southern calif to san pedro port..TRAIN?

[carol459]

we live in ventura county and are bked on a monarch cruise rccl out of san pedro...............

looking for ways to get to port inexpensively...gas and parking adds UP

thanks for info

Carol

[skandls]

If you don't want to drive to the pier Road Runner shuttle service goes to the pier. Check the prices - it maybe cheaper to drive and park at the pier.

[Splinter]

You can take Amtrak to the downtown LA station and then take the Amtrak bus from there to the port area (several blocks away), but you need to plan on the train being late (because it often is), and for delays on the buses (which only run a few times daily). If you want to do this, I would recommend coming the day before and spending the night so you don't have to worry about getting to your ship in time. You could also take a paid shuttle from Union Station to the port, but again, this could be expensive.

 

Might not save you much money, but you would have to balance that out against wear and tear on your car and your nerves driving from Ventura.

[Bruin Steve]

we live in ventura county and are bked on a monarch cruise rccl out of san pedro...............

looking for ways to get to port inexpensively...gas and parking adds UP

thanks for info

Carol

 

Carol,

Seriously, I would just drive it...Parking at the pier is $12 a day...If you're on the Monarch, it's a 3 or 4 night cruise, so $36 or $48 ...For you, it's a 97 mile trip...194 round trip...If your car gets 20 mpg and gas is $5, it's $50 in gas...so, total, gas plus parking is less than $100...

 

We use Road Runner all the time--to get to LAX or Burbank...But, from our house to the San Pedro Cruise Terminal, for two people, round trip, they charge $144...You are farther from the port than us (You are like way to the OTHER side of Ventura County--near Ojai, right?)...I just looked it up for you on their site--$226 for a round trip for two...And that's for a "shared van"...

 

On a 7-night cruise, where the parking would be $84, it comes closer to making sense--you're still paying a premium, but at least you don't have to deal with the driving or leaveing your car somewhere for a week...

[skandls]

Just to let you know. We use RR a lot. If you use them from the pier - when you arrive back from your cruise you may have a 25 minute wait while they send a van from LAX.

 

We live in TO and drive to the pier if we are doing a round trip from San Pedro. We did a repo Vancouver to San Pedro and took Road Runner home.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Four years ago when we were planning our trip to Seattle for our Alaskan cruise, we decided to go on Amtrak. We just needed to decide where to catch the train, and how to get to that station.

 

We didn't want to use the Union Station downtown if we were going to drive to the station (no way we were leaving our car there for over two weeks). And I checked on using Metrolink...it wasn't practical to take luggage on Metrolink.

 

The Coast Starlight didn't leave from Chatsworth or (at that time) Van Nuys so we decided to leave from Oxnard. Since the scheduled departure there was around 11:20am, we rented a car one way from Canoga Park (here in the Valley) to Oxnard, stayed overnight (spending the afternoon and early evening in one of our favorite places, Ventura Harbor), returned the rental to the airport, and went to the Amtrak station (BTW, the train didn't arrived til noon).

 

Our last cruise was from San Pedro, which is a 50 mile trip for us and usually we drive ourselves. This time, we hired a car service (coolrides) as we had two weeks worth of luggage, including a guitar case, to deal with (we have sedans). Worked out great. And was just a little more than the cost of parking for 15 days.

 

Personally, I wouldn't take the train just to save money. It really doesn't save, especially if you have to trek over from downtown to the port.

[kenish]

If you're doing a 3-4 day cruise, check "neighborhood" rental car places like Enterprise or Hertz Local Edition. They are often located around areas with auto repair shops or car dealers. Most of their business is people needing wheels while their car is getting repaired so their weekend rental rates are dirt cheap.

 

We rented a midsize from Enterprise. Friday AM-Monday AM was $60 with unlimited mileage. Our road trip to the Las Vegas area was 750 miles and the fuel savings versus our F150 truck paid for the rental costs.

[Wineaux]

If you still want to take the train, get to Union Station and get on the 445 bus. That will drop you off right by the Cruise Terminal Entrance (Harbor Beacon Park and Ride). Note: The 445 only runs once an hour on the weekends but it's a quick trip from Downtown since it goes on the Harbor Freeway. Check the MTA website for updated schedules.

 

http://www.metro.net/riding_metro/bus_overview/400_499/445.pdf

 

Good luck!!! :)

[SelectSys]

You can take Amtrak to the downtown LA station and then take the Amtrak bus from there to the port area ... Might not save you much money, but you would have to balance that out against wear and tear on your car and your nerves driving from Ventura.

 

I think waiting on the train with all its delays is more stressful than driving the 101 to 405 - especially after rush hour.

 

Personally' date=' I wouldn't take the train just to save money. It really doesn't save, especially if you have to trek over from downtown to the port.[/quote']

 

Agreed, the train train in Southern California is good for a daily commute or when someone is picking you up at a station. As a means of getting to the port it leaves much to be desired.

[vannagreen]

you could check to see if anyone the roll call is coming from about the same area that you could car pool with to the port and home...and split cost of gas and parking...? just an idea. : )