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Los Angeles Transportation

Getting from Los Angeles to the Grand Canyon

grandcanyonAs two of the certain must-visit places in the US, Los Angeles and the Grand Canyon are easily combined in one trip, but getting from one to the other isn’t quite as straightforward as you might expect. There is a small airport at the Grand Canyon, but there aren’t scheduled flights from major airlines, so it can be a little tricky unless you know how to pull this off.

For the purposes of this article, we’ll be discussing the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, as this is where the vast majority of the tourist infrastructure and famous views can be found. The North Rim is actually a long drive from the South Rim, and it’s much harder to reach from Los Angeles as well. The South Rim is a far better place to visit for first-timers as well, so forget the North Rim for now.

Los Angeles to Grand Canyon

  • Distance apart: 410 miles / 660 kilometers
  • Driving distance: 502 miles / 808 kilometers

Quick summary

Unless you intend to actually spend some time in either Phoenix or Las Vegas, which isn’t a bad idea now that we mention it, then driving to the Grand Canyon is probably the best bet for most people. You can also fly to one of three airports or take a train or bus, but all of those options won’t get you all the way there.

Flights from Los Angeles to the Grand Canyon

This is where it gets complicated. There is a small airport near the Grand Canyon, but it only does charter flights, mostly out of Las Vegas and for aerial tours of the area. This means if you are intent to fly you have 3 options.

Fly into Flagstaff, Arizona (FLG) – This small airport is about 90 miles south of the South Rim, and has a few regular flights that have surprisingly low fares if you book in advance. There’s a bus company called Open Road Tours and they have regular coaches to the Grand Canyon from Flagstaff.

Fly into Phoenix, Arizona (PHX) – This is a huge city and airport about 240 miles south of the South Rim. From here you can rent a car cheaply and it’s a lovely drive as well.

Fly into Las Vegas, Nevada (LAS) – This growing city is about 280 miles from the South Rim, and a bit less to the North Rim. Rental cars tend to be cheap, but then again the drive itself isn’t much farther than driving all the way from Los Angeles.

Trains from Los Angeles to the Grand Canyon

You can’t take a train all the way to the Grand Canyon, but you can take it directly to Flagstaff, which is only about 90 miles away. From there you can take the Open Road Tours bus to the Grand Canyon. One tricky thing is the trains usually leave in the evening, so you arrive in Flagstaff the next morning.

Journey time: About 10 hours
Typical price: About $59 each way
>>Amtrak site

Buses from Los Angeles to the Grand Canyon

The bus situation is exactly like the train situation, mentioned above. You can take a Greyhound bus to Flagstaff and then the Open Road Tours bus from there. It’s a bit slower, and even a bit more expensive than the train, but at least you have the option of traveling during the day.

Journey time: About 12 hours to Flagstaff
Typical price: $64 one-way if you buy online in advance, and up to $85 if you buy on the day.
>>Greyhound website

Driving from Los Angeles to the Grand Canyon

This might be your best bet, since all the other methods are complicated and indirect anyway. You can get specific directions on any online map site, but the quick version is you find your way to I-40 out of Los Angeles, and then drive about 420 miles to Williams, Arizona, at which point you’ll take AZ-64 north for about 70 miles and you are there.

Journey time: About 8 hours

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Los Angeles Transportation

Getting from Los Angeles to popular tourist cities explained

carjump1As someone who grew up in Los Angeles, it’s easy to forget just how complicated the transportation city can be. When I am planning a trip to another city for the first time I have been known to spend a lot of time researching exactly the best way of getting from one place to another, and it can often be far more complicated than you’d think.

You may have already noticed that we’ve been working on this series for a while now, and we’ll keep it going adding new places regularly. The main things we are trying to help people sort out is when is it best to fly or to take the bus, or drive, or is there even train service available? Some of these things aren’t nearly as straightforward as you would guess.

