Cab from Santa Monica to Union Station in LA (Santa Barbara: hotels, taxi)

[fromNYC-LAvisitor]

Hello,

I'm staying at the Loews Santa Monica for a few nites, then need to get to the train station in LA to take the train up to Santa Barbara for a few nites. I will have no car. I'm assuming I will need to cab it. Anyone have an estimate of the cost -- $50? Also, how long would this cab ride take if I left at 9am from the Loews? Thanks for the help!

Chris

[missionhome]

$50 doesn't sound that far off for that time and distance, but you need to tip also. You usually need to call a taxi ahead of time. It won't be cheap.

Just a suggestion, but if you want a cheaper option you could take the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus Route 10 Express. The bus would leave from 2nd and Colorado less than a quarter mile from the Loews. There is a 8:44AM and 9:10AM departure (assuming not a weekend) and it would arrive at Union Station in L.A. at 9:50AM and 10:10AM respectively. The best part is you only pay $1.75 vs. the $50 for a taxi. This is an express bus going mainly on the freeway for business commuters going to downtown for work.
Welcome to the Big Blue Bus

[greggd]

Excellent suggestion Missionhome. That is a great alternative for both tourists and for those who work downtown. I had no idea that line existed.

[BRinSM]

$50 sounds right for a cab, but could be more or less depending on traffic. I would guess it would take about 45 minutes or so to get to the train station from the beach leaving at 9am. As for getting a cab, there will be plenty in the area due to the close proximity of all of the nice hotels in near Loews. The bus is also a good idea if you are on a budget. A 5 minute walk to the bus stops and a $1.75 fare sure beats atleast $50 on a cab.

You know what the odd thing about cabs is, if you were able to get to the airport the cab fare to downtown is a fixed $25 or $30.

[fromNYC-LAvisitor]

thanks a ton for the advice guys, i really appreciate it...i'm from nyc, so the bus sounds good for me...rather spend the cab fare on drinks

[LivingLikeAGradStudent]

Could also take the bus to the Fly Away in Westwood. It leaves for Union Station every half hour or so and takes the freeway.

[Dark of the Moon]

I'll second the Big Blue Bus -- that's a great suggestion!

[missionhome]

Originally Posted by LivingLikeAGradStudent

Could also take the bus to the Fly Away in Westwood. It leaves for Union Station every half hour or so and takes the freeway.

The Flyaway is based around LAX. The only three routes are: LAX-Westwood, LAX-Union Station, and LAX-Van Nuys. It does not operate Westwood to Union Station, all Flyaway routes have LAX on one end of the route.

[greggd]

Across the street from Loews hotel is a place called Chez Jay, which has pretty good food and a bar. It's a bit divey, but can be interesting when it's not dead.

[fatmancomics]

Originally Posted by fromNYC-LAvisitor

Hello,

I'm staying at the Loews Santa Monica for a few nites, then need to get to the train station in LA to take the train up to Santa Barbara for a few nites. I will have no car. I'm assuming I will need to cab it. Anyone have an estimate of the cost -- $50? Also, how long would this cab ride take if I left at 9am from the Loews? Thanks for the help!

Chris

Oh, this made me laugh so hard. Thanks for the entertainment. Last time I took a cab in L.A. it cost me almost $20 to get from 7th and Figueroa to the Greyhound station near Alameda (what is that? Six blocks or so?) and that was like 8 years ago and it was before 5:00 AM. Santa Monica to Union Station would probably cost you twice as much as you were expecting. Yeah, take the bus. Enjoy you stay.