Transportation questions throughout CA
 

I hope someone can help. I want to visit California without renting a car. The cities I want to visit are Fort Bragg which is on the coast north of San Francisco, San Francisco, Hemet, and San Diego. Is it possible to fly into San Francisco and get a train or bus to Fort Bragg. Also do trains go to or anywhere close to Hemet? My plan is to fly into San Francisco and spend a few days there, the to to Fort Bragg to see relatives, then to Hemet to see more relatives, then off to San Diego for a few days. If anyone can help with answering my transportation quesstions it would be greatly appreciated.

You can most likely take a bus from San Francisco to Ft. Bragg and then back to Oakland to catch Amtrak south to San Diego and then take a bus to Hemet and back. However, this process would be very time consuming , inconvenient and most likely more expensive than renting a car. Also, if you did rent a car you could incorporate the amazing highway 1 drive down the coast from San Francisco to L.A. I suggest you rent a car.

Why don't you ask your relatives to find transportation for you.

Fort Bragg and Hemet are not easy places to get to by public transportation.

Amtrak goes to Willits - don't know if there are local buses to Ft Bragg. Same with Greyhound bus. Maybe your relatives can pick you up in Willits?

As for Hemet... I had to look it up, never heard of it! Maybe you can fly from SF to a nearby airport where your relatives can pick you up, like Palm Springs or Riverside? Or search Amtrak website, if you take the train from San Francisco to Bakersfield, there is a connecting bus to Palm Springs with stops on the way, maybe this will be more convenient for your relatives to pick you up?

From SF to San Diego it's doable, but I would look into a flight, check Southwest. How to get from Hemet to San Diego, I have no idea!

HA! I found a connection between Willits and Fort Bragg - SKUNK TRAIN :))

Seriously, look here, it goes through redwoods:

http://www.skunktrain.com/

IS there a reason why you can't rent a car, (eg, can't drive or something), or is it that you prefer not to drive? Because without a car, it's going to take a very long time to get to all these places, especially Hemet. I know a few people who live in Hemet and work in San Diego, but they all drive.

My friend is a principal in Hemet and she drives everyday from Fallbrook which is about a 45 minute drive. Fallbrook to San Diego is about another 50 minutes. So you're talking about an hour and half drive. Even if there was a bus that went to Hemet from San Diego, I would imagine it would take hours.

Also wondering why you can't rent a car? It would definitely be the most convenient way to get all the places you mentioned.

Hi Everybody,
Thanks for all your suggestions. It's not that I can't rent a car, but I prefer not to. We live in a small city in the midwest, and don't like driving here. So I cannot imagine how much we will hate driving in CA. When we go on vacation we always go to big cities that have subways, great bus systems, or taxi cabs for shorter distances and that always worked out for us, but it doesn't sound like that will be the case in CA. Thanks Dayenu for the information about Skunk Train. Maybe we will just have to rent a car to get to Hemet and we could use amtrak and Skunk Train for Northern CA. If anyone has any other ideas please let me know.

<<<When we go on vacation we always go to big cities>>>

Well, Ft. Bragg and Hemet certainly aren't that :-) Hemet is fairly large town that's a suburb of nowhere (about 40 miles from Riverside and from Palm Springs), and Ft. Bragg isn't even a suburb, it's just a small town (population 7,000) in the middle of nowhere.

Using the Skunk train for transport is really not practical -- it is an excursion train (not totally sure if they'd allow luggage). Plus - when is the trip? The Skunk doesn't serve Willits year round and when it does, not every day of the week and only leaves Willits once a day early in the AM.

"<i>I prefer not to. We live in a small city in the midwest, and don't like driving here. So I cannot imagine how much we will hate driving in CA. When we go on vacation we always go to big cities that have subways, great bus systems, or taxi cabs for shorter distances and that always worked out for us,</i>"

All well and good -- when I go to London or NYC or Seattle or Paris I don't drive either. BUT when you choose to take a trip to places that don't have public transport -- then you either need to rent a car -- or change your plans. Ft Bragg is a small town on the fairly remote N Coast - not a big city w/ subways.

