Adrianna TanTaking a series of trains, buses and fun facts about them
1. Civic Center, San Francisco to MacArthur, Oakland
Fun fact: BART uses the broad gauge, same as Indian Railways (another train system I know super well)
2. MacArthur BART station has a bunch of free shuttle buses. The one I use most is the EmeryGoRound, primarily to the Amtrak station in Emeryville.
Fun fact: the Hollis route runs from 5:45am to 9:20pm on weekdays, every 15 min
Not everyone knows this but you can ride your bike and check it in on many of the long distance trains. They check in the bicycle on bike racks at the front of the train.
Not every train or stop has this, but the major ones along the west coast do (California Zephyr, Coast Starlight). When I was going to Reno a lot (long story) I used to take my bike on BART, cycle from West Oakland to Emeryville, check it in on the train, get out in Reno and cycle away.
Of course you’ve got to figure out an easy luggage situation (something easily detached) but I only ever had a small bag with me so it was fine.
I just saw a bunch of people checking their bikes. They’re taking the train to Santa Barbara with their bikes. It’s a $20 one way add-on
Bike policy here: https://www.amtrak.com/bring-your-bicycle-onboard
3. Coast Starlight to Los Angeles
Fun fact: This train will travel through some of the most beautiful areas of the Pacific coast, and at least one rocket launch base
Announcement: please wear shoes on the train. If you come to the cafe with no shoes, we will not serve you
There’s someone on the train with laptop and multi screen setup. You def can’t do that in a plane. In economy class.
I brought my own kettle and tea bags (am out of my good tea leaves or I’d have brought that too!)
The other indispensable travel accessory for me: a portable bidet. With pressure control. (Way better than using a water bottle)
I just can’t with toilet paper
Where am I going? That’s a good question.
London, actually. But I’m taking a series of trains (and later planes. Eventually)
4. Union station to Downtown LA on the LA Metro D line
Fun fact: LA metro was just selling T-shirts with the slogan ‘Ride the D’. It was sold out very quickly
jbaggs@skinnylatte Are they going to get Wet Leg to do the promos for the slogan?
Chuck Fry 🏳️🌈@skinnylatte Was the Coast Starlight on time? Thinking about a trip to L.A. by train at some point.
@SVChucko surprisingly the last two times I took it, it was on time.
The time before that (during the winter with lots of issues), delayed by 8h
@skinnylatte We took a trip from the Bay to central Pennsylvania by train in November. Out of 8 trains, the very first (Capitol Corridor) was the better part of a hour late, but we met family in Sacramento, so the timing wasn't critical. Only one other train was more than a few minutes late. But that one, the Floridian, was almost 4 hours late for what was supposed to be a midnight departure. That was not a fun night at the Pittsburgh Amtrak station.
The California Zephyr was great in both directions.
Natalie@skinnylatte Going to miss those old trains 😢
morachbeag@skinnylatte damn, that's a pretty view of the land right there!
Cristin Pescosolido@skinnylatte I do love the Coast Starlight!
Mats Holberg 🇺🇦 🇵🇸@skinnylatte My spiritual homeland! Hope it’s a great trip.
NagaramPlanes, trains, any automobiles?
@Nagaram very few (I don’t drive)
Chèvre Mousse@skinnylatte Disappointed you're not taking a subterranean train across the Bering strait then the Transsiberian.
Nick Spacek 
@skinnylatte til this is a thing. Research time!
@nickspacek I’ve had good luck with Brondell GoSpa and Redsack
Laura Langdon@skinnylatte @nickspacek I use a very similar one! And I put a tiny bit of liquid soap on some toilet paper to get even cleaner, in between rinses with the bidet.
