If you are considering a trip on The California Zephyr, go! It is a great trip as long as you are... read more
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California Zephyr
#72 of 1,432 Transportation in California
40 Pippo Place, CA 94513
Review Highlights
“Amtrak California Zephyr Roomette from Martinez, CA to Reno, NV.”
My spouse and I rode round trip on the Amtrak California Zephyr from Martinez, CA to Reno, NV. This... read more
rona390
, Pleasant Hill, California
johnhossack
Gold Coast, Australia
101
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6 - 11 of 1,212 reviews
359melisap
102
We had a wonderful holiday trip on the Zephyr. The attendants on both of our trains were wonderful. They work so hard to make your trip great. Nancy and Tony were the best! Meals were served hot and as described. This route is beautiful and lived up to everything we heard. We would definitely recommend this trip to anyone! The pics attached were taken from our room. I definitely recommend a bedroom/sleeper accommodations for this route.
Date of experience: December 2024
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael R
2
The train was disgusting. Rode the sleeper car from Denver to San Francisco. Constant sewage odor. Broken sink. Dirty room. Irritated train crew. What a major let down.
Date of experience: December 2024
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BarbraS382
Arvada, Colorado
160133
We rode the Zephyr from Denver to Glenwood Springs and back for a weekend jaunt. Spectacular views! It was so charming! The train could use a good deep cleaning since it travels across the country on a regular basis, but the size of the seats, spacing, and windows are great! I recommend bringing your own food on the train since the food is mediocre - but the wine service is great at the bar!
Date of experience: October 2024
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lois M
2014
I recently returned from an Amtrak Vacations trip from Chicago to San Franciso on the California Zephyr. I DO NOT recommend Amtrak as a pleasant experience. Vouchers were to be provided in both cities for the hop on/ hop off Big Bus but these were never sent. I had called customer service twice prior to the trip asking for these and was told they were not needed. They lied. It took me 5 phone calls and 2 hours in San Francisco before I decided to just pay for a new ticket. They did agree to reimburse me and they did do that.
Now to the train ride. It was horrible. The tracks are very rough, so we bounced around a lot. I thought I was going to be bounced out of the bunk.
The private rooms are exceptionally small. The upper bunk had a 1 inch mattress and I felt like I was sleeping on a board. The “bathroom with a shower” is smaller than an airplane bathroom and you all know how small they are. We practically had to back in to the toilet. Didn’t even attempt the shower.
The train has two layers of berths so there is no room for a dome car. All they had was one lounge car and the windows were FILTHY. This is supposed to be a scenic trip, but the scenery was difficult to see through the filthy windows.That’s where the bar was , only they had a bartender only once on the 3 day ride.
The dining car had white table cloths and flowers on the table. That’s where the first class features stop: plastic plates, paper cups, plastic cups, no refills, condiments in individual packets; dessert in prewrapped packages; rude staff.
So, we paid for a first class trip but received budget service. Except for the 3-4 star hotels in Chicago and San Francisco.
Don’t believe the pictures shown on the Amtrak websites; it’s wishfull thinking.
Date of experience: October 2024
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richard P
Akron, Ohio
11
via mobile
The scenery between Denver and Sacramento was outstanding. I wish I could have stayed in San Francisco longer but it was about the California Zephyr train trip.
Having a good time riding Amtrak this year, getting used to sleeping in coach class. Also the food in the diner and snack lounge is quite good with very good service by people who like their jobs!
Date of experience: October 2024
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.