Rental cars nearby?

[termoo]

My teenage daughter and I are doing the 4-day Carnival Paradise and need something to do after disembarking before our plane leaves Long Beach Airport around 5ish. Is there somewhere near the cruise terminal to rent a car that we could then return to the airport?

 

Or is there somewhere to store our luggage at the cruise ship terminal?

 

OR (last question I promise) would we do best to taxi to the airport, drop off our luggage and find something to do from there? (rent a car there, take a bus somewhere, etc.)

 

My daughter loves to shop--is there a big mall somewhere nearby?

 

Thanks!:)

[Curt Jerome Wild]

If your daughter loves to shop, then you really need to rent a car...

 

Easiest thing would be to just find which agency at the Long Beach Airport has the best deal for you!

http://www.longbeach.gov/airport/transport/rentals.asp

 

A couple of them will have offices closer to downtown Long Beach, or it just may be easier cheaper to rent directly at the airport.

(You can take a cab or Super Shuttle from the pier to the airport if you decide to do that)...

 

Then depending on what she likes to shop for...

There is Del Amo Mall nearby...

http://www.simon.com/mall/default.aspx?ID=1240

 

South Coast Plaza

http://www.southcoastplaza.com/

 

There's cool vintage stores in downtown Long Beach.

 

If you want to sightsee a bit, you can do this:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=567043

 

Or if she is a fan of The OC TV shows, you'll have time to do some of this:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=500138

There will be cool shopping on that tour around Manhattan Beach.

 

See if that info helps, or if you have any more questions...

 

(If you don't rent a car, then you can stick around Queen Mary or the Aquarium, but somehow I don't think that your daughter would be "thrilled" with those options).

 

[termoo]

Does anyone KNOW if there is a rental car company within walking distance of the port? I've looked at them, but don't really know the distances or how much of a trek it would be. I'd rather not pay for airport transportation AND a rental car if I can help it.

 

Thanks!

[judyf]

Does anyone KNOW if there is a rental car company within walking distance of the port? I've looked at them, but don't really know the distances or how much of a trek it would be. I'd rather not pay for airport transportation AND a rental car if I can help it.

 

Thanks!

 

I'm actually looking for the same info and was going to ask on the Seattle FAQ thread. I will see if we get an answer here first.

 

I know the pier has not assigned a car rental agency, I don't want to wait too long, so what companies are within walking distance of the pier. We are at peir 66 on the NCL Pearl.

 

Thanks in advance.

[SeattleCruiselover]

I'm actually looking for the same info and was going to ask on the Seattle FAQ thread. I will see if we get an answer here first.

 

I know the pier has not assigned a car rental agency, I don't want to wait too long, so what companies are within walking distance of the pier. We are at peir 66 on the NCL Pearl.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Zip, zero, zilch, nada, none, not a one. All uphill and the closest one about 1.5 miles away. (And I really should call them mini-mountains, not hills. Average grade 15-20%)

[judyf]

Zip, zero, zilch, nada, none, not a one. All uphill and the closest one about 1.5 miles away. (And I really should call them mini-mountains, not hills. Average grade 15-20%)

 

Okay, we can't walk but couldn't I take a bus or a cab get a car and then drive back to the pier to get the guys and the luggage?

 

None of us in opur group care to see the flight museum and the ship tour does not seem like things we want to do.

 

We have All day Fri, all day Sat and Sun till we get on the cruise to do all the things downtown we want to see.

 

We have no interest in the Flight Museum or the Boeing Plant.

 

Here is a few plans we are thinking of: I found all the info here on cc. Please give me your opinion.

 

1) rental car Going north, ferry to Whidbey Island, coming back across Deception Pass. public ferry to Bainbridge Island. Go down to Alaska Way, and the Ferry Terminal is at Pier 51, within a block or so of Spring/Seneca (which are the streets the Crowne Plaza is near). You would want to take a taxi back, though, because the hill is VERY steep.

 

This is for Sunday travel?? Not as significant a traffic problem and no game on the 31st. IF you were able to pick up a car early, after self disembarking, you, would be able to do them all, but would have to be well organized. Problem is the Museum of flight closes at 5pm, so I would head there first when they open at 10am, get a 1 or 2 pm Boeing factory tour, depending on how much time you want to spend at the museum, then do the loop drive 4 hours is plenty of time with some stops and ferry schedule. Your flight is at 10pm?? Get there about 8:30pm, time for dinner as well.

 

A lot for one day I would actually recommend the reverse order. Head up to Everett first and take the plant tour in the morning. They start at 9:00 an operate on the hour I believe, check the reservation page on the web to be sure. Plan on making a 10:00am tour and then spending a few minutes at the Future of Flight museum (not all that large). That will put you right about lunch time when you are done. You would then be looking at a 45 minute or so drive back down South to the Museum of Flight. Spend 3 or so hours at the museum until closing at 5:00 and then have a leisurely dinner and still have plenty of time to return the rental and be at SEA two hours early for your flight.

