San Joaquin Route So do I recommend riding the Amtrak to the Bay? Hell yah I do. Sometimes I feel like driving & sometimes I don't. Now since I'm going to Oakland/San Francisco I don't want to deal with finding parking, outrageous parking prices , or risk my car getting broken into. You know Oakland these days. So Amtrak it is. Ride that Choo-Choo Whewww-Whewww I start at the very south end of the train route so it's 5 hours of extra time for me. I use this time to catch up on my reading, my Yelp reviews, or research my next trip. Create music playlists and discover that next new musical artist or The Next Big Thing. Speaking of this, I really suggest you check out Durand Bernarr. Everywhere I walk now, that song Mango Butter is in my head. Anyhoo, back to Amtrak. They have the new and the old trains. The new cars have sliding glass doors between the cars and are one level. The luggage racks are bigger and are bicycle mount ready. There's also a tile lip on the floor to prevent your wheelie suitcase from rolling away. A lot of passengers have a difficult time finding the trash can. These new cars now have the receptacle built in so you have to look on the sides for the stainless steel rectangular door that are usually located near the restrooms and the water fountains. Speaking of water, these new cars have water dispensers like you see at the airport. Just bring your travel water bottles and your set. Another thing passengers have a hard time finding are the electrical outlets. Tip: they're located between the seats. No more food car. Remember those? Yah, I miss them too. Now drinks and snacks are free. They are Coca-Cola products (Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Dr Pepper, Mr Pibb and Fanta). Snacks are chitos, popcorn, cookies, Chex mix Download the Amtrak to get promo codes for your next trip and make checking in a faster & quicker process. After reading this, you'll feel like a seasoned Amtrak traveler who knows how to navigate the car. Passengers: You'll see many characters. Bring headphones for your music and to drown out the crying babies. Some are nice and some are smelly. Bring a Mask & some gum. Some are casually dressed and some dress like they're on the Stroll or on a Pole if ya feel me. It's always an adventure on Amtrak. Hope this helps. See you more on Yelp 2026 read more

Amtrak - This is cool - Train Stations Near Me - Martinez, California

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Note: part of this review will be the same as my Davis review, but the last part will focus on the Martinez station If you commute from Davis to the Bay Area, I definitely recommend using Amtrak's Capital Corridor over driving. It is far less stressful, and, with a monthly pass, much cheaper. The trains are clean, and the conductors friendly, and it usually goes off without a hitch. Occasionally, there are delays (such as when the Benicia Bridge is up to allow maritime traffic to pass, or infrequent mishaps). When they do occur, communication could be better, but that would be my only complaint. You can bring your bike or scooter aboard (most cars have three spaces, plus there is one that holds 13. In the early morning, the bike/luggage car is also the quiet car, and usually kept dark as well. In the afternoon, if you do not need to go past Sacramento, avoid #538, as it gets very full (often no bike racks or seats are open). The #536 and #540 have plenty of room and run within half an hour. The Martinez station is a bit larger than Davis, has more consistent staffing, and is cleaner. There is also a bit more UP traffic, so there is fun people-watching when the train enthusiast photographers are out. One time, there was also a busker singing about Box-car Willie, and vocalizing authentic sounding steam whistle sound. The station sits in charming downtown Martinez, and is also close to the waterfront and yacht club. read more

Amtrak - Carquinez Strait sunrise in Benicia - Train Stations Near Me - Martinez, California

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my wife and I are currently stuck in Martinez because the conductor on the 14 Coast Starlight discriminated against me for having an emotional support dog when in reality he does more than that. We got a refund however it won't clear for 3-4 business days and until then we're sleeping on the streets or park benches because we have no money. It's also false advertising when Amtrak as a whole says service dogs are free but as soon as someone says emotional support animal that's it... like an ESA isn't a real service animal. read more

