Why Is It So Difficult To Book Travel? An Example

I have used AMTRAK for the past 11 years, with small trips that go back to the early '80s.

I consider myself a fairly knowledgeable user of their website (amtrak.com).

In spite of that fact, I find that it has become more difficult to book travel and make connections, I think because of the Pandemic.

I recently wanted to take the California Zephyr to Denver and what I found out is that (at this time) there is no way to get from Bakersfield, CA to Sacramento, CA by train. You need to get off at Stockton, CA and then board a bus. If a bus is not something you feel comfortable taking during this time, it is a "game over" moment.

In good news, for me, I can take the Coast Starlight from Los Angeles, CA to Emeryville, CA (just across the bay from San Francisco, CA) and then catch the Zephyr the next morning. It does mean a hotel stay in Emeryville, but at least it can be done. I am sure I would not be the only person getting off the train at that stop.

Things to watch out for when booking a trip to Emeryville. The train gets to the station at 9:54PM. That is late and I would think if you agree with this, you should check out if the hotel you are staying at will pick you up, before booking one. The other thing is that there is a hotel that is right across the tracks from the station. It has a fly-over bridge to get you from the hotel parking lot to the station. It is over $200 so it might not be to everyone's liking, but remember, this is San Francisco. Nothing is cheap there.

I hope you find this information useful. More to come.