SoCal transportation

[Deb]

I could use some advice on transportation for our trip. Ideally we would prefer not to rent a car.
We fly into LAX and then have a family event in Santa Monica for a couple of days. After that we are going to DLR, staying on Harbor Blvd, for a few days, then back to LAX

 

[DLgal]

How do you plan to get around LA while you are there?

Rent a car. It's the easiest solution. Honestly. Driving here is always made out to be some super scary affair. It's the same as driving anywhere else.

 

[Deb]

How do you plan to get around LA while you are there?

Rent a car. It's the easiest solution. Honestly. Driving here is always made out to be some super scary affair. It's the same as driving anywhere else.

but do we need one? In Santa Monica a shuttle is being provided to the event. And we are staying right near DLR's entrance and won't have time for non park activities

 

[DLgal]

but do we need one? In Santa Monica a shuttle is being provided to the event. And we are staying right near DLR's entrance and won't have time for non park activities

Well, what else are you doing in Santa Monica the other days? Does this family event take up the entire day (on all days)? Do you not want to be able to drive around LA on your own time? LA is huge and spread out and Santa Monica isn't exactly a walkable city.

I suggest the rental car because you need transportation at LEAST 3 different times and things like rideshares have such ridiculous pricing that you could end up really getting gouged. Having a car gives you more freedom and a set cost.

 

[Lumpy1106]

You could take the FlyAway bus from LAX to Grand Central Station (DTLA), then take the train to Anaheim (Anaheim Stadium parking lot). From there it's a short Uber ride to your hotel. Reverse steps on the way back to LAX. The bus picks you up curbside at the airport - more convenient than getting to the place to rent a car.

It's going to be more convenient to rent a car but that will get you there and save some $$.
https://www.flylax.com/flyaway-bus

You can technically take the green line, then transfer to the blue line to Grand Central but I would not recommend that, especially carrying luggage. Definitely DO NOT do that at night! You'd also have to figure out how to get to the green line station - I think it's the Lot B bus? Seriously, just not a great idea. The FlyAway bus is nice and goes direct - plus it's cheap.

 

[Deb]

Well, what else are you doing in Santa Monica the other days? Does this family event take up the entire day (on all days)? Do you not want to be able to drive around LA on your own time? LA is huge and spread out and Santa Monica isn't exactly a walkable city.

I suggest the rental car because you need transportation at LEAST 3 different times and things like rideshares have such ridiculous pricing that you could end up really getting gouged. Having a car gives you more freedom and a set cost.

We fly in mid day (barring delays) on day one. If we are up to it taking into account jetlag/time change, there is a late dinner we would probably uber to even if we had a rental. But honestly I expect a late dinner CA time to be too much for us after a day of traveling from the east coast. Day two the main even is late afternoon through the evening. Shuttle provided. Day three brunch at the hotel we are staying at, then move to DLR hotel. No park tickets for the day, so no hurry. Days 4, 5 and 6 park tickets not planning on going anywhere else. Day 7 flight home.

Both hotels charge for parking

 

[China Expat]

It will be a headache not having a car, but doable.

 

[Deb]

what would we be looking at for costs to rely on uber/lyft for the three transfers?
LAX to Santa Monica
Santa Monica to DLR
DLR to LAX

 

[DLgal]

what would we be looking at for costs to rely on uber/lyft for the three transfers?
LAX to Santa Monica
Santa Monica to DLR
DLR to LAX

There is no way to guess. Pricing fluctuates wildly. This is why if cost is an issue, I cannot recommend Uber/Lyft. There is no rhyme or reason to It, but LA is OFTEN in "surge pricing."

At this point, people who use ride shares need to be the kind of people who are literally okay paying ANY price to get where they are going. We have been quoted as much as $85 from our house to Anaheim, which is 12 miles away. It's typically a $25-30 ride.

 

[DTDkettleCORNfan]

what would we be looking at for costs to rely on uber/lyft for the three transfers?
LAX to Santa Monica
Santa Monica to DLR
DLR to LAX

Have you looked into MidWilShuttle? https://www.midwilshuttle.com/ We've never used them but I have seen their name come up on the boards as an option from LAX to the parks. You could search their name here for posts with experiences/reviews. They are able to provide a quote in advance. You could compare the quote for your three routes vs car rental + hotel parking. I assume the car service would be more expensive than uber/lyft/taxi, but at least you'd be scheduled in advance and know ahead of time what the cost would be. We've had a few Disneyland trips where we've made unexpected grocery store runs and trips to a pharmacy. Obviously not having a car works out well for many travelers, but we've always been glad to have one.