On each of these articles we not only discuss how long each method takes, but also the typical price of each method. Many places on the internet seem reticent to quote prices, for fear that they’ll quickly be out of date, but most of these things are fairly stable, and even if the prices go up by 5 or 10% next year, having this information should still be enough to help you determine which strategy works best for you.

Getting from Los Angeles to…

Anaheim

When most people are planning their first-ever trip here, they at least want to know how they’d get to Disneyland, even if they don’t actually go through with it. The fact is that getting from LA to Anaheim is somewhat complicated and time consuming unless you’ve got a car, but of course this is Los Angeles and you really should rent a car if you can. There are buses and even trains that will help, though they aren’t fast or cheap, which really sucks considering how close Disneyland is to most of Los Angeles.

San Diego

This is kind of similar to Anaheim in that you’d think there would be a variety of cheap and relatively easy ways of getting from LA to San Diego, but again the best method by far is by car. There are buses and trains, but both of them tend to be slow and complicated, and not all that cheap either. You would never want to fly between these two cities, as they are just close enough that it would actually take way longer dealing with all the airport stuff than any of the other methods available.

San Francisco

This one is far more straightforward. Getting from LA to San Francisco is usually done by air, and cheap flights are usually available if you book a bit in advance. There’s also a train, and even though it’s kind of slow and expensive, it’s actually a great ride with incredible scenery. You can of course drive or take a bus, and at least you don’t waste a lot of time making connections on this route.

Las Vegas

This is similar to San Francisco, except with no train option. Getting from LA to Las Vegas is usually done by air as well, and flights can be crazy cheap if there is a promotion on. Driving takes about 5 hours each way, or a bit less if there is no traffic. There are buses, but you really don’t want to take them unless you have to.

Phoenix

Here’s another nearby city with a similar situation, except we add a complicated train trip in as another choice. Getting from LA to Phoenix is very easy by air, and there are nonstop flights leaving every few minutes from one of LA’s five major airports. But if you want to drive yourself it’s a rather nice journey. There are cheap buses, and even trains that will get you fairly close.

Grand Canyon

This one is tricky since there is no proper airport near the canyon itself. Getting from LA to the Grand Canyon means getting to Flagstaff, Arizona, one way or another, and then driving or taking a shuttle bus from there. The instructions are all here, and driving the whole way may be your best option.

New York

This one is obvious, but still there are quite a few people from abroad who wonder if there are trains or buses running between these huge coastal cities. Well, there are, so getting from LA to NYC has plenty of choices involved. Flying is surprisingly cheap most of the time, but one of the land-based methods can make for an unforgettable trip (but avoid the buses).

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Los Angeles Transportation

Getting from Los Angeles to Phoenix

phoenixfreewayEspecially as the December holidays approach, more and more people start thinking about spending a bit of time in Phoenix, Arizona. Depending on where you are from it could seem like paradise there during the winter months, or like a waste of time. Plenty of people from Los Angeles make the trip each winter, and fortunately there are several decent options available for getting there. Let’s go over them below, shall we?

  • Miles apart: 364 miles / 586 kilometers
  • Driving distance: 372 miles / 599 kilometers

Quick summary

It’s actually quite a nice drive the first few times you take it, and the road is about as straight as can be, so you’ll get there fast. But still, there are usually great deals on flights to Phoenix so that’s the way to go for most people. You can often rent a car there cheaply as well, and save the wear and tear on your own wreck. Buses are cheap, but take a long time, and there is a way to get there on the train, sort of.

Flights between Los Angeles and Phoenix

Unless you love driving, this is probably the best way to go for most people. Quite a few airlines connect these cities nonstop, and US Airways (at least the former America West part of it) has a very busy hub at Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) Airport, so there are cheap flights nearly every hour of the day. You can often get great deals out of any of the 5 major Los Angeles area airports, with prices starting around $60 each way if you buy in advance.

