Coast Starlight With Kids: A Trip Plan for Every Stop
The Coast Starlight was my mom's dream trip. She wanted to wake up to the ocean south of San Luis Obispo and have breakfast in the dining car with my kids. She never got to, so I take them. It is one train a day, 35 hours, two nights if you ride the whole thing, and the trick with children is knowing which stops are worth getting off for and which you sleep straight through. Below is every stop from Seattle to Los Angeles, with the daytime trains that let you break the trip into pieces.
By Kelsey Lizee Cecil. Times are from the August 2026 timetable; checked against Amtrak, the Cascades and Capitol Corridor schedules and each attraction in October 2026.If you only have one day
- With a toddler: Santa Barbara to San Luis Obispo.Ride the northbound at 12:08pm from Santa Barbara, three hours along the beach and over the Cuesta Grade, and get off at 2:52pm in San Luis Obispo with the children's museum and the creek walk waiting. Or the reverse: southbound 3:37pm to 6:12pm, dinner on the wharf. Jump to Santa Barbara.
- Ages 4 to 8: Sacramento to San Jose.Get off the southbound at 6:28am in Sacramento, do the California State Railroad Museum and the steam train, then any Capitol Corridor down the bay. Or ride the Starlight itself: Sacramento 6:48am to San Jose 10:14am, with Jack London Square's street-running trains on the way. Jump to Sacramento.
- The big one: Seattle to Los Angeles in a Family Bedroom.Two nights, all meals included, the Cascades on day one, the Sierra foothills at dawn, the ocean on day two. Break it in Eugene or Sacramento if the kids are under five. Start in Seattle.
Read this before you go
Three things to know. First, this is one train a day. If you get off, you are staying the night or catching a different train: the Cascades covers Seattle to Eugene, the Capitol Corridor covers Sacramento to San Jose, and the Pacific Surfliner covers San Luis Obispo to Los Angeles. I mark those at every stop. Second, the sleeper cars are the way to do this with kids. A Family Bedroom sleeps two adults and two children, has windows on both sides of the train, and includes meals in the dining car. Book it months ahead for summer. Third, the Coast Starlight page on Amtrak (opens in a new tab) posts delays and track work, and this route runs late more often than the short trains, so build slack into any connection.
Tickets, rooms, what to pack for two nights, and how the dining car works with a four-year-old are all in our Coast Starlight parent guide. This page is the fun part: where to get off and what to do when you do.
Chemult, Klamath Falls, Dunsmuir, Redding and Chico are night stops: between 8pm and 4am southbound, and between 1:30am and 9am northbound. Unless one of them is your destination, sleep. The scenery you are missing is good, but the Cascade Mountains at dawn northbound and the ocean on day two are better.
Stop 1 of 30SEATrain 11 leaves 9:55am; Train 14 arrives 7:51pm
Seattle King Street Station
The Coast Starlight starts under a clock tower copied from the one in Venice, in a waiting room with a compass rose set into the marble floor. Get there early. The first time my kids saw the double-decker Superliner cars pull in, my daughter asked if we were allowed to sleep on it. We were.
Stand under the clock tower before you go in and find all four clock faces. Then walk across the compass in the Compass Room and have each kid stand on the direction you are about to travel. South.
Right off the platform
- at stopKing Street Station itself: the restored waiting room, benches, restrooms, and the ticket counter where you check bags for the sleeper.
- 3 minOccidental Square in Pioneer Square, with giant chess, ping pong tables and food trucks on weekdays.
- 5 minKlondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, a free indoor museum where kids pan for gold and get a Junior Ranger badge. Open daily; closed a few holidays.
- 1 minInternational District/Chinatown Link station, one block away, for a quick ride to the Space Needle area (Westlake, then the monorail).
- 15 minThe waterfront and the Seattle Great Wheel along Alaskan Way, with the aquarium a few minutes farther north.
- 8 minLumen Field and T-Mobile Park. On a game day the walk is a parade on its own.
A few hours here
- Arrive 90 minutes early and check your bags (sleeper passengers) so everyone is hands-free.
- Walk 5 minutes to the Klondike Gold Rush museum, do the gold panning and the badge (45 minutes).
- Walk back through Occidental Square for a snack from the carts (30 minutes).
- Be in the Compass Room 25 minutes before departure; sleeper boarding is first.
Stay the night
If you are starting here, give yourself the night before in Seattle. Stay near Pioneer Square, do the Great Wheel and the aquarium in the afternoon, dinner in the International District, and roll your bags to the station in the morning. Northbound families arriving at 7:51pm: walk to a hotel near the station and save the exploring for tomorrow.
Snack stop: The cafe carts in Occidental Square, the bakeries along S Jackson in the International District, and the station has vending but no real food, so bring breakfast aboard.
Out the window: Leaving town the train curls along Elliott Bay with the water on the right and the cranes and ferries out the window, then ducks through the tunnel under downtown before the bay opens up again. Right side southbound for the water.
King Street has checked baggage, so sleeper passengers can check the big suitcase to Los Angeles and keep one small bag per person aboard. The Metropolitan Lounge is for sleeper passengers only.
Stop 2 of 30TACSouthbound 10:38am; northbound 6:38pm; plus 6 Cascades a day
Tacoma Tacoma Dome Station
Tacoma is the one Washington stop where you can get off the Coast Starlight, have a real day, and get home on a later Cascades. The station sits inside an old 1909 freight house, and two blocks away is a museum full of cars with a slot car track that my son still talks about.
Ride the T Line streetcar one stop just to ride it, then walk back. It is free to kids and it is the smallest, friendliest train they will ride all trip.
Right off the platform
- at stopFreighthouse Square, the shopping arcade the station lives inside, with a food court and restrooms.
- 5 minLeMay America's Car Museum at 2702 E D St. Four floors of cars, a slot car track ($5) and racing simulators. Open Thursday to Monday 10 to 5; kids 4 and under free, 5 to 17 $16, adults $22.
- 2 minThe T Line streetcar stop, with free rides into downtown every 12 to 20 minutes.
- 12 minChildren's Museum of Tacoma at 1501 Pacific Ave, ages 0 to 12, pay as you will. Take the T Line to the Convention Center stop.
- 15 minMuseum of Glass and the Bridge of Glass, a covered walkway lined with glass art. The hot shop where they blow glass is the draw.
- 10 minThe Tacoma Dome itself, which is exactly as big and round as it looks from the train.
A few hours here
- Walk 5 minutes to America's Car Museum, run the slot cars and sit in the kid-sized cars on the family floor (2 hours).
