Driving to Malibu from Pasadena (Santa Monica: mall, congested, maps)

[robertpasa]

I may have to drive from Pasadena to Malibu, to that little mall with the Ralph's. Google Maps suggests taking the 10 and then 1. But isn't the traffic heavy?

I thought I might take the 101 to just north of Malibu and driving south on that winding road. Have any experiences?

[BRinSM]

you could take the 101 to las virgenes, it's a nice drive through the canyon. either way, it is going to be a long drive with some traffic involved, this is LA after all.

[SoCal35]

Originally Posted by robertpasa

I may have to drive from Pasadena to Malibu, to that little mall with the Ralph's. Google Maps suggests taking the 10 and then 1. But isn't the traffic heavy?

I thought I might take the 101 to just north of Malibu and driving south on that winding road. Have any experiences?

I would take the 101 North to Las Virgenes through Malibu Canyon. Both routes could take a while depending on time of day but as BRinSM stated the 101 route (on Las Virgenes) is very scenic and PCH from Santa Monica all the way into Malibu can be pretty congested. Las Virgenes from the 101 to Malibu is usually pretty open.

[ladoll]

I have to agree with everyone here - taking the 101 and then going through the canyon is the better route. Either way, it's going to be a long drive, but you might as well not hit five million traffic jams along the way and I have found that route to be less congested.

I normally take the 101 (starting on the 134) to Las Virgenes and through the canyon and then take PCH to the 10 to the 110 to get back.