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Amtrak Gold Runner train tickets - Search & book deals

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Wanderu is an official partner of Amtrak Gold Runner

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4.8 Rating

5k Reviews

4.5 Rating

4.8k Reviews

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About Amtrak Gold Runner

Amtrak's Gold Runner line offers one of the most convenient ways to travel throughout California and the San Joaquin Valley. Permanently added to Amtrak's network in 1974 after a three-year hiatus, the Gold Runner train line has been serving California for over 40 years.

The Gold Runner line provides service throughout the San Joaquin Valley and Northern California, with trains running daily between the San Francisco Bay Area and Bakersfield. Stops on this line include Fresno, Martinez, Modesto, and Stockton, with a complete end-to-end trip taking approximately 6 hours and 15 minutes. The Gold Runner allows locals and tourists alike to visit many of California's main attractions, including the Sacramento History Museum and the Bakersfield Museum of Art.

Although some amenities and accommodations vary by train, when aboard the Amtrak Gold Runner you can expect lavatories, individual power outlets, onboard WiFi, and cafe services. However, food and beverage offerings may be suspended due to COVID-19. Most trains only provide coach-class seating, as well as carry-on bicycles.

Amtrak Gold Runner is known for being the seventh busiest Amtrak line in the United States, as well as the train carrier's third-busiest in the state of California. Although the Gold Runner is a hugely popular train route, the service maintains the highest possible standards of safety and cleanliness, ensuring that every one of its hundreds of passengers is taken care of throughout their journey.

Amtrak Gold Runner is an official partner of Wanderu and has been one since 2015. Wanderu makes it simple to browse and purchase train tickets for all of Amtrak's services across America. And if you are an Amtrak Guest Rewards member, don’t forget to enter your unique number during checkout, so you can continue collecting points.

Contact Amtrak Gold Runner

Phone number: US: 1 (800) 872-7245

Online support: Gold Runner website

 #2 Best Ground Travel Provider in the West
 #2 Best Ground Travel Provider in the West

Amtrak Gold Runner Amenities

Air conditioningAir conditioning
ToiletToilet
Extra legroomExtra legroom
Loyalty rewardsLoyalty rewards
Power pointPower point
SnacksSnacks
WiFiWiFi

Quickview

Amtrak Gold Runner train coverage

Daily Trips509
stations18
cities17
countries1

What travelers are saying about Amtrak Gold Runner

Here’s what Wanderu users who have booked trips with Amtrak Gold Runner had to say about their travel experience.

Traveling During COVID-19

“They took COVID safety precautions seriously.”
based on 194 reviews

Onboard Experience

“The WiFi actually worked for the entire trip”
based on 236 reviews
“I’ll travel with them again just for the staff!”
based on 300 reviews
“Really cheap tickets and really good service.”
based on 323 reviews
“The train got there on time.”
based on 315 reviews
“Seats were really comfy and spacious”
based on 318 reviews
“The train was almost suspiciously clean”
based on 312 reviews

Amtrak Gold Runner reviews from Wanderu customers

Overall review score for Amtrak Gold Runner

(Based on 367 reviews)

4.6
Ratings (Out of 5)
Comfort

4.4

Timeliness

4.6

Staff

4.5

Value

4.0

Condition

4.5

Amtrak Gold Runner passenger reviews

5.0

Surinder

12 August 2025- Solo travel

Emeryville to Fresno

Pros: All. Cons: All good. Tips: Great.

3.0

Rundong

16 May 2025- Visiting friends

Emeryville to Fresno

Stop and delay for too many times

5.0

Jonathan

29 March 2025- Solo travel

Stockton to Richmond

Pros: I liked that the staff and passengers respected my privacy. Cons: No complaints. Tips: Not at the moment.

5.0

Royaltii

18 February 2025- Visiting family

Stockton to Richmond

Pros: the snacks. Cons: maybe the lights being on during night trips they should be off to encourage rest. Tips: bring entertainment.

5.0

Destiny

9 November 2024- Visiting family

Fresno to Merced

Pros: I liked the speed and how the ride was good. Cons: Nothing, I loved it! Tips: Don’t be afraid to ask questions!

Amtrak Gold Runner Routes & Network

Amtrak Gold Runner’s train network features 232 train routes that connect 17 cities serving 18 stations. On average, Amtrak Gold Runner performs about 509 train trips every day. The top cities to which Amtrak Gold Runner offers the highest number of daily train service include Fresno and Stockton.

Top Cities Served by Amtrak Gold Runner

CityRouteEarliest trainLatest train
Fresno612:12 pm5:19 am
Stockton712:12 pm5:57 am
Emeryville612:12 pm5:57 am
Bakersfield62:26 pm6:40 am
Hanford812:12 pm5:49 am
Merced712:12 pm4:42 am
Modesto712:12 pm5:41 am
Oakland612:12 pm5:57 am
Sacramento82:12 am6:44 am

Most popular Amtrak Gold Runner routes

The train from Fresno to Stockton is Amtrak Gold Runner’s most popular route. Trips from Emeryville to Stockton and Richmond to Stockton are also highly popular.

Top Amtrak Gold Runner routes

RouteDaily TripsDurationPrice
Fresno to Stockton62h 19mUS$28
Emeryville to Stockton51h 33mUS$19
Richmond to Stockton31h 24mUS$17
Bakersfield to Fresno61h 59mUS$25
Fresno to Hanford60h 32mUS$9
Stockton to Oakland31h 49mUS$20
Oakland to Fresno44h 9mUS$38
Sacramento to Fresno13h 19mUS$34
Emeryville to Fresno53h 59mUS$37

Amtrak Gold Runner Cancellation Policy

All Amtrak Gold Runner tickets can be cancelled for a full refund within the first 24 hours after purchase. If more than 24 hours have passed, the cancellation policy and change fee structure for Amtrak bookings depend on the type of fare you purchased:

Saver Fare tickets: A 25% fee applies for any changes. If you cancel the trip, you will receive an eVoucher worth 75% of the original ticket price.

