I don't want to give bad stars but here's my place to vent about why you should NEVER get the…read morehotdog from the train cafe. When dreams are just dreams - a hotdog pipe dream that went terribly wrong. On a Saturday night the 45th of January 2025 , I took Amtrack north bound. With the romantic glow of the sun filling the train where you have to imagine that the men inventing trains shook hands with God and made a deal that the light be most warm and most beautiful in a train. The purple haze grazing the palm trees of Goleta as the sun set so beautiful in shades of pink and coral into a rolling ocean of navy. The announcement sounded that the cafe was still open, it was 7:23pm. As I passed the train cars of families playing cards I felt like I was in the most wholesome of nights. The cafe had limited options, such as a hotdog. And there began the question one must ask, do I get the hot dog? I am playing a hasty game of chance if I get a hot dog... I'm on a train. If I get sick the bathroom won't be inviting. Will I gain enemies ? But I love hot dogs- every once in a while. Screw it "I'm only 36 once!" I proclaim in the whole 3 mins these thoughts race through my ADD mind. I bought the hot dog , a ginger ale and made my way to grab two packets of ketchup and a mustard. I got back to my seat. Placing the ketchup and mustard lovingly across the dog - as the buns collapsed like exhausted cartoon tires off their hinges. Caution took wind! This was the red flag. No the hot dog on a train was the first red flag. But while I'm still figuring out dating and not going for red flags , you can't blame me for picking this one. I said a prayer still eager that this might not have been a mistake. Ketchup filled the air as I thought , Oh holy Hebrew National hotdog , will thy bless thy self and use thy hotdog skills to land me a hottie husband who will adore me even when I give in to thy hotdog with plenty of ketchup - amen. I held the buns up. One side was wet of frost bite - like it had traveled too far off course on the Oregon Trail. The other side was very hard, but I thought I think it'll be fine. Very much like past relationships except this time I gaslit myself. I took a bite with the 'good bun' - one entire hot dog with one short hard bun that did not match in size , ok it was weird - so when I say the one and only bite I took was terrible I mean it was terrible. All nostalgic wonder passed me by. This was not "what dreams were made of" Hilary Duff , this was a hotdog nightmare. Alone in my train row I humbly acknowledged my mistake. And covered it to rest with a napkin. Amtrack please supply some decent food for goodness sake!

It's a decent but infrequently served station, not too clean sometimes but still decent, direct bus…read moreconnection for Amtrak bus service, but not city bus lines and has a modern ticket machine.

Today I had a moment to take a quick break and drove out to Surf Beach. I always love a nice remote…read morelocation where I can get some quiet thinking, stretching and sun basking in. Found a new spot! This Amtrak station has to be one of the most unique. Before, I had only rode through as a passenger of the Surfliner, mainly during my college days. But today I got to experience the platform. It's literally on the beach. You can't get much closer. What a stop to wait at! I'm almost tempted to catch a train from here one day..... until then I'll just visit and get some nice waves and chilling in :)

In this quaint city of flowers and arts , Lompoc boasts a multitude of adventures, beaches, wine,…read moreand our space force. Today I was at Surf Beach. It was quiet except for the hypnotic sounds of the ocean. This beach is perfect for families. Check out Santa Barbara Surfriders Foundation for tips on how to keep our beaches healthy. Don't forget a towel, beach chair, and sunscreen. Have a blessed day.

This station is as posted. I arrived after a canceled flight very early in the morning. The signs…read moresaid the lobby would open at 6:00 a.m. and they opened at 5:40 a.m. the staff were friendly and offered information on where short-term and launching parking were and the best place to leave my car. By the way, long-term parking is free and they will give you a sign to put in your dashboard if you arrive early enough before your train departs so you have time to walk it down to your car. While the staff on the trains themselves are not very friendly for the most part, the staff at the station are very helpful and polite. Train travel, can't be time-consuming, but it can also be relaxing. My hat is off to the staff at the Amtrak station in San Luis Obispo.

Definitely one of the better Amtrak stations in California. There are a few restaurants nearby,…read morewithin walking distance. Highly recommend Roma [Italian Restaurant] or MyThai [Thai Restaurant] directly across the street. Amtrak personnel are on site, so you can make ticket changes or stash your bags if you have time to walk around and explore. There is a railroad museum adjacent to the station as well; railroad buffs and kids will enjoy a visit there. The station is somewhat busy with North and South trains coming through. Just make sure you are boarding the correct train; it can get confusing and the volunteer helpers sometimes make things more confusing. All aboard!!

