Traffic from San Diego to Palm Springs
 

From 7:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. is traffic bad when driving a fairly direct route from San Diego to Palm Springs, CA? If so, do you have any suggestions for missing the traffic, even if the route is somewhat less direct? Would it be better to fly from San Diego to Palm Springs?

Details: I'll be traveling sometime in August, 2012, flying to San Diego, driving to Palm Springs. I'm not familiar with California at all.

Pretty much any California City will have rush hour traffic between 7 AM to 9 AM, and starting again at 4 PM for a couple hours, so try to avoid those hours if you can.

The most direct route (and fastest if there is no traffic) is to just zip up the 163/15 through Escondido to Temecula - there taking the 215 toward Riverside - and then take the 60 east - through Moreno Valley to the 10 and on into Palm Springs/the greater Cochella Valley.

But having driven this over 50 times (My In-laws - may they RIP - lived in Palm Desert - and were in Idyllwild before that) - I prefer this route for a little more variety and sometimes - the shoppers can clog up the 60.

Also head up the 15 to Temecula - taking the 215 from there - and about 10? miles north of there - take the Newport exit - through Meniffee Lakes CC - which becomes Domenigoni Parkway - on into Temecula - and then take 79/Winchester north/up to the 10 and over to PS.

You can also head east at Temecula - along the 74 - for a more scenic drive - through Aguanga and Anza - but the last 10 miles or so are pretty curvy - alongside/overlooking a valley.

Check this map for the latter route - and zoom in and out for the way I suggest, and also for the way using the 60.

http://tinyurl.com/74cl66m

And you can make it in 2 hours - or a bit longer - which is about as fast as getting to the airport and hour ahead of your flight, etc.

I live in SD and pass through Palm Springs when I drive to visit family in AZ. I have driven all 3 routes described above and enjoy the "back way" the best; that is, the route through Temecula, Anguanga/Anza, then dropping down into the Coachella Valley where PS is. It's a scenic desert/mountain route with none of the usual southern California freeway traffic. Take 15 north out of SD, then 79 East through Temecula, then Northeast on 371 through Aguanga, then you'll turn E on 74, which will drop you right down into the Palm Springs/Palm Desert/Rancho Mirage area. It is an obvious route with easy signage.

I appreciate the responses.

Not on topic, but are you familiar with any theatre in and around Palm Springs that has music or plays in the summer? I haven't found much for the summer.

Summer is very much the off-season in Palm Springs, so I think you'll find little of it in the summer.

I find the route using the Domenigoni Parkway faster than the 215 into the 60 junction in Moreno Valley.

If time allows, the route over the Santa Rosa Mountains that outlets into Palm Desert is much more scenic and enjoyable, albeit two lane for most of the ride, including some windy/curvy road parts. Those prone to carsickness don't enjoy it much.

McCallum Theatre has a few events this summer http://www.mccallumtheatre.com/

PS Museum/Annenberg Theater can also be checked: http://www.psmuseum.org/calendar/month.php

Also some live music at clubs/bars here and there, but yeah, it is the off-season.

I like the mountain route best, too. The 215 can be really backed up durung rush hour or if there are road works.

I appreciate the responses.

We still may drive, but we're also considering flying to Palm Springs airport. The airfare seems to be about the same as flying to San Diego.

Is there a way to be notified by e-mail if somebody responds to your post?

"<i>Is there a way to be notified by e-mail if somebody responds to your post?</i>"

Not really w/o coming on to the site. Then just click on your screen name and if there are any new posts since the last time you opened the thread, the title will be highlighted/bold blue. The title will be grayed out of there is no new activity.

If it's the same price and you don't plan to spend any time in San Diego, then just fly into Palm Springs. You do know that it's in the triple digits in August in Palm Springs? Of course, everything inside is air-conditioned, but that's mighty hot!

What Andeesue said.

If you're hell bent on coming:

- Outside activities like golf or hiking really early in the day

- Drink tons of water

- In and out of the pool if outside

- Time leisure activities for after the sun hides (Thank God) behind the Santa Rosa/San Jacinto Mtns.

I can tell you, comfortable nighttime, shorts weather all night and really pretty skies typically, especially full moon.

Also should have added, hella deals on Happy Hours and dining out if you look around.

It's a 2 hour drive, leave early. The desert is beautiful in the early morning.

Thank you very much for the responses.

What about flying to LA, then driving to Palm Springs? The airfare is the cheapest and there is the most flexibility in travel times from Philadelphia airport.

Am I more likely to have traffic issues driving from LA to Palm Springs than from San Diego to Palm Springs?

Also, I'm still considering flying to Palm Springs, but there is less flexibility in the travel times and since I cannot travel non-stop to Palm Springs from Philadelphia airport I will have a layover which, depending on the flight, could be several hours and make the total travel time more than if I just fly to San Diego or LA and then drive.

LA would be my choice for overall airline and departure time flexibility, price and (maybe) time, but I'm concerned about the traffic.

Depending on the time your flight arrives, you can get into really bad traffic leaving LAX. If you arrive mid-morning and drive through LA in the window between around 10:30am to 1:30pm, you would probably be OK.

Have you looked into LA/Ontario airport? I'm pretty sure there are no direct flights from Philadelphia to Ontario but you would have a lot more choices of flight times. I believe Southwest flies between the two. From Ontario airport to Palm Springs is a direct route on I-10 and takes a little over an hour to Palm Springs and about 1.5 hours to Palm Desert. Wouldn't have to deal with much traffic from Ontario.

Are you going for vacation? Please listen to what everyone says about the heat. I grew up in the Arizona desert and I go to Palm Springs for work. I try to avoid August as much as I can. PSlocal gave you some great hints on how to manage the heat.

If you do fly into San Diego, the mountain route is nice and scenic. I usually go that way to Palm Desert as I live close to Temecula.

paula1470 -
Thank you for the advice. We'll be careful about the heat, but we do like hot, dry weather without the humidity that we're accustomed to here at the east coast.

Did you check into flying into Ontario airport?

paula1470 -

It appears that the best price options will be PHL to LAX and there are non-stop flights. The total travel time (assuming no travel delays) will be about the same as flying from PHL to PSP (Palm Springs) since PHL to PSP requires 1 stop.

Flying PHL to ONT will require 1 stop (1 1/2 to 2 hours added to the travel time) and then more time to drive, and the ticket prices are only a little bit cheaper than flying from PHL to PSP.

Don't get overly stressed about the LA traffic. If you leave between 9:30 and 3:30 - it shouldn't be that bad.

Also - get a good map of the LA Freeways - and listen to AM 1070 for traffic updstes every six minutes.

Personally however, - I prefer the drive from SD to Palm Springs - much prettier on two of the routes, and San Diego has plenty of things to see and do - and it's much easier to get around here than in LA. :)