This is my one. I like the angled neck!
https://frida.com/products/upside-down-peri-bottle
@skinnylatte Woah, am intrigued by this kettle, I usually just befriend the LSA for infinite hot water
Darth Osler@skinnylatte I like rose hip, mainly because I'm allergic to chamomile
Reilly Spitzfaden (they/them)@skinnylatte I did not know one could get a portable kettle like that — I may have to get one!
scott f@skinnylatte are the on-train electrical outlets actually powerful enough to boil water?! I may need to buy a kettle like this. No coffee or tea on my Gold Runner ride was a trial for me.
James Gallagher@skinnylatte That’s a nice looking kettle
Sunguramy 
@skinnylatte uhm. Portable kettle? Do explain please because I may need this. Does it need electricity or does it have a battery?
@sunguramy it plugs in, boils a water bottle full of water il to diff temp (for diff teas) in a min and a half
Das@skinnylatte sweet kettle! Might have to get one to use with my aeropress for coffee
Jeff Smith@skinnylatte just bought one of these from AliExpress last month because US hotels don’t usually have kettles, only the mini coffee machines which make the water taste like old weak coffee. Works great! Never needed this in the rest of the “civilized” world 😁
May Likes Toronto@skinnylatte The exit sign looks like it belongs in the field, not on the train.
sasutina13a is-a sasutina13aDoors with a Jack-in-the-box arrow?
They have the oddest non-standard, or at least non-universal exit signs...
Perhaps it is just an American exceptionalism thing...
Carolyn@skinnylatte no, but it’s a shame that people can’t turn off anymore. It used to be a perk of travelling: no one could expect answers to emails.
@CStamp @skinnylatte you will love the complete lack of cell reception on much of the Coast Starlight route, then! and no wifi
@scott @skinnylatte There should always be placing out of reach. ;)
deer witch@skinnylatte my friend takes amtrak cross-country to visit his parents and uses the time for catching up on all his CAD work -- puts movies on one screen and drafting on other screens 😂
He's out of the country or else i would laugh that you were on the same train 
@skinnylatte you will also lose your toes between cars! that will suck for you!
Laura Carter@skinnylatte I took the Coast Starlight for the first time recently (between Seattle and Portland) and it was fascinating (as a Brit, and someone who has travelled on trains on six continents) how many announcements were targeted at people who might never have been on a train before: because in the US this might be the case!
@LauraC_rter I feel like the sort of people who might take the train at all in the U.S. are probably more hippie-coded than neck beard
And rich retirees
Becca 🌳🚀🛀@skinnylatte
When I took the Zephyr from SF to Chicago, there was a surprising amount of people who took it regularly because they thought planes sucked and it was by and large US folks on the train.
They were surprisingly normal and non adventurous - felt just like the way of travelling they prefer - even though travel was considerably slower.
@LauraC_rter
When I took the Zephyr from SF to Chicago, there was a surprising amount of people who took it regularly because they thought planes sucked and it was by and large US folks on the train.
They were surprisingly normal and non adventurous - felt just like the way of travelling they prefer - even though travel was considerably slower.
@LauraC_rter
Mx. Aria Stewart@rlcw @skinnylatte @LauraC_rter Yes! And don't forget Amish folks. You'll always see 'em on the train in the midwest.
Mx Rey (Fuck ICE) 💜 🏳️⚧️@skinnylatte evergreen announcement
B'ad Samurai 🐐🇺🇦@rey @skinnylatte or Reed.. I see people barefoot in PDX bars at least once a year. Oregon things.
Empire Builder is a good one too. Although much of it is (was?) in darkness heading to Whitefish, MT.
Ike Seblon@badsamurai @skinnylatte
The night stretch from portland to whitefish always bums me out; Idaho's panhandle is gorgeous, but at least there's a nice sunrise in the woods coming around whitefish lake.
The night stretch from portland to whitefish always bums me out; Idaho's panhandle is gorgeous, but at least there's a nice sunrise in the woods coming around whitefish lake.
@ike_seblon @skinnylatte I sleep so well on or near trains. So on the plus side, when it arrives at 7am you’re ready for immediate Montana adventures.