Nice seating, comfortable, clean. If you are able to climb stairs, great upper view is great! Diner is limited to overnighter with 3 or 4 extra for boarding passengers You will have to use Cafe which has microwave foods, and coctails/beer in lower level which is nice but 3 booths are occupied with supplies so limited seating/eating area. read more

Amtrak - Occupied seating in Cafe area. 3 booths full. - Train Stations Near Me - Martinez, California

I feel like Amtrak is a scammy company with very shady and unreliable service for bus company let alone a railroad. I had booked well over a month in advance, prepaid, for a trip tor my wife and I across the Midwest, few days before we get emails and texts about the trip, we get down to 12 hours before departure and I get an email with a number to call??? I call the number and the associate tells me that there will be no trains from Martinez and I need to make my way to Reno, Then we could take A BUS the rest of the way!! I seriously thought they were joking as we live a mile from the MTZ station I was half an inch from reporting a fraud to my CC and had to threaten them to get a proper and timely refund, ...so we could fly. NEVER EVER BOOK WITH AMTRAK uou will not get what you pay for read more

We took the train to Tahoe, I loved it. Parking was really safe and easy. It was a Sunday morning. Easy, very enjoyable. I'll do it again.

Thanks Arturo agent at then window. Frustrated after a long wait in Antioch due to freight train being disabled and no trains getting thru either direction, I ride shared here to get help cancel my truck train route and issue on a working connection. Wahoo $3 additional dollars. Oh well just wanted the delay over and be on my way. Thanks for having lots of staff to handle the bus bridges and people. read more

Obsessed with Amtrak and this is one of the nicest stations on the Capitol Corridor route (San Jose to the left, Sacramento to the right). Lots of parking (get a free pass inside if you're a commuter), next to a beautiful park (has a duck pond) and marina, fishing, bicycling, the shoreline, and downtown Martinez (lots of really nice restaurants and a Sunday 9am-1pm Farmer's market). Richmond BART one stop away. In the summer/fall I've seen deer, raccoons, and skunks (be careful lol) at the station. I use this train for commuting even though I could drive and I even stop by on the weekend once in a while just to watch the trains. Sadly a lot of homeless/unsheltered like most stations but nowhere near as many as Sacramento & Richmond. read more

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Sometimes I have to make trips there to get to Benicia. It is a nice station right next to the Carquinez Straits and you meet travelers and the employees are great. The only disadvantage is going to the restroom and you are moving with the tracks. read more

Amtrak - Train Stations Near Me - Martinez, California

An out of the way station with plenty of paid parking. Most people ride there bikes, walk, or take the buss. I think the use of tokens keeps the bathrooms cleaner. Much less creepy then the Sacramento Station restrooms. Java Stop snack bar is a bit pricy, but it's worth it to get a freshly made salad. I was just happy to find some fresh healthy food for sale in the station. They also make smoothies and have drinks. It's a fantastic set up and I was so happy to have them there. I had a round trip ticket so I didn't have a lot of contact with the ticket booth, but they seemed helpful and friendly. read more

Amtrak - Train Stations Near Me - Martinez, California

I arrived at the Amtrak Station to catch a 3:00 pm train to Sacramento. I did not receive any text messages about a problem with the train, but when I arrived, I learned the train was involved in an accident and I had to wait for the next train for 1 hour and 15 minutes. I was not happy, but I understand accidents happen, so while I was waiting, I went to the temporary rest rooms only to learn that BOTH bathrooms were out of service and the men working to repair them said it would be approximately 45 minutes before they would be operable. The station agent offered no help to make other bathrooms at the station, so I had to walk a few blocks in 87degree weather to Starbucks to go to the bathroom. It is unacceptable to not have any bathrooms available for customers at a train station. Thank God I was resourceful enough to ask people at a few businesses when I could find a bathroom. Otherwise I would have to wait an hour and 45 minutes to go to a bathroom on the train. Having no bathrooms available at a public train station is unacceptable! I forgot to mention there is no WiFi working in the train station. read more