Value Fare tickets: No change fees and fully refundable up to 15 or more days before departure. If cancelled less than 14 days before departure, a 25% cancellation fee applies.

Flexible, Business and Premium Fare tickets: No change fees and fully refundable if cancelled or changed before departure.

Tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable after the train has departed, so be sure to make your updates as soon as possible if your travel plans change.

If your Amtrak Gold Runner ticket is eligible for change or cancellation, you can do that by calling Amtrak’s customer service phone number at 1 (800) 872-7245. To cancel or change your booking online, simply go to www.amtrak.com and click on the “Modify Trip” tab in the upper right corner.

Wanderu also offers an affordable trip protection option by Allianz Global Assistance that you can purchase when booking your tickets. In addition to 24-hour assistance during your trip and coverage for lost or damaged baggage, trip protection can help you get your money back in case you need to cancel or change your trip. You can file a claim to have any Amtrak change or cancellation fees reimbursed if you cannot travel due to covered reasons such as illness, extreme weather, or required work shifts.

Amtrak Gold Runner Baggage Policy

Amtrak Gold Runner Train Guide & FAQs

Yes, Amtrak Gold Runner offers WiFi on their trains. Although most trips with Amtrak Gold Runner will have WiFi as advertised, some trains might not come equipped with WiFi and onboard WiFi can lose its connection in rural areas. We recommend you bring a book or download a movie just to play it safe. Amtrak Gold Runner WiFi is generally best used for surfing the web, checking emails and chatting with friends; you shouldn’t count on the WiFi to binge-watch your favorite show.

Yes, there are power outlets onboard Amtrak Gold Runner trains. You can generally find one or two sockets per row of seats, so be a good traveller and check if your seat neighbor might want to charge up their devices as well. With the onboard power outlets, you can charge both a computer and USB devices with a USB power adapter that typically comes with most phones and tablets.

Since Amtrak Gold Runner might sometimes use replacement train vehicles, not all trips are guaranteed to have power points. We recommend to bring a power bank to charge your phone for all trips over 2 hours, just in case.

On a typical day, Amtrak Gold Runner has 509 scheduled train trips in total. However, the exact departure and arrival times vary depending on the day and route. The best way to find the exact schedule for your trip is to use the search tool on this page.

No, Amtrak Gold Runner does not offer will call tickets. You should purchase your tickets online and make sure you have everything you need to board before you arrive at the station.

Yes, Amtrak Gold Runner requires you to present an ID to an agent to be allowed to board the train. Make sure you have identification issued by a government agency that meets the carrier’s requirements. Alternative IDs, such as a college ID, won’t work.

Yes, there are bathrooms on Amtrak Gold Runner trains. The bathrooms are pretty basic and include a toilet, toilet paper and hand sanitizer. Most bathrooms don’t have running water. As you will be using a bathroom on a moving vehicle, please use caution and hold on to a rail at all times.

Amtrak Gold Runner provides snacks to satisfy your hunger during your travels. Be sure to pack a credit card and some cash in case you get hungry.

Amtrak Gold Runner does not require a printed ticket to board the train. Instead, an eTicket is sent to you by email when you make your reservation. You can use your smartphone to show this eTicket to the ticketing agent as you board.

Amtrak Gold Runner goes the extra distance to deliver premium features to its customers.

Do you find yourself squished in a regular seat or just love having extra room to sprawl out? Well you’re in luck as Amtrak Gold Runner offers extra legroom seating. Since there is no standard of what extra legroom is, the extra space you get may vary between train lines, but getting extra is always good.

Yes, Amtrak Gold Runner allows minors 13-16 years of age to travel unaccompanied, with restrictions. Children aged 12 and under must travel with another person who is at least 18 years old.

Tickets for unaccompanied minors cannot be booked online and must be booked by calling Amtrak at +1 (800) 872-7245.

Cheap Amtrak Gold Runner tickets recently found on Wanderu

With 509 Amtrak Gold Runner trips per day, there are a lot of great deals to uncover for the bargain hunter and Amtrak Gold Runner tickets start at just US$4.00. Check out some of the latest and greatest deals snatched up by Wanderu users.

How do I get the best deal on Amtrak Gold Runner tickets?

Wanderu is the best place to score cheap Amtrak Gold Runner tickets. Wanderu offers the lowest available fares every day and charges no extra booking fees. Plus, you can compare Amtrak Gold Runner prices with trips offered by other train companies to be sure you’re getting the best deal on your tickets!

Pro travelers know that booking your ticket well in advance is key to finding the lowest price. Ticket prices normally go up the closer you get to the travel date, so don’t miss out on a good deal when you see one. If you can be flexible with your travel date, you can also get cheap tickets by traveling on weekdays instead of weekends.

When you’re ready to book, type your departure city and destination city in the search bar above, select your travel date, and let Wanderu work its magic to show you all of the best bus and train ticket prices available for your trip. Pick the ticket that’s best for your budget, schedule, and preferences, and complete the booking right on Wanderu to secure your great deal.

More transportation options

Top Amtrak Gold Runner Routes

Top Amtrak Gold Runner Destinations

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