HImom

Hi! We're thinking of catching Amtrak from LA to Seattle & then slowly back down--Seattle to Portland & then Portland to Klamath Falls & then drive until we catch the train again in Salinas back to LA (renting cars and staying in hotels/B&Bs along the way. Anyone done this? Any tips (other than expecting that the train may/will be late? It will be 4 adults--me, hubby & our young adult kids. We have booked a private room and roomette for the LA to Seattle leg.

Have read the very interesting report (& seen the pictures) of the poster who went from LA to SF on Amtrak & then flew back to LA.

Hubby is interested in seeing some sights along the way, Crater Lake, Oregon Caves, Mt. Shasta, Mt. Helena, Monterey, etc.

Thanks for your thoughts.

happytrailstoyou

You might want to add the Northwest's biggest attractions to your list of sights: Mt. Rainier, Olympic National Park, the Columbia River Gorge, and the Oregon Coast.

HTTY

suze

The Coast Starlight is a *notoriously* late train. Not a deal-breaker since you've got a leisurely trip, but something to take into consideration planning. It can be literally hours & hours late, coming north from LA to Seattle.

HImom

Thanks for these thoughts. Any more? I went to school in Eugene eons ago but we haven't seen much of the NW as a family. Hopefully in May, we will have nice weather & not too much rain.

Gardyloo

Just my opinion, but I don't think the Amtrak route is especially scenic for the most part. There are a couple of good stretches - along the coast in Santa Barbara and SLO counties, then again along Puget Sound between Olympia and Seattle, and some okay scenery in the Siskiyous (which the Coast Starlight conveniently transits at night, both ways.) Otherwise I think it's a bit... boring? And if it's late (usually) then add aggravating.

Still, it can be good fun, watching the world go by at a stately (ha ha) pace. But I might suggest that you could have a pretty good time driving back instead of taking the train. It would be much easier to see Mts. Rainier, St. Helens, or Hood, see the Columbia Gorge, go out to the coast, down through the Redwoods, etc. In May Crater Lake might still be snowy at the rim, so you could work around that.

With four I don't think the expense of a long-distance car rental will come even close to the cost of the train, and the flexibility will open many alternative possibilities for touring. Just a thought.

HImom

Yea, we may catch the train one way & then mostly drive back the other direction, but are still toying with the options. Haven't caught the train in decades but did enjoy it when we have caught it (on the West Coast in NYC to Buffalo). Will have to chat it over with hubby, since he generally does most of our driving when we travel.

Otis_B_Driftwood

Mt. Helena? Maybe you mean Mt. St. Helens? If so, you really would be better off to drive all the way back down if you wnat to see it and Crater Lake and the Oregon Caves as well as Mt. Shasta.

After Monterey, you could drive down the Big Sur Coastline. While the views along the tracks near Pt. Conception are lovely, they really don't match the spectacular sights along Big Sur. And if you have the time, you could spend some time in the lovely towns along the way.

boom_boom

Having ridden the Starlight both 1-way from LAX to SEA and roundtrip, I would agree with the other posters suggesting the train northbound and car southbound. There are not a lot of easy options for rental car if you want to see Crater Lake and some of the other toip spots on your way south.
I also found the southbround trip pretty dull after the pass Portland. The best sights on that direction seem to be after dark.
That said, if you are not in a rush the Coast Starlight is a very relaxing and enjoyable trip. It's been a couple of years since I last did this trip, but I read that the train is not usually as late, fewer freight trains because of the recession and the food, which was OK to begin with, is better as Amtrak works to improve their image.

HImom

Thanks for all the suggestions. We have made day trips to Monterey Aquarium from SF & will probably stop to visit family in SF. Any other stops folks would recommend? Hubby is warming to the idea of driving down from Seattle (seems a lot better than trying to rent a car at every train station).

Also, any lovely places to stay along the way, going south from Seattle to LA? We've stayed at Highlands Inn in Carmel (without kids, decades ago). We & our young adults have seen San Simeon. Have spent some time in SF. Have not spent much time in the NW (other than daytrips or conferences). I guess I can scout out tripadvisor. D is too young to drink alcohol (only 20) & none of us drink much anyway (one glass between all of us every month or longer). Thanks for any suggestions.

lcuy

Another vote for train/North and car/South.

HImom

Is there a reason for train North and car South rather than the other way around? I'm just curious, since we have the option to take the car North & train South as well. Am trying to understand the implications/advantages of one choice over the other.

HImom

OK, I guess one of the most important reasons to go north on the train & drive south is because that way you're SURE you'll see the most scenic parts during daylight hours (with delays, you're not quite sure when you'll see it going south).

Another question, is there any way of getting ANY discount on bedrooms? I notice you can get discounts of the other portion but NOT the bedroom portion. Is that correct?

lcuy

I think the views are better from south to north. Also, if I recall, on the southbound you travel the some of the most scenic sections - central oregon to Sacramento- in the dark of night.

I used to take the train a lot, but it got very frustrating as it is late so often. Not just late getting out of a station, but late, then getting later and later as it pulled over to let freight trains pass.

You can drive just as fast as the train, although with a car you will have the opportunity to do side trips and explore along the way. It's also a lot less expensive to rent a car four of you.

Calif, Oregon, and WA are very easy places to drive...I-5 is simple, direct and incredibly fast, yet there are plenty of back roads if you want to meander for a while.

HImom

Thanks for these thoughts. I am leaning toward taking the train to Seattle & then driving back down. We think it will be fun to go around & see what is of interest.