- Lunch in Freighthouse Square (45 minutes).
- T Line to the Children's Museum or the Bridge of Glass, then back (90 minutes).
Stay the night
Southbound families: get off at 10:38am, do the car museum, lunch, the Children's Museum and the Museum of Glass hot shop, and ride a Cascades on to Portland in the late afternoon. Northbound: get off at 6:38pm, sleep in Tacoma, and spend tomorrow downtown before a Cascades home to Seattle in under an hour.
Snack stop: Freighthouse Square's food court for fast, Pacific Avenue near the Children's Museum for sit-down, and the car museum cafe.
Out the window: South of Tacoma the tracks run on the new Point Defiance Bypass inland, so the water views are mostly gone until Oregon. This is the stretch to break out the window bingo card.
The T Line is free to ride. Pay as you will at the Children's Museum means any amount; they suggest a donation but do not require one. Car museum closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
Stop 3 of 30OLWSouthbound 11:24am; northbound 6:01pm; plus Cascadesour honest take: ride on
Olympia-Lacey
Despite the name, this station is in Lacey, in a field next to the interstate, miles from the Capitol dome and the waterfront in Olympia. It is a lovely volunteer-run depot with a little lawn, but there is nothing to walk to.
The depot volunteers keep a stamp for kids' passports and will often let a curious child see the model trains if the room is open. Ask.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small, clean depot with restrooms and volunteers who love trains.
- at stopA lawn to run laps on if you have been sitting since Seattle.
A few hours here
- Stay on the train. Use the stop to walk the length of the train and find the dining car.
- If you must get off, a rideshare to downtown Olympia takes 15 minutes, and the Hands On Children's Museum there is excellent.
Stay the night
If Olympia is your destination, get off here and take a cab to the Hands On Children's Museum on the waterfront, which is one of the best in the Northwest. Otherwise ride through.
Snack stop: Nothing at the station. The dining car opens for lunch about now.
Out the window: Farmland and the first real Northwest forest. Count the barns.
Thruway and local buses do connect to downtown Olympia, but with kids a rideshare is simpler.
Stop 4 of 30CTLSouthbound 11:48am; northbound 5:36pm; plus Cascades
Centralia
A 1912 brick depot right on the edge of a small downtown, with an antique mall across the street and a park a few blocks away. Three presidents and the Liberty Bell have been through this station. It is a good Cascades day trip from Seattle or Portland, and a stretch-your-legs stop on the Starlight.
Tell them the Liberty Bell sat right here on a train car in 1915 and people lined up to see it. Then let them ring the bell on the antique store's counter, which the owners expect.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe restored depot, with a waiting room, restrooms and an elevator.
- 3 minDowntown Centralia's Tower Avenue: antique malls, a candy shop and the old Fox Theatre marquee.
- 8 minGeorge Washington Park, with a playground and a splash pad in summer.
- 5 minCentralia Square Antique Mall, three floors of stuff to not touch, which somehow kids love.
A few hours here
- Walk 3 minutes to Tower Avenue and let them pick one thing in the antique mall under five dollars (45 minutes).
- Walk to George Washington Park for the playground (1 hour).
- Lunch on Tower Avenue and a Cascades onward (45 minutes).
Stay the night
This is a Cascades day trip, not a Starlight stop: Seattle families ride down in the morning, do the park and the antique malls, and ride home. On the Starlight, step onto the platform and get back on.
Snack stop: Burgerville a short walk away, and a couple of bakeries on Tower Avenue.
Out the window: Mount Rainier shows itself on clear days on the left side southbound, north of Centralia. It is the one view on this whole route worth waking a napping kid for.
Cascades stops here roughly six times a day each way, so a missed train is a two-hour wait, not a 24-hour one.
Stop 5 of 30KELSouthbound 12:32pm; northbound 4:51pm; plus Cascadesour honest take: ride on
Kelso-Longview
A friendly rebuilt depot with a 30-foot clock tower, a few blocks from a small downtown and the Cowlitz River. Nice for a Cascades hop with a stroller walk along the river; on the Starlight, it is a two-minute stop.
Point out the clock tower outside the station. In December the mayor lights a Christmas tree on top of it.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe depot and its clock tower.
- 6 minDowntown Kelso's Allen Street bridge and the Cowlitz River path.
- 10 minTam O'Shanter Park, with a playground and ballfields.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard. Lunch in the dining car is better than anything near the platform.
- Cascades riders: the riverside path and Tam O'Shanter Park fill a pleasant two hours.
Stay the night
Skip it unless you are visiting someone. Mount St. Helens is 50 miles east and needs a car.
Snack stop: Nothing at the station. A few diners in downtown Kelso.
Out the window: The train runs along the Cowlitz and then the Columbia River. South of Kelso, the Columbia is on the right side southbound, wide and full of ships.
Stop 6 of 30VANSouthbound 1:15pm; northbound 4:16pm; plus Cascades and the Empire Builder
Vancouver, Washington
This is the last stop before the train crosses the Columbia River into Oregon, and the 1908 depot sits in the rail yard beside the bridge. Downtown Vancouver, with the best big-city park playground on the route, is a 15-minute walk.
Stay at the window as the train leaves. You cross the Columbia on a long steel bridge, and the river is a half mile wide here. Then you cross the Willamette too. Two rivers in ten minutes.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small historic depot with a waiting room and restrooms.
- 15 minEsther Short Park downtown: a huge playground, a splash fountain in summer, a Saturday farmers market and the Glockenspiel clock tower that plays on the hour.
- 20 minThe Vancouver Waterfront, with a pier that juts over the Columbia and wide lawns.
- 25 minFort Vancouver National Historic Site, a reconstructed 1840s fur trading fort with blacksmiths and a bake house. Kids under 16 free.
A few hours here
- Walk 15 minutes to Esther Short Park, wait for the clock to play, then the playground and fountain (90 minutes).
- Walk to the waterfront pier for the view (45 minutes).
- Back on a Cascades to Portland in under 20 minutes.
Stay the night
Make it a Portland-based day trip: Cascades up from Portland in the morning, Esther Short Park, lunch on the waterfront, and Fort Vancouver's living history in the afternoon. Several Cascades a day make it easy.
Snack stop: The waterfront has ice cream and casual food; downtown near the park has a bakery and a pizza place.
Out the window: The Columbia River bridge is the show. Left side southbound for the longest look at the river and the Portland skyline.
The walk downtown crosses rail yards and busy streets, so keep little ones in the stroller until the park.
