Advice for SJ to LA thanksgiving travel (San Jose, Orange: home, cost of)

[wsugrad03]

We're heading down to LA from San Jose for thanksgiving by taking the 101 to the 5. We're planning traveling the day before thanksgiving. Has anyone done this commute before? What times does the traffic get bad along this route? Want to avoid any quagmires if possible.

[MediocreButArrogant]

Based on what others who have done the drive have told me, I'd want to be on the road by noon. Even 1PM might be too late.

Depending on what part of LA you're trying to get to, you might even have to leave earlier, to avoid peak evening commute traffic.

[kyle242]

Originally Posted by wsugrad03

We're heading down to LA from San Jose for thanksgiving by taking the 101 to the 5. We're planning traveling the day before thanksgiving. Has anyone done this commute before? What times does the traffic get bad along this route? Want to avoid any quagmires if possible.

You are gonna hit traffic in LA regardless of time of day but it will depend on what part of la you try to get too. I once got to LA at midnight and hit slow traffic in downtown LA on 405 because there was accident and I believe I waited at least 30min for traffic to finally move!

Maybe if you can, leave car at home and take a bus, you could take Bolt than is better, more upscale than Greyhound and will take you to LA Union Station from San Jose Diridon. At least, no matter how long it takes, you can relax, get on the internet, etc. If both of you did not care about cost, I would recommended flight to any airport closest to your destination but its most likely too late now to get low fares and there is no guarantee you would not be stuck in traffic on your way from airport.

[wsugrad03]

We're heading to Orange County, which is always a doozy. We always try and arrive in LA before the afternoon rush hour, or after it clears up, but it's a complete crapshoot sometimes. As long as we can skip Bay area traffic or any backups along the central valley filing down to LA, I'll be happy.

[ccm123]

Better yet, if you can, try and leave Tuesday after work. Or, drive early in the morning on Thanksgiving morning (leave by 4-5 AM).

Wednesday and Sunday are the busiest travel days. Driving from the Bay Area to LA can take much longer than the usual 5-6 hour commute time during this period.

In past years, I would always leave very early Thursday morning and commute back Monday morning instead of Sunday.

[skris4]

Originally Posted by ccm123

Better yet, if you can, try and leave Tuesday after work. Or, drive early in the morning on Thanksgiving morning (leave by 4-5 AM).

Wednesday and Sunday are the busiest travel days. Driving from the Bay Area to LA can take much longer than the usual 5-6 hour commute time during this period.

In past years, I would always leave very early Thursday morning and commute back Monday morning instead of Sunday.

OP, I agree with the early morning travel time recommended above ( even leaving by 6am worked out for us) or leave around 12-1pm on Wednesday. If not, expect to be delayed by 2-3 hours.

[darkeconomist]

Originally Posted by ccm123

Better yet, if you can, try and leave Tuesday after work. Or, drive early in the morning on Thanksgiving morning (leave by 4-5 AM).

Wednesday and Sunday are the busiest travel days. Driving from the Bay Area to LA can take much longer than the usual 5-6 hour commute time during this period.

In past years, I would always leave very early Thursday morning and commute back Monday morning instead of Sunday.

This, because I've hit dead stopped traffic. At midnight. On their stupidly wide freeways. Red eye is the only way to go quickly.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Originally Posted by wsugrad03

We're heading to Orange County, which is always a doozy. We always try and arrive in LA before the afternoon rush hour, or after it clears up, but it's a complete crapshoot sometimes. As long as we can skip Bay area traffic or any backups along the central valley filing down to LA, I'll be happy.

Leave here either very early in the morning (to try and beat the SoCal PM traffic) or try to thread the needle in the early afternoon prior to our outbound nightmare. Day before Thanksgiving that may mean noonish. In this second scenario, I would not imagine the inbound into LA being really bad, the problem will be that last bit into OC. Final alternative is leave here after things settle down in the PM then arrive in OC at dark o'clock very early AM Thanksgiving.

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

I never did that stretch, but I used to drive from Davis to the Bay Area for Thanksgiving, and I-80 to 880 would be a parking lot. I started taking the train, which was great.

Whatever time you come up with to beat the traffic, odds are you won't be the only one to come up with that idea. I foresee some slow moving traffic in your near future...

[otterprods]

Originally Posted by wsugrad03

taking the 101 to the 5.

I've done that drive many times, but it's been a while. You can't take Hwy. 101 to I-5, you have to cut over on 152 and that can be the worst worst part if you don't hit it right. From the eastbound lane, there is an intersection with 156 that gets so backed up that it has literally taken me 2+ hours just to make that turn. On Google maps, it looks like that may have been fixed since my days of regularly driving it, but you'll want to find out for sure. Either way, 152 is susceptible to bad traffic jams because it's relatively narrow, people speed like crazy, and it's basically the only exit from the south bay on a holiday weekend. So plan for that. You could also go to King City and then cut over on 198 but that's a lot of extra time on 101 which has a lot of its own pitfalls.

My advice is to leave at 3 am, stop for breakfast at Harris Ranch, hang out for a while, and then roll into the northern LA area just after morning rush hour. Or, leave at 9pm, and get to N. LA about 2 am, since LA traffic is the worst part anyways and it's always nuts (even at 2 am but not AS bad). I know those both sound a little extreme, but there's a reason the roads are packed the rest of the time. I prefer to enjoy my drive at the cost of a little sleep.