Very nice waiting station they have here. You could always rely on this place being warm and ample in space to wait for your train comfortably. The coffee/snacks shoppe stays open til evening time so that's a plus I just haven't personally had a nib at it.. I like writing here while waiting for the train and at times I've caught staff being cheery here. Overall sunny waiting station that's pretty clean and quiet. read more

The Martinez station is a great hub station. This station is a major Interchange for several trains and connections. The coast starlight #11 and #14 both, several of the corridor trains to the capitol, bay, inland empire, valley north and south, and thru way buses all stop here at this busy location for Amtrak. This is a fairly modern facility, with ticketing services, passenger boarding and plenty of parking on a well lit parking lot. Just east of the bay, this station allows boarding and access to both the southern and northern halves of California. A great way to see California and the rest of the country. Ride the train! 00068 read more

Last week I traveled from Florida to New York to Chicago to New Mexico to Arizona to Bakersfield to Martinez and I thoroughly enjoyed the Amtrak train ride and the scenic beauty of America it was very wonderful to me read more

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Tried the Reno route three times- two times turned into a bus ride with a train ride price tag and the third turned into an eleven hour series of delays- the train is comfortable if you have time to take a long ride to nowhere. read more

Nice station, nice people. Fix your damn toilets!

Amtrak review It was my first time traveling with Amtrak and I had a long trip. I'm a wheelchair user and traveling while disabled is difficult, but this trip was disheartening. They overbooked the accessible section of the train, so that we were packed in the train car like sardines, on top of our mobility aids. The air didn't work, specifically in the accesible car, and we were all boiling, until someone begged them to open the car door. (They kept it open for a bit but ended up closing it because the police had to do an investigation on the train). And the first night, I asked for a sandwich for dinner and received a cheeseburger, which would be alright, except for the fact that I'm pregnant with a rare illness, and I can't eat cheese without puking everywhere. (Nobody wants that, especially this tightly packed together.) The Amtrak employee who took my order quickly dropped off the food at 5:30pm, my wheelchair is placed somewhere far away from me, and no one ever came back, so I had no way of telling the Amtrak team I needed my meal changed. All the employees were upstairs, and I can't walk up stairs. At 7pm I tried hailing a few able bodied strangers to ask them to find an employee for me to talk to. No one came to our train car until 8pm, after the kitchen was closed. Two Amtrak team members then came downstairs and accused me of lying. They said I had to pay full price if I want a sandwich and that I might not even get to eat dinner, because the kitchen was closed. A lady sitting nearby tried to defend me (he got her order wrong too) and the employee who took the order got defensive with her, to the point where she was like you know what? Nevermind. And then he made an angry announcement to everyone in the train car (full of disabled folks who have been trying to track him down all trip like me, by the way), "I need you people to tell me what you actually want!" Believe it or not, this was not an elaborate scheme to scam Amtrak out of an $8 microwaved cheeseburger and a sad $7.50 sandwich. I was perfectly fine with paying for the cheeseburger and sandwich--which I did--I just wanted to know I had the option of eating dinner. I want to help my baby grow. I didn't enjoy being called a liar in front of the entire car, waking a good portion of the sleeping passengers. Nor did I appreciate the rudeness with which I was treated by the entire team for the rest of the long journey. Everything from eye rolling to ignoring my requests for assistance, despite the team knowing I was traveling alone. It was like high school. Perhaps they made those assumptions about me because the employee who took my order (and got the most upset) thought I was underage and giving him attitude? The employee who took my order also made several unprompted comments about me being a teenager before and after the incident (I'm almost 30), which was pretty creepy, especially since I had mentioned I was pregnant (for the purposes of hopefully receiving a dinner that wouldn't make me puke). By the way, the woman next to me turned to me afterward and said, "You were telling the truth, I remember what you ordered, hon." Disabled and/ or pregnant passengers beware! read more

