SF to Sac & Back - best way to travel?

January 9, 2007 2:10 PM

I need to make a day trip to Sacramento from San Francisco. I don't own a car. What's the best way to get there & back?

It seems I could rent a car for about $40, or I could take the amtrak capital corridor train for about the same amount. I've never driven to Sacramento before, nor have I ever taken the capital corridor train (anywhere).

Travel time isn't as important as comfort/reduced stress. Driving in heavy traffic gives me the heebie-jeebies, but so does overcrowded public transportation. I'd be traveling during commute hours (though my journey will be a reverse commute, I believe).

Also, once in Sacramento, I'll need to visit the Secretary of State's office in order to file some papers, which I've been told will take about 3-4 hours. This should give me enough time to catch an afternoon/evening train back to SF. It looks like the office is within walking distance of the train depot, but I've never been to Sacramento, so I don't know quite what to expect in terms of pedestrian friendliness.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

posted by treepour to travel & transportation (9 comments total)

Take Amtrak. WAY less stress than driving over the Bay Bridge and through the nasty I-80 corridor past Vallejo. Sacramento is very walkable.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 2:14 PM on January 9, 2007

Train for certain. You can pick up the Amtrak shuttle bus at several points along Market and the Ferry Building which will take you across the bay to the train station.
posted by dirtylittlemonkey at 2:23 PM on January 9, 2007

More specifically, you'll be wanting to take the Capital Corridor.
posted by majick at 2:41 PM on January 9, 2007

I live in the Bay, my folks live in Sac. I've driven this route many, many times. It's a pretty short drive but, depending on the day and time, you can easily run into very slow traffic.

I'll echo everyone else by recommending the super comfortable, fairly quick train ride which allows you to enjoy the lovely view (not possible from hwy 80), read a book or your laptop or whatever, and relax.
posted by serazin at 2:45 PM on January 9, 2007

Train is cheaper too, if you buy your tickets online and ahead of time. I think you might get a ticket for $20 that way.
posted by zia at 2:46 PM on January 9, 2007

Nthing everyone else on the train. I also live in SF, with my family in Sac, and I take the Capital Corridor frequently. It's much more relaxing than driving.
Also, the pleasant walk around that part of Sac will probably be way more enjoyable than taking a car and dealing with parking and whatnot.
posted by logic vs love at 3:00 PM on January 9, 2007

You filing to run for office?

Sacto's quite walkable and you'll actually have a pleasant one thru a shopping district and past the state capitol to get to the SecState's office (I did an internship there in college, nice building). It will take you a solid 15-20 walking however, so factor that into your train timetable.
posted by allkindsoftime at 3:27 PM on January 9, 2007

The train it is -- thanks very much, all!
posted by treepour at 4:36 PM on January 9, 2007

Just make sure that you catch an early train! They're not usually late, but it's about an hour & a few minutes to get there from the Martinez, CA station.

You can catch the Capitol Corridor trains or the California Zephyr. They both stop in Sacramento.
posted by drstein at 6:52 PM on January 10, 2007