Trip Planning
Plan Your Route
View the Pacific Surfliner or San Joaquin Schedules and/or Route Maps to determine your departure and arrival cities. To see all of the places Amtrak California goes, visit our Station Directory. Once you identify which train corridor you want to travel on, you can determine if there is a connecting Amtrak Thruway Bus route* included as part of your travel.
Select Your Departure and Arrival Times
Referring to your route's schedule, read across each column (from left to right) to locate your train or bus number. Read down each column (from top to bottom) to determine available departure and arrival times.
Book Your Trip
Booking your Amtrak California trip is easy. There are several ways to purchase tickets. See Fares & Tickets for details.
No time to purchase tickets in advance?
You may board any Amtrak California train or Amtrak Thruway bus without a ticket. For train passengers, tickets may be purchased on-board directly from the train conductor. For bus passengers, if you board an Amtrak Thruway bus without a ticket, the driver will collect your photo ID and take you to the next open, staffed station where you can purchase your ticket from your boarding point. Your ID will be returned to you once you purchase your ticket. Please note: If you board a train/bus without a ticket at an open, staffed station, an additional service fee may be charged. No service charge is required if the boarding station is unstaffed or closed.
*Most Thruway bus routes require a segment of train travel. Exclusive bus travel is not permitted (except where noted).