So, "The Rona" has came into our lives in 2020 and totally changed the normal way we use to do things. But what "The Rona" hasn't done is stopped traveling, and thank goodness for that. Of course now you have different guidelines we have to follow in this new ear so to speak, but thank goodness for "Amtrak" for making things as comfortable as possible during these times. So without ramblng any futher, allow me to briefly tell you why "Amtrak" and their "Martinez" station are still doing a decent job. "Amtrak Station Martinez" Location - Martinez, Ca Service - Station Agents/Train Amtrak Station Martinez: This station is located in Downtown Martinez right by the Marina. This location has parking, cab and or ride share drop off, and public transit drop off points. Of course in light of the current state of America, select measures have been put into place to keep everyone well protected. Sanitizer is avaliable thoughout the station and any service you may need an agent for is done via cashless means and through a protective barrier. This station has vending machines that I recommend you only use at your own risk, they had cafe service avaliable, but it isn't open right now due to of course.."current times". They don't have any markings on benches for social distancing, but between the outside waiting area and the inside area, there is plenty of room around to keep people separated from one another. Here at this station they are really on top of it when it comes to announcements on arrivials and departures from this station. What's also nice is that it's downtown near a few small markets and restaurants just in case you needed something post trip or to take with you on your train or bus ride. The downside about this station really has got to be the restroom (speaking for the mens restroom), it's pretty unkempt, and you can tell some of it may be due to some of the transient activity they do on occasions see in the area. Other than that and the very minor shortcommings, I recommend this station for your "East Bay" access point. The trains that service this staton are the California Zypher (Service between Emeryville to Chicago), San Joaquin (Service between San Francisco to Los Angeles), Capitol Corridor (Service between San Jose and Sacramento Areas), and Coast Starlight (Service between Seattle and Los Angeles). The station is pretty much services the common trains that most would need to get to their locations. Overall: This station as with most businesses these days are running with a reduced staff, but they still are getting the job done. Of course there is some room for improvement in select areas, but I'm not complaning as this station pretty much is an in/out point, and if you use the "Amtrak App" you may not really need to use vary many of the services this station currently has to offer. The staff here is cool and have been helpful, and there isn't much else to say about it. If you live on this side of the "East Bay" this may be the most convenient station for you. read more

Quick service. Friendly agents got me on an earlier train to make sure I got to my connecting bus with ample time to transition.

The Martinez Amtrak station is one transfer point if you're heading to the San Joaquin area from the Sacramento area. There is plenty of parking in the station lot, the use of which by customers, I am not sure of so you may want to ask inside. The station building has plenty of seating inside as well as a concession stand where you can pick up some food, snacks, or a hot drink if you're hungry while you wait for your ride. Just a note on the stand though; they take cards but there is a five dollar minimum. They do have restrooms incase you want to freshen up before embarking on your journey. You will need to get a token from the folks working at the ticket counter in order to use them. They definitely are not the cleanest or most well-lit restrooms, but if you can get past the horror movie vibe they give off, you'll be just fine. The station also has a few outlets on the wall where you can charge your phone or laptop while waiting and even has a pay phone (which added decided to ring while I was standing next to it...) if you do not have a cell phone on hand. All in all, the station serves its purpose: they sell you a ticket and you hop on the train. While the commodities aren't the best, they certainly get the job done. read more

Amtrak - San Joaquin bound train 718. - Train Stations Near Me - Martinez, California

The old Martinez Amtrak station was a neat old funky building that is still located downtown and right near the entrance to Waterfront Park. It had a tiny waiting room and a track side area that gave you a great feel for train travel and a real fear that you might get run over if you weren't careful. As part of Martinez's continued nonlinear approach to urban renewal, a new Amtrak station was built (in the late 90s?) a few convenient blocks the west and still more or less downtown. It's an attractive and roomy building and includes other transit center options and plenty of free parking. All the trains stop here including the Capital Corridor, San Joaquin, the California Zephyr and the Coast Starlight. And depending on your travel plans, the Martinez station might be a better departure or arrival option than Emeryville or Jack London Square. Another family-friendly option is to take the train to Martinez for part of a the day. You can browse the many antique stores, have lunch, spend some time within a very attractive Waterfront Park, and then return home with much of the day left to further enjoy. read more