Stop 7 of 30PDXSouthbound 1:55pm to 2:22pm; northbound 3:40pm to 3:56pm; plus Cascades and the Empire Builder
Portland Union Station
The neon GO BY TRAIN sign on the clock tower is my favorite thing on this route, and it is right outside the station doors. Union Station sits at the edge of the Pearl District, with a Chinese garden, a bookstore the size of a city block and a fountain playground all within a 12-minute walk. This is the stop to build a day around.
Walk out the front doors, turn around, and look up at the GO BY TRAIN sign. At night it flashes. The clock in the tower is wound by hand every seven days, and its weight drops almost 50 feet over the week.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: a long waiting room with wooden benches, restrooms, Wilf's restaurant and a Metropolitan Lounge for sleeper passengers.
- 8 minLan Su Chinese Garden at 239 NW Everett: koi, bridges, a teahouse. Open daily 10 to 5:30; kids 5 and under free, 6 to 18 $15.
- 10 minJamison Square in the Pearl, a shallow tidal fountain where kids wade all summer, with a playground across the street at The Fields Park.
- 12 minPowell's City of Books on Burnside, with a children's room that takes an hour on its own.
- 10 minTom McCall Waterfront Park and the Saturday Market under the Burnside Bridge (weekends, March to December).
- 3 minMAX light rail stops right outside for the zoo (Washington Park, 15 minutes) and OMSI (via the Orange Line and a short walk).
A few hours here
- Walk 8 minutes to Lan Su Chinese Garden and feed the koi (1 hour).
- Walk 5 minutes to Jamison Square, wade or play at The Fields (1 hour).
- Powell's children's room and a snack next door (1 hour).
- Walk back for the next Cascades or your onward train.
Stay the night
Get off the Starlight here and take the next day's train. Morning at OMSI (the submarine tour is for ages 5 and up), lunch at the food carts, the afternoon at the Oregon Zoo by MAX, and dinner in the Pearl. Sleep near the station. Southbound families can also hop a Cascades down to Eugene and rejoin the Starlight there the next day.
Snack stop: Wilf's inside the station for a sit-down, the Pearl Bakery on NW 9th, and Voodoo Doughnut in Old Town for the pink box the kids will carry onto the train.
Out the window: Leaving Portland southbound you run through the rail yards and then into farm country along the Willamette Valley. The real views on this route start after Eugene.
The station has checked baggage and a staffed ticket window. Old Town between the station and Lan Su can feel rough in spots; the walk is fine in daylight with a stroller, but stay on the main streets.
Stop 8 of 30SLMSouthbound 3:39pm; northbound 2:04pm; plus Cascades
Salem
A handsome 1918 depot a short walk from Willamette University and the state capitol, which has a gold pioneer on top you can climb up to see. Riverfront Park, with a carousel and a children's museum, is a 20-minute walk or a quick bus.
Climb the 121 steps to the top of the Capitol dome when the tower is open and let them stand next to the golden pioneer's feet. If tower tours are closed, lie on the lawn and count the stars on the building.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe depot's waiting room and restrooms, plus Greyhound in the old freight shed next door.
- 8 minWillamette University's campus and Mill Creek, with ducks.
- 12 minThe Oregon State Capitol: free, with a kids' tour and the dome climb in summer.
- 20 minRiverfront Park: Salem's Riverfront Carousel, hand-carved horses, around $2 a ride.
- 20 minGilbert House Children's Museum at the north end of Riverfront Park. Open daily 10 to 5; $14, under 1 free, Tuesday afternoons $7.
A few hours here
- Walk 12 minutes to the Capitol, find the pioneer on top, and do the dome climb if open (1 hour).
- Walk or bus to Riverfront Park for the carousel (1 hour).
- Gilbert House if there is time, then back for a Cascades (90 minutes).
Stay the night
A Cascades day trip from Portland, 70 minutes each way: Capitol in the morning, lunch downtown, Gilbert House and the carousel in the afternoon. The Coast Starlight itself only gives you the platform.
Snack stop: Downtown Salem on State Street for cafes, and the carousel has a snack stand.
Out the window: Hop farms and filbert orchards. In late summer the hop trellises are 18 feet tall and look like green walls.
Stop 9 of 30ALYSouthbound 4:14pm; northbound 1:23pm; plus Cascades
Albany
Albany has more historic houses than any town its size in Oregon and a hand-carved carousel downtown that was built by volunteers over 15 years. The 1909 station is a 10-minute walk from both. Corvallis and Oregon State are a bus ride away.
The carousel at 503 W 1st Ave was carved by townspeople, one animal at a time, and the workshop is open to watch. Let your kid pick their animal, then go see how one gets carved.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe restored depot and restrooms.
- 10 minAlbany Historic Carousel and Museum downtown, with rides for a few dollars and the carving studio.
- 10 minMonteith Riverpark on the Willamette, with a playground and summer concerts.
- 8 minThe Historic Downtown: Victorian storefronts, an old-fashioned candy store and a cafe or two.
A few hours here
- Walk 10 minutes to the carousel, ride twice, watch the carvers (1 hour).
- Monteith Riverpark playground and the river path (1 hour).
- Candy store on the walk back (20 minutes).
Stay the night
Another Cascades day trip, about 90 minutes from Portland. Pair the carousel with the covered bridges outside town if you have a car waiting, or stay simple with the park and the river.
Snack stop: The candy store downtown and a bakery on 1st Avenue.
Out the window: South of Albany the train crosses the Willamette and follows the valley past grass seed farms. Sheep.
Stop 10 of 30EUGSouthbound 5:08pm; northbound 12:29pm; southern end of the Cascades
Eugene
Eugene is where the Cascades end and the real Coast Starlight begins, so it is the natural overnight for a family breaking the trip in two. The 1908 depot is on the edge of downtown, a 5-minute walk from a public market full of food and 10 minutes from a riverside park with a playground built like a river.
Walk to Skinner Butte Park and let them play on RiverPlay, a playground shaped like the Willamette, with a stone boat, a cave and a water channel. Then look up at the butte and tell them you can climb it tomorrow.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe depot with wooden benches, restrooms and a staffed counter.
- 5 min5th Street Public Market: a food hall, a toy store, ice cream and a courtyard.
- 10 minSkinner Butte Park and the RiverPlay playground on the Willamette.
- 20 minAlton Baker Park across the footbridge, with a duck pond and the Eugene Science Center (planetarium) at its edge.
- 10 minDowntown Eugene's Saturday Market, April to November, with buskers and food.
A few hours here
- Walk 5 minutes to 5th Street Market for dinner or lunch (1 hour).
