Union Station to LAX (Budget Car Rental) on Sunday afternoon (Los Angeles: rental car, buy)

[stevedawg85]

I'll be riding in from SD on the Amtrak and expecting a noonish arrival into Union Station. I'd like to rent a car @ LAX since I'll be dropping off there 3 days later.

What is an average taxi fare for this? It'll be the wife and I w/ luggage, what's our most convenient way and economical? I heard of FlyAway, where does it drop me off at and then would I be able to shuttle into Budget?

[munchitup]

Originally Posted by stevedawg85

I'll be riding in from SD on the Amtrak and expecting a noonish arrival into Union Station. I'd like to rent a car @ LAX since I'll be dropping off there 3 days later.

What is an average taxi fare for this? It'll be the wife and I w/ luggage, what's our most convenient way and economical? I heard of FlyAway, where does it drop me off at and then would I be able to shuttle into Budget?

The Flyaway shuttle drops you off at the terminals I believe, so I'm not sure how you would get to the Budget from the terminals, but it might be possible (or there is a shuttle to get back out to the rental car places). I believe it is 7 bucks a person compared to at least 40-50 bucks for a cab.

[stevedawg85]

New idea:
Rent car and return from/to Union Station. Then take Flyaway to LAX. Still $7 right, it's not just for people getting on/off the train that day is it

[Samoi137]

Example: Budget Union Station:
Hours of Operation Sun 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Mon - Fri 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sat 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Hertz Union Station:
Hours of Operation: Mo-Fr 0700-1200 and 1230-1800, Sa-Su 0800-1200 and 1230-1400

FlyAway bus: LAX FlyAway Bus

From Union Station you could also take a Metrolink train to Burbank Airport and rent there (return to LAX).

You ask for "convenient and economical" without saying which has a priority. FlyAway for cost, taxi for convenience.

Taxi Fare Finder Los Angeles, CA - Estimate Your Taxi Cab Fare, Cost & Rates estimates a bit over $60 taxi fare from Union Station.

If you go to LAX by Flyaway to get the car, once you get to the airport (just choose a terminal to get off at), shuttle buses for the various rental companies pass by regularly. There will be an area marked for shuttle vans. You wait and hop on. If you go by taxi, just ask them to take you to the rental car location or any terminal.

You'd have to check with rental car companies to compare rates picking up and dropping off at different locations, or Union Station for both or LAX for both. A year ago I had a car reserved to pick up at Union Station and drop off at Ontario Airport, but messed up the dates, and by the time I tried to change things, the rates at Union Station were so high I took th train to Burbank Airport to rent there.

[cmcgill]

I think the easiest thing would be to rent the car at Union Station. There are Budget and Hertz counters there. You may be able to just return the car to LAX--both companies also have airport locations. If not, you can return the car to Union Station and jump on the FlyAway to LAX.

A taxi from Union Station to LAX will run $60-65 before tip. The FlyAway costs $7/person one-way, it runs every half-hour, and it takes 30-45min to get to the airport, depending on the time of day. Outside of rush hour, it takes 1/2 hour. I use it all the time and find it to be very convenient. (From inside Union Station, follow signs to the bus bay. The bus bay is opposite from the main entrance to the station. Once you're outside at the bus area, you'll see a kiosk where you buy tickets for the FlyAway. It's well marked, and there will be people around to ask for directions. And yes---anyone can use the FlyAway. It has nothing to do with your other train or air travel plans.)

One thing to keep in mind is that the cars at Union Station are a bit more expensive than those at LAX--e.g. $35/day vs $20/day. So if cost is a big issue, you may prefer to rent from the airport. If so, you can jump on the FlyAway from Union Station to the airport, and then take a shuttle to the car rental area to pick up the car. But, that turns your arrival into a bit of a hassle. By the time you wait for both shuttles, etc, you will probably have delayed your true arrival time by over an hour.

Good luck, and enjoy your stay!

[munchitup]

Originally Posted by stevedawg85

New idea:
Rent car and return from/to Union Station. Then take Flyaway to LAX. Still $7 right, it's not just for people getting on/off the train that day is it

Not a terrible idea, and yes, anyone can take the Flyaway shuttle.