RTA bus no longer returns to Grover Beach from Santa Maria after 17:00 so there is no safe route to…read moreand from these locations without a registered vehicle, no bike lane not even a shoulder on the roads to walk on. The only option is Amtrak which often arrives in Guadalupe as late as 24:00 but don't expect them to get you to your destination safely. There is no kiosk to buy a ticket at this station. As I was purchasing my ticket online the train arrived and denied me safe passage in the middle of the night. I do not advise walking along highway 1 at midnight. What takes 15 minutes on the train took me 5 hours to walk while dodging vehicles at 3am. Seems to me Amtrak cares less about giving paying passengers safe passage. The conductor located at the back of the train shut the door in my face as I showed my ticket being purchased through the window September 2, 2025 at 10:50 pm

Used the service for a trip to Spain. I needed transportation to LAX from Santa Maria. I tried to…read morebook online but kept getting a code required message that was supposed to be sent to my email. I never got the email. I tried this for several days and gave up and called to book. Booking by phone was fast and the operator was helpful and informed. She did not know why I was having trouble booking online. She said you could eat/drink in the vehicle but to not leave a mess. Total cost for roundtrip transport for my situation was just under $180. On the day/time of my transport, I parked my car in the general airport parking lot (free). I had to fill out some paperwork because my car was going to be there for more than 2 weeks. Shuttle was ready at the scheduled time. We made stops in Buellton and a rest break in Ventura. Driver was good but spoke very little English. A/C was functioning properly as it was hot outside. There is no form of entertainment (TVs), outlets to charge your electronic devices (phone), or WiFi. This is definitely a good service for the cost.

Worst service ever, do not use! LAX/Santa Barbara…read moreAfter stopping in Ventura to pick up a passenger and filling up the van with gas (as a shuttle service should it not been filled before paying passenger arrive?) I noticed we were heading south at a very fast speed, I started asking several times, "why are we were going south? "The driver did not answer,as she did not speak English, the gentleman sitting behind her with earphones on , I assume her interpretor , finally answered me that they had forgotten to pick up a passanger in Camarillo. The driver also missed my drop off location by 3 exits, further delaying my arrival to Santa Barbara, again telling driver/interpretor several times to stop! I will never use Central Coast Shuttle Service again!

Although there is a Train Station in Santa Barbara, I've never had a reason to go inside. I just…read moreuse this Amtrak Station platform to disembark and/or board my train to or from Los Angeles. This is the second busiest station on my journey outside of Union Station in Los Angeles. The parking lot is very close to the platform. You can literally sit in your car until the train arrives and board. Santa Barbara is the second stop on the Southbound trains going to final destination San Diego. At this stop the train is pretty much empty and you can select the seats you want. I always choose a forward moving ocean view seat. This route is called the Pacific Surfliner. It's approximately a 3-hour one way ride to/from Union Station in Los Angeles. Beautiful journey.

This station is great! It's super easy to navigate. There is always someone to help guide you in…read morethe correction if you need any assistance. There is a parking lot so there is plenty of parking. Just make sure that you get it validated so you don't pay the hourly rate.

Can't sit inside. Men's restroom was filthy. Women's restroom filled with hostile homeless men…read moreand their shopping carts, so i couldn't even use it. None of the nearby restaurants or shops were open, and the only benches that gave you protection from the elements (while you waited for your train) were close to the bathrooms and hidden from view, so we felt unsafe there. Worst train station ever - can't believe it's in Paso Robles!

well the Amtrak station in Paso Robles is not much to see it's usually a locked door and that's…read moreabout all but the place to get on the train is long and clean and easy to use and man those trains seem to be coming on time these years so we were up to pick up a friend and drop off a friend depending upon when they were coming and going over a week or two and it was always on time it was beautiful and very helpful be sure and be on time if you're going for a train because they don't stop for very long and then it's adios as they shoot on down there the rails to the next stop wherever it may be. traveling the train is really a lot of fun I encourage it

Cute, quaint and feet from the beach. We took a day trip up to San Luis Obispo climbing on board…read morebrought back good memories of rail travel in Europe. This station is unmanned with a reader board for arrival information. Rely on your Amtrak app for up-to-date info. Community bathrooms are located on the street corner of the parking lot. If you have a little time or train is delayed, check out the sweet community garden on the West side of the tracks. This is a great station to get off and spend a fun day at the beach

There is not a better place to wait for Amtrak trains than in Carpenteria. You will enjoy the…read more ocean view while you wait for the train, and a nearby play areas will keep the kiddos happy too. This is really just a train stop with a seat and a ticket dispenser, but it is really convenient and has a huge parking lot. If you have a little bit of time to spare, take a walk around and enjoy the home grown art installations, or grab a beer at the nearby Island Brewery.

Amtrak Coast Starlight - Disappointing Customer Service…read more I took the Amtrak Coast Starlight from Oxnard to Salinas, a trip of about seven hours. Overall, the ride itself was fine, but one experience really stood out--in a bad way. Before boarding, I picked up a Starbucks coffee for the long trip. I prefer my coffee hot, but unsurprisingly it became lukewarm fairly quickly. I went to the café car and politely asked if either the attendant or I could heat my coffee in the microwave for 30 seconds. I was told no, because the microwave was "only for food purchased on the train." That response honestly left me stunned. I wasn't asking for free food, special treatment, or anything unreasonable--just a small courtesy. Heating a cup of coffee for half a minute costs Amtrak nothing. Instead, I was met with rigid rules and zero flexibility. What happened to common courtesy and treating fellow humans with a bit of kindness? This felt like unnecessary gatekeeping rather than customer service. For a long-distance train marketed as a relaxed, comfortable experience, this interaction was anything but. The scenery may be beautiful, but customer service like this leaves a sour taste. Amtrak could do much better by empowering staff to show basic consideration instead of hiding behind rules that don't really matter.