West Coast USA aboard the Coast Starlight Express

After a long flight from Sydney to LAX, I hopped off the plane and bid farewell to my armrest nemesis from seat 53B. Being able to secure the back part of the armrest for both elbows is the most important thing you’ll ever do on a long haul flight. You don’t want to get into a “one forward, one back” type situation for 13 hours, so asserting dominance early on is key. Seat 53B knew I was the man, however, it wasn’t easy.

She was nimble and very cunning; quick and relentless. She was also an 8-year-old girl named Lucy travelling with her mum. However a win is a win, and off I went to collect my bags and find my transfer to the city. I made my way through notorious LA traffic to my West Hollywood hotel, which in itself is an adventure, and I was glad to put my bags down and head out into the city. LA is a massive city, so simply walking around the sights isn’t an option. A great way to see the sights if you don’t have a car is by hop-on-, hop-off bus, which can be used as your transportation. There is also a metro system if you want to save cash, however, stations are few and far between. The bus starts at the Hollywood Walk of Fame where you can find your favorite A-lister’s star on the pavement, then onto Rodeo Drive and Beverley Hills to be reminded that money CAN buy happiness. The bus then heads out to Santa Monica and back through Century City, Melrose Ave, Fox Studios, Downtown LA and Sunset Blvd before ending in Hollywood. Then that’s LA done, with the next 2 days spent eating copious amounts of fatty burgers and amazing burritos.

Now it was time to start my train adventure. The idea of being able to see the best of the California coast while staying seated was very appealing, and it also meant I could safely have a few drinks while still making ground. Amtrak, the rail network for the USA, puts a lot of effort into making sure the experience is as seamless as possible, and after a quick check-in at LA Union Station, it’s onto my train for the journey to San Francisco. The Coastal Starlight offers standard seating, roomettes and larger bedrooms. Even though my journey wasn’t overnight, I had booked a roomette to stretch out and relax, and also to make use of having all meals and non-alcoholic drinks included. Another benefit for sleeper cabin passengers is the exclusive use of the Parlour car, which offers light refreshments and is a quieter alternative to the observation lounge available to standard seating passengers. As we made our way out of the suburbs and into the desert, the scenery quickly changes and you hug the beautiful Californian coastline for most of the remaining journey. Meals are served in the dining car and there is a good range of choices for all tastes. The friendly waiter explains each choice, before taking one look at me and pre-empting my order, “you want the burger, right?”. Spot on, Carlos – bring me the beef! After a few drinks and a quick snooze, the train pulls into Oakland Station where I change onto a bus for the 30 min journey into San Fran. It all works very efficiently, and before long I arrive at San Francisco Fishermans Wharf and then make my way to my hotel for the next couple of nights.

I made sure I was up early the next morning to make use of my time in the Bay area. I wasn’t sure what to expect from San Fran, however, the first thing I noticed was how completely different it is from LA. No heavy traffic or overcrowded sidewalks, with the added bonus of having a constant sea breeze in most parts of the city (bonus for the summer only). I decided to hire a bike for the day to explore, and it seemed every other tourist had the same idea. I started at the wharf and made my way from along the water's edge and up through to Golden Gate Bridge, with some stunning views of the Bay and Alcatraz along the way. It's impossible to get lost as everyone is going the same way, and it’s a little more fun weaving in and out semi aggressively pretending to be in a race. After a quick stop for some standard selfies, I rode across the bridge and down to Sausalito to catch the ferry back to Fisherman's wharf.

The next day was spent apologising to my legs, then out for some dinner and a rest before my train up to Washington state. I then made my way back on the bus to pick up the Coastal Starlight, however this time I head to Emeryville. Again, it all works very smoothly and before long I’m back in my roomette for my comfortable overnight journey to Seattle. I’m woken in the morning by a breakfast bell at a reasonable hour, and head to the dining car for some light refreshments. The scenery at this point is more rural which is a refreshing change, passing through scenic farmland as we make our way into Oregon. I spend the day catching up on some emails with the free Wifi offered onboard, and comparing travel stories with other passengers. There is also a wine and beer tasting each afternoon, which is very popular, however, I seemed to be the only one that signed up for both.

We then arrive in Seattle around 8 pm, and I instantly feel a great sense of accomplishment having completed a 1300 mile (2100km) trip up the west coast. From Seattle, you can continue by day up into Canada with direct trains to Vancouver, where you may want to add a Rocky Mountaineer journey through the mountains. Or for the super keen like me, you can board the 5-day Canadian train to Toronto – which makes the Coastal Starlight seem like a breeze!