San Diego to Long Beach

[cocosmum]

Hi everyone,

DH and I are booked on the Carnival Splendour cruise 13 Nov 2011 to Mexico which departs 16:30. We will be staying in San Diego a couple of nights before the cruise and plan on getting the train back to LA on the morning of the 13th. It leaves SD about 7.30am I think and takes a couple of hours.

My question is - do we get off the train at Union station or is there another train stop which is closer to Long Beach? Also, what's the best way to get from the station to LB - shuttle, taxi etc.?? How long would this take and what is the latest time we are able to board?

Thanks for your help.

[rebellion69]

Amtrack actually has conecting service via train to bus when you select your tickets. When you purchase your tickets select Long Beach as your final destination. LA Union station is in downtown LA and is still a good hour from the cruise terminal. Keep in mind that the bus will probably make multiple stops as well. Good luck.

[socaldesign]

you can also take the Metro Blue Line from Union Station to Long Beach but then you'll still need a cab to the cruise terminal.

If possible, you should look into renting a car for the day. It's a beautiful drive from San Diego up the coast and it would certainly be faster than the train all the way to LA and then backtracking to Long Beach.

[Rosefloater]

you can also take the Metro Blue Line from Union Station to Long Beach but then you'll still need a cab to the cruise terminal.

If possible, you should look into renting a car for the day. It's a beautiful drive from San Diego up the coast and it would certainly be faster than the train all the way to LA and then backtracking to Long Beach.

 

Instead of the cab, they can take the Passport C bus (which is free) and will take you to the Queen Mary, then a short walk to check in at the Dome.

 

http://www.lbtransit.com/services/passport.aspx

[SadieN]

Also ask on the West Coast Board.

 

From Union Station-

 

Take the Purple or Red line to the 7th street Metro Station and then take the Blue Line to the transit station to the end. The website is metro.net.

 

The problem with taking the Blue Line is that the line runs thru some not-so-nice areas. This line seems to have too many people not understanding that a train cannot stop if they are on the rails.:eek:

 

I have no idea how much a taxi would be Union Station to Long Beach.

 

Some of the train stops are only platforms with no services.

 

Sometimes the train can be late. We rented a car one way for about $80 for our house to San Diego. Just something to consider. By car it is about a 2 hour drive along the coast.

 

You could take the train up on Saturday and stay at the Queen Mary. The Passport C bus will take you to food and shopping.

 

ETA-- Just checked Hertz San Diego Airport to Long Beach Airport about $110.

[pjtulsa]

We rented a car in Mid March for the day to get us from San Diego Airport to Long Beach for $38.00 + $7 in gas... Try using car rentals dot com. The drive was easy and if you need to rent a gps with your car...

[cocosmum]

Thanks for all your help. I'm sure it's a lovely (and easy) drive but we're not that keen on driving as we're from New Zealand and we drive on the other side of the road! I would prefer to just relax on the train if possible :-)

 

Socaldesign - you mention the passport C bus - where would we connect with this bus after getting off the train from San Diego at Union Station? I guess the Queen Mary is the last stop?

[riffatsea]

HI there,

The train ride to LA is about 3hrs. It is pleasant but to then try and take the metro and then bus with all your luggage,would make getting to the cruise a real trek instead of a fun morning!

I understand about the "wrong side of the road" issue but you'd be surprised that many of your fellow countryfolk have managed here with no probs at all!

IF you absolutely don't want to do it then take a taxi or shared van but it will be expensive. I did a dummy booking on Prime Time shuttle from the train station to the Long Beach cruise port and they want $70for the 2 of you. The cost of a rental car and the time involved in the drive would be soooo much less!

 

[San Diego Cruizer]

I agree with Riffatsea. As a San Diegan ,and having cruised out of the port of Long Beach I think it would be almost a logistical nightmare to travel by train. The Amtrak goes no where near the Long Beach terminal and it would mean transfers, buses and added expense. Rent a car....the drive along the coast would be lovely. Also, since the Splendor leaves on Sunday the traffic won't be too bad on the I-5!

[SadieN]

Socaldesign - you mention the passport C bus - where would we connect with this bus after getting off the train from San Diego at Union Station? I guess the Queen Mary is the last stop?

 

See post #5.

 

Using the Metro Trip Planner from Union Station to Long Beach ($3)

 

Union Station-Red Line or Purple Line to the 7th Street Metro Station to connect with the Blue Line. To get to the Blue Line you will need to go up (or is it down?, never seem to remember:o). There are escalators and elevators (lifts) available.

 

http://www.metro.net/around/getting-started

 

You will take the Blue Line from the its beginning at the 7th street Metro Center to the end at the Long Beach Transit Center. This is about 1 hour. From the Long Beach Transit Center you will take the FREE:) Passport C bus to the Queen Mary. It will drop you off in the parking lot. It is about 1/4 mile (1/2K) walk to check in at the Dome from the stop.

