Great Train Itineraries - Coast Starlight

The hometown of Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana, of films like Sleepless in Seattle and series like Grey's Anatomy, Seattle has a picturesque skyline, between the sea and the mountains, with the imposing peak of Mt Rainier dominating the horizon. The Space Needle, a symbol of the city, was built for the 1962 World's Fair, but it was mainly the Boeing factory that was crucial for the city's economic development, to which Microsoft, Starbucks, and Amazon have been added.

The largest city in Oregon, famous for rose cultivation, is surrounded by spectacular landscapes: the Columbia River Gorge, Mount Hood, waterfalls, forests, ski slopes, and streams. It is also a vibrant city, rich in culture and art, with excellent bars, microbreweries, restaurants, and many green areas.

San Francisco’s iconic streets twist up and down its many hills and scenic bridges connecting it to the mainland – chief among which the red Golden Gate. San Francisco is a charming, multi-faceted city, regarded as a liberal, enlightened oasis in a rather conservative America.

In a quaint land of vineyards, amidst barns and horse farms, Paso Robles produces quite a remarkable Zinfandel. Downtown Paso Robles brims with wine shops and boutiques.

Santa Barbara has a beautiful location on the hills overlooking the ocean, about 150 km north of Los Angeles. Destroyed by an earthquake in 1925, it was completely rebuilt in a Spanish style with red tile roofs and lime walls. To find what remains of the original colonial buildings, you must visit the 200-year-old Presidio de Santa Barbara or the beautiful Mission Santa Barbara on the hills. The main street, with shops, restaurants, and nightclubs, is State Street: from here you can reach the old Stearns Wharf (1872), with more restaurants and the fish market, in the center of a beautiful stretch of beaches.

Along the Pacific coast, one encounters several iconic locations: luxurious Montecito, home to many international jet set stars; Ventura, where one can stop to visit the beautiful old town and stroll along the pier that stretches out over the ocean; Malibu, long famous for its long sandy beaches, waves perfect for surfing, luxurious hillside villas, and wellness culture. Los Angeles – the land of Hollywood, Disneyland and Universal Studios, where life is as carefree as can be. With its ever-shining sun, palms in the breeze, movie stars with their fancy houses in Beverly Hills, wonderful museums, futuristic buildings, and surfing spots, Los Angeles truly makes for an unforgettable destination.