trains to reno

[Alex_uk]

hi!!

im coming in from the uk and to keep palne prices down i intend to ride the train from san fran to reno and meet my camp there for the ride into blc

can anyone advise me as to how easy this is and prices???

thanks very much

[Ranger Genius]

Planning to jump onto a moving boxcar? I may be wrong, but I doubt there are any passenger trains that make that route. You could certainly keep costs down by "Riding the Rods," though.

[locnlogan]

The only game in town (that I know of) for interstate commuter rail is Amtrak. Amtrak.com

Looks like Mr. bush wants to cut their budget.

"Budget cuts would derail Amtrak"
http://www.suntimes.com/output/letters/ ... ox08a.html

I don't think it'll happen, but you might want to keep an eye on the situation

[5x5]

trains in the us (except within major city areas) are nothing like the UK trains - not nearly as conevenient and often almost the same price as a plane ticket, at least whenever i pursued it! (i've only looked into it on the east coast...)

but yeah, amtrak is pretty much it. maybe you should look for a ride share!

[geekster]

Amtrak does have a run from Emeryville on the eastern side of the San Francisco Bay Bridge to Reno. Amtrak also runs busses to reno. You can pick up that train in San Jose, Santa Clara, or Emeryville. Train is not a bad mode of travel if you have a huge amount of stuff you are carrying with you. There is no Amtrak service in San Francisco proper anymore since the track was removed from the Bay Brige and made into an automobile lane many years ago. You can take CalTrain from SF to San Jose and connect to Amtrak there.

[theCryptofishist]

Amtrak website
You can get busses from downtown San Francisco (Ferry building and some hotels) to the Emeryville train station. The site will tell you where.

(Traditionally, the train stopped in Oakland and goods went over the bay by ferry, so the loss of the track on the bridge was a return to the historical status quo.)

[Dustdevil]

As the time get closer you might consider a ride share. There are many Burners in the Bay Area. I can't imagine that finding a ride should be too difficult. Probably more fun than a train, also.

[theCryptofishist]

Trains are fun. Sometime you can see things that you cant from the highway. Not likely in this case as Amtrak pretty much follows I80. I agree that finding a ride should be possible, but if the op is a train afficianado, then maybe the journey is as important as the destination.

Driving up can be fun too however. You get to play "spot the burner" (fuzzy bikes are a dead giveaway) and chat with them at rest stops, casinos, gas stations, and convienice stores. Plus eat american road food.

Wait, that's may not be an inducement.

[Renie]

You can always choose the bus option, you can go from SF to Reno one way for about $30. But it takes for ever and the people are ... interesting.
http://www.greyhound.com

There is also the Green Tortoise option.
http://www.greentortoise.com/burning.man.festival.html
They have a hostel in SF and do food packages at the event.

There is also the rental car option. One way for 1 day (the drive only takes 4 hours) can run any where from $75 to $200 depending on the size of the car and the rental company.
Use a search engine to find and compare rental agencies, but then go to the company web site to find out exactly how much you will be paying and avoid the fees the search engines charge.

[ThePikey]

Yeah, the bus option is a hoot. On my first trip out to Cally a skinhead girl (no I don't mean she was just bald, I mean 'white supremacist' on top of that) got on and sat next to me from Sacramento to SF. She told me she picked that seat because, "You looked like the most normal person here."

I wasn't quite sure how to take that.


And Fishie is right, spot the Burner is fun as hell.

I recommend the carpool option. I'd offer, but I'm probably riding shotgun with somebody else... *shrug*

[sputnik]

And Fishie is right, spot the Burner is fun as hell.

Didn't seem like much of a game in Reno. Practically every car was loaded down with so much crap that it was easy.

[ThePikey]

But then you get the 'is this just a family in an RV loaded with crap going to Yellowstone for summer vacation or are they freaky enough to be Burners' distinction.