We visited Los Angeles Union Station when we took the Metro light rail train into Pasadena to see the 2023 Rose Parade. We parked in the East garage which offers all day parking for $8 and were on the platform shortly after 5 am. This gave us more than enough time to arrive in Pasadena and avoided crowds. We paid our fares by saving a Tap card to our phones which was a very smooth process. The train coming back to the station was completely packed which was an adventure but it still worked out well. Upon returning we took some time to look around the station and enjoyed seeing the terminal. Everything was easy to find and our trip went well.

The exterior appearance of the station is striking, and it really evokes an earlier and more gracious era of travel. The whole station is beautiful, interior as well, in terms of preservation of historic architectural details and I enjoyed seeing the painted ceilings, and coloured tiles on the floor and bases of the columns as we walked through the station . We arrived in the morning to catch the Amtrak Coast Starlight train to Seattle, needing to drop off a rental car at the station before heading to our train. My preference would have been to drop it off the previous day, but the rental location at the station closed at 5pm. The location of the rental car drop off area was not well signed at all and it took a couple of passes around the station to find someone who could direct us (to a closed gate, which had to be opened for us, leading to the basement of the station). Once that was accomplished, it took only minutes to walk inside the station and to an Information desk where staff were helpful in directing us. Since we were sleeper passengers, we proceeded to a lounge on the second floor where our tickets were checked and then soon we were guided to the correct track and boarding area (where our assigned car would be stopping) to wait for our train to arrive. It was well organized and if help with luggage was needed, that was available. The lounge was small but quite comfortable, with an area for luggage to be stored, and free beverages (coffee, tea, juice, soft drinks) and snacks (chips etc), as well as a television. The lounge wasn't particularly attractive or luxurious but it was a quieter and nicer place to wait than the more bustling main floor of the station.

This transportation center has a little of everything. We had an hours long Amtrak layover and enjoyed the helpful staff and beautiful surroundings, especially the Christmas trees. Several restaurants, some shopping and it seemed very clean as far as public buildings go