Having a car in America, and especially California, is an important and easy way to go where you need or want to. But it’s not always the most convenient or cost effective. Heavy traffic, potential for car accidents, and if you don’t have a partner to take over driving for you, driving fatigue. In addition, you can’t be productive throughout the drive. That’s when it’s best to utilize train travel – Amtrak. In California, Amtrak trains (alongside connecting buses) reaches hundreds of destinations.
You can traverse much of the major cities in the Central Valley up to San Francisco on a single train route. You can go down to major Coast cities, from San Luis Obispo all the way down to San Diego. All this without annoying traffic. You also get pretty views and amenities: Bathrooms, food/drinks, a table (depending on your seat), power ports for all your electronic needs and of course Wi-Fi. Of course, the Amtrak is also a perfect way to visit major cities and sites in neighboring states, like Portland (OR) and Seattle (WA), or go along scenic routes throughout the United States.