Flight time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Typical one-way fare: Starting at $60

Trains between Los Angeles and Phoenix

There used to be a train that went directly between these two cities, but lately the Amtrak service can only get you close. You can take the train that goes to Chicago and get off in Flagstaff, Arizona, but that takes 10 hours and then you have to take a bus from there to Phoenix, which adds another 3 hours or so. You can also take a train from LA to Maricopa, Arizona, which is a bit south of Phoenix, but from there you’d have to take a taxi as there is no scheduled service into Phoenix.

Long story short, as great as trains are, this route is so complicated and time consuming that it’s just not worth it.

Typical fare to Maricopa: Starting at $38 each way
Typical fare to Flagstaff: Starting at $59 each way
>>Amtrak website

Buses between Los Angeles and Phoenix

Greyhound provides service between several parts of Los Angeles and its main terminal near the airport in Phoenix. If you don’t have a car and your funds are low, this isn’t a terrible method, though there is a cheaper bus from another company. You’ll also be happy to know there are plenty of cheap Phoenix hotel rooms once you get there, as long as you avoid Scottsdale.

Typical fare: $40 online in advance, or $54 in person
Journey time: Around 8 hours each way

>>Greyhound website

GotoBus here is like an equivalent of the Chinatown buses in the Northeast. They go between mostly-Asian neighborhoods in many big cities, with surprisingly low fares.

Typical fare: $30 each way
Journey time: Around 6 hours each way
>>GotoBus.com website

Driving between Los Angeles and Phoenix

As mentioned at the top, the driving mileage is about 380, depending on exactly where you leave from. The nice part is that it’s straight and easy, and the desert scenery can be quite nice the first time you experience it, unlike the far plainer scenery going from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.

There are no road tolls to worry about, unless you take that one cutoff down in Orange County, which you probably won’t. One highlight will be driving through that area near Palm Springs with thousands of windmills on either side of the road, as seen in the movie Rain Man, and elsewhere.

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Los Angeles Transportation

Los Angeles side trips: San Francisco is quick and easy

carjumpRecently I discussed how quick and easy it was to combine a trip to San Diego, the Grand Canyon, or Santa Barbara with a trip to Los Angeles, and I got quite a few emails from people asking me about San Francisco. Well, yes, it is quite easy to combine those trips into one, though San Francisco is a bit farther than the others I mentioned, and also usually more expensive once you get there. Anyway, here are the details on adding San Francisco into your holiday.

A side trip to San Francisco

The cities are about 400 miles (620 km) apart, so this isn’t a drive you might do on a whim. The fastest route is the I-5 until you are almost there, but this stretch of freeway is almost scenery free, and there is a notorious speed trap in King City as well.

Flying between the two cities

The flight itself is only a bit over an hour each way, but the hassle of getting to and from both airports can make it feel like an all-day affair. There are also 5 airports in the LA area that have nonstop flights to the 3 airports in the Bay Area, so don’t just assume that LAX to SFO is your best bet. Sometimes it will be, but flights into Oakland or San Jose can be cheaper.

  • Los Angeles airports: LAX, BUR, LGB, SNA, ONT
  • San Francisco airports: SFO, OAK, SJC

One reason I didn’t mention this as an obvious side trip is that Los Angeles is fairly intense and also fairly expensive, and San Francisco is too. When I travel I like to mix and match destinations so part of my trip is a bit more relaxed and even cheaper. So with that in mind you might want to consider adding San Francisco to one of the other side trips discussed before. Cheap flights from San Diego to San Francisco are pretty easy to find, and the airport in San Diego is also very easy to reach from the tourist areas.

Going to Phoenix in between

This would be highly recommended as a way to string together a nice trip. You can rent a car in Los Angeles and then drive to the Grand Canyon on your way to Phoenix. Then you can take a quick trip to San Francisco from there, often with lower airfares. Flights from Phoenix tend to be cheap, partly due to the fact that Southwest and US Air have big hubs there. You can even pay for PHX airport parking while you are in San Francisco and the whole thing will still be far cheaper than nearly any other option. Phoenix is big and parking is plentiful and safe.

