[Help] Boarding from Anaheim CA

[MJ Eng]

I'm so sorry but I need help! Amtrak site is very difficult to use, hard to understand. My little boy and I would like to take a short train vacation (via Amtrak) somewhere, anywhere. I'm just trying to see where Amtrak can take me from Anaheim CA.

My number 1 choice would be Las Vegas but it seems there isn't a route like that. Where else can we go? Name them all please

Thank you in advance!

 

[TG]

Look at the Amrtrak route map on the Amtrak website. Enter "route map" in the search box on the home page. From Anaheim you can go south to San Diego. From Los Angeles you can go north to the Bay Area (Emeryville) and beyond, Flagstaff (to see the Grand Canyon) and farther east or Tucson and farther east.

 

[jebr]

Directly from Anaheim the only Amtrak train appears to be the Pacific Surfliner. However, you can take the Pacific Surfliner to Los Angeles Union Station and from there transfer to many other trains.

How long of a trip are you looking for on the train, how long of a vacation are you thinking of taking, and what kind of stuff do you want to be able to do at the endpoint (or what sounds appealing)? Sacramento may be an interesting destination if your son likes trains (the California Rail Museum is there, and it's top-notch.)

 

[cpotisch]

As Jeb said, the only Amtrak train serving Anaheim is the Pacific Surfliner. You can take that train to Los Angeles, where you can connect to multiple long distance trains. You are correct that Amtrak does not serve Las Vegas, but if you give us more information about approximately how long a trip you want, or what other destinations you'd be interested in, we can offer you a lot more assistance.

 

[Ronbo]

As has been previously stated, the more information that you can give us, the more ideas can be returned! Basically, from Anaheim you can get to anywhere that Amtrak goes, just not directly. You mentioned a "short " vacation. One thought not involving any complicated connections etc........Pacific Surfliner from Anaheim to Santa Barbara, or even further north to San Luis Obispo, where you can catch a short bus ride to the coast at Morro Bay.

 

[the_traveler]

You stated Las Vegas, I assume you mean Las Vegas, Nevada. There is no direct train service there, but it is served via a Thruway Bus from LA Union Station. There is an Amtrak Station in the small town of Las Vegas, New Mexico also.

Be certain you request the correct one!

 

[BCL]

Anaheim may not necessarily be the best place to start a short vacation unless it's to a place directly served by the Pacific Surfliner.

From Anaheim to LA Union Station, one can take Metrolink, which is cheaper than taking the Pacific Surfliner.

 

[ParanoidAndroid]

One option is take Metrolink to LA (cheaper than Amtrak) and ride the Coast Starlight to San Luis Obispo. It's a scenic coastal ride for a large part of it, and SLO is a nice small town to visit, with a nice train station.

Going to the Grand Canyon would be a bit of a hassle, since the SW Chief gets into Flagstaff before 5am, then you'd rode a connecting bus and train to the Canyon.

Going to Tucson and a renting a car to Saguaro is an option, or renting a car at Alpine (TX) and going to Big Bend would be fun, too.

You could take the Coast Starlight to the Bay Area and go to San Francisco. Or, go beyond to southern Oregon and tour around there (Mt Shasta, Crater Lake, Lassen, Klamath Lake, the Cascades). A bit further away, Portland and Seattle are great cities to visit as well. I haven't even mentioned Utah or Colorado yet.

Point is, although the Amtrak system isn't super connected everywhere, it can still take you to a lot of neat places, as long as you can figure how to get there.