- Walk 10 minutes to Skinner Butte Park for RiverPlay (1 hour).
- If northbound at 12:29pm, the Saturday Market is a 10-minute walk and runs until 4.
Stay the night
Overnight here. Southbound families arrive at 5:08pm, dinner at the market, sleep near downtown, and spend the morning on the river path and at the Science Center before an afternoon doing nothing, because tomorrow's southbound train leaves at 5:15pm. Northbound families get off at 12:29pm with the whole afternoon and evening.
Snack stop: 5th Street Public Market has everything, including a bakery, pizza and ice cream. Voodoo Doughnut is downtown too.
Out the window: South of Eugene the train starts climbing into the Cascades. Southbound in summer you get the first hour of mountains before dark; northbound you wake up to them.
Eugene is the last stop with easy food before the train crosses the mountains. Buy snacks here if you are in coach.
Stop 11 of 30CMOSouthbound 8:13pm; northbound 8:59amour honest take: ride on
Chemult
A warming shelter and a platform in the pines at 4,700 feet, serving Crater Lake visitors with a summer shuttle. For a family on the train, it is the stop where you look out at the forest and feel very far from everything.
Northbound at 8:59am, step onto the platform for the smell. Ponderosa pine bark smells like vanilla. Have them sniff a tree.
Right off the platform
- at stopA covered shelter and a platform. That is all.
- at stopSummer only: a shuttle to Crater Lake National Park, which needs a reservation and a plan.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard. The dining car is serving dinner southbound; breakfast northbound.
Stay the night
Only if Crater Lake is the trip and you have booked the summer shuttle and a place to stay in the park. With little kids, I would not.
Snack stop: Nothing. Nothing for miles.
Out the window: Northbound in the morning, Upper Klamath Lake and the marshes are on the left side with pelicans and, if you are lucky, bald eagles. Southbound it is dark.
The shuttle to Crater Lake runs in summer only and must be booked ahead.
Stop 12 of 30KFSSouthbound 9:58pm; northbound 7:33amour honest take: ride on
Klamath Falls
A 1916 Southern Pacific depot with a real waiting room, in a small city on a big lake with hot springs under it. The train comes through late at night going south and early in the morning going north, so it is a stop you see from the window unless Crater Lake or a grandparent is the plan.
Southbound at 10pm, step out onto the platform for ten minutes. High desert air, stars, and the hiss of the train. Then back to the sleeper.
Right off the platform
- at stopA staffed waiting room with restrooms.
- 10 minDowntown Klamath Falls and Veterans Memorial Park on Lake Ewauna, with a lakeside path.
- 15 minThe Favell Museum of Native American art and Western art, with a huge arrowhead collection kids find hypnotic. Closed Sunday and Monday.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard unless this is your destination.
Stay the night
If you get off, it is for Crater Lake (a 90-minute drive north) or the Lava Beds. Rent a car, stay two nights, and reboard on the way home.
Snack stop: Nothing at this hour. Downtown has coffee by 7am for northbound families getting off.
Out the window: Southbound you are asleep for the best part. Northbound at dawn, Upper Klamath Lake is on the left, and the train runs right along the shore.
The station is staffed, which matters at 10pm.
Stop 13 of 30DUNSouthbound 12:45am; northbound 4:58amour honest take: ride on
Dunsmuir
A railroad town in a canyon at the foot of Mount Shasta, where you can sleep in a caboose and the museum is inside the station. Both trains stop in the middle of the night, so for most families it is a name on the schedule. For train-obsessed families with a car, it is a pilgrimage.
If you are awake southbound, look for the lights of the town through the trees. The whole town exists because the railroad needed helper engines to push trains up the hill.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe station, with the Dunsmuir Museum of railroad history inside (daytime only).
- 15 minRailroad Park Resort, where the motel rooms are cabooses and the restaurant is a dining car.
- 20 minHedge Creek Falls, a short trail that goes behind a waterfall.
A few hours here
- Sleep. Both trains are here in the dark.
Stay the night
A car trip, not a train trip: the caboose motel, Mossbrae and Hedge Creek falls, and the Mount Shasta views. If you do it by train, book the caboose, get off at 12:45am, and stay three nights.
Snack stop: None at this hour.
Out the window: If you happen to wake up, you are in the Sacramento River canyon with the mountain somewhere above you in the dark. Go back to sleep.
Crews change here, so the stop can be a long one.
Stop 14 of 30RDDSouthbound 2:31am; northbound 3:05amour honest take: ride on
Redding
Redding has one of the best things on the whole route for kids, a glass-decked bridge shaped like a sundial over the Sacramento River, and the train stops here at 2:31 in the morning. I am still a little mad about it.
Nothing at 2:31am. If Redding is your destination, the moment is tomorrow morning, standing on the Sundial Bridge and watching the shadow move.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and a small shelter; the station is unstaffed at night.
- at stopSundial Bridge and Turtle Bay Exploration Park are a 10-minute drive from the station. Turtle Bay has a children's museum, a wildlife center and a paved river trail.
A few hours here
- Sleep.
Stay the night
Make Redding a destination, not a stopover: get off at 2:31am (yes), take a cab to a hotel, sleep late, then Turtle Bay and the Sundial Bridge, Whiskeytown Lake, and Lassen if you have a car. Reboard three days later.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Dark. Northbound at 3am, also dark.
The station is unstaffed and the platform is quiet at night. Book a car ahead.
Stop 15 of 30CICSouthbound 4:12am; northbound 1:37amour honest take: ride on
Chico
A college town with the biggest city park I know, Bidwell Park, and a depot in a walkable downtown. Another middle-of-the-night stop on the Starlight, though the Thruway buses that meet the Gold Runner make Chico an easy daytime stop from the Bay Area.
If you are awake, the smell of almond orchards in bloom in February comes through the vestibule when the doors open.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot, unstaffed overnight.
- 10 minDowntown Chico: a toy store, a bakery and Bidwell Park's Children's Playground at the park entrance.
- 15 minBidwell Park, with Sycamore Pool, a natural swimming hole in a creek, free in summer.
A few hours here
- Sleep. Come back some day by bus from Sacramento for Sycamore Pool.
Stay the night
Chico by daylight is lovely: Sycamore Pool, the playground, the Chico Children's Museum downtown, and the National Yo-Yo Museum inside a toy store. Get here by Thruway bus, not by the Starlight.
Snack stop: None at this hour.
Out the window: Dark. By the time it is light, southbound, you are in the Sacramento Valley rice fields.
