Washington State Holidays
Sample itineraries
Coast Starlight - 14 night Rail Adventure
From £1425
One of the most beautiful of all the US train routes, the Coast Starlight connects the great cities of the West Coast. The scenery along the Coast Starlight route is unparalleled; snow capped mountains, dense forests, lush valleys and the dramatic, rugged Pacific shoreline.
Highlights:
- Seattle Space Needle
- Ferry around Seattle Harbour
- Pike Place Market, Seattle
- Charming City of Portland
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Alcatraz
- The cable cars!
- Horn Blower dinner cruise across San Francisco Bay
- Pier 39 and the sea lions
- Hollywood
- Beverly Hills & Rodeo Drive
- Universal Studios
- Olde Town San Diego
- SeaWorld San Diego
- San Diegos beaches
Price per person includes:
- Return flights to Seattle and home from San Diego
- Airport taxes
- 14 nights train or hotel accommodation
Time to travel: Year round
Prices are based on off-season travel. Please call or email for costs for your preferred date of travel.
Days 1-3 Arrive Seattle
Arrive Seattle early evening.
Seattle has one of the most scenic settings in America, curved around the shore of Elliott Bay, with lake Washington behind and the snowy peak of Mount Rainier hovering faintly in the distance.
With glass skyscrapers gleaming across the bay the city combines its superb natural surrounding with a modern skyline. It's current location, though, is the second in its history. In 1850 Seattle was relocated from the peninsula of Alki Point after it was flooded out.
Be sure to hop on a cruise of the harbour, take a boat tour of the San Juan Islands, visit famous Pike's Place Market and eat in one of the fish restaurants along the harbour. We love Elliotts On The Bay.
Why not consider spending longer in Seattle and taking a side trip up to Vancouver, it's only a couple of hours away by train?
Days 4-5 Arrive Portland, Oregon
Depart Seattle on the Coast Starlight train.
Arrive into Portland mid morning.
Journey time 4 hours
In 1885 Portland was named after Portland, Maine, following a coin toss between its two East Coast founders. Although the city is a less obvious tourist destination it is a pleasant surprise to many of its visitors. It's artsy, bohemian, and friendly.
With its many quaint bookstores, galleries, parks and restaurants people find there is more to do than imagained. Portland is also the perfect base for exploring the surrounding coastal and mountain areas.
Days 6 Depart Portland
Depart Portland, Oregon on the Coast Starlight for your overnight journey to Emeryville, just 12 miles from San Francisco.
All meals and accommodation are included.
Journey time: 18 hrs 15 mins
Days 7-9 Arrive San Francisco
Arrive in Emeryville mid morning and transfer into San Francisco.
San Francisco is full of iconic images- those little cable cars climbing halfway to the stars, the scarlet slash of the Golden Gate Bridge, the dragon-adorned gateway to Chinatown, and the sombre, island-sited Alcatraz, once a formidable prison, now a tourist attraction.
Discover the attractions of this beautiful city en foot, by cable car or the superb BART system. See places like Union Square, The Presidio, Golden Gate Bridge, China Town, Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf.
Days 10-11 Arrive Los Angeles
Depart San Francisco mid morning for your trip through central California to Los Angeles.
A holiday in Los Angeles means something different to everyone. The Hollywood sign, the mansions of Beverly Hills, lithe young things rollerblading the boardwalks, the shops of Rodeo Drive; everyone has their movie-inspired picture of the city of the Angels.
Enjoy at day at Universal Studios, a morning walk on Malibu Beach, a stroll around the Getty Museum, a visit to the Queen Mary on Long Beach, a bike ride along Santa Monica Beach or perhaps a day in Disney?
Days 12-14 Arrive San Diego
Board your Pacific Surfliner train to San Diego.
San Diego County blessed with over 70 miles of beaches and year round near perfect climate, California's second largest city and the States' oldest offers something for simply everyone.
Many of the city's attractions are within a short distance of the downtown lively bayfront area or are linked by the light rail San Diego Trolley, which even travels to the Mexican border.
Be sure to visit it's lively neighbourhoods such as Little Italy, East Village and the historic Gaslamp Quarter, a National Historic district featuring brick side walks, gaslights and Victorian style buildings. Wyatt Earp once ran a couple of saloons here, and his ghost may still haunt this dynamic hub of 90 plus restaurants, 40 bars and 100 retail shops.
Surrounding downtown are two distinctively different areas. Old Town State Historic Park is a tribute to 18th century days when San Diego was California's first Spanish Settlement. All around are eateries selling Mexican food and crafts. Nearby is the spacious Balbao Park, resplendent with Spanish Colonial Revival-style building. Many have been converted into museums, such as the San Diego Museum of Art.
SeaWorld San Diego is a must. Here you can watch dolphins, killer whales, sea lions and otters perform in high energy water shows.
Another key tourist destination is the island of Coronado, here there are wide, sandy uncrowded beaches and a charming village. Visit the famous historic Del Coronado Hotel, the location for Monroes' Some Like it Hot' movie.
Train journey - 2 hours 45 minutes
Day 15 Depart San Diego
Depart San Diego for your mid-morning flight home.
Want to extend your stay in any of the city stops? Not a problem...Perhaps you'd like to consider a hop across the Pacific to the Heavenly Hawaiian Islands? Call Bon Voyage to discuss the options available to you.
