oregonmom

Our flight gets in at 3:25 then need to drive to San Ysidro. I haven't been in LA area for 20 years. What will this drive be like? Not in a big hurry but want to get to the motel at a reasonable time. Also want to get there in one piece!

rjw_lgb_ca

By the time you're in the rental and on the road, you're looking at getting on the 405 at about 4:30. At that time a drive down to San Ysidro could take upwards of 3 - 3 1/2 hours.

You couldn't fly into SAN...?

Surfergirl

I'd ask why don't you fly into San Diego, but you must have a good reason not to.

You'll have the car around 4ish. On a Thursday afternoon. You'll be going either the 405 to the 5 or the 405 to the 5 to the 805 -- pretty much the same thing.

On that day at that time, you will certainly hit rush hour traffic. What should be a hair over 2 hours will probably take you 3 hours. What will happen is you will hit pockets where it gets slow and heavy traffic; then for no reason at all, it will lighten up.

My best recommendation to you is to take it easy, don't rush and remember, be prepared to come of a quick halt at 65 mph -- because you can just be steaming along, tapping your foot to a song on the radio, then BAM, go around a bend and traffic is at a standstill. So, bottom line, don't take your eyes off the road!

rjw_lgb_ca

Oh, and you will need to be especially careful on the stretch of the 405 between the 605 and 22 interchanges. There is extensive construction going on, involving some serpentine lane reconfigurations (new overpasses), so follow signs very carefully.

Surfergirl

Yeah, what RJW said. I had to maneuver that 2 weeks ago!

oregonmom

Thanks everyone. The tickets to San Diego were twice as much as to LAX from Oregon so I decided to go that route. I knew that the driving might be bad, just hope I can get through it. We have no plans but to get to the motel so I think we will be ok.

mike_b12

If it is a weekday use the carpool lane when possible, should help a little.

rjw_lgb_ca

mike is right. The HOV lane (aka the carpool lane) on the 405 will be helpful. Or, put more realistically, SHOULD be more helpful. During rush hour I warn you that all bets are off, and sometimes the HOV lane is the slowest. I drive that freeway every weekday, so I speak from hard-fought experience.

janisj

If I was you, I'd sit around the airport or stop for an early dinner right after picking up the car. The drive will be MUCH easier if you leave at 7pm and not at 5pm.

dbdurand

Sorry for not responding sooner.

You have probably figured out that hanging around the airport and going nowhere for three hours, to save something like 45 minutes in travel time on the freeways is not a good tradeoff.

If it fits your schedule, having dinner as janisj suggested is a good idea. I suggest the Proud Bird. It's very near the airport and is a unique landmark. However, it's about to close. I've eaten there several times over the years. See:

http://www.theproudbird.com/proudbird/default.aspx

nanabee

San Ysidro? Any particular reason you are going there? A hop over the border to Tijuana or visiting family?

clarkgriswold

Have dinner from 5 to 7 by the sea, in Manhattan Beach. Why drive at a time when the traffic is 3 times as bad, only to get to San Ysidro exhausted and hungry?

And when all is said and done, that 2 hour dinner by the seaside will only have cost you an hour.