MrsTaggart

I'm thinking of travelling with three kids to visit the in-laws for Thanksgiving. Want to do the standard Wed - Sat trip. Will it take me 16 hours to get from LA to Vegas on Wed? What are my options?

IamBooth

It SEEMS like it takes ME 16 hours to make that trip. that's why I always fly.

Most people will make the trip in 4 1/2 hours. With a lot of traffic, 6 hours.

What is a standard wed-sat trip?

fairygemgirl

Traffic on Friday for the Veterans Day holiday was terrible from about 1 pm on. If it holds for Thanksgiving, it really could take you twice the normal time. Saturday should be better since you are a day ahead of the traffic - the glitch will be that CALTrans is working on the southbound I-15/I-215 interchange and the closures are causing major traffic backups. The work is done on the weekends to avoid killing the workweek traffic. I haven't heard if they have cancelled the work for Thanksgiving weekend. We drove to Vegas last weekend and expected bad traffic but because of the memorial service for the firefighters who were killed recently, they cancelled the work and we flew! You might check CalTrans website http://www.dot.ca.gov/ to see if they can give you any info. Bad news is that none of the detours are really helpful as they are WAY out of the way. Options - lots of great cds and packing games/snacks for the kids.

fairygemgirl

FYI - for this weekend starting Friday afternoon, the I 15 will be closed and they are projecting delays of up to 4 hours. Still don't know about Thanksgiving weekend.

RBCal

http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/i15

On a holiday weekend it will probably take 8 hours on Wed. On Saturday it probably won't be too bad. Most people will return on Sunday.

joesorce

if you're just "thinking about it" then stop thinking about it. Hmmm....the in-laws....hmmmm...horrendous traffic...., what's the upside? Stay home even if it means Swanson Turkey Dinners.

tracys2cents

Certainly one good option is to just stay home. It's nice to visit relatives over the holidays but there's a lot to be said for some "down time" before the Christmas rush, too. We seem to be living in a culture that needs to be on the go-go-go every minute...we think we're missing out on something if we don't do what everyone else seems to be doing.
Enjoy your quiet on Thursday, and then head to the zoo on Friday when all the other idiots are in line looking for a "bargain". Or make reservations for the new Griffith Observatory. Head up to the Getty on Saturday for the weekend family event. Do something nice with the 100 bucks that you'll save on gas, and come Sunday...sit back and feel relaxed instead of stressed out from traffic and impatience. The kids won't be all-wound-up and you'll be sipping coffee, watching the news reports of the traffic nightmares.

rjw_lgb_ca

I'll add to the pile-on.

Don't even consider driving to Vegas. EVER. Not with easy, cheap access via every single area airport.

But I seriously doubt you'll be able to find cheap flights this late. You can try:

www.jetblue.com
www.southwest.com
www.usair.com

Better idea: Stay home and relax.

Dayle

Once, on New Year's Day, we were driving home from skiing in Jackson Hole. Once we got to Vegas, it took us another NINE HOURS to get to Orange County from Vegas. It was BEYOND hideous. Nearly the entire length of I-15 was lined with cars that had just given up, parked and the people were sleeping on the side of the freeway!

There is no one and no amount of money that can ever make me drive through Vegas on a holiday again -- ever.

vegasnative

I make this drives tons of times every year and it usually takes me about 4 hours. The worst times in my opinion that you can travel this route is LA to Vegas on a Friday afternoon/night and then Vegas to LA Sunday afternoon. Every weekend, even non holiday weekends it is busy for the So. Cal. people driving into Vegas. I have made the trip leaving Vegas on Friday and returning on Sunday and I just look at the long line of lights heading my way and say "I am so glad I am going the opposite way". If you leave LA early Wed. and return early Sat. you really shouldn't have much of a problem. Perhaps the only problem you "might" encounter will be Sat. because they "might" have some road work over the Cajon Pass, they have been delaying this work and delaying it even though they keep saying they "will" be working on it. Try checking with California DOT site to see if they have any info on it. Otherwise, you should be fine and able to make the dirve in about 4 hours.