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I am planning another trip on the Sunset Ltd and wondering if Palm Springs might be worth an overnight stop, since I like seeing new places and Palm Springs is kind of famous. Of course, I cannot stop overnight on the SL; I'd have to take the SL to Palm Springs, spend the night, and then take a BUS into LA or San Diego (I plan to stay a few more nights in San Diego before I continue my trip). So I'm wondering:
--is the train station in Palm Springs close to the downtown sites I would want to see? I see the address is NORTH Palm Springs, what is that? --are the main sites "downtown," and can I walk around there (I'm a big walker, don't mind 5-10 miles walking around as long as it's safe trafficwise); or is Palm Springs a non-downtown kind of place where I would absolutely need a car to get around? --where are the bus and train stations in relation to the downtown area (assuming there is one)? --if I take the bus from Palm Springs, should I go straight to San Diego, or should I go to LA and change for a train? Keep in mind I will be doing the Pacific Surfliner route coming back up from San Diego anyway (and stopping for lunch in San Juan Capistrano), so I don't really mind taking the bus to San Diego, if it's a decent bus and bus stations are OK. What is the bus station in San Diego like? Or, if you think I should take the bus from Palm Springs to LA and then the train, what is the bus station in LA like? Is it OK to walk from there to the train station?
Thank you so much for the info! Happy New Year!
RRRICH Member # 1418
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Ms. Sojourner - my, you take a lot of train trips!!!!! Good for you!!!
The Palm Springs AMTRAK station is nowhere near downtown Palm Springs -- it is at a desert crossroads in the middle of nowhere, but you may enjoy seeing the famous "wind machines" which are located all around the station. P.S. is the "bus connection" point for late westbound SL's. I believe the local bus company is the "Inland Empire Bus Lines" or something, but someome from S. California would be able to fill you in better. I assume they have regular (???) bus service around the Palm Springs area.
Also, I belive Metrolink also serves Palm Springs, but again, someone from S. California would know better than I do.
SunsetLtd Member # 3985
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No, Metrolink goes only as far as Ontario, because the Sunset shares it's station with it.
sojourner Member # 3134
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Thanks for the info. I guess I will forego Palm Springs, if it's so far from the town. What train is it that goes to Indio? That seems to be fairly close to Palm Springs too, isn't it?
RRich, I don't take quite as many trips as I plan. For instance, I have yet to take any of the western VIA Rail trips people have helped me plan here--though I do hope to in the next few years--I am saving up! Also, when I plan a trip, I sometimes consider stops that in the end I realize I cannot do; for instance, I am not going to get to Truckee or Yosemite on this summer's CA trip--just can't be away for as long as it would take to make all the stops I considered, so I had to drop a couple of them.
But I do hope to go out again and make those other stops too. I only hope Amtrak hangs in there until I get to all the places I want to visit!
TwinStarRocket Member # 2142
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Planning a trip is much cheaper than taking it. I plan many more trips than I take, and enjoy every minute of it.
gibg Member # 2565
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Ms. Sojourner: The Sunset Limited moved the Indio stop to Palm Springs some time ago. And RRRich is right -- the Palm Springs (unstaffed) station is far north of the city, adjacent to Interstate 10, so that most likely your only option would be a taxicab. Palm Springs is a fun place to visit, and there are some reasonable motels in the downtown (Palm Canyon area), but public transportation is pretty insignificant in that affluent area. I would concentrate on the Los Angeles - San Diego plan.
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