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Los Angeles

Choosing which Los Angeles airport to fly into

airplane-landingAs someone who was born in Los Angeles and who traveled more than my fair share while living there for most of my life, it’s not surprising that I get quite a few questions about which of the airports to use when people are looking for a cheap fare for their visit.

There are five major airports serving the metro Los Angeles area, and that is not counting dozens of general aviation airports where private pilots and private planes dominate. Sure, Los Angeles International (LAX) is by far the largest, and in fact it’s the busiest airport in the world when only counting passengers beginning or ending their journey (rather than just changing planes), but the other four each have good uses, depending on where you are coming from and what you plan on doing in LA.

If you are coming from anywhere other than the United States, the cheapest flights to Los Angeles will almost always be into LAX. The lowest fares to Los Angeles from outside the country are almost exclusive to LAX, but that’s not always the case from US destinations.

The 5 major Los Angeles airports and when to use them:

Los Angeles International (LAX)

This giant is located in West Los Angeles so it’s quite close to most beach destinations in LA County, and it’s also fairly close to Downtown Los Angeles. This is also most popular for those flying in to the busy San Pedro cruise port. With all the family cruise deals lately, it’s getting even more crowded. And in spite of Disneyland being much closer to Orange County Airport, this is the closest to where the Disney Cruises leave from in Los Angeles.

Burbank International (BUR)

This airport is in the San Fernando Valley and is now officially known as Bob Hope Airport (he lived in part of Burbank called Toluca Lake for much of his life), but the locals always just call it Burbank Airport. It’s only about 8 miles from Hollywood and even closer to Universal Studios, so if the “entertainment business” is your main thing, this airport puts you closest of all.

Long Beach Airport (LGB)

This is a small airport that is about 20 miles southeast of LAX and it’s very quick and easy to get in and out of, though the traffic on the freeway nearby is almost always bad. This airport has become trendy in the past few years since this is the only place in the area that JetBlue flies into.

Orange County/John Wayne Airport (SNA)

This airport is the fanciest in the area, but airfares are always on the high side due to strict limits on the number of flights each day. This means every departure has to make a certain amount of money for whatever airline, and they can’t afford to offer bargain basement prices like the other ones. Also, this airport is in the middle of a very crowded and affluent area, so it seems there are always people willing to pay $50 or $100 more for the privilege of flying here. This is also closest do the main theme parks in Orange County so it’s very popular for Disneyland vacation packages.

Ontario International Airport (ONT)

This airport is out in what’s locally known as the “Inland Empire” which is a very densely packed area of suburbs. If you are going somewhere east of Downtown Los Angeles then this might be your best bet of all, as airfares are often low and it keeps you out of the worst downtown traffic.

Bottom line

If you are coming from somewhere within 2,000 miles or so, it’s not a bad idea to check the airport closest to where you’ll be staying in addition to LAX. Once in a while you’ll actually find a lower fare and save a lot of hassle in the process.

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Los Angeles Transportation

Getting From Los Angeles to New York

Los Angeles is a large city located in California that is full of traffic and mayhem. However, many people love to visit on vacation. Los Angeles is home to an estimated 3,849,378 people, some of which are celebrities. Los Angeles has a number of beaches around the area. Some of these beaches are full of people that would be fit for any Hollywood movie, definitely a sight to see. Los Angeles offers hundreds of places to shop for the top name brand products. This city is ranked very high on the places to see list.

Why would anyone want to leave Los Angeles for New York, and what is the best way to get there? The answer is this; New York really isn’t that different from Los Angeles. New York just like Los Angeles is full of Traffic and even more mayhem. The population of the New York metro area is an unbelievable 19,490,297 people, far more than Los Angeles. This city also ranks very high on the places to see list. How do you get from Los Angeles to New York?

By Plane

By far the most popular way to get between these two famous cities is to fly. Since this route is so popular, quite a few airlines have nonstop flights going between the cities all day every day. If you can find a nonstop flight then it should take about 5 hours in the air, though of course the time spent at the airports will add many more hours to that. If the best deal is a flight that connects along the way, you could be looking at 7 to 10 hours from LA to NYC.

