There are many ways to travel between Los Angeles and San Francisco- the fastest is to take one of the hundreds of daily flights between the two cities, the cheapest is to drive for six hours along the boring and monotonous I-5 freeway, but the most beautiful option is the slowest one- take Amtrak's Coast Starlight train that winds its way hugging the Pacific Ocean, providing breathtaking views of the beaches and mountains for hours, with over a hundred miles of completely pristine landscapes that cannot be reached by road.

Instead of describing in words, this post gives you a glimpse of the journey with a video.

TIPS AND TRICKS

So you want to experience this and ride the Coast Starlight? Here are some tips for an enjoyable trip-

• The train has two classes of service- coach class that offers a comfortable reclining seat, and sleeper class that offers a private room with bunk beds. This is a day journey, so sleeper is not required, but very comfortable if you want to splurge a little more and includes lunch and dinner in the Dining Car.
• Like flights, fares for the train vary by demand. If you are flexible with dates, use Amsnag to compare fares for 30 days at once.
• The Pacific Parlour Car offers a paid ($9 as of 2016) wine tasting session in the afternoon that is reserved only for sleeper passengers, but if you are in coach, walk up to the Parlour Car and ask the bartender if you can join. Most times they will allow. It is worth the experience.