 

http://www.lbtransit.com/services/passport.aspx

 

I would do this on Saturday. More trains and it will give you a bit of leeway JIC something happens on the rails. Seems like the Blue Line ALWAYS has a problem. As stated above the Passport C line will take you from the Queen Mary to the food and shopping areas. There are also drug stores (CVS) and I think a Walmart along or near the route.

[GrandBistro]

I live in Long Beach and sadly we are not very good at public transportation. As others have said, getting from Union Station to the port will be the challenge. If you have large luggage it would be a BIG challenge. The metro is a light rail system with hard molded plastic and no place to put your bags except on the floor or seat next to you. Be sure there is no construction going on, as that really impacts weekends. Once, on a Sunday, we were going to Hollywood for a play, and had to get off the train in South LA (not a great area) walk to a bus, which by-passed construction, then back on the train a few stops later. It would have been a nightmare with luggage.

 

But if you do that, then 1/2 block from where you get off the metro blue line you'll catch the Passport, a free shuttle that makes a continuous loop between downtown and the Queen Mary, and a few other spots. Just check the map and get the right one. There are A, B, C and D passport buses in Long Beach, and 2 or 3 of them will go down Pine Ave., where you'll pick it up.

 

If you take the train to LA, then I'd encourage you to look into a Super Shuttle or similar for the trip from Union Station to the port. More expensive but truly worth it. Amtrak does go along the coast for a bit of the ride. It's quite nice!

 

Whatever you decide, have a great trip!

[avidreader13]

Agreed on the public transport. Instead of going all the way to Union Station, how about taking the train to the Orange County station in Anaheim, right by the stadium. The ride would be much shorter instead of going all the way up to LA and then having to come back down. You could have Prime Time Shuttle or another service take you to the port. Not sure how much you want to pay for a shuttle service though. The car rental would probably be a lot easier and the drive isn't bad at all.

[SadieN]

I live in Long Beach and sadly we are not very good at public transportation. As others have said, getting from Union Station to the port will be the challenge. If you have large luggage it would be a BIG challenge. The metro is a light rail system with hard molded plastic and no place to put your bags except on the floor or seat next to you. Be sure there is no construction going on, as that really impacts weekends. Once, on a Sunday, we were going to Hollywood for a play, and had to get off the train in South LA (not a great area) walk to a bus, which by-passed construction, then back on the train a few stops later. It would have been a nightmare with luggage.

 

But if you do that, then 1/2 block from where you get off the metro blue line you'll catch the Passport, a free shuttle that makes a continuous loop between downtown and the Queen Mary, and a few other spots. Just check the map and get the right one. There are A, B, C and D passport buses in Long Beach, and 2 or 3 of them will go down Pine Ave., where you'll pick it up.

 

If you take the train to LA, then I'd encourage you to look into a Super Shuttle or similar for the trip from Union Station to the port. More expensive but truly worth it. Amtrak does go along the coast for a bit of the ride. It's quite nice!

 

Whatever you decide, have a great trip!

 

 

Forgot all about construction on the weekends. One Sunday we had to use the a bus for the part of the Blue Line Route. Standing room only.

[riffatsea]

The idea of taking the train to Anaheim makes the Primetime shuttle more affordable.

I did a dummy booking on the Primetime Shuttle site and used the Angel Inn(near the train station) as the pickup point. It only cost $48 instead of the $70+ from the LA train station.

[cocosmum]

Huge amount of fantastic info, thanks so much everyone.

 

Avidreader13 and Riffatsea - awesome suggestion!! Top marks for thinking outside the square.

 

Getting the train to Anaheim makes so much sense!! The train ticket and the shuttle will both be cheaper and total travelling time should be shorter.

One issue solved, now onto sorting out the rest of our holiday to So Cal. (See I'm learning the lingo!) Having so much fun though :-)

[kenish]

There are 3 possible Amtrak stations to consider, working south to north:

 

Irvine- Mid-size station serving commuters. In a nice area surrounded by office parks and corporate headquarters. Shuttle should be able to pick you up there.

 

Santa Ana- Largest station in Orange County (but not huge or sprawling). The neighborhood is a bit iffy at night however.

 

Anaheim- Described earlier...shuttle *might* be able to do a pick-up.

 

Definitely check the total train + shuttle fare from each of the 3 stations. Also try to travel mid-day so the shuttle trip will be quick and not affected by rush hour traffic on weekday evenings between 330-630pm.

 

FYI sit on the side of the train facing away from the station in San Diego (left side of the train). It's the scenic side.

[Cruisin' Chick]

I would check into more shuttle services. I found Prime time to be very unreliable (on both ends of our booking!) a few months ago.

[KCcruisin07]

I would go to Anaheim and then take a shuttle to LB. Santa Ana and Union Station are not in the best neighborhoods, and if you go to LA, you go out of the way.