That is about it. Ft Bragg to SF to San Diego is more than 700 miles -- without the Hemet detour.

If you want to drive only a little, you could fly into SF and drive up to Ft Bragg and back, then fly to San Diego, drive to Hemet and fly home from Ontario.

Just because you really want to do something a certain way doesn't make it doable/practical/possible.

If you want a big cities w/ public transport stick to SF and SD and fly between the two. When you add Ft Bragg and Hemet -- ya gotta get a car.

Well this is a tough question. Google is your friend on the San Francisco to Fort Bragg route. I found an unusual website that may help you. websitehttp://www.rawfoodchef.com/aboutUs/transportation.html

For san diego to hemet it looks like you can take a greyhound bus to Temecula or Banning. From there I'd google the city bus websites for both cities. Banning is a little north of Temecula (about 15-20 miles) Temecula is a south. But Banning has more older people who might need a bus so find out about the city buses from those cities.

Good luck. Public transpo in CA needs improvement.
Let us know how it turns out.

I dont think you will find anyone who lives in California who will endorse you plan of public transportation for these locations and for the distances you are contemplating. The only city you've mentioned where you could be carless easily would be San Francisco. San Diego has a nice freeway system and the other towns are fairly small, you should be fine. Perhaps fly from SF to SD if you do not wish to drive through? God luck!

"<i>stick to SF and SD and fly between the two.</i>"

When I posted that -- I meant to add: But flying that leg means missing all the amazing scenery in between. Like Carmel, Big Sur, San Simeon, Santa Barbara - you name it.

Another option - drive SF > Ft Bragg >SF, fly from SFO (or Oakland) to Ontario, drive to Hemet and then on to San Diego. Fly home from there

When people think about big states, they think Alaska or Texas. California is a big state too.

Just for comparison: California's coastline is 840 miles long, Texas's coastline is 380 miles long.

You're planning on visiting California along almost its entire coastline - without a car. It's simply not practical. Please take the excellent suggestions and rent a car - for at least part of your trip.

janisj, kathymike never said anything about wanting to SEE the coast of Ca! lol

easytraveler, hello! Hope you are having a wonderful summer and coming to taste wines here this fall... :)

I think janis's suggestion of drive SF-Ft Bragg-SF, fly to Ontario, drive to Hemet then on to San Diego, fly home from SD, is the best so far.

"<i>kathymike never said anything about wanting to SEE the coast of Ca!</i>"

I do realize that. I was just suggesting that IF they rented a car they could <i>consider</i> seeing a bit of the coast. One who thinks it is possible to take public transport from Ft Bragg to Hemet and points in between likely doesn't know too much about California and how big it is, and might not know what else is in the area. Just giving them more info, that's all.

I live in Fort Bragg and it is possible to get here without a car. We have a regional bus system called Mendocino Transit Authority (MTA)and their web site does a good job of explaining connections to other public transportation options. http://www.4mta.org/connecting_services.php

If someone doesn't want to drive, then I'm all for it.
There are already too many people on the freeways, many of whom do not want to drive, and are too scared of our freeways to be good drivers.

I'm sure anyone wanting to take public transportation understands that it will take a while longer. There are obviously ways to do this.
What's frustrating about this plan, is there is not a cohesive way to use the major public transportation websites to map it out.

Kathy_Mike, the best way I found to help you was to find the largest (little city) next to where you want to go. What you need to figure out the Hemet puzzle is the http://www.riversidetransit.com/bus_info/schedules.htm

The other factor is time. Public transportation takes a whole lot more time and until California develops the kind of bounty of public transportation that Europe has, it's really a waste of time.

I'm all for saving the environment and belong to several green groups, but some things just aren't practical in today's world.

But every one has to find his/her comfort zone and if the OP wants to spend half/most of the vacation time on public transportation instead of enjoying the local sights, so be it.

Hi, onemoneygirl: good to see you here! Every year I plan on taking you up on your wonderful invitation and every year something else interferes - maybe this is the year! Let's keep our fingers crossed! Hope things are going smoothly for you too!

The reason why things aren't practical in today's world is that people take the easy way out.