Because these two airports are so large and so busy, it is easy to find extremely cheap direct flights. It is not uncommon to find direct, round trip tickets for around $200 at the absolute minimum, but $300 roundtrip is a more normal cheap fare, and during peak travel seasons you might have to pay $500 roundtrip even for the cheapest flights.

Search tip: Los Angeles has 5 major airports and New York has 3, and you can check all combinations if you use the codes QLA to NYC instead of LAX to JFK, but unfortunately the QLA code (for all Los Angeles airports) doesn’t work in all search engines, so if it doesn’t then search for LAX to JFK and use the “search nearby airports” button.

By Bus

Maybe flying isn’t for you, if not you could take a bus. Buses leave out of Los Angeles heading for New York regularly. However, I must warn you, taking a bus ride from Los Angeles to New York will take almost 3 full days. The bus will stop in many different locations along the way, which makes the drive much longer than if you drove straight through to New York. This is more than likely the cheapest way to get from Los Angeles to New York, the cost for a bus ticket runs about $175 each way on Greyhound’s normal fare, but they do sometimes have promotional specials. You will have to add cost for food, drinks, snacks, or anything else you may need on the long ride.

Check the official Greyhound website for all the details, but be warned that the site is confusing and hard to use.

By train

If you fancy the idea of crossing the country by train, just like the Ricardos and Mertzs did when Ricky had ended his Hollywood stay on “I Love Lucy,” then you might be disappointed to know that it’s slow and way more expensive than you’d imagine. First off you take one train from Union Station near Downtown Los Angeles all the way to Chicago, which takes a bit over 42 hours. Then you change there for a different train that goes the rest of the way to New York City, and this leg takes just over 20 hours. There is usually a few hours between these trains, so you are looking at almost 3 full days to get from one city to the other.

The normal fare is around $240 each way, so it’s usually more expensive than flying as well. And of course that’s just for a normal seat in coach, which might not be so comfortable after the first 18 hours or so. Still, the scenery across most of the country is great, and it can be very relaxing as well. There are occasionally good promotional fares on Amtrak, so if you are lucky you might find something cheaper than this. All the information can be found on the official Amtrak website.

By Car

Next you could just drive yourself from Los Angeles to New York. This is another cheaper way to travel, but again you will have to add in for food items as well as hotel rooms you may need, for a break along the way. Driving will take about 43 hours of drive time, the trip is 2,788 miles one way. The fuel cost for the trip in a vehicle with 20 MPG will cost around $300 or more, depending on gas prices at that moment. Most of the drive will be on I40 East, where you will pass through Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. On this drive you will also go through Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

While taking this drive you will definitely want to take you’re time and enjoy the ride. With all these different states you will be driving through, there are numerous things to see on the way. The deserts of New Mexico and Arizona are actually quite beautiful, full of wild life. Just keep you’re eyes open, that way you can catch a glimpse of some natural wonders and beauty that you will definitely pass by on you’re way from Los Angeles to New York.

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Getting from Los Angeles to Anaheim

matterhornAnaheim is a suburban city located 25 miles from Los Angeles in the Orange County of California. This city is known for its theme parks, sports team and a convention center. The main attractions of the city include Disneyland resort, Adventure City Anaheim Garden walk, Angel stadium and The Grove of Anaheim. Anaheim Convention Center here is also the largest convention center on the American west coast. Anaheim is also known for its sports teams namely Anaheim Ducks in the NHL and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the MLB. Its proximity to Los Angeles attracts several tourist here. If you plan a travel from LA to Anaheim there are a lot of travel options that are available.

But in spite of all these choices, most people are probably interested in going from somewhere in Los Angeles to Disneyland, so those options are spelled out below.

