San Diego to LA

[Deisemum]

Hi

 

I'll be in Las Vegas and San Diego before heading to LA for two nights before embarking on a cruise from LA to Vancouver.  I'll probably be staying outside San Diego.  I'm just wondering about getting from San Diego or Oceanside to LA by either train or bus if it's a good alternative to flying.   Apart from the airfare shooting up in price recently I'm thinking it may be a scenic trip plus after a transatlantic and two internal flights easier on my circulation.

 

Any feedback appreciated as I'm not sure on what the train or bus service is like.

 

 

[KeepCalmBearOn]

The train is not scenic, it is mostly pretty ugly once it turns inland at San Clemente. There isn't any bus service I'd recommend either. Uber or Lyft would be my first recommendations, then a one way car rental, then train.

 

Where are you staying in LA and when? The train between SD and LA is currently not operating due to winter storm damage. Amtrak is using buses to get passengers around the bad track section.

[Deisemum]

Thanks, plenty to think about.  We're staying in the Holiday Inn near LAX.  

 

 

[KeepCalmBearOn]

43 minutes ago, Deisemum said:

Thanks, plenty to think about.  We're staying in the Holiday Inn near LAX. 

 

So understand that when Amtrak says "LAX", they mean LAX the train station (Union Station) in Downtown LA, 15 miles inland from LAX, the airport. You would still need a way from Union Station to your hotel by the airport.

[3girlsmom]

I would recommend renting a car. It’s a pretty drive up the coast on PCH and you could stop whenever you wanted to sightsee, get something to eat, etc. Laguna Beach is beautiful, Huntington Beach (surf city USA) is fun and my city (Newport Beach) is nice to visit as well. 

[Deisemum]

Thanks for the replies.   We won't drive, too used to driving on the opposite side of the road.

 

Had been thinking of getting the Amtrak train from Oceanside to Union Street then getting the flyaway airport bus to LAX airport and hotel shuttle bus.

[princeton123211]

1 hour ago, Deisemum said:

Had been thinking of getting the Amtrak train from Oceanside to Union Street then getting the flyaway airport bus to LAX airport and hotel shuttle bus.

Thats going to take an absurd amount of time. You could take an Uber/Lyft for about $130 from Oceanside to LAX and it will take a little over an hour vs several hours with the plan you outlined. As mentioned I believe the train isn't running the full route right now so there will be an additional bus connection run by Amtrak making this even more inefficient. 

 

The Uber to LAX would most likely beat the train to Union Station, let alone the additional step of a bus and then hotel shuttle bus. The amount of time you'll be waiting for transfers would be maddening if it were me when it would be so easy to avoid all of it. 

[mlgb]

Amtrak (Pacific Surfliner) now runs on weekends as of Feb 3. Repairs are scheduled to be complete by the end of March, but could continue to be delayed. 

 

What is Holiday Inn LAX (I hope you are not staying at the international airport for two nights). The cruise terminals are in Long Beach (Carnival) or San Pedro (other lines). There is a nice intermodal transit terminal in Anaheim, maybe an option for where to stay if Disney is of interest. You can book limo shuttles from Anaheim to either of the cruise ports or airport. 

 

https://www.amtrak.com/pacific-surfliner-train

 

 

Edited February 16, 2023 by mlgb
added link