What is incredible to me, is that these people want to take public transportation and are probably quite aware of the time constraints, yet when they ask for help the answer is a fall back of "rent a car."
She's already said, she doesn't want to rent a car. Maybe the few more hours reading a good book on a train or bus is worth it to them, rather then stressing out driving in unfamiliar territory.

One can belong to every green group and give half their income to them as well, but nothing is going to change until there is a demand for green living.

Truth be told, I rarely take public transportation but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t help someone who wants to use it. And actually not because of my environmentalist leanings. It’s a fun puzzle and I could see immediately that the reason the OP was having a difficult time was not because they were lazy about googling but b/c there are certain factors that someone who has not lived in this state all their lives would have to know.

Or perhaps they just didn't know how remote Ft. Bragg is and how difficult public transportation to remote places is in California.

Even if it's a remote location, people still get there by public transportation. After all, isn't Ft Bragg still an active military base? I believe so, although I haven't been there in a few years.

If Fort Bragg is still an active military base, how are the soldiers getting there? By public transportation?

I fail to see what Fort Bragg being a military base has to do with public transportation.

It's one thing to be green, it's another thing to advice visitors to take practically non-existent public transportation.

LSky-I am one who always recommends rent a car in California unless you are staying in SF. One of the reasons I do this is what easytraveler mentioned, that in many places it's almost non-existent. I hate to see people using their precious vacation time sitting on a Greyhound Bus that could take hours to go a short distance.

Will I help give them the information they want? Yes I will and of course it's their decision. But I think many people are afraid of driving in CA and it's one of the easiest places to get around in especially in this day and age of GPS.

Since I said I would help with the info, here's a way to get from San Diego to Hemet. Take the Greyhound from San Diego to Temecula. Considering it only stops once in Escondido and is an hour and 25 minute drive, that's not bad. The Greyhound station in Temecula is in Old Town which is actually a cute place to walk around. You can then use riversidetransit as LSky mentioned. Looks like line 79 which takes around 1 hr 10 minutes to Hemet depending on where you get on and off. But as I pointed out just the ride time alone is 2 hours and 35 minutes and that doesn't include getting to the Greyhound station, waiting time for the local bus, etc. So I would imagine it could take 3 to 3.5 hours to use public transporation to get from San Diego to Hemet. You can drive this in 1.5 hours. This is why I don't recommend public transporation.

OH, My Goodness!?!

"<i>Ft Bragg still an active military base? I believe so, although I haven't been there in a few years.</i>"

Uh - nope -- and never was (well not in the last 150+ years). Even back in the 1850's it was only a very small outpost and I VERY much doubt you were there. The Ft Bragg that is a military base is in <u>North Carolina</u>.

OR could you mean Ft Ord? That was a military base - closed long ago and anyway it is down near Monterey, hundreds of miles from Ft Bragg.

I think a map is in order.

Janis--Why would a poster bother with facts when they are chastising people. LOL

The thing about the car rental suggestion, is we are NOT suggesting you drive within big cities (like San Francisco or San Diego) but rather to use the car to get between these fairly remoate towns you are wanting to get yourself too.

If someone wants to take public transportation why not just give them what they need?

I love to drive but some people don't like the stress of driving. Maybe they're poor drivers. The 3.5 hours that it might take to get to Hemet on public transportation might be worth the extra 1.5 spent in stress. The OP might get some work done on the bus or get some reading in.

Maybe she would be spending 4 hours straightening out a fender bender because she's not a good driver. I don't know, neither do any of us.

I drive quite a bit and I'd like the people who don't like to drive to get off the freeways. I'm tired of them going 50 miles an hour in the fast lane THEN remembering that the exit they need is next, so they slow down and try to cross 3 lanes of moving traffic.

The last time I went to Ft. Bragg it was a two lane road, can't imagine that it's change. I don't want to follow someone who hates to drive while she toodles along at 15-20 mph down a two lane road. She doesn't want someone on her butt all the way down the road.

Give the woman some credit for knowing what she wants!

LSky: <i>"Give the woman some credit for knowing what she wants!"</i>

I knows what I want too - I want some green cheese from the moon.

