A month ago my husband and I had to travel to California to visit his parents. We are from the Yukon, and given the ongoing issues with air travel delays and cancellations, we decided to try rail instead.
We flew into Vancouver via Air North, then took the Amtrak bus connection to Seattle and boarded the Coast Starlight train down to San Jose for a roughly 24-hour trip.
Overall, it ended up being about the same cost as flying when factoring in connections, customs delays, hotel timing, and onward travel, so we were curious to see how it compared.
The train experience itself was very positive:
We booked a roomette, with one upper bunk and seats below
Sleeping was not great due to firm bedding, but I struggle to sleep on planes anyway
Dining car food was surprisingly good
Observation and lounge cars were relaxing and scenic
Sharing tables with strangers led to some really interesting conversations
The atmosphere felt calm and unhurried compared to airports
What stood out most was how relaxed the entire experience felt compared to air travel. No rushing, no long queues, and more freedom to move around the train. It felt social but also peaceful.
Small downsides:
The onboard restroom was extremely cramped and a bit awkward to use
Observation car seating filled up quickly, so we didn’t get as much time there as we wanted
On the return, we flew from San Jose to Seattle, then took the Amtrak Cascades in business class to Vancouver. The upgrade was worth it for the comfort and faster customs processing.
Overall, I’d definitely consider doing a longer rail trip again, possibly across Canada, but next time I’d upgrade for better sleep options and ideally a private bathroom.
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