which airport in california do I land for legoland? (San Diego: hotels, rooftop)

[hueimo]

which airport in california do I land for legoland? I live in salt lake city. thanks.

[EscapeCalifornia]

San Diego (SAN) is closest, but is a small airport and doesn't have a ton of flights. Orange County (SNA) or maybe even Ontario (ONT) are options if you have any other reason to venture north of Legoland on your trip. Both are quite a bit farther so you'll have to see if either fits your plans.

[EdJS]

If you want to fly to the absolute closest airport, the Carlsbad airport (CLD) is really close to Legoland and has commercial flights. United Express flies there, for example. Of course, to get there from Salt Lake City you'll have to make a connection -- most likely at LAX. So it may not be worth it.

[Snort]

Originally Posted by hueimo

which airport in california do I land for legoland? I live in salt lake city. thanks.

This one, silly.

[uptown_urbanist]

As noted (besides Carlsbad itself), if you're looking for a bigger commercial flight San Diego is your closest option. If you're looking for good deals then you might be better comparing all the LA area airports, too; Ontario and Orange County (John Wayne Airport) are already on the list, but you could add Burbank and LAX. It would be a drive down, but if you have a little time and don't mind the drive it could be worth it. Orange County would be a relatively short drive.

[hueimo]

thanks for everyone's input~

[pacific2]

If you are not flying directly into San Diego County, then I would suggest arriving at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, and taking the drive down. LAX can be a zoo and both Ontario and Burbank are far away. John Wayne is relatively small and fairly easy to navigate.

It should take you about an hour to drive from John Wayne to Legoland. The trip from John Wayne down the 73 Toll and 5 South, should be a breeze provided you make it before the evening rush (...if you decide to visit on a weekday. I couldn't imagine anyone making the trip there in the PM, anyway). Southbound 5 traffic can be much more of a hassle on weekends since a lot of people head down to San Diego County on Saturdays and Sundays.

BTW, this is a good aggregate site for comparing airlines, costs and destinations:
KAYAK - Cheap Flights, Hotels, Airline Tickets, Cheap Tickets, Cheap Travel Deals - Compare Hundreds of Travel Sites At Once

[pacific2]

Originally Posted by Snort

This one, silly.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

I guess it would depend if you are flying commercial or private like me. LOL

[bouncethelight]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

San Diego (SAN) is closest, but is a small airport and doesn't have a ton of flights. Orange County (SNA) or maybe even Ontario (ONT) are options if you have any other reason to venture north of Legoland on your trip. Both are quite a bit farther so you'll have to see if either fits your plans.

Actually, I think you have that reversed... San Diego Airport is quite a bit larger and busier than either Orange County or Ontario. In 2007 San Diego Airport had 18.3 million passengers versus 9 million for John Wayne and 6.2 million for Ontario. I personally prefer a smaller airport, and both Orange County and Ontario are a lot easier to deal with than San Diego, or LAX. Parking is easier, finding your terminal is easier. But in this case, the San Diego Airport is so much closer to Carlsbad and Legoland, I can't imagine anyone choosing to fly into Orange County or Ontario?

One last benefit to San Diego Airport, when you land, you come in over the city, and it's very pretty. You're so close to the rooftops, and it feels like you could almost see in the windows, and see the people inside. I used to live in that area, and when a plane is landing, it's the same sensation - the planes are just so close!