[SeattleCruiselover]

Okay, we can't walk but couldn't I take a bus or a cab get a car and then drive back to the pier to get the guys and the luggage?

 

None of us in opur group care to see the flight museum and the ship tour does not seem like things we want to do.

 

We have All day Fri, all day Sat and Sun till we get on the cruise to do all the things downtown we want to see.

 

We have no interest in the Flight Museum or the Boeing Plant.

 

Here is a few plans we are thinking of: I found all the info here on cc. Please give me your opinion.

 

1) rental car Going north, ferry to Whidbey Island, coming back across Deception Pass. public ferry to Bainbridge Island. Go down to Alaska Way, and the Ferry Terminal is at Pier 51, within a block or so of Spring/Seneca (which are the streets the Crowne Plaza is near). You would want to take a taxi back, though, because the hill is VERY steep.

 

This is for Sunday travel?? Not as significant a traffic problem and no game on the 31st. IF you were able to pick up a car early, after self disembarking, you, would be able to do them all, but would have to be well organized. Problem is the Museum of flight closes at 5pm, so I would head there first when they open at 10am, get a 1 or 2 pm Boeing factory tour, depending on how much time you want to spend at the museum, then do the loop drive 4 hours is plenty of time with some stops and ferry schedule. Your flight is at 10pm?? Get there about 8:30pm, time for dinner as well.

 

A lot for one day I would actually recommend the reverse order. Head up to Everett first and take the plant tour in the morning. They start at 9:00 an operate on the hour I believe, check the reservation page on the web to be sure. Plan on making a 10:00am tour and then spending a few minutes at the Future of Flight museum (not all that large). That will put you right about lunch time when you are done. You would then be looking at a 45 minute or so drive back down South to the Museum of Flight. Spend 3 or so hours at the museum until closing at 5:00 and then have a leisurely dinner and still have plenty of time to return the rental and be at SEA two hours early for your flight.

 

Just remember that it is summer, and tourist season. Ferries are full, and you might have to do some waiting here and there. There is also going to be a lot of road and rail construction going on this summer, so there will be waits for that, too.

 

All in all, it looks good, but just do plan flexibility in as much as possible.

[judyf]

Just remember that it is summer, and tourist season. Ferries are full, and you might have to do some waiting here and there. There is also going to be a lot of road and rail construction going on this summer, so there will be waits for that, too.

 

All in all, it

 

Karen,

 

Thanks for all your imput,

 

We don't care about the Flight musuem and or Boeing factory.

 

We want to get a car and just drive a nice scenic route. Nice wayto end our vacation. What would you suggest???? I value your opinion.

 

I read about San Juan Islands but the Whidbey Island, coming back across Deception Pass. public ferry to Bainbridge Island, sounds like a nice options from the time we get off the ship till we board our 10pm flight.

 

What would youn suggest????????????????????

 

We want to see as much wildlife and and mother nature as possible.

 

Any ideas?????

[Cruisin' Chick]

Does anyone KNOW if there is a rental car company within walking distance of the port? I've looked at them, but don't really know the distances or how much of a trek it would be. I'd rather not pay for airport transportation AND a rental car if I can help it.

 

Thanks!

 

In this case, the OP is looking for something around Long Beach.

[kenish]

To the OP- Enterprise and Hertz are closed on Sundays so that probably doesn't work for you. There is Avis downtown:

 

112 Pacific Ave

Long Beach, CA 90802

 

(562) 983-7444‎

 

or Budget:

 

249 EAST OCEAN BOULEVARD #104

LONG BEACH , CA 90802

Rental car websites allow zip codes and airport codes. Use "90802" for the pickup location and "LGB" for the drop-off. That will get you locations near Carnival.

 

Your daughter may be happiest with South Coast Plaza because of the range and concentration of stores...it's actually a group of 4 or 5 malls, some interconnected. Everything from Target to Cartier is in the area and some of the stores are the only US location of some overseas retailers. A mile south of SCP is The Lab, a small but eclectic center that most 15-25yo like http://www.thelab.com/ BTW, it's about 30 minutes from Carnival and LGB airport. (If you see a good fare out of SNA, that airport is just 2 miles from South Coast Plaza).

[judyf]

Oh, how easy it is to get confused.:confused: I sure was thinking Seattle. :o:o:o

 

Thanks

[termoo]

To the OP- Enterprise and Hertz are closed on Sundays so that probably doesn't work for you. There is Avis downtown:

 

We'll need the car on a Friday, not a Sunday.

[kenish]

We'll need the car on a Friday, not a Sunday.

 

My comment was because Paradise is on a 4 day/ 3 day cycle and the 4-day cruises used to get back on Sunday. Well, now you have more choices in rental car companies.

 

If you go to South Coast Plaza, Santa Monica, etc. leave those areas early for LGB airport. You don't want to mess with Friday afternoon freeway traffic, it starts building around 3pm and is stop and go by 330. Consider just sticking around Long Beach, or Del Amo Mall.

[termoo]

Are there lockers or anything like that AT the port in case we just want to stay close or take public transportation around the area?