The Pacific Surfliner travels along Southern California’s scenic coast, providing convenient Amtrak service between San Diego and the Central Coast. Along the route, travelers can enjoy breathtaking Pacific Ocean views, explore charming beach towns like Oceanside and Solana Beach, and visit California wine country stops such as Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.

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Pacific Surfliner Overview

What to Know	Facts & Highlights
Distance	350 miles
Travel time	8.5-9 hours
Frequency	Multiple trains each day
Best time to ride	All year (but morning fog is common in May and June)
Scenery highlights	Pacific Ocean

Popular Stops

Explore popular stops along the Pacific Surfliner route below. Click the links for travel information, including the best things to do and places to stay.

• San Luis Obispo
• Santa Barbara
• Ventura
• Los Angeles
• Anaheim
• Irvine
• San Juan Capistrano
• San Clemente
• Oceanside
• Carlsbad
• San Diego

Top attractions

• San Diego Zoo & Balboa Park (San Diego)
• Disneyland and California Adventure Park (Anaheim)
• Griffith Observatory (Los Angeles)
• Warner Bros. Studio Tour and Universal Studios (Burbank)
• Ronald Reagan Presidential Library (Simi Valley)
• Channel Islands National Park (Ventura)

Unique experiences

• Los Angeles Union Station tour
• Surf lessons in Ventura
• California Avocado Festival (Carpinteria)
• Paso Robles winery excursions (San Luis Obispo)
• Dolphin and whale watching (Oceanside)
• Santa Barbara International Film Festival

Schedule Highlights

• There are multiple trains to choose from every day.
• All trains travel during the day; no overnight trips.
• Travel time between Los Angeles and San Diego is about three hours.
• Travel time between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara is about three hours.

Things to Know

• WiFi, business class and a cafe are available on all trains.
• Burbank is an alternate station for reaching top Los Angeles attractions.
• Exit at San Diego Old Town for easy access to the San Diego International Airport and SeaWorld.
• There are multiple airports near Amtrak stations, including in Santa Barbara, Burbank, Santa Ana and San Diego. LAX isn’t one of the closest airports, but there is “Flyaway” bus service between LAX and Los Angeles Union Station.

Stations

Explore the full list of Pacific Surfliner Amtrak stations in route order. Click the station names to view amenities and additional details on the Amtrak website.

• San Luis Obispo, CA – Amtrak Station (SLO)
• Grover Beach, CA (GVB)
• Guadalupe, CA (GUA)
• Lompoc-Surf, CA (LPS)
• Goleta, CA (GTA)
• Santa Barbara, CA (SBA)
• Carpinteria, CA (CPN)
• Ventura, CA (VEC)
• Oxnard, CA (OXN)
• Camarillo, CA (CML)
• Moorpark, CA (MPK)
• Simi Valley, CA (SIM)
• Chatsworth, CA (CWT)
• Van Nuys, CA (VNC)
• Burbank, CA – Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR)
• Glendale, CA (GDL)
• Los Angeles, CA – Union Station (LAX)
• Fullerton, CA (FUL)
• Anaheim, CA – Regional Trans.Intermodal Ctr. (ANA)
• Santa Ana, CA (SNA)
• Irvine, CA (IRV)
• San Juan Capistrano, CA (SNC)
• San Clemente Pier, CA (SNP)
• Oceanside, CA (OSD)
• Solana Beach, CA (SOL)
• San Diego, CA – Old Town Transportation Center (OLT)
• San Diego, CA – Santa Fe Depot (SAN)

More Information

• Pacific Surfliner Reviews
• Coast Starlight vs Pacific Surfliner
• Los Angeles to San Diego by train
• 10 best Amtrak routes to ride in summer
• 10 best stops on the Pacific Surfliner route

Top photo by Patrick Pelster (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Last updated December 2025