Nice clean station with a fair amount of free parking. You need to go inside and request a parking pass, which will be provided to you if you have an Amtrack ticket. Nice location close to downtown Martinez, which is nicer than you would think. I used to live in Martinez and it has a lot of history to it with some really neat historical buildings in the downtown. There are a growing number of diverse restaurants too, and a very nice park with trails located along the waterfront. One downside is that if you need to go to the bathroom you have to request a key from the desk. I guess they've had lots of trouble with transients etc coming in and trashing the bathrooms. Rather inconvenient, but keeps the bathrooms cleaner I suppose. read more

The amtrak station in Martinez is a fairly new station. It gets approximately 42 trains as day between freight,amtrak and caltrain. There is a good size lot to leave your car, but make sure you get a permit from the ticket agent. Inside th station there is a coffee/snack shop that sells danishes,sandwiches,soda water an f candy. To use the restroom you need to get a token from the ticket agent. The benches inside remind me of pews in church, you really do not want to sit in them to long or your rear goes numb. Overall, it is a good clean station read more

Amtrak - Martinez amtrak station - Train Stations Near Me - Martinez, California

This is because it is Christmas. So my train was an hour late... so I sat in Roseville for an hour waiting. I called. No answer. I tried. I even had a fellow rider that was doing the same. So my solution was an Uber - $25 isn't a big deal for Uber since I'm going to see my family. However, when I had bought a ticket already it doubles my fare. So I asked in Sacramento - can I get a refund please - they said "oh get it at your final destination" Hey I'm happy so I get to Martinez and HOPE says "sorry it says it's on time I can't help you" and then looks away. This is past where I wanna be. So I ask her last name and to speak to her manager. Who she oddly from the right looks at me "I'm the manager and blah blah blah blah" Girl IT IS CHRISTMAS AND YOU KEPT ME FROM MY FAMILY GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK!!! I WORK IN CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THIS IS BS!!!!! No one will care from this but I wish it would. Get your shit together Amtrak. read more

I like this train station. It's clean inside and out. My favorite thing about this station is it's never crowded. The last four times I have caught the train down to the Central Valley my husband parked in the 20 minute loading zone, walked me to the train and gave me a kiss goodbye. Large parking lot, clean and well lit at night. There is a coffee shop inside and if you have time to kill before your trip there are two breweries and a coffee shop within walking distance. I always feel very safe when I'm at this station and the most important thing to me is the whole area is very clean and well maintained. The only thing that could be improved is signage. There are no signs to tell you what train is pulling up and they run a tight schedule. From the time the train pulls up to leaving it could be two minutes. So if you are not there to hear the announcement you might not know what train is sitting there. Pros: Large parking lot Clean Coffee shop in the station Cons: No signs for train read more

If given the opportunity, I highly recommend taking the train from Martinez to Sacramento. It is a short but enjoyable trip and you will be dropped off within walking distance of a fun day in Sacramento. The Martinez Amtrak Station has ample parking and a nice waiting area. There is a small food and drink store offering well priced coffee and snacks. It is simple to make reservations through the Amtrak website and print out your tickets from a kiosk at the station. This station is also walking distance to the beautiful Martinez Regional Shoreline Park and downtown Martinez with lots of neat restaurants and shops. read more

I absolutely love riding the Capital Corridor train! I love how smooth the ride is and how beautiful the scenery passing in front of you is and that you can sit at a table with food or books and just relax rather than driving the highway between San Fran and SAC :) I love having a bottle of wine from the club car and making new friends on the way! So beats having to dodge speeding cars!!! If you are one person, it is definitely cheaper than taking your car. You can connect with Bart easily to go on to other destinations once you're in San Fran. read more

