An Amtrak vacation is something you might consider for your next vacation, particularly if that is something you’ve never tried before. Many North American destination cities are easily accessible by train. Getting there can be half the fun on some of the more scenic routes.

One of the most popular places to visit is San Diego. It is easy to take a train to the historic station and then use public transit for getting around locally. San Diego is spread out over a smaller geographical area than other parts of SoCal, notably Los Angeles. You can even get around to a lot of vacation attractions by walking if you enjoy that.

San Diego is really loaded with interesting places to visit. You could really spend weeks at all the museums, historical places of interest, beaches, theme parks and other attractions. There certainly would be no problem filling a busy week of vacation in this beach-oriented city. The weather in the summer is particularly appealing, with a moderate sea breeze cooling things off.

Continuing your train travel up the West Coast past Los Angeles would be an option if you would like to plan an even more substantial trip. AmTrak runs from the downtown San Diego station to downtown Los Angeles Union Station with a few stops in between. This would make it possible to spend an easy week or two in Southern California without your car.

Of course, traveling by train could add 3-4 days to the overall vacation schedule but that is part of the fun if you have the right attitude.