenty more to take over the bridge.

 

[PRR 60]

First: you can use BART from Richmond. The Amtrak and BART Richmond (RIC) stations are immediately adjacent to each other, so it's an easy transfer. However, RIC does not have checked baggage service, so if you planning to check any luggage, RIC would not work. Also, BART can take you to various downtown San Francisco locations, but all are along Market Street. If your final destination is not near a BART station, for example Fishermans Wharf, then you will need a cab or some other means to get from BART to your hotel. The Amtrak bus service hits a greater number of San Francisco locations.

I recognize how the changed currency exchange rates could make rebooking costly. One way around that would be to book coach seats on the Zephyr from Roseville CA (the last stop where the Zephyr can board passengers) and San Francisco, with the bus ticket included. The cost is about $30 each. You would then simply use the bus tickets to cross the bay and throw the rail tickets away. This way you would have the correct bus tickets (bus 5005).

Before doing that, and if you do not have your paper tickets, I would try Amtrak again. It seems a shame that they can't simply add the bus to your existing reservation. Another agent may be more willing to make an effort to help.

 

[sttsxm]

I had booked and paid for tickets and didn't realize there was a bus stop in SF...i was able to add it at no charge...of course i was able to go to a station and speak to a human......the fare was actually the same i think....

I agree, call back and see if you get a different agent...also you could call and ask customer service, be very nice,

and explain your situation....if you get the right CS agent, they may just help you out!!

Good luck....it really isn't that far...

I am not sure how often there are buses...but they tend to fill up, and they are sort of timed to go along with the trains..(i was at the station and willing to go early, but they wouldn't let me as they said that the early bus was paired up with another train....)

i would give it a shot....good luck!

 

[Steve4031]

I've forgotten to add the bus a couple of times. And IIRC correctly, there was no change in the charge. I would try another agent.

 

[jmbgeg]

Hmm, I'm not sure why the agent can't just add on the bus segment to your itinerary without having to refund and then charge your card again. I would think a good agent can do this. Usually the bus fare is included when you arrive into Emeryville anyway. I would try calling Amtrak again and maybe hoping to get someone different. If that is no luck, then when you get to the US and pick up your tickets, see if an agent to do it for you when you pick them up. Before they print your tickets, ask if you can take the bus to Emeryville. If that doesn't work, simply get off the train in Richmond and transfer to the BART. This works as long as you don't have too many bags though.

There are many buses operating between San Fran and Emeryville. They won't be sold out. That's almost for sure. The one meeting the Zephyr, from Chicago might be a little more full, but I can't imagine it being filled all the way. If for some reason it is, there are plenty more to take over the bridge.

The catch here is that they can probably make the change after the tickets are printed but if you make a change before the ticket is printed, they will insist in refunding the old ticket and charging a new one. It happened to me several times before I learned to print the ticket then change it if I didnot want a whole new ticket charged then wait for the return credit.

 

[tp49]

There are many busses from Emeryville to San Francisco during the day to go along with the Capitol Corridor and San Joaquin trains that run through there as well. I don't see you having any issue getting a ticket for the bus at Emeryville to go to SF. Worst case scenario would have you having to take care of it at the ticket counter in Emeryville but I just don't see you having an issue.

 

[gregoryla]

If all else fails (e.g., have checked bags so can't transfer to BART at Richmond and can't buy a bus ticket at EMY), an alternative is to take the free shuttle from EMY (boarding is a block from the Amtrak station) to the BART station in Oakland. As I recall the shuttle runs every 10 minutes or so. Schedules and information at www.emerygoround.com

 

[sechs]

As long as you have your ticket stubs from the Zephyr, you can buy tickets in Emeryville. You might end up shelling out a few more bucks, but that's probably better than the credit card fees.

 

[trainviews]

Call again. This is America so don't expect all phone agents to be fully educated in the whole system. That is what I used to do with utilities, phone companys etc. when living in the US. Just keep callling till you get an agent that knows or don't know the rules the way you want it.

And for all the Americans on here - sorry for sounding a bit snorty but I always thought the low and inconsistent level of customer agents in the US one of the oddest and at times funniest aspects of American society. :giggle:

 

[Mrs H]

Thanks to everyone for such a great response. Due to the time difference I will wait a few hours call Amtrak again. Failing that I will check if our hotel is near a BART station and we can plan from there.

I have other questions re checked baggage but I will search previous posts for an answer before I pose the questions.

This is a really nice forum, I really appreciate the straight forward responses without the D-R-A-M-A of some other forums. Thanks again.

 

[me_little_me]

Thanks to everyone for such a great response. Due to the time difference I will wait a few hours call Amtrak again. Failing that I will check if our hotel is near a BART station and we can plan from there.

I have other questions re checked baggage but I will search previous posts for an answer before I pose the questions.

This is a really nice forum, I really appreciate the straight forward responses without the D-R-A-M-A of some other forums. Thanks again.

Let us know the outcome. Enjoy your trip. Consider joining the forum.

 

[tp49]

Failing that I will check if our hotel is near a BART station and we can plan from there.

Even if you don't hear what you want over the phone I still stand by what I said that you will be able to handle it at the ticket window in Emeryville prior to boarding a bus to San Francisco. The Capitol Corridor service I mentioned in my earlier post is an unreserved service. There are buses running across the bay most of the day. I wouldn't worry about making the transfer at Richmond BART at all as I do not see you having to do this so you can pretty much put this thought to rest. Also if your hotel is near Market Street then it is close to both BART and the SF Muni metro.