Amtrak’s Coast Starlight train ride to Seattle: Worth it?

There are certainly more efficient ways to get from Los Angeles to Seattle than sitting in a metal box for 34 hours. But Amtrak’s Coast Starlight train wasn’t designed for people who are in a rush.

Perhaps you’ve come across this train on Instagram, YouTube or TikTok, where people rave about its gorgeous observation cars — called “sightseer lounges” — boasting floor-to-ceiling windows and cinematic views of the Oregonian forest. (“10/10 would recommend the Coast Starlight for the views alone,” one TikTok creator noted, showing off the flowers they drew while gazing at the scenery.)

Reanna and I getting comfortable in the very crowded (and slightly stinky) observation car.

(Julia Carmel / Los Angeles Times)

But much of the viral footage of the train — which leaves L.A. every day around 10 a.m. and gets to Seattle the following night around 8 p.m. — was taken by travelers who were riding it for a short stretch, or those staying in the sleeper cars, which have beds, private bathrooms with showers and access to the restaurant-style dining car. These “roommettes” and bedrooms, which can run upwards of $600, are far less economical than the $100 coach seats that can be booked if you plan far enough in advance. I wanted to find out if I could really romanticize sleeping in an awkwardly reclined chair and eating countless bags of chips.

So as a man of the people, I convinced my partner to accompany me on the full 34-hour journey in coach seats. Here’s what we wish we knew before getting on the train.

You’re there for the scenery — not the amenities

“Ticket for Seattle, welcome aboard,” our train conductor said with a chuckle as we departed Union Station. “Braver than me!”

There are quite a few reasons why we were some of the only people riding all the way from L.A. to Seattle on a Wednesday in the coach and business cars. The most obvious is that many people would not want to spend a full night sleeping in a chair, but the shared bathrooms, which get progressively worse over the course of the trip, are a close second. More on that soon.

The Coast Starlight is not Amtrak’s longest route (that would be the 65-hour-long Texas Eagle), but from start to finish, the train takes about 11 times as long as the three-hour flight from L.A. to Seattle, or twice as long as the roughly 17-hour-long road trip. As we climbed on board, we were sent to our assigned seats (you only get to choose whether you want to be on the upper or lower level). Ours were on the left side of the train, which is a bit more coveted as it faces west and gets better views, but no matter where your assigned seat is, you’ll have access to the picturesque observation car.

The left hand side of the observation car had a perfect view of the ocean in Goleta, Calif.

(Julia Carmel / Los Angeles Times)

When we pulled into our first stop, Burbank, shortly after 10 a.m., we passed Fry’s Electronics, the video store in Jordan Peele’s “Nope,” with its big crash-landed saucer above the entrance. By the time we got to Van Nuys 15 minutes later, the woman running the cafe in the observation car announced that she was…