San Clemente Metrolink Train Station

San Clemente on the beach is one of the most awesome locations imaginable for a train station. While you wait for your train, you can sit and watch the waves that are less than 50 yards ahead. I don’t know of any other train station where you can get such a scenic view. This highlights the magnificent train ride from Orange County along the coast to San Diego. This is as good as it gets.
There are some improvements needed, though.
1) The ticket machine might take your money and not register the bill and just give you a printed notice that you can apply on line for a refund. Seriously!!! Every other money-​taking machine in the world will return your money bill if it doesn’t want to register the credit. What is wrong with this one???
2) All the benches are in the direct sun. The gazebo-​shaded areas are for standing only. What were they possibly thinking when they failed to make shaded sitting areas? Please make some shade for the benches, or build some benches in the shaded areas, or both.

It is one of the most beautiful locations for train stations. When I pass by to go to OC or LA it makes for great pictures of the San Clemente beach. It is to bad that few trains stop here.

early parking deals for the day, nice beach trail to run on if you can get past baby strollers and dog leashes, nice little coffee shop for commuters and cyclists, and probabaly the best ocean view of any train station in the southland.

Ticket machines are constantly breaking and Metrolink really drags their feet on fixing them. When you write in to tell them about the machines breaking, they respond with «the mechanic is slow getting out there»… Only reason I didn’t give it 1-​star is because the incredible $ 7 OC Link Pass that’s available Monday-​Friday that gets you unlimited travel from San Clemente to any station up to Buena Park. But then again, you can get that from any OC train station

Sweet! The station is right by the beach. There is another San Clemente station right by the pier. I exited the train at the northern main station, which took about 20 minutes walking in the soft warm sand to the pier. The pier station is right in front of the pier. Not all train times stop at the pier, you’ll have to check the schedule. For those who love walking on beaches, I recommend disembarking at the main station to walk to the pier. The walk was nice, remote stretch with no crowds, cleaner water. I was at Huntington Beach last week body surfing, however, the water here at SC is much cleaner. Wow, I was walking on soft, warm sand after 10 yards to cross the track. I thought I had to walk a few blocks of asphalt to get to the beach. I was going to go to Oceanside but decided not to after finding no conveniently scheduled return times. Next time I will go further south on this OC line to Oceanside. At the pier I had lunch at the Fisherman’s restaurant. To spare the details and make it another review specific to the restaurant, I will just say here that it was a nice day with a nice lunch sitting in the outdoor patio watching the waves and people. The Metrolink is all new to me, and this was my first trip. I went on a Sat., and the fares were actually 50% less. It was $ 19.50 round trip for the three of us from the Tustin station (free parking, here) and it was quick — 30 minutes each way. It takes more than 30 minutes to drive there within speed limits because the wind on the 5 FWY south and city driving to the beach. I still think driving south to San Clemente by car has it’s own merits and I was already feeling nostalgic. However, I definitely think the Metrolink is a viable and very convenient way to go to SC. I have taken the Caltrain redline in Northern CA, but I think the OC Metrolink south is more colorful and you can walk in shorts and barefoot on the beach in minutes off the train.