LAX to Ventura by Train?? Do not want to rent a car?? (Oxnard: rental car, rentals)

[capt chill]

Flying in on a weekday afternoon in August, then fly out at noon a wwk later. It looks like you take a bus to union station then the train. What is the time situation. Do the trains run on time? Is it better to just rent the car and pay the extra?? I really do not need the car while up in ventura that week. Any ideas?? Am I correct that you would take the fly away shuttle from LAX to Union station then the train to Ventura?? Same thing going back. It looks as though the times are long> 2 hours from Union station to ventura and the same reverse. And almost 1 hour on the bus to and from the airport?? I have a 7 hour plane trip on both days. Driving if we get lucky could be about 1 hour?? Has anyone some ideas? Thanks

[missionhome]

Yeah, you can do that. Trains up to Ventura are by Amtrak or Metrolink. Metrolink is in general very punctual. Flyaway can take anywhere from 35 minutes to about an hour depending on the traffic and which terminal you are arriving from. It probably isn't as easy as a car, but if you want to save some money and not deal with having a car in Ventura that will just sit there, this is probably a fine option.

[capt chill]

All right now lets ask another question. How long to get to ventura beach from lax. Thursday 4pm, and back Tuesday flight leaves at 11:55 am Lax. If we drive, I can make the 200 dollars that the cost of the rental car is on Monday and Tuesday of this week, We are flying on the 6th of August. The public transportation time looks like 3 hours, with the bus to the train to ventura then the 1 mile to the hotel.

[Latchkey Kid]

Not quite sure what you were trying to say in that last post, but I'd opt for the rental car. Going north from LAX on Thursday at rush hour is going to take awhile either way. Not sure what you'll be doing in Ventura, but unless you have someone driving you around, you might want a car just to get out for food and entertainment. It's a bit of trek and gas is pricey in LA, so you'll have to figure that in.

I'd go ahead and put a reservation on a rental car now, even if you cancel it later. Then keep shopping around, right up until the night before you leave. Car rentals have gone up quite a bit at LAX this year, you can get better deals if you pick up a car a few miles outside LAX.

[BRinSM]

if you don't need a car and don't want the 3 hour+ commute each way, you may look into some kind of shuttle service. by car ventura is probably around 45-60 minutes away from lax. of course there will be traffic though so it will probably be double that at 4pm on a thursday afternoon.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

If you take a car, drive from LAX to the 405 to the 10 west. That will get you to the Pacific Coast Highway. Follow that up the coast from Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, and on into Malibu. Continuing on up the coast you will eventually run into Oxnard. The Coast Route becomes Rice Avenue and heads right into the 101 freeway. At the 101 head North (It will be going West at this part of the 101.) You will be in Ventura within 15 minutes or less. Head for the Seaward exit and turn right heading toward Harbor Blvd. All of the beach hotels are located within that area.

If you want to fly into the area take the United Express to oxnard and jump on the Gold Coast City bus. It will take you from Oxnard to Ventura. May depent on how much stuff you are bringing.

The Airporter Shuttle is a good choice and they will take you to your location.

[Winston Smith]

I use these guys between LAX and Ox/Ven: Ventura County Airporter

Never tried the Amtrak/Metrolink-Flyaway option for LAX, but use the train whenever I go to SFV/LA.

Doesn't apply in this case, but I've used the train between Ox/Ven and Burbank Airport. Worked out great!

Last option is United Express to Oxnard Airport. If you fly United, sometimes they'll throw that leg in at a reduced price.

[Winston Smith]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

If you want to fly into the area take the United Express to oxnard and jump on the Gold Coast City bus. It will take you from Oxnard to Ventura. May depent on how much stuff you are bringing.

One day I hope we'll see scheduled transit service at Oxnard Airport. As it stands, you need to get to the Transportation Center in downtown Oxnard and use the No. 6 bus to Ventura. Getting to downtown Oxnard you have two choices: 1 - walk 3/4 mile to Ventura Road and 5th Street and catch the No. 5 bus. 2 - use the Harbor-Beach Shuttle (dial-a-ride on-call bus). The options are far from ideal, but regular transit service by the airport is not a priority, for some (boneheaded) reason.

The Ventura County Airporter will take you from Oxnard Airport to the Doubletree at Ventura Harbor, but then you may as well use it from LAX. A regular shuttle service connects Ventura Harbor/Pierpont and downtown Ventura.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

I guess that I thought by now that they would have added service to the airport. Remember when it was called South Coast Area Transit or SCAT? Back then they were always trying to improve the line. Worked one summer as a surveyer for the bus service. They wanted to know how to impove the line. With all the building near the airport you would think that would be a natural pick up and drop off point. Oh well.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Flying from LAX to Oxnard is silly.