Cab fare in CA?

[Hypersmurf]

I may have to overnight in LA for a trip later in the year.

When I was about 8, we went to Medieval Times on a family holiday, and I've always wanted to go back some time. If the timing works out, I'd be keen to do it on this trip (shame to waste the opportunity).

Buena Park is about 28 miles from LAX, apparently. If I were staying in an airport hotel, what would be the approximate cab fare to and from the restaurant? Is there a better way of getting there?

-Hyp.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

A quick google showed the rates last summer were $1.60 a mile, so you'd be looking at probably $90 minimum, round-trip.

 

[kenobi65]

An arm and a leg. Seriously.

Buena Park is just a little north of Disneyland, in Orange County, well east of LA proper. LAX is on the ocean, on the west side of LA.

Looking at the web site for a Buena Park hotel (Courtyard by Marriott), they estimate that cab fare to/from LAX is $65 each way. (Oh, and, returning to the pizza thread...cabbies get tipped in the U.S. )

Public transportation in LA is sketchy at best, too. The default assumption in LA is that you have a car. They've recently built a light-rail system that, I believe, services LAX, but I have no idea if it can get you anywhere close to Buena Park.

It might honestly be cheaper for you to rent a car at LAX for a day and drive to the restaurant and back. And, then you can say you drove in the infamous LA traffic!

When I went to the late lamented GenCon SoCal in Anaheim in 2005, the hotel strongly advised me to fly into the Orange County Airport, rather than LAX, to avoid the exorbitant cab fare. Obviously, that's not an option for you.

Edit: Did some digging. Theoretically possible to get from LAX to Knott's Berry Farm (a Disneyland-like theme park in Buena Vista) via public transit. It's about a 2-hour trip, and involves taking a train, then a bus:
http://socaltransport.org/tm_pub_st...re=RG&evaluateButton.x=66&evaluateButton.y=15

I'd still say rent a car.

 

[Hypersmurf]

It might honestly be cheaper for you to rent a car at LAX for a day and drive to the restaurant and back. And, then you can say you drove in the infamous LA traffic!

Good lord. A quick search shows about $20-25 for a day? Is that right?

-Hyp.

 

[Tewligan]

Good lord. A quick search shows about $20-25 for a day? Is that right?

-Hyp.

Yep, that sounds about right. Public transportation SUCKS here. Oh, and there's unfortunately no train station at LAX. There is the Flyaway shuttle that'll take you from LAX to a train station, but that's the closest you get. Not that a train goes anywhere near Medieval Times anyway, unfortunately. Offhand, I'm not sure of the best way to get from LAX to Medieval Times public transit-wise - maybe if you call Medieval Times they can give you some bus advice?

You'd think a city of L.A's size would have a halfway decent public transit system, but you'd be horribly wrong, I'm afraid...

 

[kenobi65]

Good lord. A quick search shows about $20-25 for a day? Is that right?

Honestly? That feels low to me, but I'm usually renting cars on business trips, which means I'm going through a higher-end rental place (Avis). I'd still advise staying with a bigger brand of rental-car place, even if it's one of the discount ones (like Budget or Alamo).

 

[kenobi65]

You'd think a city of L.A's size would have a halfway decent public transit system, but you'd be horribly wrong, I'm afraid...

Remember "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"? My understanding is that there is some truth to that story (well, not about the Toons, but that they dismantled the light rail system in the '40s to build freeways).

 

[Darth K'Trava]

Yep, that sounds about right. Public transportation SUCKS here. Oh, and there's unfortunately no train station at LAX. There is the Flyaway shuttle that'll take you from LAX to a train station, but that's the closest you get. Not that a train goes anywhere near Medieval Times anyway, unfortunately. Offhand, I'm not sure of the best way to get from LAX to Medieval Times public transit-wise - maybe if you call Medieval Times they can give you some bus advice?

You'd think a city of L.A's size would have a halfway decent public transit system, but you'd be horribly wrong, I'm afraid...

Maybe if someone more local could call for him as his call would be international.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Maybe if someone more local could call for him as his call would be international.

Well, they have an email address, so I could do it that way.

Edit - the reply was prompt, though not particularly helpful - boiled down to "We don't offer transportation options. Ask your hotel."

-Hyp.

 

[kenobi65]

Edit - the reply was prompt, though not particularly helpful - boiled down to "We don't offer transportation options. Ask your hotel."

Swell.

It's likely that your hotel will have a shuttle bus, though that's primarily used to get people to and from the airport. I've known of cases where they'll have their shuttle bus driver take someone somewhere else...but an hour+ trip to Orange County might be a bit much.

Outside of renting a car, your only other good bet is going to be finding an EN Worlder with a car who wouldn't mind going to Medieval Times.