California has been known to put its foot in its mouth, which makes sense with the growing yoga craze, but not when it comes to false promises.
As a 10-year California resident, I’ve learned to take any exciting news in the “Golden State” with a grain of salt, not knowing if it will ever come to fruition or if it will simply remain a headline etched in time.
Take the newly-opened Gaylord Resort in my hometown of Chula Vista, for example. It’s the last place in San Diego County you’d expect a waterfront oasis, but it did actually open (albeit to a mixed bag of reviews).
California has been promising thrilling new train routes for years, but where are they?
Local sources in Los Angeles have released new details for a high-speed route that’s promised to connect the outskirts of LA, taking travelers across the desert at blazing speeds to reach “Sin City”.
Though, many questions remain, we at Travel Off Path are stoked to reveal all 4 stops slated for Brightline’s new venture, helping you decide if hopping aboard a train from LA to Las Vegas is worth it, or if the quick flight or 4-hour drive are more suitable.
The Full Route: Where Brightline’s New Train Will Supposedly Go
Ever heard of Brightline? The relative newbie in the rail industry made a name for itself in recent years by connecting some of Florida’s most popular locales.
While Japan is the undisputed king of so-called “bullet trains”, Brightline has given American travelers hope to follow suit as the only true U.S. high-speed operator.
That’s not to say Amtrak’s time is up, especially since the iconic brand is launching new routes too, but Brightline is ready to set the West Coast abuzz with the task of cutting through California’s notorious red-tape stalemates.
That may be why travelers will have to wait a few years before the train is supposedly launched in December 2028.
Another downside is that the train will not go to LA proper — you know, Hollywood, Rodeo Drive, etc. — it departs from Rancho Cucamonga near Ontario, which is mostly known for being home to a great alternative airport to LAX.
From the LA outskirts toward Nevada, the whole route is set for launch as follows:
- Rancho Cucamonga
- Hesperia
- Victor Valley
- Las Vegas
To reach the LA city limits for typical tourist attractions, there will be an option to connect from Rancho Cucamonga by MetroLink.
Is The New Train Really Necessary?
There’s no shortage of travelers going back and forth from the bright lights of Hollywood to the even brighter lights of the neon-lit Strip.
Factoring in expected max speeds of 218 mph, plus 2 stops in between, the train tops out at roughly half the speed of a commercial jet.
While you may not have to deal with the hassle of TSA at train stations, California to Vegas is also a popular road trip, though traffic is notoriously bad in both major cities.
So, let’s lay out the options here:
- Amtrak does not service Las Vegas
- The drive from LA to Vegas takes roughly 4 hours (without headache-inducing traffic)
- Direct flights are frequent from every Southern California airport, lasting roughly an hour in the air
- Budget travelers can also hop aboard numerous buses to ride across the desert
Then there will be Brightline, claiming to connect this pair of iconic cities in 2 hours and 10 minutes, but most tourists will find themselves bored in the ‘burbs upon arriving in Rancho Cucamonga.
There’s also the well-documented aspect that both LA and Las Vegas are struggling to draw visitors right now, which begs the question if these are the right cities to connect when there are ample ways to reach either city, neither of which is living up to their usual vacation hotspot reputation.
Expected Ticket Prices
Here’s another doozy to consider — weighing costs has to come into consideration, too, when factoring in logistics.
While it’s tough to predict airfare 3 years from now, a quick Google search showed the cheapest LA-Vegas flight this weekend goes for $94 (Frontier).
You would get to Vegas in about an hour and pay less than what’s being reported.
One-way ticket prices are expected to be:
- $119 for standard class
- $133 for premium (may not be offered until 2031)
Sam Sears
Sam, our Lead Writer & Journalist based in San Diego has visited 36 countries and written over 1000 articles with a focus on sharing his own travel experiences and shining a light on lesser-known gems.
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