How to Travel by Train in California
Short Family Vacations from San Jose/Oakland to Sacramento
Make the ride on Capitol Corridor Intercity Rail Service trains to and from San Jose/Oakland and Sacramento destinations with family vacation day or weekend trips as a fun part of the trip’s experience.
With this train service, families may avoid sitting in a car with bumper to bumper traffic which is a familiar scene in California.
The journalist character, Tom Langdon, is forced to take a train across USA, in David Baldacci’s novel, The Christmas Train (Columbus Rose Ltd., 2002), finding his own self-discovery on this train vacation. Travel by train is a new popular travel trend for individuals and family in the USA.
Rail travel is cost effective, helps the environment by getting vehicles off the road, and allows the whole family, parents and children, to relax, have conversations and participate in activities throughout the trip. Plus, people will see the picturesque countryside as they travel.
California has built an excellent rail travel system since the early 1990s. These shorter family train trips are great practice for longer future vacations across Europe and Asia.
Planning the Train Trip from San Francisco Bay Region to Sacramento
- Make a scheduled list of activities in Sacramento and length of time to spend at each. If there are not many dollars available to spend in the budget, call the Sacramento Visitors Center and ask about the free attractions and hotels within the budget.
- Print out maps of downtown Sacramento from the internet or order from the visitor’s information centers before the trip – this saves time when arriving.
- Print out the train timetable from the Amtrak website (or call and order). Trains are given an identifying number, departure time from each place, number of stops and length of trip to destination. This information will be convenient in planning while in Sacramento.
- The Capitol Corridor Intercity Rail Service is 170 miles from Auburn and Sacramento to Oakland and convenient stops located in Santa Clara and San Jose. Food and beverage is available on these trains.
- One train ticket costs approximately $64 round trip from San Jose to Sacramento with discount fares for older adults (62) and children. Tickets may be purchased on the train; a pre-purchase saves time on the trip.
- Bicycles are permitted to be stored and only service animals are allowed on the train. Passengers may take 2 pieces of luggage along with their laptop or purse.
- Use bus, lightrail and BART transfers from local cities around the Bay Region to Oakland, Santa Clara, or San Jose and board the train to Sacramento.
Sample Attractions to Visit in Sacramento
- Old Sacramento Historic State Park is complete of days from the gold rush era with 28 acres of fun activities
- California State Capitol Museum
- California State Railroad Museum
- Fairytale Town and Raging Waters Amusement Parks
- B Street Theatre Family Series – professional theatre for young audiences
- Riverboat activities on the Sacramento River
Or, to avoid San Francisco Bay Area traffic, ride the train to Sacramento, rent a car, and take day trips to gold country towns like Coloma or Columbia, in the Sierra Foothills, and wine tasting in counties of El Dorado, Amador, Calaveras, or Lodi.
2009 Events to See in Sacramento CA
- Sacramento Grape Escape festival on June 6, 2009
- Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibit – June 22 to August 22, 2009 exhibit from the Library of Congress with the only west coast stop
- Space – A Journey to our Future from February 9, 2009 – September 6, 2099 presented through NASA
A fun family vacation which includes riding the Capitol Corridor Train from the San Francisco Bay Region to Sacramento is a new popular travel trend.
Travel by Train is Fun Trend
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Old Sacramento CA
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