Cruising through Silicon Valley between San Francisco and San Jose, the leisurely Caltrain runs just once an hour at weekends and stops at stations every few miles. A return ticket from Belmont to San Francisco costs a very reasonable $8.50, but the ride into the city through mostly unremarkable and ramshackle suburbs takes just under 50 minutes. On board the steel-plated train, the upper deck of some of the carriages has an open atrium running down the centre, meaning you can see the passengers below through the steel railings. From the last stop in San Franciso, it is about a mile walk up 4th Street to the main shopping drag around Market Street and Union Square. 6/10
