Amtrak Passenger Station

This is a completely volunteer run station. Older retirees assist passengers; updating with train status & arrival time, using the self ticketing kiosk, providing kids with crayons and train centric coloring projects, arranging for a taxi for those that might become stranded and they will keep the station open until the last train of the night — even if it means a few unexpected hours — which is nice on its own but pArticularly great during chilly wet winter evenings

My encounters with the staff on visits I made here on arriving and leaving were just terrific. The station is run by volunteers, and they do a terrific job. The station is kept well, and they’re knowledgeable. On arriving, I figured I’d take a cab into Downtown Olympia, but the fellow at the counter said, take the bus which was just outside. He looked up the schedule for me and told me it’d be far cheaper than a taxi; and what a great way to see Olympia and Lacey.

This is a nice station… workers there are non-​paid volunteers. Make sure you bring your tickets — I hear you can leave your car parked there for up to 30 days if needed for traveling

This station is well run and has plenty of parking. I have left my car here for a week while traveling and it was here in same condition on my return! That’s always a good thing.
It is staffed by friendly volunteers that assist in boarding and answer questions but you need to purchase tickets online or with credit debit at their machine.
It is easy to find off of yelm highway.

Buy your tickets online, there is a machine, but you have to have a reservation made first, you can’t purchase them there. I boarded the lower level of a car which was the last car on the Coast Starlight train number 11 bound for Los Angeles. A fight broke out between an irate and rude woman and an overweight man when he bent over in the aisle and apparently his posterior got too close to her face for her comfort. She was asked by the attendant to stop using her cell phone in the car (rules say you must step out of the car to use your cell, she spent almost the entire trip talking on the phone), and to move her belongings from the seat beside her. She was trying to prevent others from sitting beside her and the train was full. I thought a race riot would break out when the overweight man called her «colored» and the woman mentioned that white folks got preferential treatment. The conductor actually left her post to talk to them but nothing actually happened, and nobody was moved. People seemed to calm down after that. I’ve had other experiences on the same line that were just as interesting. We were once held at the Portland station for almost 3 hours because of engine failure with no air conditioning, water, or lights, but nobody, including the conductor said a word about what was going on. After all that time, they gave us a packet with cheese and crackers and a couple of cookies and a six ounce bottle of water. When I got to the Olympia/​Lacy station it was pitch black out and this is in the middle of nowhere. My ride didn’t know when to pick me up and I had no idea when I would get there, so I had to call when I got there. It was ridiculous you walk up to a car, choose carefully, don’t go to the back, they tell you exactly where to sit based on where you are getting off. Look around and be careful who you set next to. Stay clear of kids, and people who look nervous, and talkative. The type that likes to stay up all night, visiting the bathroom, having long empty conversations, and generally annoying you throughout your journey.

A lone traveler may find themselves at this station at some point. Be prepared and have your ticket in hand; one does not simply arrive here and then choose if they will go north to Seattle or South to Portland. Nay! This choice must be made before this moment! Plan ahead, for this is just a plan within a plan within a plan.

Train was late getting there, and bring something to do. WIFI is slow.

There is no sign at the entrance to this Amtrak station, so unless you have been here before, you may miss the entrance. The train was late getting to the station, and barely stops to allow people time to board. The train took off before the people who had just boarded could safely walk to their seats. I saw a poor older woman fall over on two of the seated passengers because the train lurched forward with no warning.
As we were waiting at the station, one of the Amtrak employees decides to come over to my almost 70 year old mother to tell her that her bag is very large and has she checked the size. She explained that this was her return trip to California, and that no one had said anything on her trip up. The overzealous employee then walked over to the poster and read loudly the size maximums, and then he came back over and asked her if her bag was longer than 29 inches. Clearly we don’t have any rules or measuring tape because we are at AMTRAK. We asked him if he had any measuring tape, and of course he doesn’t.
We then stared blankly at him until he finally went on his way to harass some other passengers.
This is why I prefer to fly places. I might get hassled by a gate attendant, but then it’s only 2 hours to my destination and not 30 hours.

The station is kinda cool. Although it sucks you can’t purchase tickets at the desk.