Amtrak - View from the train - Train Stations Near Me - Martinez, California

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The Martinez station is friendly and helpful. But if you're catching the San Joaquin train which passes through Martinez be aware that there is a conductor who wears his mask pulled down below his upper lip...essentially no mask! Amtrak needs video cameras for their employees who are creating an unsafe environment for a vast number of people. read more

1st time there, train was an hour late. They tell you business class is at a certain section, but when it arrives they tell you to all to get your tickets checked elsewhere, in the middle. Outside lots of bugs, roaches, flies, spiders. Why can't they just was the outside daily? Just hose it down please. Customer service seemed nice to people. read more

Amtrak - Train Stations Near Me - Martinez, California

I chose the train to head south to Sunnyvale instead of driving the car. While on paper they are about the same time, the train was 100x better than driving. However, the cost is $48/rt. By the 10 pass and you are $30/rt. What did I learn today? I was 30 seconds late and missed the train. "Well that sucked." read more

There is a library's worth of books about train stations and the folks they attract. Personally, I find something strangely romantic about these shady stopovers. They are also a great place to people watch. My recent visit was like walking in to the casting room for a David Lynch film. A few examples of what I witnessed: A portly man in a sleeveless t shirt and soiled camouflage pants sang Shania Twain songs in a deep baritone. A well-dressed businessman, who, while drinking a milkshake, kept clearing his throat so hard I thought he was having an allergic reaction to his digestive system. A family of five who sat quietly for over an hour glued to their smart phones without saying a word to each other. A bored desk clerk picking his nose whenever he thought no one was looking. Generally speaking, this newly-renovated Amtrak Station is a beautiful addition to an otherwise economically depressed area. Stop in anytime if you're looking for free entertainment. read more

Me and a buddy took the Capitol Corridor to the 49er opening game at Levis. It was also A's game day and they are in playoff contention. The train was beyond full, there were no seats, nowhere to stand so that was the downside, standing for an hour and a half was rough. Coming back though was beautiful. I think they put larger trains in service for the return because we had perfect seats, stretched out, relaxed and watched the beautiful scenery go by. Not sure if there was a problem with the first train hopefully that was a fluke. At 46 bucks for a RT ticket to stand the whole way was disappointing, but the return trip made up for it. read more

I've used this station for years. It's less of a homeless hangout now than it was -- the tokens for the bathroom make a big difference. (Don't wander down to the creek, as people live down there.) PARKING: They have dealt with the issue of locals parking there long term. Now you have to go inside and get a parking sticker or paper or something that shows you're a passenger. Nice, as there are not enough parking spots. A variety of public buses serve the station: County Connection, WestCAT, and Benicia Breeze. To the gentleman frustrated that they charge more to buy a ticket on the train. I think almost every transit agency charges more if you buy your ticket on the train. It slows down the conductor. Everybody is advised to buy their tickets online at least a few days before your trip. Even if it's the same day it will be cheaper than it would be on the train. Using the ticket vending machine is fast; I've bought my ticket with the train pulling into the station and still made it. Paying on the train is a convenience, like if you had to run to catch the train and can't wait for the next one. The people at the Java Stop snack bar are nice. Food on the train is pretty good. Depends on the train. On the Coast Starlight and California Zephyr, there's an actual dining car. If there are fewer than four in your party, someone else may be seated with you, but that's cool cause you meet people. The other trains have a cafe car that offers microwaved sandwiches and pizza. The microwaved food is not bad, although the bread can get kind of chewy. Angus cheeseburger was delicious despite the microwave over melting the cheese. read more

