What to Know
- San Diego Comic-Con runs July 21-24
- Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner is offering a gas-saving way to travel
- The Surfliner will offer about 6,000 more seats for a four-day period as fans travel to San Diego for Comic-Con, but important note: coach class does not guarantee a seat, and you may have to stand
Fancy a scenic way to get to Comic-Con in San Diego without spending your retirement savings on gas?
Amtrak just opened up extra seats on its Pacific Surfliner, which boasts picturesque views traveling "along a 351-mile coastal rail route through San Diego, Orange, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, serving 27 stations."
The Surfliner will offer about 6,000 more seats for a four-day period as fans travel to San Diego for Comic-Con by offering another round-trip.
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Amtrak is warning travelers to book early, as 160,000 people are expected to travel to San Diego for the big event.
Comic-Con is a collection of people who love all things comic related gathering to offer merch, host panels, and in recent years has become the place where movie studios release clips to promote their latest creations.
There's also a whole world going on outside the gates at Comic-Con, from scavenger hunts to augmented reality experiences. Read more about what to do without a badge at Comic-Con here.
Amtrak is adding two special trains with the following schedules:
- Train 568 will depart Los Angeles at 9:10 a.m. and arrive in San Diego at 12:04 p.m., making all stops in between
- Train 589 will depart San Diego at 6:01 p.m. and arrive in Los Angeles at 9:26 p.m., making all stops in between
The passenger railroad service also recommends travelers pay attention to its Twitter account to determine when the trains are busiest.
One important note: In order to get a guaranteed seat, and avoid standing, is by upgrading to business class rather than coach. Those who buy business class and book early get a "complimentary snack and drink, priority boarding in San Diego."
Unreserved coach tickets however boast flexibility, as passengers can take a different train than the one they originally booked.
