← Route
San Diego → Los Angeles · Amtrak Pacific Surfliner
San Diego → Los Angeles
Southern California’s own honest corridor: a couple dozen daily departures riding the sand cliffs past San Clemente and the Huntington Beach shores into LA Union Station, downtown to downtown in under three hours. Cheaper than the drive once you count parking, saner than the I-5 any day.
≈2h 55Duration
0Transfers
7×CO₂ vs flying
From $30Ticket budget
TrainTransport
Booked 2–3 months ahead$30–38
Booked this week$40–60
One-way fares, per person, 2nd class · verified 4 Oct 2026
Day · Leg
Leg
| Leg | Transport / Operator | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| San Diego → Los Angeles | Pacific Surfliner | ≈2h 55 |
Pass advice
Pass advice
Sit on the left heading north — the track runs right along the sand from Solana Beach to San Clemente.
Surfliner seats are all unreserved — the earlier train with free seats beats the later one you queued for.
METROLINK runs the same corridor weekends for less — no lounge, same views.