California Zephyr or Empire Builder in March?

[Cupcake]

Hey all. I have a week's vacation to use in mid March, and I'm trying to decide if I want to travel to San Francisco or Seattle. I've never been on the California Zephyr or the Empire Builder. I'd be leaving from Chicago.

I've seen lots of pictures of the scenery, but which one would be better in mid-March? I really don't mind that San Francisco and Seattle will be cold and rainy, so that's not a factor. I'm just trying to figure out the best train to take during that time of year.

Thanks!

 

[Bob Dylan]

If you can just ride one train and go to just one city,I would take the Zephyr to Emeryville and spend your time enjoying the Bay Area where there is so much to do! There will still be snow in the Rockies and Sierra Nevadas and the scenery is outstanding!

Seattle is best visited from Mid- April to October.

Will you fly back to CHI since your time is limited?

 

[Cupcake]

No. I'll be taking the train both ways (I really like the train!) so I'll only have a few days in whichever city I pick.

I've been to San Francisco before, but there's still a lot I haven't seen.

I've never been to Seattle, so I was leaning toward that, but I think you're right about late spring/summer being better. Plus, since I haven't seen that area, it might be better to save it for when I have more time.

 

[Bob Dylan]

You could get off in Sacramento, spend the night @ the Vagabond Inn ( nice/ under $100 a night including breakfast)right by the Amtrak Station and the outstanding California Rail Museum. ( if you havent seen it its a gem!)Then take a Cap Corridor Train to Richmond and ride Bart to San Francisco or even go to Oakland and take the Ferry from Jack London Square to the Ferry Building!

Or do it on the way home since you catch the Zephyr around 11am in Sacramento!

Edited: Correct train name from SAC- Bay Area to Capitol Corridor

 

[KmH]

You can ride both trains if you add a 3rd.

Ride the EB from Chi to Seattle or Portland, take the CS to SAC, and then ride the CZ back to CHI.

Or do it the other way - CZ to CS to EB back to CHI.

 

[Bob Dylan]

You can ride both trains if you add a 3rd.

Ride the EB from Chi to Seattle or Portland, take the CS to SAC, and then ride the CZ back to CHI.

Or do it the other way - CZ to CS to EB back to CHI.

I thought of this too but he's limited in time to a week and this would require 5 nights on the train!

 

[Cupcake]

I thought of that too, but I do want to spend time in either San Francisco or Seattle. The train will be awesome, but I don't want to spend my entire vacation on it.

 

[BCL]

You could get off in Sacramento, spend the night @ the Vagabond Inn ( nice/ under $100 a night including breakfast)right by the Amtrak Station and the outstanding California Rail Museum. ( if you havent seen it its a gem!)Then take a Cal Train to Richmond and ride Bart to San Francisco or even go to Oakland and take the Ferry from Jack London Square to the Ferry Building!

Or do it on the way home since you catch the Zephyr around 11am in Sacramento!

Are you referencing Caltrain or Capitol Corridor?

Caltrain normally operates from San Francisco to downtown San Jose, plus further down to Gilroy for specific weekday runs. Capitol Corridor is Sacramento to San Jose for its full length, but just to Oakland for most weekday trains.

Of course the California Zephyr connects with a bus to San Francisco, although I understand the primary location is changing to the Transbay Terminal.

 

[George K]

Cupcake, this is the trip my daughter and I took in September. We had a week's time (plus weekend on each end, so it was a 9 day trip). Chicago to Portland, to SF and home.

I can't speak about the Seattle leg of the trip, but there's little that's more spectacular than the ride through the Columbia River Gorge on the Empire Builder. But, once you're east of Glacier, just pull the curtain. Nothing to see. Of course, you can say the same about the Zephyr east of Denver.

If I had to do it again, I'd take the CZ to Emeryville, spend a couple of days in the Bay Area, then take the Coast Starlight to Portland (or Seattle) and spend a couple of days there. Depart Seattle on Friday, returning to Chicago on Sunday afternoon/evening.

 

[tomfuller]

Another route to consider would be to fly to Denver and get on the CZ in the morning. The most beautiful part of the trip IMO is the Glenwood Canyon east of Glenwood Springs Colorado.

The east and westbound trains usually meet at a siding about 20 minutes east of the canyon.

If you had enough time, leaving SF on the CS to Portland and the EB back to Chicago would be a great circle.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Can you delay your vacation time until later in April mainly because during March and early April trains will be packed with families and kids on Winter Break from school? In April you will be in a lull time where you'll have less crowded trains and hopefully less Winter weather to boot.

 

[caravanman]

The scenery on the Zephyr is the best, at least west of Denver. I have been on both trains in winter, and the Zephyr views are great.

Bon Voyage!

Ed

 

[Cupcake]

Flying is out of the question. I like flying, but the trip is going to be paid for with Amtrak points. It's a Christmas gift from my parents. They put 40,000 points into my account so I could do a round-trip out west.

I have to go in the middle of March because that's my spring break from school. I have a job that starts up as soon as the semester ends, so I can't go in late April/early May.

It looks like I'll probably take the Zephyr to San Francisco, catch all the things I missed on my last trip, and then take the Builder to Seattle in August. I have some friends in the area, and they told me I should come for Symphony Splash.

Here is the link to Symphony Splash: http://victoriasymphony.ca/community/splash/ It looks like a good time for those who like classical music.

Thank you for your help.