By Car

The traveling distance from Los Angeles is approximately around 26 miles from Downtown Los Angeles to Anaheim, a bit over 30 miles starting from Hollywood, and around 40 miles if you start from the Santa Monica/Venice area. Even coming from one of the closer areas, it is at least a 30-minute drive by car from Los Angeles and at times it might take up to a hour and a half or two hours, depending upon the traffic. There is also a option of renting cars from Los Angeles if required. Since cars are so dominant in this area, this is definitely the most popular way to do it, but you have other options.

By Bus

One could take LUXBUS from Los Angeles. There are two daily departures from Los Angeles to Anaheim. One being at 7.30 in the morning which could be the most comfortable option. There is also another bus service available at 3:30 in the evening. In both the cases the travel takes around 1 hour approximately. The ticket prices are around $32 for one way and $52 for a round trip. Tickets can be reserved in advance.

There are LuxBus tourist packages that are available. One could say this is a slightly expensive option to get to Anaheim. But the buses are very comfortable to travel. It is also worth its price because the seats are really good and it’s a luxury bus. There are also Greyhound buses that run between Los Angeles and Anaheim. There are around 7 buses daily available. The first bus is at 5.45 in the morning and last at around 6 in the evening. The travel by Greyhound takes around a hour. Buses are available every 2 hours.Tickets can be around $8 to $15 depending on the bus you take. This Greyhound buses are much more economical when compared to the LUXBUS which is really expensive. Anaheim is also well served by two public transport systems Metro and OCTA, but using these local services could take many hours each way if you are going a longer distance.

By Airport Shuttle

There is also a option to take airport shuttle from Los Angeles airport. At around $13 this is a much cheaper option compared to the Luxbus. The bus is know as the Disneyland Resort Express could be a very good option whether you travel alone or as a group. This service, operated by the Grayline Bus Company, is also a convenient and reliable mode of travel. At around $13 per head this could be a cheaper and better option than the LuxBus. There are also Super shuttles that are available from Los Angeles International Airport to Anaheim.These shuttles need not be booked in advance. There are Super shuttles around every 15 minutes and the cost is around $15-$20.

By Train

Finally, if you’re going by train there are two rail systems namely Amtrak and Metrolink available in Anaheim. One could take a Amtrak train from Los Angeles. This is more flexible because there are a lot of trains that are available. The journey by train is also very quick at 39 minutes. There are around 10 trains daily and we can travel in the time that suits us the most. The tickets are also very easy to get. The first train is around 6:00am and trains are available all around the day. The trains depart from the station almost every hour. The last train is around 7:15 in the night. The cost of the ticket is usually around $12. This could be the cheapest option to get to Anaheim from Los Angeles.

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Los Angeles Transportation

Getting from Los Angeles to San Diego

San Diego, the second largest city in California, is almost always a sunny 72 degrees. With 70 miles of beaches, you can visit it for a day of fun surfing, sailing or lying on the clean sand. Others come to the warm city to see the many family attractions including the world famous San Diego Zoo, home to the giant panda, or to visit Sea World where the famous whale Shamu will put on a spectacular show. Whatever the reason for a visit, thousands of people migrate from Los Angeles to San Diego every week.

By Plane

There are a few ways to get to San Diego from Los Angeles. While the two cities are only 116 miles apart there are airlines that offer flights between them. Alaskan Air has a 45-minute flight that is around $330. American Airlines also offers a similarly priced flight, which is about the same flying time. Finally, United offers a flight for $350, which is also about 40 minutes. In other words, unless you are rich and crazy, you are probably going to want to find another way of getting between these two cities. When you factor the flight time along with the airport check-in and security time, plus getting to and from each airport, this method will take longer than driving almost every time.

By Bus

A bus is a more economical way to get to San Diego. The LuxBus offers an $88 dollar roundtrip ticket from Los Angeles to San Diego and takes approximately 3 hours each way. The bus departs from many major hotels within both cities at regularly scheduled times, giving a door-to-door non-stop service. It is a large coach bus referred to as “airline on the ground” due to it’s snack and drink service, leather seating, on bus movies and a restroom facility. The Greyhound bus is very inexpensive, around $35, and departs frequently every day. Buses depart and arrive at Greyhound terminals of which there is only one in both Los Angeles and San Diego.

