I need some assistance. My husband and I are in San Diego for a poultry comference in early October and we plan to do a 5 day hike in the Grand Canyon following this. We want to leave San Diego on the 9th and start the trip on the 10th in Flagstaff.
How do I get to Flagstaff in this short space of time? Is it possible?
Also, where is a cheap place to stay in Flagstaff for the night?
Thanks
Bev

500 mile drive - around 7hrs by rental car.

Greyhound bus. 12 hr ride with transfer in Phoenix.

Fly to Phoenix then drive rental car.

Fly to Phoenix then bus.

If you can leave SD the morning of the 9th, just drive straight through to Flag. Or, depending on what time you depart Flag for your hiking trip, drive to Phoenix, then up to Flag the following morning. About 350 miles and around 5 hours. Then 2 hours to Flag the following day. You won't actually get into Phoenix, you will take the 101 that goes through Glendale and Peoria. At Bell Road, in Peoria, there are several hotels just off the 101. The cheapest would probably be the Comfort Suites Peoria sports Complex (2 star).

Sounds like you will be winging it for the poultry conference without a rental car, so you could fly from San Diego to Flagstaff ... a quick search on Priceline shows $130 pp for a 3 1/2 hour non-stop flight on USAirways, with more expensive options on Frontier, Continental and United. This is surely the fastest way.

It would be cheaper to rent a car and drive, if you can find a company that will let you do a one-way to Flagstaff, which has a few rental car companies but not many.

where is a cheap place to stay in Flagstaff for the night?

From the way you describe this trip it sounds like you are meeting a hiking tour in Flag? If so, ask them where to stay, they will typically want everyone in the same spot to make it easier to round up people for orientation and for when they depart.

If this is not the case, then Flagstaff is full of cheap and moderate motels. I'd try to find one that will pick up at the airport (if you take my first suggestion and fly) since the airport is a few miles south of town.

$130 pp for a 3 1/2 hour non-stop flight

Meant to write "one-stop" (in Phoenix) rather than "non-stop" ... sorry, got distracted. There's an early AM flight and also an early evening flight.

Do not take the "one-stop" flight to Flag. With the layover, plus the PPROBABILITY of delay, if you do fly, just fly into PHX and drive the 2 hours to Flag. US Airways is notorious for delays in PHX.

US Airways is notorious for delays in PHX

Do you have any data to back that up? The FAA tracks on-time arrivals/departures and PHX departures for USAir are on-time 95% ... just checking the specifics for the afternoon flights from San Diego to PHX and PHX to Flag shows 94.5% and 96% on-time departures, for example.

Sounds like you were on a delayed flight once or twice? Apparently not the norm though.

Thanks for all the suggestions.Especial thanks to Bill H for findin out prices on airlines-and even those statistics. i'm impressed!!
We aare joining a hikibg tour so I will ask the company for accomm-good suggestion again Bill H
I think that we will either fly all the way or fly and drive. Coming from Australia where we drive opposite to you guys, driving in the US is very stresful for us.
Thansk also to J62. Will look into the Greyhound option too.
Thanks for the warning MikePinTucson

Southwest flies from SD to PHX and also to Vegas. Sometime they have $49 one-way fares. Usually they have very good prices.

More than once or twice, Bill. I was waiting for a flight in PHX (third delayed flight of that trip on US Airways) and at the gate next to me, the flight to Flag had been delayed by about 4 hours. It is just NOT worth the hassle. If you fly, fly to PHX and rent a car.

Mike, I agree that renting a car is cheaper but they are still left with the problem of what to do with the car while in the GC. If they can turn it in without a big drop-off fee at Flag then it's a good deal but if not I'd not worry at all about flying to Flag. I think if I were renting a car I'd just rent in San Diego though, it will be cheaper than Phoenix due to the stadium taxes.

You can check the on-time departure/arrival rates for flights at http://www.bts.gov/xml/ontimesummary.../src/index.xml ... I checked three PHX-Flagstaff flights from April - June (latest dates info is available), on one flight there was only one delayed flight in 3 months and it was 15 min late arriving. Other two flights had 3 and 6 flights that left late, arriving on average 59 min and 40 min late. To me this is not a big deal ...

You seldom get delayed at PHX due to the weather. I think it is one of the best places to transfer. I always pick it when flying SW instead of DEN, if at all possible.