As a Los Angeles local, I love taking a $22 train to this spot with low-key beaches, great shopping, and delicious food – Business Insider

As a Los Angeles local, I love taking a $22 train to this spot with low-key beaches, great shopping, and delicious food  Business Insider

Given the opportunity, I'd happily travel everywhere by train. Luckily, I live in Southern California, where I can easily explore neighborhoods up and down the coast via the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner. This beautiful coastal train runs all the way from San Diego to San Luis Obispo, and I've discovered tons of cool towns and cities simply by exploring the stops along the route. One of my favorites is the city of Ventura: It's an easy, $22 day trip from my nearest train station in Los Angeles. Ventura is a historic beach town north of LA with a wealth of attractions, from relaxing, surfer-laden beaches to eclectic shopping and delicious food.

A one-way ticket from the Hollywood Burbank Airport station costs just $22 and gets me to Ventura within an hour and a half. One of the perks of traveling by Amtrak, instead of by car or bus, is the café car experience. If I don't have time for Starbucks in the morning, I'll grab a coffee and a vegetarian breakfast burrito with cheese, eggs, and potatoes (and then douse it in hot sauce or ketchup). I also love that Ventura's beach is just a block from the train station. This means I don't have to pay for parking or fight for a good beachside spot. The beach is typically the