By Train

The train is a cheap, hassle free way to travel from Los Angeles to San Diego, avoiding traffic en route while leaving from central locations in each city. Amtrak offers a $68 roundtrip ticket which leaves Union Station in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, arriving approximately 3 hours later at the marina in San Diego. The train has a snack car, a baggage check in, and a selection of seating classes, which vary in price. With beautiful views along the route from each city, the train has the ease of flying without the price.

By Car

Finally the most popular way to travel between the two cities is by car. Whether renting a car from your local rent-a-car location or using your own automobile, this is the cheapest way to get to San Diego. The ride is about 2 hours but can be upwards of 3 hours or more if there is heavy congestion on the freeways, which is true much of the time. You begin by taking the San Diego Freeway Interstate 405 going South. You then take the exit towards California 73/California 55/San Diego merging onto the California 73/Corona Del Mar Freeway. After about 17 miles you will take the Interstate 5 South freeway where you will hit a partial toll.

The I-5 S. Freeway is beautiful, running right along the Pacific Ocean. Along route I -5 S. as you get closer to the city you will pass the Marine Base Camp Pendleton, a base located right on the Ocean, started in 1942 and a major training location for the Marine Corps. Once you have passed Pendleton you will take exit 17 which will put you directly into downtown San Diego, home to the famous Gas Lamp quarter. From here you can easily find a place to stay, restaurants to eat in and things to see and do.

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Los Angeles Transportation

Getting from Los Angeles to San Francisco

San Francisco is one of the largest cities in California, settled in 1776 by the Spanish. The Gold Rush in 1848 caused thousands of people to rush into the city, making it the largest city on the whole West coast at the time. The 1906 earthquake had a huge impact on the city, although it was rebuilt. Today, San Francisco serves as a tourist destination for millions thanks to its cable cars, Chinatown and the famous Golden Gate Bridge.

By Plane

Traveling to San Francisco by plane from Los Angeles is about the easiest way to get there. Surprisingly, flying from Los Angeles to San Francisco doesn’t cost much more than a train ride, plus you’ll get there in an hour and a half. There are four places to fly out of in the Los Angeles area. Jet Blue Airways is the best choice, offering the best prices. You can also use Southwest Airlines at LAX, flying straight to San Francisco. You’ll need to check their website directly for fares. You can compare fares at online travel sites to find the best prices using the airline code LAX for Los Angeles and SFO for San Francisco. Flights range from $75 to $150 each way, and if you find a good promotional fare it might be as little as $99 roundtrip.

By Train

Most people don’t think of travel by train these days but it’s still affordable and easy. The Amtrak Coast Starlight line will take you from the Union Station in Los Angeles all the way to Oakland, California, taking about 11 hours. It costs $52 one way. The train won’t take you all the way to San Francisco but offers a great way to see the sights and experience a train ride. You can easily rent a car once in Oakland and finish the drive to San Francisco, giving you a car while you’re there, or take a bus to San Francisco. You can also take the train to San Jose and transfer to Caltrain which will take you all the way to San Francisco. Both of these options give you the experience of a train ride which fewer and fewer people try these days.

By Bus

You can also get to San Francisco by bus, which is a very easy way to get there. You can take a GotoBus from Monterrey Park, which is near downtown Los Angeles, all the way to San Francisco. You’ll need to leave early in the morning because only one bus trip is done per day; don’t miss it. The cost is about $50 one way, making it a good option for many people. The trip on Gotobus will take about seven and a half hours.

You can also take the California Shuttle Bus, which will pick you up in Los Angeles and take you straight to San Francisco. The shuttle bus leaves only at noon and midnight, or every 12 hours. The trip takes seven and a half hours, just like the GotoBus, although the shuttle bus is cheaper. Fares start at $5 but you’ll usually pay around $40 roundtrip for a shuttle bus to San Francisco.

