Plan Your Trip

Trip Planning FAQs

• How do I plan a trip?

  Check out our Destinations page to see which cities are served by the Pacific Surfliner.

  Once you know where you’d like to go, use our online booking tool to explore your travel options. Choose “One-Way” or “Round-Trip”, enter your starting and ending stations, and indicate the dates you are interested in traveling. All of the available trains will appear as options once you click the “Submit” button.

  If you'd prefer to speak with an Amtrak representative, visit a staffed Amtrak station or call 1-800-USA-RAIL. Customers who are deaf or hard of hearing can access TTD/TTY service at 1-800-523-6590.

• How do I read a Pacific Surfliner timetable?

  The easiest way to decide which schedule will work for you is to use our online booking tool.

  If you prefer to explore options via our digital timetable, start by downloading the PDF from the schedules page. Then find the page for the direction you wish to travel (northbound or southbound).

  Once you are on the right page, look at the left column, find your departure station, and read across to the right to see all the departure times from that station. Once you've found a departure time that works for you, follow the column down to find the arrival time at your destination station. The train number is located at the top of each column.

  Some trains connect with Amtrak Thruway bus routes to provide more travel options. Bus connections are designated on the schedule with orange shading.

• Can I stop at more than one station during my trip?

  Yes, with a multi-city ticket, you can book your trip in segments, allowing you to stop at multiple destinations along the way at no additional cost. You must plan your trip in advance, including stopovers. Remember, connections aren’t guaranteed, so make sure to build a trip that allows adequate time to make connecting trains. Learn more about multi-city tickets at Amtrak.com.

• I’d like to make several trips over a period of time. Is there an option that works for me?

  Yes, multi-ride tickets allow you to take multiple trips using one ticket within a set amount of time. There are two types of multi-ride tickets that can be used on Pacific Surfliner trains: Monthly and Ten-Ride.

  • Monthly Ticket: Monthly tickets are valid for unlimited travel between two stations you select and all stations in between for an entire calendar month. The distance between the two stations determines the price of your ticket.
  • Ten-Ride Ticket: Ten-Ride tickets are valid for 10 one-way trips between two stations you select within a 90-day period. These tickets are non-transferable. However, more than one person may use a 10-ride ticket at one time, as long as the person named on the ticket is one of the passengers traveling and all passengers are traveling together. For example, five people could ride together round-trip (5 tickets each way) on one 10-trip ticket.

  Visit Amtrak.com or download the Amtrak app to purchase a multi-ride ticket.

• What classes of service are available?

  Pacific Surfliner trains offer two types of tickets: Unreserved Coach and Business Class.

  • Unreserved Coach: Unreserved Coach tickets allow you to ride any Pacific Surfliner train from the origin station to the destination station listed on your ticket. This gives you the flexibility to take a different train than the one you selected in the booking process if your travel plans change, subject to certain restrictions. 
  • Business Class: Business Class tickets offer guaranteed seating and other perks. Learn more about Business Class.

  Note: Advance reservations for all Pacific Surfliner trains may be required during holidays and special events. Certain promotions and discounts may also require advance purchase. Also be aware that some connecting bus routes require reservations, so make sure to purchase those tickets in advance. 

• Are there any discounts available for Pacific Surfliner travel?

  California Everyday Discounts offer year-round savings on Pacific Surfliner travel for students, seniors, kids, passengers with disabilities, and others. Visit our Offers page for more information. There are also generally special promotions throughout the year. Check the Promotions page for current offers.

• Where can I buy tickets?

  Purchase tickets using the online booking tool (Book Now button at the top of the page), the Amtrak app, Amtrak ticket agents at staffed stations, Amtrak Ticket Kiosks, or at 1-800-USA-RAIL. If you purchase tickets by phone and don’t have a device to pull up your ticket, please ask the agent on the phone for a confirmation code. That code can be given to the conductor in lieu of a printed or electronic ticket. Please note that certain promotions and discounts are only available online and require advance purchase.

• How can I change or cancel my trip?

  It's easy to postpone your trip if plans change thanks to our flexible ticket policies. Unreserved Coach tickets can be saved and used at a later date (up to one year from the date listed on the ticket) without making any changes to the reservation. Some restrictions may apply, such as when the trains are all-reserved on peak travel days. 

  Business Class reservations do need to be updated if plans change. If you made your reservation online, visit Amtrak.com and select “Modify Trip”. Log into your Amtrak Guest Rewards account or enter your reservation number and email address to make changes to your trip.  You can also call 800-USA-RAIL or speak with an Amtrak agent at a staffed Amtrak station in advance of your ticketed departure.

  Pacific Surfliner tickets are considered "Flexible Fares". Tickets can be cancelled with a full refund to original form of payment with no fees if canceled before departure. There are no change fees. You can get more details on cancellation policies on Amtrak.com.

• My final destination isn’t within walking distance of the train. What are my options?

  Many local transit providers offer a free connection to Pacific Surfliner passengers. View information and ideas on our Transit Connections page. Of course, other options include hotel shuttles, taxis, or ridesharing services such as Uber or Lyft. 

• Do you offer gift cards?

  Yes. Gift cards for Pacific Surfliner train fares are available up to $500. Learn more