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from L.A. to SF, drive or fly?

mike lowrey

By mike lowrey
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englandmj7

englandmj7

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Depends on budget, what time you need to leave/be there, if you have to rent a car when you get to SF, what airport you prefer to leave from in LA (LAX or Burbank), and to arrive at in SF (SFO or OAK)........

It takes about 5.5 - 6 hours driving, and a flight can run anywhere from $150-300 with a flight time of 1 hour 10 minutes..........

But, if you are leaving LA during rush hour or getting to SF during rush hour, tack 1-2 hours on to your trip.

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mike lowrey

mike lowrey

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does this mean what i think it means...

nope, I will be there in december but will have to leave before the date :(

sorry should've mentioned more details, I will have a car in LA anyways, returning it to SF isn't a problem. if flying is significantly better I'm willing to pay for it.

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mrip

mrip

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There are usually cheap flights from SF to LA/LA to SF on southwest.com if you purchase them early enough in advance. If you are lucky you can get a round trip for about 100. Gas usually costs me about 40 dollars each way, but I recommend a 1 hour flight compared to a 6 hour drive.

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englandmj7

englandmj7

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nope, I will be there in december but will have to leave before the date :(

sorry should've mentioned more details, I will have a car in LA anyways, returning it to SF isn't a problem. if flying is significantly better I'm willing to pay for it.

Well, there's nothing interesting between LA and SF to make an amusing road trip out of so it's totally up to you. One isn't necessarily better than the other. It's an easy drive and an easy flight. You just have to look at your specific situation.

If you were flying but say, were staying in Santa Monica, you would need to drive to the airport and drop off your car, then take the shuttle to the airport (1 hr.), then you would need to be early for your flight (1 hr.), then the flight takes 1 hr. and you have to get from SFO to a car rental place or take the train into the city (1 hr.) so 4 hrs + $250 for flying, and 6 hrs + $100 gas for driving.............but if where you're staying is 5 minutes from Burbank airport then hop on a quick flight. Again, more details always help.....

There are usually cheap flights from SF to LA/LA to SF on southwest.com if you purchase them early enough in advance. If you are lucky you can get a round trip for about 100. Gas usually costs me about 40 dollars each way, but I recommend a 1 hour flight compared to a 6 hour drive.

What the hell kind of car do you drive? You make 400 miles on 3/4 of a tank of gas?

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mike lowrey

mike lowrey

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this will be a couple of days after christmas, so I guess there is a chance of some traffic?

we wont be that far from LAX but it'll still of course take a while to return the car, get to the airport etc.. but then again it wont be as ass-numbing as driving for 6 hours. I guess flying would be a bit more pleasant and maybe save an hour or two.

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englandmj7

englandmj7

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this will be a couple of days after christmas, so I guess there is a chance of some traffic?

we wont be that far from LAX but it'll still of course take a while to return the car, get to the airport etc.. but then again it wont be as ass-numbing as driving for 6 hours. I guess flying would be a bit more pleasant and maybe save an hour or two.

Traffic shouldn't be too bad. The delays you would hit would actually be more so in the airport. You'd want to be about 2 hours early for your flight given the time of year. But yeah, if money isn't a huge issue, flying is damn near always better......

yeah true....i really liked it!

The coast is fucking amazing around Monterey, Carmel, etc. that's for sure. If you're with a group it's definitely a fun experience.

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chris_n

chris_n

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i fly from LA to SF frequently and it's certainly cheaper to fly as of lately. with 'online deals' it can be as low as 39$ each way.

pretty soon southwest will be flying into SF (it might already be) and it's going be cheaap!

driving, it's ok if you have time to take the scenic route, but for me, driving up the 5 is HELL!

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mrip

mrip

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What the hell kind of car do you drive? You make 400 miles on 3/4 of a tank of gas?

I drive an accord. It like a 13 gallon tank. But I leave from San Jose, not San Franscisco, so I save like 40 miles or something.

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CityHunter

CityHunter

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The coast is fucking amazing around Monterey, Carmel, etc. that's for sure. If you're with a group it's definitely a fun experience.

True!

Anyways, I know it is obvious but if you fly into SF you will have to rely on public transportation to get around, unless you have a friend who is willing to take you around.

I guess that is the upside on taking your car there....

And say hi to Cow City if you plan to take the 5 up. Close those vents!

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rondz

rondz

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I've drove from SF to LA many times and the drive isn't as harsh as you think it is. I mean alone though it might be semi-harsh but it all depends on the time you choose to leave and if you got some good music with you. If you're with friends or a significant other, it's a cool drive if you like to cruise, enjoy the scene and listen to music. Yeah it takes about 5 1/2 to 6 hours if you're driving steadily at 80-90 mph or so. Interstate-5 is cool just as long as the fog on the Grapevine and there's no wildfires. Also depending on which car you drive, gas is costly along the Interstate so take that into consideration. I honestly think you should fly though, for times sake, especially since right now there's wildfires and everyones using I-5 to head out because of the San Diego/Malibu fire.

Edit: I just read that you're leaving before Christmas, I'm sure there's going to be crazy traffic if you leave like on that weekend everyone has off to go for their holiday vacation, so try and fly. But don't get me wrong, it really depends on which time of day you decide to leave if you want to drive. Aiports and tickets are going to be packed and cost a lot more too. So get a ticket for your desired date to leave so that you save money right now.

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champagne_bubblebath

champagne_bubblebath

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driving up on Highway 1 (Pacific Coast Hwy) is an amazing way to see the California coast. BUT, it's a commitment. probably run you 8-10 hours, it's a beautiful drive though. flying is the way to go if you want quick. you make arrangements early enough you can get fairly cheap fares. try virgin america, jet blue or southwest airlines.

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jaspar

jaspar

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I kind of enjoy how bland is the drive on the 5, particularly when I've rented cars w/ Sirius and I'm able to zone entirely out and listen to Howard Stern and vintage hip-hop. Also, although planes are communal transport, driving is better for California's already terrible atmosphere, since a passenger jet emits many more tons of greenhouse gases than does a car.

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goldengloves

goldengloves

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Yea I have made this drive a ton of times and I can usually go from LA to SF in 5 hours with one stop for gas.

With that being said, gas prices and plane tickets are going to probably run the same (seeing as gas right now is $3.11 for reg.) and you usually have to fill up full before you leave and fill up once along the way.

SF is fuckin' easy to get around without a car too. I usually just hop on the bus and go wherever it takes me.

P.S. Mike, you're coming to town and I'ma be gone! WTF? :) When you coming exactly mayne?

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