LAX to San Pedro-Pier 93?

I'm asking for my sister. For those who have done it...Whats the best and cheapest way to get from LAX to San Pedro-Pier 93? About how far is it and cost? She looked at http://www.worldtaximeter.com and it says about $80 1 way incld tip. Would a cab be the best option or would there be some other transportation that would save her some money? Not familiar with shuttle service.

Thanks in advance.

Cheapest and best won't necessarily be the same. You can do a search for a Supershuttle code, but that's for a shared vehicle (the driver will look to fill up the shuttle van and may make stops on the way to the port -- San Pedro might not be the first stop).

There are many exclusive transportation companies such as Karmel, Execucar (the Supershuttle people), On Time, Roadrunner.

Hopefully your sister is coming in very early (and won't have any flight delays). We always prefer to get to our embarkation city a day ahead when not leaving from our home port (which happens to be San Pedro). Less stressful to be able to wake up and you're near the port.

I'm asking for my sister. For those who have done it...Whats the best and cheapest way to get from LAX to San Pedro-Pier 93? About how far is it and cost? She looked at http://www.worldtaximeter.com and it says about $80 1 way incld tip. Would a cab be the best option or would there be some other transportation that would save her some money? Not familiar with shuttle service.

 

Thanks in advance.

First of all, it is 20 miles from LAX to the World Cruise Center in San Pedro...

I would never take a taxi...the meter keeps spinning...the driver has no incentive to take you by the shortest route... and you have no real control over the eventual cost.

Shuttle services (there are several--SuperShuttle, PrimeTime, RoadRunner, Karmel, etc.) are fairly reasonably priced...BUT...since they are shared vans, they make it work economically by picking up several people in each van...so, sometimes, they circle the airport several times waiting to fill up...and, sometimes, they drop others off at several places...not always in a straight line to where you're going...So, cheap, but not the most efficient...

Doing a search on SuperShuttle's site, the fare for two on a shared shuttle from LAX to the port is $34 (plus tip, of course)...

SuperShuttle also operates a private ride service called Execucar...Execucar has two choices...Meet and Greet--where your driver parks the car and meets you at baggage claim...and Express Service--where you collect your luggage, call a number and meet the car at the curb...

One way fare for the Meet and Greet is $83 (plus tip) and, for the Express Service is $55...

Personally, I would do either before I'd take a taxi...Take the Express service and you've got a fixed cost...throw in a tip of $10 and you know it's $65 each way...

If money is a dominant criteria and you don't mind spending a bit more time getting there or going a little out of your way, take a shuttle...$34 and a $6 tip means your cost is $40 each way...

I would recommend a shuttle or private car rather than a taxi.

You have many options.

We have used super shuttle and execucar.

If you need information on either:

http://www.supershuttle.com

http://www.execucar.com

We find that execucar has very competitive rates for a private car.

I don't recommend flying in the day of the cruise though.

I like to stay in Long Beach prior to the cruise and then the day of embarkation we do take a taxi from there to San Pedro.

Some recommend San Pedro but for us we don't care for it. No offense intended for those who live there or like it but we just don't. Sorry.

Keith

Thank you all for the great info!! I will pass this information along!

As Bruin commented, taxi fare is based on both distance and time. If it's a slow day for taxis, it's in the driver's best interest to take as long a time as possible. OTOH, shuttles and private car services are on a flat rate...so it's in their best interest to get you to port as quickly as possible.

Also, the shuttle companies are so competitive to the port that they all charge about $17 per person. There's enough people going there on cruise day and the day prior that you probably won't have any intermediate drop-offs (though it could happen).

Like almost everything else it's a tradeoff between convenience and cost.