Stop 16 of 30SACSouthbound 6:28am; northbound 11:49pm; plus Capitol Corridor and Gold Runner all day
Sacramento Sacramento Valley Station
The California State Railroad Museum is a 7-minute walk from the platform, and it is the best train museum in the country for kids: a full-size steam engine you walk through, a sleeping car that rocks like it is moving, a toy train room and a real steam train ride on weekends. The Starlight drops you at 6:28am, which sounds bad, until you realize the Capitol Corridor runs all day and you can leave whenever you want.
Walk through the Governor Stanford, the big black steam engine, and then stand on the real train for the 45-minute excursion along the river. Blow when the whistle blows.
Right off the platform
- at stopA big renovated station with restrooms, a cafe and a staffed counter.
- 7 minCalifornia State Railroad Museum at 111 I St in Old Sacramento. Open daily 10 to 5; adults $12, 6 to 17 $6, 5 and under free.
- 7 minOld Sacramento's wooden sidewalks, candy stores and the riverfront.
- 8 minExcursion train rides from the Central Pacific depot at Front and J, weekends April to mid-October (plus summer Fridays), about 45 minutes, adults $18, kids 6 to 17 $10, under 6 free.
- 10 minDelta King riverboat hotel, which you can walk through.
- 15 minCrocker Art Museum, with a family room, and the Capitol park a mile east.
A few hours here
- Get off the Starlight at 6:28am, breakfast in the station cafe or Old Sac (1 hour).
- Walk 7 minutes to the Railroad Museum at opening (3 hours, honestly).
- Excursion train at 11:15 or 1:00 on a weekend (1 hour).
- Capitol Corridor to the Bay Area or Gold Runner south; trains leave hourly.
Stay the night
This is the easiest big day on the route. Starlight to Sacramento, the museum and the steam train, lunch in Old Sac, then the Delta King and the riverfront. Sleep aboard the Delta King if you want the full story. Northbound families should come up on the Capitol Corridor during the day and catch the 11:49pm Starlight north, kids already in pajamas.
Snack stop: Old Sacramento candy stores, the station cafe, and a dozen cafes along the Old Sac boardwalk.
Out the window: Leaving Sacramento southbound you cross the Sacramento River on the I Street Bridge, a two-level swing bridge, right next to Old Sac.
The excursion train is weekends only, April to mid-October, plus Fridays in summer. Check the museum calendar for steam versus diesel days.
Stop 17 of 30DAVSouthbound 7:05am; northbound 11:11pm; plus Capitol Corridor all day
Davis
The college town where everyone rides bikes, with a 1914 Mission-style depot two blocks from a downtown full of cafes and a Saturday farmers market with a playground beside it. On the Starlight it is a 7am stop; on the Capitol Corridor it is a perfect half day.
Watch the bikes. At the morning rush, hundreds of students stream past the station on bikes, and my kids counted them like a game.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe depot and restrooms.
- 3 minDowntown Davis: a toy store, a bakery, and the Avid Reader bookstore.
- 5 minCentral Park, with the Saturday morning farmers market (8am to 1pm) and a great playground.
- 12 minThe UC Davis Arboretum along Putah Creek, a flat path with ducks, turtles and redwoods.
- 10 minExplorit Science Center, small and hands-on, for ages 2 to 8.
A few hours here
- Saturday: walk 5 minutes to the farmers market for breakfast and the playground (90 minutes).
- Walk the Arboretum path to the redwood grove and back (1 hour).
- Downtown for a snack and the next Capitol Corridor.
Stay the night
A Capitol Corridor day from the Bay Area or Sacramento: farmers market, Arboretum, lunch downtown, Explorit, and the campus's Bohart Museum of Entomology (walking sticks and a live tarantula) on a weekday.
Snack stop: The farmers market on Saturday, Upper Crust Bakery downtown, and the Davis Creamery for ice cream.
Out the window: Flat farmland and the Yolo Bypass causeway, which floods into a shallow lake in winter and fills with birds.
A fire in March 2025 damaged part of the depot; the platform and waiting area are open, but check the station page if you need the restrooms.
Stop 18 of 30MTZSouthbound 7:54am; northbound 10:14pm; plus Capitol Corridor and Gold Runner
Martinez
The station sits at the west end of a small downtown, with a waterfront park across the tracks and John Muir's house a short cab ride up the hill. This is also where the Capitol Corridor and the Gold Runner cross paths, so you can get off almost any time of day.
Walk over the footbridge from the station to the shoreline park and watch the ships on the Carquinez Strait. Then find the beaver pond in the creek downtown, because Martinez has beavers.
Right off the platform
- at stopA modern station with restrooms and a staffed counter.
- 5 minMartinez Regional Shoreline across the footbridge: a marina, lawns, a playground and a fishing pier.
- 5 minDowntown Martinez's Main Street, with a toy store and the beaver habitat in Alhambra Creek.
- at stopJohn Muir National Historic Site, a 2-mile cab ride: free, with Muir's house and a fruit orchard. Kids get a Junior Ranger badge.
A few hours here
- Footbridge to the shoreline park and the playground (1 hour).
- Main Street for a snack and a beaver search along the creek (45 minutes).
- Capitol Corridor onward, about every hour.
Stay the night
Get off, cab to the John Muir house for the morning, lunch on Main Street, the shoreline in the afternoon, and a Capitol Corridor onward.
Snack stop: Main Street bakeries and the marina snack bar.
Out the window: Leaving Martinez westbound the train runs right along the water of the Carquinez Strait and San Pablo Bay for 20 miles. Right side southbound, left side northbound, and it is one of the great stretches of track in California.
Stop 19 of 30EMYSouthbound 8:29am; northbound 9:31pm; plus Capitol Corridor, Gold Runner and the California Zephyr
Emeryville
Emeryville is the stop for San Francisco: an Amtrak bus meets the train and drives you over the Bay Bridge to downtown in 30 minutes. There is not much to do at the station itself, but the bus ride over the bridge is a thing in its own right.
Sit on the right side of the Amtrak bus to San Francisco. The Bay Bridge, then Treasure Island, then the city rising straight up in front of you.
Right off the platform
- at stopA modern station with restrooms, next to the Amtrak Thruway bus stop.
- 10 minBay Street shopping center, with a cinema and a LEGO store.
- 15 minThe Emeryville Marina and the Bay Trail, for bay views and a playground.
- at stopThe Amtrak bus to San Francisco's Salesforce Transit Center, about 30 minutes, ticketed with your train.
A few hours here
- Bus to San Francisco, Ferry Building lunch, the Embarcadero and the sea lions at Pier 39, bus back (4 hours).
