Amtrak Bike Reservation – Traveling On Amtrak Trains With Your Bicycle

I recently traveled on the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner train from San Diego to Santa Barbara, California… and I wanted to take a moment to show you the bicycle car on-board this particular train.

What you’ll see when you watch the video above is my Co-Motion Pangea touring bicycle secured inside the bicycle car of this particular Amtrak train. This train has space for seven bicycles – but in order to make sure there’s room for your bicycle on-board, you have to book a ticket (an Amtrak bike reservation) for your bicycle in advance of your travel date (ideally, more than 24 hours ahead of time). That way, you don’t show up at the train station, only to discover that all of the bike spaces have already been filled.

Once you secure your bike in place with the wall rack and/or the supplied seat-belt (which helps to ensure that your bicycle doesn’t fall over while the train is in motion), you will need to make your way upstairs to the passenger seating area. I recommending bringing your bags and other belongings with you when you step away from your bicycle. That way you can be sure that no one steals your things when you aren’t looking. And if you’re concerned about having your bike out of sight and unattended within the train’s bicycle car, consider locking it in place so no one can easily steal it.

For more information on traveling with a bicycle on-board Amtrak trains, please see the official Amtrak website at: www.amtrak.com/bring-your-bicycle-onboard