Train arrives in LA around 1am. What should we do?

[zeyedeco7]

The train will arrive at 1am on the 19th and our boat leaves LA around 4pm on the 19th. We can't go a day earlier. I figure we will load onto the boat around 10am or 11am. We have a suite so I also assume priority embarkation. It just seems like not enough time to get a motel and too much time to hang around some 24hr diner all night? And we'd like to save money anyway we can...Advice?

[PennyAgain]

Your train may run late so that will take up a little time.

 

I would look into the price of day rooms at motels and hotels near your cruise port. You don't say how many people are in your party, but it may be worth it to be able to shower, sleep and reorganize ahead of your cruise. (be sure to set your alarm clock!)

 

You also didn't say what time your ship is due to sail and what time you are supposed to check in.

 

If you stay up all night, the first day of your cruise will be a total loss as you will be sleeping.

[zeyedeco7]

I hope the train is late! but what is a day room? will they give a day room that late at night? and It'll be just me and my fiance. The ship sail's at 4pm and I'm hoping to board around 10 or 11am.

[blissful_seas]

If it were me, I would find a low price motel. If you check in by 2am you can get some sleep, get up at your leisure, take a shower, have a late breakfast and then head to the ship.

 

If you do not get some sleep, you will pay for it on the ship. And you don't want to feel harried and tired your first day... ;)

[Toto2Kansas]

There is no way I would stay anywhere at 1:00 AM trying to kill time until we could board the ship the following morning. You would be so tired, it isn't worth the price you would pay for an inexpensive hotel to get at least a few hours sleep. Most airports have several hotels close that even provide a shuttle (although not sure if they would have one at this time of night, but worth checking). Enjoy!

[euro cruiser]

How are you planning to get from the train station to the cruise port? That may impact your choices.

 

There are two public buses (since you stated you are looking to save money); if your train is on time, you could catch the last run of the #246, then check into a hotel near the port. Of course, that would mean walking with your luggage several blocks from where you get off the bus to the hotel ...

 

Or you could find a hotel near the train station and take the bus the next morning. Personally, I think this makes the most sense. Take a look at this place - not a palace, but close to the train station and the price is reasonable: http://metroplazahoteldowntownla.com/content/index.php?section=Home

 

After some sleep and a shower, you can walk back across the street to the train station to get one of the buses to the port.

 

You can download the bus routes and schedules here:

 

http://www.metro.net/riding_metro/bus_overview/images/246-247.pdf

http://www.metro.net/riding_metro/bus_overview/images/445.pdf

[bellariddle]

Don't hope the rain runs too late! While it's been better in more recent times the Chief has been known to have fallen 18+ hours behind schedule in the past.

 

I would recommend downtown long beach or maybe breakfast on the Queen Mary which is right next to the terminal.

[househunter]

Lots of people check into their hotels at night. I would never try to spend the whole night just hanging around somewhere! You can get a whole night's sleep if you book a room somewhere. Can you imagine how tired and dirty you will feel sitting around somewhere for 10 or more hours?

[zeyedeco7]

yeah. I'd rather not hang around somewhere that long with all our luggage. I just figured that we'd do plenty of sleeping on the train. We'll most likely get a room close to the pier. AND I really hope our train isn't 18 hours late! Our only other option is to drive from Portland, but we don't want to do that either. It's about the same in gas as it is to go by train but drving 20+ hours on the way home would be depressing!

[firefly333]

Some cruiselines, the cabins are not ready until 1 pm or 1:30 pm.

 

You board what 11 am at the earliest and eat.. exhausted.

 

Id check into a hotel, even if you arrive a little late and dont get a whole night's sleep. Its not safe to me to have to watch luggage and cat nap. I need a bed where it's safe.

[Talisker92]

According to the AMTRAK timetable, the Coast Starlight gets in at 9 PM. I have taken it a number of times and it always runs late, so your 1 AM may be closer to the truth.

On a recent trip we had an 8 hr layover , and we got a hotel room. Even though we only got 5 hrs sleep, it was wonderful to get horizontal and freshen up in the morning.

[navybankerteacher]

Are you nuts: paying for a cruise and then worrying about maybe a $100 motel room so you will not waste your first (and possibly second) day of the cruise because you feel like a zombie having hung around downtown LA (yuck!) all night?

 

As the saying goes: "Get a room!"

[greatam]

I would seriously think about driving. Since the cost is about the same as the train, you will have transport in LA and that will be worth it's weight in gold. Drive down to someplace around Bakersfield/Santa Maria (depends on whether you drive the coast route or I-5), get an inexpensive motel, wake up in the morning and drive the last 4 hours to the port.