The outside of the Martinez station is nice. I think the bus stops are a little too far from the train, it circles around the front and pauses at the furthest end of the parking lot. This isn't cool for long distance travelers with a ton of baggage. I usually don't go inside, but recently found myself sitting in their waiting area after a 30+ minute delay. The station is fairly small and to the point. Cafe, bathroom and vending machines on one side & ticket kiosk/desk on the other. Several rows of benches in between.There are no baggage carts unless you steal the one from the homeless man who hangs out here in the morning. No ATM. The cafe is better than the food cart in Sacramento. They have more options and an actual counter. You can't use the bathroom without tokens from the front desk on the opposite side of the station, luckily a random person gave me one. It was clean. Although the signs to discourage theft & the constant stares from staff indicate that they care about the safety of travelers ... this station is not free of the typical losers who just hang around trying to pick up women. If it wasn't for the high # of the non-travelers at this station, I would give it 5 stars. Really... It's a pain in the ass, get out the way. We've got places to go! read more

i recently took Amtrak to Reno from Martinez. The trip was six hours long and we arrived late due to some other freight train activity. The ride was nice and very scenic. What I didn't like were the dining car and snack bar accomodations. Announcements weren't made and I found the snack bar closed on 3 separate times during my trip to Reno. The train was late arriving to Reno but the Operator made up for that after Sac station doing 90 plus mph like a bullet train!!! YEA Anywho if you haven't taken a ride on the Amtrak do so your missing out. Just be prepared to be subjected to the public crowds etc. If Amtrak was on time once they would have gotten 4 stars. If Amtrak had better dining and snack bar options they would have gotten 5 stars. read more

Being an avid trainspotter (railfan) and frequent passenger on the Capitol Corridor and San Joaquin services, I'd have to say this is probably one of my favorite stations between Emeryville and Sacramento. Train traffic for railfans: Train traffic past this station consists mostly of Amtrak trains (Capitol Corridor, San Joaquin, California Zephyr, and the Coast Starlight), but also, depending on the day, sees quite a lot of freight traffic from the Union Pacific Railroad. The Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railway line in Franklin Canyon and many other scenic trainspotting locations (including Eckley Pier) are just a short drive away. The station itself and the surrounding area: There are many restaurants nearby to grab a bite to eat and the restrooms, along with the rest of the station, are clean (but you do need a token for the bathrooms, which can be a minor inconvenience if a freight train is going to pass by soon). The station is also located near a park and marina. The surrounding Downtown area is not bad either. Overall the Martinez Amtrak station is a great place to catch your train or just spend a day trackside with your camera and some friends. read more

This is one of my favorite stations for changing trains. It is served by four lines of trains: Coast Starlight, Seattle - LA; California Zephyr, Emeryville - Chicago; Capitol Corridor, Sacramento - San Jose; and San Joaquin, Oakland - Bakersfield. Plus you can catch Amtrak busses to cities like Santa Rosa and Chico. The inside of the station is comfortable. The Amtrak staff is friendly and helpful and supplemented by volunteer docents. I like to sit outside on a bench and watch the parade of Amtrak passenger trains as well as Union Pacific freight trains. A big plus is that if you have a long enough layover you can get good food at nearby restaurants. read more

Not a single public electrical outlet. The staff says it's because of The Homeless. As if there was no other option but to deny a basic service to its paying customers. Your problem-solving skills do not impress me, Amtrak. read more

I've gone to this station a number of times and always been happy enough. However today I am slightly grumpy because there is no parking at 3:26 p.m. And by this I mean no parking in their main or overflow lots! Seriously, I need to park on the street with meters? For one, this is not the nicest area. For two, if I'm taking a train I won't be back any time soon. The station itself is nice enough, but eh. As an added bonus I couldn't hear any of the station names being called out and almost missed getting off the train. I debated giving them another star down for that but I'm rounding up for now. read more

One more thing to check off of my bucket list, a train ride. The Martinez Amtrak parking lot is a bit small, so make sure to arrive early in case you have to have a plan B for parking. This is the reason for 4 stars. The station is clean, and well maintained. The staff is very friendly and helpful to newbies like myself. The actual train ride was comfy and scenic. If you have the time, a train ride is the way to go, and skip the airport security hassles. read more