My favorite weekend getaway is a coastal spot in Southern California — and the $28 train ride there is half the fun

Oceanside is my favorite weekend trip from Los Angeles. Liana Minassian My favorite beachy escape from Los Angeles is Oceanside, California, a low-key coastal city. It costs around $30 to get there by Amtrak, and I've found affordable places to stay, too. The gorgeous beaches are relatively quiet, the food is great, and the city is pretty walkable. There's nothing I love more than skipping town for a beachy weekend getaway . As much as I like living in Los Angeles , sometimes I need a break from the city's traffic, crowds, and hustle culture. One of my favorite places to explore is Oceanside, a coastal city in San Diego County. I first discovered this spot in 2022, after looking up Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner route. On my first trip there, I fell in love with Oceanside's surfer vibes, vibrant food and culture, and surprising affordability.