 

Yes, you will have to pay for parking at the port. BUT getting from the downtown LA train station to Long Beach or San Pedro on the bus with luggage can be a REAL hassle. Getting from the train station to a hotel will generally require a taxi (the cheaper hotels will not pick you up). And taking a bus at 1AM in downtown LA is NOT the way to start a pleasant trip.

 

Even for the cheapest hotel that is far from 3* standards, you are still going to pay $75-100 with taxes and fees. In Bakersfield/Santa Maria, there are Motel 6's/Super 8's/all the budget hotels right off the freeway for about $45.00, so the difference between hotel prices and what you will spend on ground transport getting around LA from the train station should just about pay for parking. JMHO

[Happy ks]

If it were me, I'd fly into LGB, faster and probably cheaper. But I realize some people really want to drive or take the train instead. I'd fly in the night before and get a hotel room, to make sure I didn't miss the ship entirely.

 

If you actually do get in at 1 am and plan on going to the ship at 10 am (many times embarkation doesn't start until noon, so you will have an hour or 2 waiting on plastic chairs) you will have 9 or 10 hours to kill.

Get a room, get some sleep, take a shower and check out at 11 am. You will arrive to the ship refreshed and ready instead of totally exhausted and rumpled. Make sure you tell the hotel you will be checking in late, as some will resell the room if you don't show up by a certain time.

 

If it were me, I'd be dreading the trip home (train or driving) all week.

 

Driving the majority of the way and stopping at a hotel sounds better than 9-11 hours of hanging out waiting.

[zeyedeco7]

Thanks greatam, you make some great points. Getting there and back seems to be the most stressful part. I didn't think of staying a town or two before LA, but that's a great idea :) We're just not all that excited about driving that far, but we are thinking we might want to go to six flags and maybe the redwood forest on the way back...better to have a car then to rent one :)

[greatam]

Thanks greatam, you make some great points. Getting there and back seems to be the most stressful part. I didn't think of staying a town or two before LA, but that's a great idea :) We're just not all that excited about driving that far, but we are thinking we might want to go to six flags and maybe the redwood forest on the way back...better to have a car then to rent one :)

 

1. DO NOT stay around 6 Flags in Castaic-the prices are astronomical for most of the hotels. Either go to 6 Flags for the day and go north towards Bakersfield or stay in San Fernando/Sylmar/Sun Valley, then go to 6 Flags (really great park and the roller coasters are truly spectacular).

 

2. For a TRULY great drive-go north on I-5 to Redding. Take 299 over to the Coast-super steep mountain grades (OK with a car). Fantastic scenery, only place other than a couple of protected forests to find 2 foot pine cones. Those are REALLY special. Keep your eyes open. I use the ones I have EVERY year for Xmas. Then take 101 NORTH to the 199 North out of Crescent City (great place to stay along the coast for very cheap your time of year). Drops you off in Grants Pass. Some really steep turns with a 70 foot semi-never been there in a car but should be a piece of cake. OR you can take 101 to 169 (edge of the Redwood Forest), then 96 north through the Klamath Forest and you can end up in Talent, Medford or a little road just past Ashland. Depends on what fork you take when you get into Oregon.

 

You REALLY need to assess what it is going to cost you in GROUND TRANSPORT in LA. From the train station TO the hotel, FROM the hotel TO the port. Could easily run you $100 or more unless you ride the city buses.

 

JMHO, but I would drive if you have the time. A VERY good vacation, especially if you want to go to Six Flags and see the redwoods.

[zeyedeco7]

I've looked a little into how much to park your car, but only for the hotels near the pier that include parking in the price of the room. If it would be cheaper to stay around Bakersfield the where else can you pay to park at the pier and do you know how much it would cost for 7 days?

 

I have a friend in SanFran that we could stay with on the way back which is about 5 hours from Castaic (according to Google maps.)

 

...and 2 foot pinecones !? That sounds like way too much fun! Thanks so much for all your advice/humble opinions :)

[Cozzette2]

We live in Medford and I know it is 5 hours less to drive to the port but we really like having our car. We found a really nice place in Stockton next to the marie Callenders, I think it was a Comfort Inn right off the freeway. It was kind of a half point and it was a new place and really reasonable. We went down a few days early and stayed in Long Beach at Best Western and they shuttled us to the port and kept our car for the week for free. The only thing I always stress about is always traveling the roads in bad weather.

Planning is always fun and it is great to have options.

[beachchick]

If you want to drive home after your cruise, please consider taking 101 north along the coast at least to the San Francisco bay area. No offense meant to any inlanders, but 101 is IMO a far more lovely drive than 5 from most of (not all) the Los Angeles area up to central CA. There are so many wonderful and beautiful places to visit and stay along the way. I confess immediately that I am really, really biased because I grew up in the bay area (south bay) and have lived on the central part of the central coast for 20 years...but there's a reason besides our health (which was a factor) that we moved where we did.

 

beachchick