Amtrak's Capitol route connects the cities of San Jose, Santa Clara, Fremont, Hayward, Oakland, San Francisco, Emeryville and Berkeley with the state capital and the price is right. Double them for a round trip. San Francisco passengers are bused across the bay to Emeryville where they board the train. There are six trains in each direction daily. We were impressed with the quality of the modern, double-decker passenger cars.
Seats are large and comfy with drop-down trays for eating, writing or working a crossword puzzle.
Through the big windows, you may see cattle gamboling through a field, the mothball fleet at Suisan Bay or the giant petroleum tanks at Pinole. In the lounge you can purchase sandwiches, burritos, chili, beverages and snacks. Old Sacramento is a block from the Amtrak station. In our opinion, it's the best restored historical district on the West Coast. The four-block section next to the river was the city's commercial district during the Gold Rush.