The West Coast by Train: Why This Might Be America’s Best Road Trip Alternative
We’d been talking about doing the West Coast for years — Seattle, Portland, LA, the whole stretch. But instead of renting a car and grinding through I-5, we decided to take Amtrak part of the way and fly between a couple of legs. It turned out to be one of the most underrated ways to see the Pacific Northwest and Southern California.
Ten days, three cities, zero car rentals. Here’s what we did and what we’d change.
Seattle: Three Days Wasn’t Enough
We flew into Seattle on a Saturday afternoon and checked into the Courtyard by Marriott Downtown near Pioneer Square. We booked almost everything on this trip using Marriott Bonvoy points — 120,000 points covered three nights in Seattle, which saved us roughly $600 in cash rates.
Pike Place Market
Everyone tells you to go to Pike Place, and everyone is right. We went on a Sunday morning thinking it would be less crowded. It wasn’t. But the energy there is genuinely fun — the fish throwers, the flower vendors, the bakeries with lines out the door. We grabbed pastries from Piroshky Piroshky and coffee from the original Starbucks (the line moved faster than it looked). Budget about two hours if you want to actually browse the lower levels, which most tourists skip.
2026 tip: Pike Place got a renovation and expansion that opened new vendor spaces along the waterfront. The MarketFront addition has some excellent lunch spots with views of Elliott Bay.
Space Needle and Chihuly Garden
The Space Needle observation deck is one of those things that’s better than you expect. The rotating glass floor is genuinely unsettling in a fun way. We paired it with the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit next door, and the combo ticket saved us about $15 each. Chihuly was the surprise highlight — the glasshouse at sunset is stunning.
Bainbridge Island Ferry
If you only have one free afternoon in Seattle, take the Bainbridge Island ferry. It’s a 35-minute ride from the downtown terminal, and the views of the Seattle skyline pulling away are postcard-perfect. We wandered around the small town on the island, grabbed ice cream, and took the ferry back before dinner. Total cost: about $9 per person round trip. Best cheap activity in the entire city.
Portland: A Quick 24 Hours
We took the Amtrak Cascades from Seattle to Portland — about three and a half hours along some of the prettiest scenery on the West Coast. Puget Sound, the Columbia River, forests that go on forever. It felt like being inside a nature documentary.
Portland got one night, which in hindsight wasn’t enough. We stayed at a Residence Inn and spent the evening walking around the Pearl District and hitting a couple of food carts. Portland’s food cart scene is legendary for a reason — we had Thai, Salvadoran, and Korean food all within a two-block radius for under $30 total.
What we’d do differently: Give Portland at least two nights. There’s so much we missed — the Japanese Garden, Powell’s Books, the Gorge. One night felt rushed.
LA: Five Days of Sun, Tacos, and One Very Long Day at Disneyland
We flew from Portland to LAX (Amtrak’s Coast Starlight train would have been scenic but takes 35 hours — maybe next time). In LA, we stayed at the Courtyard LA LIVE near Staples Center using another 240,000 Marriott Bonvoy points for five nights. Location was solid for exploring downtown and getting to the Metro.
Venice Beach and Santa Monica
Venice Beach is exactly as chaotic and colorful as you’ve seen in movies. The boardwalk has street performers, skaters, bodybuilders at Muscle Beach, and vendors selling everything imaginable. We walked from Venice up to Santa Monica Pier, which took about 40 minutes along the beach path. Santa Monica felt cleaner and more polished — the pier itself is touristy but the sunset views are worth it.
Griffith Park and the Observatory
Griffith Observatory is free and the views of LA from the top are incredible, especially around golden hour. We drove up (parking is limited — go on a weekday if you can) and spent a couple hours at the observatory before hiking a short trail nearby. You can see the Hollywood sign from several spots in the park. Los Feliz and Silver Lake neighborhoods nearby are great for dinner and have a much more local vibe than Hollywood Boulevard.
Korean BBQ in Koreatown
LA’s Koreatown has some of the best Korean BBQ outside of Seoul. We went to a spot on 6th Street where you grill your own meats at the table — unlimited banchan, soju, and some of the best galbi we’ve ever had. Dinner for two came to around $55 including drinks. If you’re into food, Koreatown alone is worth a trip to LA.
Disneyland
We spent a full day at Disneyland in Anaheim (stayed one night at a Fairfield Inn nearby to avoid the drive). It was August, so it was packed and hot. The Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge area was the highlight — the Millennium Falcon ride had a 90-minute wait but was worth every minute.
2026 tip: Disneyland’s Lightning Lane pricing has changed multiple times since our visit. Check the current pricing before you go — it’s no longer the old FastPass system. Budget at least $30-40 per person on top of the ticket if you want to skip lines on popular rides.
Using Marriott Bonvoy Points for the Whole Trip
Here’s what made this trip work financially: we covered almost all of our hotels with Marriott Bonvoy points earned from the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless credit card. Between the sign-up bonus and regular spend, we had about 400,000 points banked. This trip used about 360,000 of them across Seattle, Portland, LA, and Anaheim.
At cash rates, that would have been roughly $2,000 in hotels. Instead, we paid zero. If you travel more than twice a year and aren’t earning hotel points, you’re leaving money on the table. We break down our full credit card strategy in our Points and Miles guide.
The Amtrak Experience: Worth It?
Absolutely, for the Seattle-to-Portland leg. The Cascades route is one of Amtrak’s best — comfortable seats, a café car, and scenery that makes the three-hour trip feel short. For longer distances (Portland to LA), flying still makes more sense unless you have the time and really want the experience.
2026 update: Amtrak has been improving the Cascades service with newer trains and better wifi. Tickets for the Seattle-Portland route run about $30-60 each way if you book a few weeks ahead. The Coast Starlight (Seattle to LA, ~35 hours) is more of a bucket-list experience — beautiful but long.
What We Spent (Roughly)
For a 10-day trip covering three cities:
- Flights: ~$400 per person (round trip to Seattle + Portland to LA)
- Amtrak Seattle to Portland: ~$45 per person
- Hotels: $0 (Marriott Bonvoy points)
- Food: ~$800 total for two people
- Activities: ~$500 total (Space Needle, Disneyland, misc)
- Total for two people: ~$2,200 (would have been $4,200+ without points)
Would We Do It Again?
In a heartbeat. The West Coast has this incredible range — Seattle’s moody waterfront energy, Portland’s laid-back food scene, LA’s sprawling sunshine chaos. Doing it by train and plane instead of car meant we actually relaxed between cities instead of staring at highway.
If you’re planning a similar trip, give yourself at least 10 days. Seattle deserves three to four nights, Portland needs two minimum, and LA could easily fill a week. And seriously — look into hotel points. It turned what could have been a $4,000+ trip into something way more manageable.