Stay the night
Two nights in San Francisco: the Exploratorium, the cable car, the Golden Gate Park playgrounds and the Cal Academy. The Amtrak bus to and from Emeryville is included in a ticket to SFC.
Snack stop: Nothing at the station. Bay Street has a Peet's and restaurants.
Out the window: Leaving Emeryville southbound you run along the bay shore with the San Francisco skyline across the water on the right.
Book your ticket to SFC (San Francisco) and the bus is included; the Thruway bus leaves from right outside the station.
Stop 20 of 30OKJSouthbound 8:54am; northbound 9:06pm; plus Capitol Corridor and Gold Runner
Oakland Jack London Square
The train runs down the middle of the street here, through Jack London Square, with the waterfront, a ferry to San Francisco and a presidential yacht all within three minutes of the platform. Kids who have never seen a train on a street will not forget it.
Stand on the sidewalk at the corner of Embarcadero and Webster and watch the next Capitol Corridor roll down the middle of the street with its bell ringing. Then ride the ferry to San Francisco.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small station with restrooms and a waiting area.
- 3 minJack London Square: the waterfront, a playground, Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon (the crooked floor is the attraction) and the Sunday farmers market.
- 4 minThe USS Potomac, Franklin Roosevelt's presidential yacht, open for tours a few days a week.
- 5 minThe San Francisco Bay Ferry to the Ferry Building, about 30 minutes, with outside seats.
- 15 minOakland Museum of California, free on some evenings, with a great kids' gallery.
A few hours here
- Jack London Square playground and the waterfront (1 hour).
- Ferry round trip to San Francisco, sitting outside (90 minutes).
- Lunch on the square and a Capitol Corridor onward.
Stay the night
A full San Francisco day by ferry instead of by bus: Ferry Building, the Embarcadero, Exploratorium, back on the evening ferry, dinner on the square, and the northbound Starlight at 9:06pm.
Snack stop: The square has ice cream, pizza and a market hall.
Out the window: The street-running section through Jack London Square is slow and wonderful. Both sides.
The Potomac has limited open days; check before promising it.
Stop 21 of 30SJCSouthbound 10:14am; northbound 7:46pm; plus Capitol Corridor and Caltrain
San Jose Diridon Station
A big Spanish-style 1935 station where you can connect to Caltrain, the VTA light rail and the Capitol Corridor, with one of the best children's museums anywhere a 15-minute walk away along the river. Southbound you arrive at 10:14am, the museum opens at 9:30. It is meant to be.
At the Children's Discovery Museum, find the real fire truck and the water play area, and plan to leave soaking wet. Pack a change of clothes in the day bag.
Right off the platform
- at stopDiridon Station: a long waiting hall with benches, restrooms, a cafe and a staffed counter.
- 15 minChildren's Discovery Museum of San Jose at 180 Woz Way. Weekends 9:30 to 4:30, weekdays 9:30 to 1 during the school year; $22 for everyone over 1.
- 12 minGuadalupe River Park and the Rotary PlayGarden, a playground built for every kind of body, free.
- 10 minSAP Center, home of the Sharks, if there is a game.
- 15 minDowntown San Jose's Tech Interactive (The Tech), for ages 6 and up.
A few hours here
- Walk 15 minutes along the river path to the Children's Discovery Museum (2 hours).
- Rotary PlayGarden on the way back (45 minutes).
- Lunch downtown and a Capitol Corridor or Caltrain onward.
Stay the night
Museum in the morning, the PlayGarden, lunch at San Pedro Square Market, then The Tech in the afternoon for bigger kids. Caltrain gets you to San Francisco in 60 to 90 minutes if that is where you sleep.
Snack stop: San Pedro Square Market downtown, 15 minutes, with a dozen stalls, and the station cafe.
Out the window: South of San Jose the train climbs through farm country toward Gilroy. Garlic. You will smell it in July.
The museum closes at 1pm on weekdays during the school year, so southbound weekday visitors have about two hours. Weekends it is open all day.
Stop 22 of 30SNSSouthbound 12:06pm; northbound 6:13pm; Thruway buses to Monterey
Salinas
The lettuce capital of the world, with a small 1942 depot and the National Steinbeck Center a 10-minute walk up Main Street. It is also where the Amtrak bus to Monterey and the aquarium meets the train, which is the reason most families get off.
At the Steinbeck Center, climb into Rocinante, the camper truck Steinbeck drove around America with his poodle. Then tell them about a corgi who took a train.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot with restrooms and a staffed counter.
- 10 minNational Steinbeck Center at 1 Main St: open daily 10 to 5, kids 5 and under free, 6 to 17 $7, adults $15.
- 10 minOld Town Salinas's Main Street, with a bakery and a Saturday farmers market.
- at stopAmtrak Thruway bus to Monterey and the Monterey Bay Aquarium, about an hour.
A few hours here
- Walk 10 minutes to the Steinbeck Center and find the camper truck (90 minutes).
- Lunch on Main Street (45 minutes).
- Back for the northbound at 6:13pm or the bus to Monterey.
Stay the night
The Monterey Bay Aquarium day: Starlight to Salinas, Thruway bus to Monterey, the aquarium and Cannery Row, sleep in Monterey, bus back the next afternoon. The aquarium is the best in the country for kids and you need the whole day.
Snack stop: Main Street bakeries and the Saturday farmers market.
Out the window: Salad bowl farmland on both sides for 60 miles. Workers in the fields, giant sprinklers, and the Salinas River.
Book the Monterey bus as part of your Amtrak ticket (station code MTB).
Stop 23 of 30PRBSouthbound 1:57pm; northbound 4:15pm
Paso Robles
A small-town station at the edge of a downtown built around a square park with a bandstand, a children's museum in an old firehouse and a lot of ice cream. It is a flag stop in wine country that happens to be great for kids.
Downtown City Park on a summer Thursday evening has a concert on the bandstand and kids running everywhere. Any other day, the playground and a bowl of ice cream on the grass will do.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small station with restrooms and parking.
- 8 minDowntown City Park: a playground, lawns, a bandstand and a carousel in December.
- 8 minPaso Robles Children's Museum at the historic Volunteer Firehouse on the park, with a real fire engine, for ages 1 to 10.
- 10 minPioneer Museum, free, with old tractors and a one-room schoolhouse (limited hours).
- 10 minThe Paso Robles Inn's hot springs gardens, open to walk through.
A few hours here
- Walk 8 minutes to the Children's Museum (90 minutes).
- Playground and ice cream in the park (1 hour).