 

[bcla]

what would we be looking at for costs to rely on uber/lyft for the three transfers?
LAX to Santa Monica
Santa Monica to DLR
DLR to LAX

If you're willing to take public transportation (I've been researching it for a trip). You would probably need to research where the bus stops are relative to the location you'll be and maybe use a ride share or taxi to get to that point.

Big Blue Bus route 3 goes from LAX to Santa Monica. Less than an hour and it operates frequently. Cash fare is $1.25 per passenger, but $1.10 using the TAP (fare) card. Not sure if they have any place for luggage like I've seen on some local buses that serve airports.

https://www.bigbluebus.com/routes-and-schedules/rapid-3.aspx
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/lax...5ff23f5ab!2m2!1d-118.4911912!2d34.0194543!3e3

Santa Monica to Disneyland is $2.50 (75 cent surcharge for the express bus) per passenger, or a $3.50 day pass (express buses included), but also a $2 per person charge for the TAP (fare) card. That would be the Metro E line plus express bus #460. But the bus is passing through some of the most notorious areas of Los Angeles County and takes over 2 hours.

https://www.metro.net
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/San...2ed83a009!2m2!1d-117.9172388!2d33.8093383!3e3

Once you're in Anaheim, the Anaheim Resort Transportation (might have been rebranded as "Anaheim Regional Transportation") system has a hybrid system of scheduled and on-demand rides for $6 per passenger per day with a pass.

https://rideart.org

Disneyland to LAX seems trickier but doable. As far as I can tell, it would be $2.50 for Metro #460 and a transfer to the Metro C line, plus $1 for Torrance Transit route #8.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Dis...b57698badf1!2m2!1d-118.40853!2d33.9415889!3e3

But Uber or Lyft for those would be high. I got estimates of around $55 for Disneyland to LAX.

 

[Deb]

If you're willing to take public transportation (I've been researching it for a trip). You would probably need to research where the bus stops are relative to the location you'll be and maybe use a ride share or taxi to get to that point.

Big Blue Bus route 3 goes from LAX to Santa Monica. Less than an hour and it operates frequently. Cash fare is $1.25 per passenger, but $1.10 using the TAP (fare) card. Not sure if they have any place for luggage like I've seen on some local buses that serve airports.

https://www.bigbluebus.com/routes-and-schedules/rapid-3.aspx
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/lax...5ff23f5ab!2m2!1d-118.4911912!2d34.0194543!3e3

Santa Monica to Disneyland is $2.50 (75 cent surcharge for the express bus) per passenger, or a $3.50 day pass (express buses included), but also a $2 per person charge for the TAP (fare) card. That would be the Metro E line plus express bus #460. But the bus is passing through some of the most notorious areas of Los Angeles County and takes over 2 hours.

https://www.metro.net
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/San...2ed83a009!2m2!1d-117.9172388!2d33.8093383!3e3

Once you're in Anaheim, the Anaheim Resort Transportation (might have been rebranded as "Anaheim Regional Transportation") system has a hybrid system of scheduled and on-demand rides for $6 per passenger per day with a pass.

https://rideart.org

Disneyland to LAX seems trickier but doable. As far as I can tell, it would be $2.50 for Metro #460 and a transfer to the Metro C line, plus $1 for Torrance Transit route #8.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Dis...b57698badf1!2m2!1d-118.40853!2d33.9415889!3e3

But Uber or Lyft for those would be high. I got estimates of around $55 for Disneyland to LAX.

agree $55 isn't pocket change but when we consider the cost of a rental for a week plus parking fees ...

 

[evilmommie]

If you don't want to drive, then Uber or Lyft. After a lifetime of dealing with LA and So Cal traffic, if I were a coming into the Santa Monica area for a family event, I wouldn't deal with the traffic patterns. You can put your locations into the lyft or uber apps now and see what rate you'd be looking at...

We live in South OC and always use Lyft or a car service to get in and out of LAX.

 

[Ross Kratter]

I would definitely recommend car service over Uber or Lyft.
I used In Style Transportation a few times while out that way last year and had great experiences.

 

[bcla]

agree $55 isn't pocket change but when we consider the cost of a rental for a week plus parking fees ...

Sure. However, I would at least consider taking the bus from LAX to Santa Monica, especially with five buses per hour during peak times. That seems like a bargain, although I'm not sure if Big Blue Bus has luggage racks on route 3. I remember visiting other countries where there were coach buses that led to downtown areas, and even one #1 bus in Shanghai that connected the two major airports.

https://www.bigbluebus.com/Newsroom/News/Riding-BBB-to-LAX.aspx