LSky: the OP has gotten the best and most sincere advice from long-time posters (I'm not including myself). The advice is trustworthy. If these posters could give the OP what she wants, they would have done so long ago.

How often does that San Diego-Temecula bus run? What if she misses the bus she wants and has to sit in the Greyhound station for 2 or 3 hours waiting for the next bus? Hope she's taking along "War and Peace" as reading material.

Driving around California (not the big cities) is a pleasure compared to driving around the nutty streets of Chicago and its suburbs and there are vast stretches of two-lane roads in the midwest where we usually have freeways.

Anyhoos, this has been an interesting discussion. I'll await the OP's return to tell us how much of a phobia she has about driving.

easytraveler-I think the San Diego bus to Temecula only runs twice a day in the afternoon. So you'd definitely have to do some planning.

LSky-I agree with you about people on the freeways who don't want to drive. I am a Sales Rep with a territory that goes from San Diego to SLO and I live in San Diego County. Many days I spend 3 or more hours on the freeway. But I still think that visitors to CA, especially those who are first timers or those who don't visit often, really don't understand the scope of how big CA is. Yes you can look on a map but they still don't understand getting from Point A to Point B in such a huge state.

Personally I think a car makes visiting easier even in San Diego or Los Angeles. But if someone is dead set against renting a car in LA or San Diego, they can manage to get around. But to go to Hemet, Ft. Bragg or other remote locations, using public transportation is harder than most visitors would imagine. The OP in this thread must have had some idea about that, or she probably wouldn't have started this topic.

Paula: you're absolutely correct. Taking public transportation in California will certainly take a lot of good planning.

Well, I wish the OP a fine journey, whatever her decision.

Has anyone here ever taken public transportation to these places?

No :-) (So if the OP wants to be the first, she now has all the information she needs)

LSky: Give it up - I have been to Ft Bragg (the <u>non-miltary</u> one BTW) many times. Yes you <i>can</i> get there by public transport. But not in ANY practical sense.

Say from SFO? One would have to go into central SF (taxi or BART) and hang around the greyhound depot waiting for the <u>one</u> departure a day to Willits (2:45PM)

Then you ride to Willits and get off (I kid you not) at the McDonalds at 6:15PM.

There is no bus to Ft Bragg that late so you over night at a motel in Willits and take a bus to Ft Bragg the next day.

What would be a 3.5 hour (easy) drive mostly up 101 becomes a nearly 24 hour slog via Greyhound/local buses.

Or they might stay overnight in San Francisco, take the 8.45 am bus and arrive Willits on Amtrak at 1.20. Still a long haul!

Wow getting to Ft. Bragg via public transporation makes San Diego to Hemet a piece of cake.

I have a sister who lives in Hemet and it is possible to get there using public transport but I wouldn't want to rely on it. I don't know of any trains that stop anywhere close.
So for the So Cal leg, I would consider flying from San Francisco into ONT, driving to Hemet and then to San Diego, then using public transport and flying out of San Diego.
If you really don't want to rent a car, I would use Paula's advice and go to San Diego (best chance of a train San Francisco to San Diego - http://www.dot.ca.gov/rail/go/amtrak/index.cfm Pacific Surfliner/Coast starlight) and then take a bus to Temecula, then to Hemet. Banning is farther and around a mountain so I wouldn't choose that city. If you do go to Banning or if you fly into Ontario Airport and want transport to Hemet, check http://www.riversidetransit.com/home/index.htm - Riverside Transit Agency - for times and routes. When I looked, the routes from Ontario Airport to Hemet ranged from 3 hours to 6 hours and were not very direct. Hemet and Temecula are both in Riverside County so that site should be able to help with routes from both cities. Regretably, any public transport route in So Cal will be difficult and taxis would be expensive. So for at least this leg, I would consider flying from San Francisco into ONT, driving to Hemet and then to San Diego, then using public transport and flying out of San Diego.

"LSky: Give it up - I have been to Ft Bragg (the non-miltary one BTW) many times. Yes you can get there by public transport. But not in ANY practical sense."

okay then, janisj. And since it seems to be important to you, I was wrong about Ft Bragg and you are right.

Paula :))