- Walk back for the train.
Stay the night
Overnight: southbound arrive 1:57pm, the museum and park, dinner downtown, sleep at the Inn, then a Thruway bus or the 4:15pm northbound the next day. Hearst Castle is a 45-minute drive if you rent a car.
Snack stop: Ice cream and a bakery right on the park, and a dozen restaurants around it.
Out the window: South of Paso Robles the train crosses the Cuesta Grade with a horseshoe curve where you can see the front of your own train from the back. Then down into San Luis Obispo.
This is a flag stop for some trains; the Coast Starlight always stops.
Stop 24 of 30SLOSouthbound 3:24pm; northbound 2:52pm; plus Surfliner
San Luis Obispo
The 1942 depot at the foot of Cuesta Grade, a flat 15-minute walk from a downtown with a creek running through it, a children's museum and a mission. The Starlight southbound and northbound pass through within an hour of each other here, which means you can watch both.
Stand on the platform at the north end around 3pm and watch the southbound Starlight come down the grade while the northbound waits. Two silver trains, one platform.
Right off the platform
- at stopA small depot with restrooms and the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum a few steps away (Saturdays 10 to 4, with a huge model railroad).
- 15 minDowntown SLO along Higuera Street and the creek walk, with Bubblegum Alley.
- 15 minSan Luis Obispo Children's Museum at 1010 Nipomo St, ages 1 to 10, closed Monday.
- 15 minMission San Luis Obispo and Mission Plaza, with the creek to splash in.
- 15 minThursday night farmers market on Higuera, 6 to 9pm, with tri-tip and live music.
A few hours here
- Saturday: the Railroad Museum next to the platform (1 hour).
- Walk 15 minutes downtown for the creek walk and Bubblegum Alley (1 hour).
- Children's Museum and a snack at Mission Plaza (90 minutes).
Stay the night
Overnight here and do the beach the next day: Pismo and Avila are a short bus or cab ride away, and Avila's pier has sea lions. The Surfliner continues south twice a day too.
Snack stop: Higuera Street: ice cream, Linnaea's Cafe, and the Thursday market.
Out the window: Northbound you climb the Cuesta Grade right after leaving, with a horseshoe curve so sharp you see the engine ahead of you. Southbound the ocean appears about an hour later near Surf.
Stop 25 of 30SBASouthbound 6:12pm; northbound 12:08pm; plus Surfliner
Santa Barbara
The best stop in Southern California for a family, and I say that as someone who wrote a book about San Diego. The 1905 Mission-style depot is a block from the beach, across the street from a children's museum, and two blocks from a wharf with a touch tank. Northbound you arrive at noon, which is perfect.
Walk out of the station, cross the street into MOXI, and let them stand on the glass floor of the sky garden on the roof. Then the wharf, where the sea stars in the touch tank at the Sea Center are the softest thing they will touch all week.
Right off the platform
- at stopThe depot with restrooms and a staffed counter.
- 2 minMOXI, the Wolf Museum of Exploration and Innovation, 125 State St: open daily 10 to 5, under 3 free.
- 5 minStearns Wharf and the Santa Barbara Sea Center with its touch tanks.
- 5 minEast Beach and the playground at Chase Palm Park, with a carousel.
- 10 minThe waterfront bike path and the Santa Barbara Zoo, a 20-minute walk or a quick shuttle, with giraffes you can feed.
- 15 minState Street's shops and the Public Market for food.
A few hours here
- MOXI, right across the street (2 hours).
- Walk 5 minutes to the wharf and the Sea Center (1 hour).
- Chase Palm Park playground and the carousel (45 minutes).
Stay the night
Overnight in Santa Barbara. Northbound families arriving at 12:08pm: MOXI, the wharf, the zoo by the waterfront shuttle, dinner on State Street, and a morning at the beach before a Surfliner or tomorrow's Starlight. Southbound at 6:12pm: dinner on the wharf, sleep, and the whole next day.
Snack stop: The wharf has fish and chips and ice cream, the Public Market on State has everything.
Out the window: From Santa Barbara south the train runs along the beach for an hour, with surfers, seals on the rocks and the Channel Islands offshore. Left side southbound, right side northbound.
Stop 26 of 30OXNSouthbound 7:20pm; northbound 11:22am; plus Surfliner and Metrolink
Oxnard
A transit center a few blocks from downtown Oxnard's plaza park and a small carnegie museum, with the beach and the Channel Islands harbor a bus or cab ride away. On the Starlight it is a drop-off stop southbound. The Surfliner guide covers it in more detail.
Heritage Square, a 10-minute walk, is a block of restored Victorian houses you can wander around for free. Find the one with the tower.
Right off the platform
- at stopA transit center with restrooms and buses.
- 5 minPlaza Park downtown, with a pagoda bandstand and a playground.
- 10 minHeritage Square's Victorian houses.
- at stopChannel Islands Harbor and the beach, a 15-minute bus or cab ride, with the Channel Islands National Park visitor center.
A few hours here
- Plaza Park and Heritage Square (1 hour).
- Lunch downtown and a Surfliner onward.
Stay the night
The Channel Islands boat trip, if you have a car or a cab to the harbor: a day on Santa Cruz Island with sea caves and foxes.
Snack stop: Downtown Oxnard's taquerias are excellent.
Out the window: Strawberry fields on both sides. In spring the air smells like them.
Southbound Train 11 only drops passengers here; you can get off but not board. Northbound you can board.
Stop 27 of 30SIMSouthbound 8:02pm; northbound 10:49am; plus Surfliner and Metrolinkour honest take: ride on
Simi Valley
A quiet suburban platform. The Reagan Library, with Air Force One inside, is a 15-minute cab ride and worth it for kids 6 and up. Southbound the Starlight drops only, in the dark, so this is a northbound or Surfliner stop.
Walking through Air Force One at the Reagan Library. The whole plane, inside a glass room on a hill.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a shelter and parking.
- at stopRonald Reagan Presidential Library by cab, about 15 minutes, with Air Force One and a piece of the Berlin Wall.
A few hours here
- Stay on, unless the library is the plan.
Stay the night
The library day: northbound at 10:49am, cab to the library, three hours, cab back for a Surfliner south or an overnight in town.
Snack stop: Nothing at the platform.
Out the window: After Simi Valley southbound you go through the Santa Susana tunnel, over a mile long, and then the Chatsworth rocks. Northbound this is the stretch right before Simi.
