Best way to commute to san jose from sacramento (Sunnyvale: lease, how much)

[_beebees_]

I recently got a job in san jose and I am currently living in sacramento. I can't move out there yet but I do plan on it when my lease is up next year. I was wondering what is the best way to commute out there from sacramento? I would like to take public transportation because I feel like it is more cost effective....thoughts??

[capoeira]

Originally Posted by _beebees_

I recently got a job in san jose and I am currently living in sacramento. I can't move out there yet but I do plan on it when my lease is up next year. I was wondering what is the best way to commute out there from sacramento? I would like to take public transportation because I feel like it is more cost effective....thoughts??

The only way to commute is to rent a room for weekdays and go back to Sacramento on Fridays. If you take the Amtrak train you will be on the train for 6+ hours roundtrip per day at a cost of $80/day. Also if you leave Sacramento on the 7 am Capital Corridor line you will get to San Jose after 10 am.

[marcopolo666]

I second the "get a room for weekdays" suggestion - it will be cheaper than commuting.

I'd see if your new employer has a 'bulletin board'-type forum where requests can be posted. Something along the lines of "stuck in a lease in Sacramento for 3 more months, looking to rent a couch or futon or room several nights a week from a co-worker, short-term". If you could arrive at work later on Mon mornings, you could sleep in Sac Fri/Sat/Sun nights, and drive down Mon morning (hopefully after the morning commute, if you could start at 10:30 a.m. and stay until 7:30-8 p.m.).

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

I like the Amtrak Capitol Corridor train. I just went to their website and found there's a 521 train that leaves Sacto at 4:30 a.m., arrives at San Jose station at 7:38. I put in a Monday date.

Here's the website:

Capitol Corridor Trains :: Route And Schedules :: Trip Planner

A monthly pass is $640, which if you take the train 20 times (4 weeks x 5 days a week = 20), that works out to $32/day. That's not bad. Plus, the train has wireless internet. And you could have a beer :-)

Capitol Corridor Trains :: Tickets

http://www.capitolcorridor.org/inclu...es_6.12.13.pdf

There's also a rewards program:

https://www.amtrakguestrewards.com/

And, you may even be able to get a discount using your AAA card. I used to get a discount with my AAA card, but it's been a long time. Worth checking out, anyway.

EDIT: Just found the AAA info - can't use that discount on multi-ride tickets.

Also found page regarding the free wifi on board:

http://www.capitolcorridor.org/on_board/wifi.php

[bentobox34]

Capitol Corridor is the only 100% public transit option. There are three stops that might be relevant depending on where your job is: Great America (in Santa Clara but accessible to the Tasman/North First area of San Jose), Santa Clara University, and San Jose Diridon. The most efficient way to get from the train station to your job is to bring your bike. There are also shuttles at Great America, and light rail/bus at Diridon.

There is another option that is 2/3 public transit I have occasionally thought of, which is driving to Lathrop and taking the ACE train from there. It's 2 hours on the train and an hour of traffic-free reverse commute driving. This may be preferable because: 1) ACE is more reasonable ($316 month pass), 2) parking at Lathrop is free, parking at Sacramento Depot is $80/month, 3) ACE runs more frequently, 4) ACE has a shuttle system from Great America that goes all over Silicon Valley, and is timed to meet the trains (if you take Capitol Corridor and want to use the shuttles you have to wait an extra 15 minutes each direction), and finally 5) it's faster.

[CousinMaynard]

speak with whoever you signed your lease with and explain your situation and ask to explore your options, that commute would be a major drain

[Wintermomma]

ITA, try to get out of that lease and get a room from a co-worker in the mean-time. We wanted out of a lease 6 months early last year, we ended up paying for one extra month we didn't use the place but the owner was able to rent it within that month and for more than we were paying so it was win-win. If you don't want to risk "double rent," though, then definitely just a cheap room is the way I would go, until it's re-rented. I'm not sure how fast the market in Sac moves compared to here.

[Oberleutnant]

That would be insane to do that as a daily commute. I grew up near San Jose where I still have friends and family and now live in Sacramento for work. I "commute" between Sac and SJ one or two weekends a month, usually leaving on a Friday evening after work and returning on Sunday. From Sac I would normally take 80-680-880 to get to SJ. But on the return trip I would take 880-680-580 onto 205 before hitting I-5N. That way I would avoid the toll, but the distance and time is almost the same as taking 680N to 80E.

[zombocom]

How much would breaking your lease actually cost? The landlord has an obligation to make a good faith effort to rent out the property if you leave.

Further, being Sacramento, how much does the rent actually cost? It might just be easier to swallow the cost once you compute the cost and time associated with commuting.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by Oberleutnant

That would be insane to do that as a daily commute. I grew up near San Jose where I still have friends and family and now live in Sacramento for work. I "commute" between Sac and SJ one or two weekends a month, usually leaving on a Friday evening after work and returning on Sunday. From Sac I would normally take 80-680-880 to get to SJ. But on the return trip I would take 880-680-580 onto 205 before hitting I-5N. That way I would avoid the toll, but the distance and time is almost the same as taking 680N to 80E.

I have friends and family in Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, and the Silver Creek/south hills area of San Jose, and my partner commutes once every 2wks to Mountain View.

We take the same route, the I-5 route adds about 10miles, but saves you $5 a trip. Prefer the 680 route though.