travel booked

[tielan]

HK from the 29th Nov to 6th Dec

Amsterdam from the 6th Dec to 12th Dec

Seattle on 12th Dec down to San Francisco by the 19th Dec

Cruise from 19th Dec to the 7th Jan

Back home on the 7th Jan, arrive 9th Jan

If anyone is on the leg between Seattle and San Francisco, I'd love to meet up with you along the way.

I'm still not sure how I'm getting from one city to the other. I'd like to drive but also I don't want to, and I'm not sure about my driving ability between the two cities. I'd love to hitch hike (but I know the dangers), I was wondering if there's some kind of a rideshare arrangement I could find - surely the 'weird' west coast would have that, yeah?

Otherwise, there's Amtrak? Or buses? Neither seem to have a particularly good rep.

I'd kind of like to get down to LA, actually, try some LA street food. Except my ability to eat has been severely compromised the last couple of years and I need someone to go halves with.

--

Wow. Managed to get a ticket to the World Cup Semi Finals - it'll be the winners of the two games tomorrow - Australia v France, England v Colombia - and they're HOT tickets.

Just one ticket, unfortch. Would have been good to take a friend. Will keep trying, but after tomorrow night, if Australia win, it'll be bloody impossible, I reckon.

Comments

[spiffikins]

I wouldn't even attempt to get from Seattle to San Francisco without my own car, if I wasn't flying :D

I've done the drive twice, but I've done it in August/September - not in December. It would be fine - roads are good etc - but it will be wet and chilly and dreary and less photogenic, for sure! Also I-5, which is the big interstate highway - is not particularly scenic. You can take a more scenic route along the coast - which I would recommend, since you have a week, although it depends on how much time you want to spend in Seattle and in San Francisco?

Honestly, at that time of year, I might just book a flight - that way you get to spend a few days in Seattle, and a few days in San Francisco playing tourist?

[tielan]

I don't mind less photogenic. Weather makes things atmospheric! Too much weather on the other hand... *winces*

I'd like to do a day in Seattle, a day in Portland, then Sacramento (where I have a friend), go down to LA for a day or two, then back up to SF and get on board the cruise. Maybe stay a day in SF? I have friends in SF that I'd like to see - if they're available to meet.

The big issue for me is getting around in spaces where I'm not staying with someone and so don't have anyone around with transportation. I could drive, maybe? I'm not convinced I'm qualified to manage on US roads. I could get the licence, but the actual act of driving? *shudder*

Oh, for the confidence of a mediocre white male! :D

Not to mention, your public transport systems in US cities (with a couple of exceptions) aren't generally great.

I guess I'll think this over in the coming months...

[ringsandcoffee]

Seattle to Portland is a few hours drive. Portland to Sacramento will be 8 hours, though it's ALL I-5 so no worry about getting lost. Sac to LA could be anywhere from 5-8 hours. LA back to SF about the same as from Sac. I'm about to drive from Phoenix to almost SF tomorrow, which I do at least once a year. That entire drive takes usually 13 hours. The SoCal to SF leg (I don't go through LA proper) is usually about 8 of that. On my way back is usually faster, but it's early morning.

Amtrak Coast Starlight route (35 hrs) sounds beautiful if you just want to get from Seattle to LA, but the overnight bit can be rough. I did a 33 hour, Flagstaff, AZ to Chicago Amtrak, and slept in my seat. It wasn't terrible, but not sure I'd do it again. The San Joaquins route would be prettier than driving between SF and LA, but you have to worry about getting around once off the train.

[tielan]

Ooh, the Coast Starlight Amtrak route might be a goer.

A bit pricey for the overnight roomette, but no worse than a night in a hotel and a flight. I wonder what the stoppages/weather risks are in December? I mean, it's not like these things can be baselined anymore, what with all the climatic changs going on.

[ringsandcoffee]

The roommette was more than double the price of just a seat ticket. The good thing is you don't have to stay in your seat the whole time. There's the observation car, and the dining car. It rained a lot on my journey, but I think the stops were more due to having to wait for other trains than because of weather. Last year the west coast and the mountains got more rain/snow than...ever before. I doubt this winter will be like last year. You'll be out of the mountains once you get down to Chico. Most of the stops are rather short, so you can't go exploring. Bring a blanket if you just get a seat, as the AC made it really cold overnight.

If you really want to drive, you can make it a really long day getting from Seattle to Sac or SF. I've done it, but I like to drive. If you drive from SF to LA, you can go down 101, which I have not done since I was a kid. I-5 is 2 lanes each direction and kind of bleak, mainly agriculture around to see, if anything. Once you get into southern California proper, the freeways are really unpredictable, but basically assume you'll hit traffic often, and probably road work.

[spiffikins]

Yeah, public transportation really only works in bigger cities, and *really* only works within a city - not so much getting between cities!

Within a city, if you are staying somewhere and want to get around, uber or lyft are generally not bad options if you are someplace like Portland, Seattle, Sacramento or SF I think.

I'm not even sure of how the driving works - I hadn't even thought as to whether you would need a license? I've driven in Mexico, without having to have any special license. My Canadian driver's license was fine to rent and drive a car in the US. You are on the other side of the road/right hand drive though, right? So that would be an extra fun thing to sort out!

I did find this - https://www.flixbus.com/ -they apparently have nicer buses than the standard Greyhound, and seem to have decent prices, and hit the various cities you are looking to get to?

Edit - also https://us.megabus.com/

[tielan]

The big-and-tricky part? We drive on the left-hand side of the road in Australia. So I'd be driving on the wrong side of the road for me, in a country full of drivers...

Personally, I like the idea of Amtrak more than buses.

[raine]

You can take the train from Seattle to San Francisco; it's known as the Coast Starlight. It's a trip best done if you can afford a sleeper car.
Also, I'm in the Seattle area and would love to meet up!

[tielan]

Right, so I am answering this two months later, having gone back because I remembered there were people in the area.

I would love to meet up - I'm hoping to be there from Friday 15th December to Sunday 17th December (getting on an afternoon train to head to Portland).

[raine]

Sure! My email is raine dot wynd at gmail dot com so we can plan for where to meet. I live north of Seattle but am always up to explore Pike Place Market with a friend if you're interested in doing something iconically touristy and filled with places to eat and shop (it's the largest farmer's market in the Pacific NW). Or well, anywhere, really - just let me know what you're interested in doing. :-)

[wpadmirer]

Oooo! That's cool.

I know diddly about ride-sharing, but is there train service? I know that the trains run in California between LA and San Francisco, but I don't know about up into the northwest.

I had a friend who loved traveling by train because she would sleep most of the way. It might be something to look into.

[facethestrange]

Oh yay, exciting stuff! :D Good luck figuring out all the details! And yay for the World Cup ticket too. :D