By Car

Driving is the way most people get from Los Angeles to San Francisco. The trip begins where the I-10 meets the I-405, ending up at the Golden Gate Bridge into the city. The fastest way to drive there is to take the I-405 to the I-5 North toward Sacramento. From there, continue to the I-580 and then the I-80 into San Francisco. You can also take the coastal route, although it can be difficult and time consuming. To do this, take the US 101 to the CA 1, following the coast. You can also take the back way to San Francisco by taking the I-405 to the CA 14, continuing on the US 395 North. Follow the 395 east to the Sierras, crossing Yosemite National Park and heading west into the city. When you’re traveling to San Francisco by car make sure you avoid afternoon traffic and allow yourself time for stops.

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Los Angeles Transportation

Getting from Los Angeles to Las Vegas

Every year millions of people travel from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Located about 228 miles from Los Angeles, Las Vegas is considered to be the entertainment capital of the world offering visitors a wide a variety of gambling activities, shows and many different events for the whole family. Founded in 1905 the city experienced its largest amounts of growth towards the end of the 20th century as this was the first major American city to offer legalized gambling.

Known for its dry desert climate Las Vegas is a city that is filled with lights and entertainment while sitting right in the middle of the dessert. Its close proximity to Los Angeles makes it an ideal spot for many people who live there to have the chance to have a nice short term get away. For the residents of Los Angeles this means that they can be able to travel a short distance to be able to enjoy what this oasis in the desert has to offer. While the distance between the two cities is not that far there are many different options that you have available when traveling between Los Angeles and Las Vegas such as:

By Car

This is one of the most common ways to travel between the two cities, depending on where you live the entire trip could take approximately fours and should connect you to Interstate 15 that will take you in a northeast direction to Las Vegas. In general you can be able to a rent a car from any of the major car rental agencies with a credit card in addition to being at least 25 years old. If you are leaving at a heavy traffic time (which is most of the time in many parts of Los Angeles) then the first 30 miles could take you 90 minutes or even more. So if you left at 4am then you could be in Las Vegas by 8am or maybe 8:30, but if you leave Los Angeles at 4pm, then you might not arrive in Vegas until 10pm or so. In other words, plan your exit time carefully.

By Train

While there once was a train that ran from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, it is a thing of the past. There is no longer a passenger train that runs from state to state. There had once been talk of building a super train between the two major cities, but they are nothing but whispers at this point in time. So be clear that there is no train and no plans to be a train between the cities any time soon.

By Bus

There are two bus lines that offer regular service between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Greyhound and Go To Bus. Greyhound usually takes about five to seven hours and it costs approximately $60.00 one way. While Go To Bus leaves once a day from several different commuter locations, the trip takes about five hours and it costs between $30.00 to $88.00 one way or $45.00 to $133.00 round trip.

By Shuttle

Viator offer luxury shuttle service between the two cities to include: movies, snacks, beverages, reclining seat and an on board attendant for just $80.00 each way. These shuttles leave once a day from pick up points in Los Angeles at: downtown, Hollywood, LAX Airport, Santa Monica and Beverly Hills hotels. Form Las Vegas these shuttles have pick up and drop off points at: the Flamingo, Golden Nugget as well as Harrah’s.

By Air

When you are traveling the between the two cities by air the cost is about the same as the other forms of travel, in addition you can arrive at your destination within about an hour and ten minutes. Southwest is generally the cheapest carrier offering discounted air fares between the two cities and they have service to the following airports with in the Greater Los Angeles area: Los Angeles International, Burbank, Orange County or Ontario in addition to Las Vegas. However, the major airlines also fly between the two cities and have various specials from the different Los Angeles airports.

Clearly there are many different options available for traveling between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Some of the different options that you have available when traveling between the two cities include: traveling by car, traveling by plane, traveling by bus and traveling by shuttle. All will allow you to easily be at either destination within a few hours and the cost for traveling to them is not that expensive. This means that you can be able to have any enjoyable trip that everyone will remember while at the same time not having to worry about how much money you are spending to go to either destination.