Stop 28 of 30VNCSouthbound 8:36pm; northbound 10:18am; plus Surfliner and Metrolinkour honest take: ride on
Van Nuys
A platform in the San Fernando Valley surrounded by industrial blocks. Nothing to walk to. Ride on.
Count the planes landing at Van Nuys airport, the busiest general aviation airport in the country, just west of the tracks.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform and a shelter.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: None.
Out the window: Planes, warehouses and the Valley.
Stop 29 of 30BURSouthbound 8:44pm drop-off only; plus Surfliner and Metrolinkour honest take: ride on
Burbank Hollywood Burbank Airport
A platform across the street from the Hollywood Burbank Airport terminal. Useful if you are flying out, and that is about it.
Watch a plane land over the platform. They come in low.
Right off the platform
- at stopA platform with a shelter and a short walk to the airport terminal.
A few hours here
- Stay aboard unless you have a flight.
Stay the night
Skip.
Snack stop: Airport food across the street.
Out the window: Planes.
The Coast Starlight stops here southbound only, to let people off. Northbound it does not stop; use the Surfliner.
Stop 30 of 30LAXTrain 11 arrives 9:11pm; Train 14 leaves 9:51am
Los Angeles Union Station
Union Station is the most beautiful station in America, and I will argue about it. Leather chairs, a tiled waiting room, two gardens, and Olvera Street's churros across the plaza. The Starlight leaves at 9:51 in the morning, which gives you time for breakfast at Philippe's and a run through the courtyard before you board.
Before you board northbound, buy a churro on Olvera Street, then sit in one of the big leather chairs in the waiting room and let them stare up at the ceiling. In the book, this is the station where Rally meets the conductor.
Right off the platform
- at stopUnion Station: a staffed counter, checked baggage, restrooms, a Metropolitan Lounge for sleeper passengers, the waiting room and two patios.
- 5 minOlvera Street and El Pueblo: churros, taquitos, the Avila Adobe and a plaza with music on weekends.
- 5 minPhilippe the Original on Alameda for the French dip and sawdust floors, open from 6am.
- 10 minChinatown's Central Plaza and the dragon gate.
- at stopMetro from Union Station: the B Line to Hollywood, the A Line to Pasadena and Long Beach, the Expo Line to the Science Center and the Space Shuttle.
- 15 minGrand Park's splash pad and Disney Hall, up the hill via the Civic Center.
A few hours here
- Northbound morning: breakfast at Philippe's at 7:30 (45 minutes).
- Olvera Street for a churro and the Avila Adobe (45 minutes).
- The waiting room and the garden patios, then board by 9:30.
Stay the night
Make it two nights. One day for the California Science Center and the space shuttle by Metro, one day for the beach by the A Line to Long Beach or the E Line to Santa Monica. Then the morning Starlight north.
Snack stop: Olvera Street churros, Philippe's, and the station's own cafe.
Out the window: Southbound you arrive in the dark. Northbound, leaving at 9:51am, you follow the LA River concrete channel, pass the Burbank studios, and climb through the Chatsworth rocks into the Santa Susana tunnel within the first hour.
Union Station has checked baggage, so sleeper passengers headed north can check the big bags and keep a day bag.
Wake up to the ocean
My mom wanted the second morning: coffee in the dining car, the kids in pajamas, and the Pacific showing up out the left window somewhere past Surf. I have done it now with her grandchildren, and I can tell you it is as good as she thought. Somebody's kid always sees the water first and yells. Last time it was mine. If you do this trip, I hope it is yours.
Next in this series: the Amtrak Cascades, which shares these tracks from Seattle to Eugene with six trains a day and free kids' fares in Washington, and the Capitol Corridor from Sacramento to San Jose. Every route is on the Train Trips With Your Kids page.
Coast Starlight trips with kids: questions parents ask
How long is the Coast Starlight with kids?
About 35 hours end to end, Seattle to Los Angeles, with two nights aboard if you ride the whole thing southbound (one and a half northbound). Most families I know do a piece of it: Seattle to Portland, Portland to Sacramento overnight, or San Luis Obispo to Los Angeles along the ocean.
Which side of the Coast Starlight has the ocean?
Left side southbound, right side northbound. The ocean stretch runs from Surf, north of Lompoc, to Ventura, about three hours, and it is at its best between Surf and Santa Barbara where there is no road beside the tracks.
Is a Family Bedroom worth it on the Coast Starlight?
Yes, if two adults and two kids are riding overnight. It is the only room with windows on both sides, it sleeps four, meals are included, and nobody has to climb into a top bunk over a stranger. Coach is fine for day segments.
What is the best Coast Starlight stop for a toddler?
Santa Barbara. The children's museum is across the street from the station, the wharf with the touch tanks is five minutes away, and the beach playground has a carousel. San Luis Obispo and Sacramento are close behind.
Can we get off the Coast Starlight and get back on?
Not on the same ticket, because the train runs once a day. Book separate segments, which costs about the same, and stay the night. Or use the day trains that share the route: the Cascades in Washington and Oregon, the Capitol Corridor in Northern California, and the Pacific Surfliner south of San Luis Obispo.
Does the Coast Starlight have a dining car?
Yes, with traditional dining for sleeper passengers (included) and the cafe downstairs in the lounge car for everyone. Kids' meals exist. The Pacific Parlour cars are gone, but the Sightseer Lounge with its big curved windows is open to all.
Do kids pay on the Coast Starlight?
Kids 2 to 12 pay half the adult coach fare, and one child under 2 rides free on each adult's lap. Sleeper rooms are priced per room plus a rail fare for each person, and the kids' discount applies to that rail fare.
Which Coast Starlight stops should we skip with kids?
The night stops, Chemult through Chico, plus Olympia-Lacey, Kelso, Van Nuys and Burbank Airport, which are platforms with nothing to walk to. Every other stop has something within 15 minutes of the train.
Sources and how I checked
- Amtrak Coast Starlight timetable, August 2026 revision (Trains 11 and 14), and Amtrak station pages
- Amtrak Cascades, Capitol Corridor and Pacific Surfliner schedules, October 2026
- California State Railroad Museum: hours, admission and excursion train schedule as posted October 2026
- Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose, National Steinbeck Center, Lan Su Chinese Garden, Gilbert House Children's Museum, Children's Museum of Tacoma, America's Car Museum: hours and admission as posted October 2026
- Great American Stations and Wikipedia station articles for addresses and station history, cross-checked with Amtrak
- City park and transit pages: Esther Short Park, Skinner Butte Park, Sound Transit T Line, San Francisco Bay Ferry
Hours, prices and bus routes change. I update this page when they do; if you spot something out of date, tell me.