Amtrak offers discounted tickets for National Train Day

Posted by admin on Apr 29, 2009

If you’ve ever wanted to take a train across California, now’s your chance to ride and save with Amtrak. May 9 is National Train Day, and to commemorate 140 years of bringing travelers coast to coast, Amtrak is offering discounted tickets nationwide for travel between May 9 and May 16.

In California, save 25% on tickets for trains — including the Capitol Corridor, Pacific Surfliner, and San Joaquins lines — as well as connecting Thruway motorcoach services. You must purchase tickets at least three days before traveling.

If you’re looking to save even more, combine your ride with a stay at one of the nearby Hostelling International hostels.

Several routes make their way to and from the San Francisco Bay Area, where you can stay at any of the three San Francisco hostels. Already done the cable car thing? How about a day at the ballpark, or a visit to the new California Academy of Sciences?

Take the Capitol Corridor line to the Sacramento Hostel, an elegantly restored Gold Rush-era mansion located in the heart of the capital city, just a few blocks from the Amtrak station. The hostel is convenient to many museums and historic sites, including the State Capitol building, Old Sacramento, Sutter’s Fort, and the California State Railway Museum.

The San Joaquins line also stops in Merced, the "Gateway to Yosemite." HI-Merced is your chance to head out and hike Half Dome or see Bridalveil Falls. The hostel offers camping gear to rent, and public transportation can take you right into Yosemite.

Midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, on the San Joaquins line, is San Luis Obispo; HI-San Luis Obispo is just a short walk to downtown and 12 miles from the beach.

Head further south on the San Joaquins line and make your way to Los Angeles, where HI-Los Angeles, Santa Monica is a short bus ride from the Amtrak station. The hostel is located just a few blocks from the beach, the Santa Monica Pier, and the Third Street Promenade.

Catch the Pacific Surfliner line, and head down to sunny San Diego (transfer points in Los Angeles or San Luis Obispo). HI-San Diego Downtown is located in the Gaslamp Quarter, featuring 16 blocks of restaurants, bars, clubs, boutiques, and theatres, and is within walking distance of the world-famous San Diego Zoo. If you’re looking to be close to the ocean, HI-San Diego Point Loma is within walking distance of Ocean Beach. Also nearby is Old Town, the historical birthplace of San Diego.