By Train in San Diego

By Train

Amtrak serves downtown San Diego's Santa Fe Depot with daily trains to and from Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo. Connecting service to Oakland, Seattle, Chicago, Texas, Florida, and points beyond is available in Los Angeles. Amtrak trains stop in San Diego North County at Solana Beach and Oceanside. You can obtain Amtrak timetables at any Amtrak station, or by visiting the Amtrak Web site.

Coaster commuter trains, which run between Oceanside and San Diego Monday-Saturday, stop at the same stations as Amtrak plus others. Frequency is about every half hour during the weekday rush hour, with four trains on Saturday (and occasional Friday evening northbound service from downtown). One-way fares are $3.75 to $5.25, depending on the distance traveled. The Oceanside, Carlsbad, and Solana Beach stations have beach access. You can pick up Coaster flyers or brochures with detailed itineraries for each stop, including walking directions and connections to local bus service. Trains are typically on time.

Metrolink operates high-speed rail service between the Oceanside Transit Center and Union Station in Los Angeles.

Train Information

Amtrak (800/872-7245. www.amtrak.com). Coaster (800/266-6883. www.sdcommute.com). Metrolink (800/371-5465). Oceanside train station (760/722-4622). Santa Fe Depot (1050 Kettner Blvd. 619/239-9021). Solana Beach Amtrak station (858/259-2697).

Paying

Amtrak and the Coaster vending machines accept all major credit cards. Metrolink requires cash.

Reservations

Many Amtrak trains require advance reservations, especially for long-distance transcontinental routes. Reservations, which you can make online, are suggested for trains running on weekends between San Diego and Santa Barbara. For security reasons, Amtrak requires ticket purchasers to appear in person with photo ID.