My child went to Stanford for the summer. I'm trying to plan a trip to go and pick her up and bring her back to Seattle. So essentially it's a round trip from Seattle to Stanford and back. I do want to spend the day there to allow her to show me the campus and a couple of the places that she's gone since she's been there. I only have 2 nights at best to be there. I need to know where I can spend the night safely and on a budget and how much this road trip will cost practically. I've never done this and I need all the help I can get.

Clarification, please - 2 days at Stanford, how many nights altogether, start to finish?

Welcome to Fodors. You will get more replies if you post this on the United States board.

You need to provide your actual budget in dollars to get hotel recommendations. Your definition of "budget" is unlikely to be same as mine.

1 or 2 nights & $250 max for the whole trip... keeping in mind that I've never done this before & am still formulating educated questions.... I Appreciate your experience & guidance/suggestions greatly!

Seattle to Stanford, according to Google maps, is about 850 miles, 1700 rt, and 13-14 hours drive time each way. I can only relate my own experience with long drives with the intent to get there, not a vacation. I'm good for about 500 miles a day, max. So if this was a drive I was doing, I'd get about 2/3 of the way down, overnight, finish the drive, load up the kid, turn right around and go back, stopping 1 night and getting home on the 3rd day. 500-600 miles of driving a day.

I think it'd be less expensive and much less wear & tear to buy her a plane ticket.

Or a train ticket.

From the Peninsula it's easier to fly than to take a train. Southwest has flights from San Jose in the neighborhood of $100, depending on the date, with 2 free checked bags. I'm guessing that's the easiest cheap way.

OK - since it appears you haven't reposted on the US board I think we need some clarification here.

>>1 or 2 nights & $250 max for the whole trip…<<

MmePerdu asked >>how many nights <u>altogether, start to finish</u>?<< . . . and you answered 1 or 2 nights. That is simply not possible. Driving Seattle to Stanford, the day at Stanford you describe, and the drive back would take an absolute minimum of 5 days and that would be very VERY rushed.

And there is no way on earth you could do a R-T Seattle > Stanford > Seattle for $250 since you would have a minimum of 4 hotel nights and 6 would be better.

Either you 'mis-posted' and meant something else - OR this is an impossible plan.

If in fact you did mean 2 days and $250 . . . she needs to fly home. Nothing else is feasible.

I agree with thursdaysd. Train ticket - Take the Coast Starlight overnight to Sacramento arriving before 7AM. That takes care of 1 hotel night and a lot of driving on I-5.
Rent a car in Sacramento and go to Sanford. Fly home from Oakland, San Jose or Sacramento if you don't have the time to take the midnight train out of Sacramento.
A roomette on the Coast Starlight is no more expensive than a San Francisco area hotel room IMO.

The lady is on a serious budget, with even more serious time constraints, apparently. The hoops one must go through to use the train to or from Palo Alto is, despite Tom's determination that everyone must, makes no sense. I always prefer a train myself, when it's a sensible alternative. This isn't one of those times.

" The hoops one must go through to use the train to or from Palo Alto "

First, the Coast Starlight doesn't seem to even go to Palo Alto, second, tom suggested getting off in Sacramento and renting a car there. My inclination would be to stay on until San Jose and rent one there.

No, it doesn't go to Palo Alto, my point, along with car rental, late trains when she's in a hurry, and the general expense & complications of using more than one mode of transport when the alternative is go to the airport & get on a plane. She's a big girl, isn't she? If there isn't the time or money to enjoy the trip, just have her come home the cheap & easy way.

I do rather wonder how she got there in the first place, as the OP doesn't seem to have been there before.

Good question.

>>I agree with thursdaysd. Train ticket -<<

A one--way train ticket for the Daughter - sure. But no, a train isn't feasible for Mom. If she is on a $250 budget and needs a R-T for her and a one way for the daughter PLUS a rental car -- that would be a total budget buster.

Plus it is two days down and two days back . . .


Nothing in either of the OP's posts make sense so maybe we should wait for her to return and straighten out the confusion.

I said nothing about taking the train to Palo Alto. The cheapest alternative is probably for the daughter to get on the Coast Starlight at the station closest to Palo Alto and ride it to Eugene and have mom pick her up there about 12:30 the next day with no one having to pay for a hotel room or a rental car.
Not long ago, I drove from SEATAC home by way of Eugene in about 6 hours.
The daughter may be able to drive home after getting off the train in Eugene.
The U of O may not have the prestige of Stanford, but it's a good school closer to home.

>>I said nothing about taking the train to Palo Alto<<

True, but getting off in Sac or in Emeryville or in San Jose . . . one would <i>still</i> need to get to Palo Alto. Since the ultimate destination would be Palo Alto that has to be factored into the whole. So yes, there would be a lot of 'hoops' to be jumped through. And impossible w/ the OP's supposed budget.

"Plus it is two days down and two days back"

No. One night down, next night back. E.g. Monday south, arrive the morning of Tuesday, back north Tuesday night, arrive Wednesday. But it is too late to book the cheapest tickets.

>>"Plus it is two days down and two days back"

No. One night down, next night back. E.g. Monday south, arrive the morning of Tuesday, back north Tuesday night, arrive Wednesday<<

I meant in 'real life' it is two days down. All day and over night to Sacramento (or wherever) and then a long drive through very heavy morning commute to the Peninsula and presumably a night in Palo Alto. Even a train fanatic wouldn't attempt Seattle to the Bay Area and back in two days

" Even a train fanatic wouldn't attempt Seattle to the Bay Area and back in two days"

Why not, if you're in a hurry? The schedules certainly allow for it, which you were implying they did not. And I don't see the point of getting off in Sacramento when you could keep going to Oakland or San Jose.

https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/800/746...e-011116,0.pdf