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You’ll need reservations to ride Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner over Thanksgiving holiday

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Amtrak is adding extra trains along many California routes to handle the Thanksgiving crush. But travelers on its Pacific Surfliner service between San Luis Obispo and San Diego need to know that reservations will be required over the holiday weekend.

From Nov. 23 (the Wednesday before Thanksgiving) through Nov. 27 (the Sunday after the holiday), passengers will need to have pre-booked reservations to ride.

Also, those dates will be blacked out for MetroLink pass holders who ride Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner for free under the Rail2Rail program and Coaster commuter train passengers.

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In terms of prices, I found one-way $46 coach seats and $65 business class seats available Nov. 23 from L.A.’s downtown Union Station to San Diego.

Amtrak plans to add one additional round-trip train between L.A. and San Diego as well as extra service on the Capital Corridor between Auburn and San Jose, and San Joaquin service between Oakland-Sacramento and Bakersfield. The rail service also is adding two more round-trip journeys between Seattle and Portland, Ore., on Amtrak’s Cascades service, according to an Amtrak statement.

And it’s best to keep these tips in mind, Amtrak says:

--Buy tickets early to get the best price — and to make sure you get a seat.

--You can take up to two bags (with a total weight of 150 pounds) for free.

--As you would guess, the busiest train travel days are Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Sunday after. Morning trains tend to have more seats available than afternoon ones.

--Make sure you carry a valid photo ID with you as you may be asked to show it aboard the train.

--Arrive early because train stations will be busier than usual.

Info: Amtrak, (800) 872-7245

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