A short article written from the perspective of a traveler
It doesn’t matter where you are coming from. Coming to the United States is a dream and an amazing adventure for millions. Everyone saw Hollywood movies, and everyone read “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”. It would be impossible to find a person who didn’t try to imagine himself driving through Highway 66, camping in Yellowstone, or taking a picture with the Hollywood sign.
There are a couple of creative ways to make those dreams come true. Besides traditional tourism, there are programs such as Work and Travel or Camp America. Another popular option is enrollment in a language course. Many of the travelers are choosing California as their number one destination. The sunny west coast, where never gets cold or rains. Where the lucky Californians get to watch sunsets from the cliffs right above the Pacific Ocean.
The 3 biggest and most famous cities in California are San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. All of them are unique and people like each of them for different reasons. Undoubtedly, the prize for the best weather goes to San Diego, the most recognizable one is Los Angeles, however, San Francisco is the most architectonically developed.
5 years ago it was really difficult for me to decide in which city in California I wanted to live and work (I did not even consider choosing other states, I saw the same movies as you). Somehow it settled on San Diego. I, like many others, decided to start my life adventure in the finest city of America. One of the things that I tried to discover as soon as possible was the cheapest way to get from LAX to San Diego. And this turned out to be a mission.
WHY USE LAX AIRPORT INSTEAD OF SAN DIEGO AIRPORT?
When the big decision came to life, so many things were happening at the same time. Buying the cheapest airplane tickets, choosing the safest (and closest to the beach) house, and, of course, planning the whole trip! Very quickly I realized that Los Angeles Airport (famous LAX) has the best international connections. The fastest, cheapest, and direct flights from cities all over Europe (and all of the other continents, but at the time, I was searching for European connections). Frankfurt, Rome, Berlin, Warsaw, and London… are only a few of the tens (if not hundreds) of amazing and cheap connections from LAX Airport.
At the same time, the flights to San Diego Airport were longer, and unfortunately, way more expensive. I would still consider choosing layovers if the price would justify them. Unfortunately, though, it was still more, flying to San Diego wasn’t pocket-friendly. I was comparing prices and connections and what I discovered was that a flight to LAX Airport would save me from $200 up to $800 per ticket. At this point, I knew I would have to figure out the cheapest way to get from LAX to San Diego. Therefore, I started the research and I was truly surprised by the results. At that time, in 2018, (till pretty much right now) there was no direct connection between LAX and San Diego. I wasn’t able to find a public shuttle, train, or bus. I didn’t know the magnitude of Americans relying on their personal vehicles and the rental car industry. The public transport, which is barely present here and there, was not nearly as well developed as I had expected.
TWO OPTIONS TO GET FROM LAX TO SAN DIEGO
There are two most popular options to get from Los Angeles International Airport to San Diego (120 miles distance). The first one is to get a privet, two-hour-long, taxi ride. The price for this service oscillates around $200 (the prices vary, sometimes reaching $250-$350).
The second option is a double connection. First, a passenger (in this case it was me) has to take a ride north from the LA Airport (LAX) to the Union Station (the train and bus station located in Downtown Los Angeles). Which is in the opposite direction from San Diego. There is a FlyAway bus that picks up passengers from LAX and gets them to the station. It costs approximately $10 and takes 40-50 min to do so. Secondly, the traveler takes a train or a bus down to San Diego (finally moving south, passing back right next to the LAX). In this case, the whole adventure can cost anywhere between $45 to $80 and last 4 to 8 hours. As long and uncomfortable as it sounds, the second option is more affordable, and in my case the choice was easy.
Coming back to my journey, I wanted to save $300 on my airplane ticket from Berlin, so I decided to fly to LAX instead of San Diego Airport. After 12 magical hours in the air, I started a whole new adventure, this time on the ground. After landing I was in a different time zone (9h difference) and I was trying to do the double connection that I mentioned above. That extended my journey for an additional 8 hours. I had to go to the Union Station first and then wait for a bus to San Diego. The total time was 24 hours (without including the time of getting to the airport in Berlin in the first place).
This is enough about me, now I will briefly elaborate on different steps you can take and choose from if you decide to go with the double connection.
OVERVIEW OF OPTION NUMBER 2, THE DOUBLE CONNECTION
To get from the LAX to Downtown Los Angeles/Union Station (where the bus and train stations are located) you have a few possibilities to consider. The main options are:
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- TAXI/ UBER/ LYFT ride (around 35/40$)
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- A free airport shuttle to the metro station and then a metro ride ($3.25: TAP card $2 and $1.25 the ticket).
The next step could be a 3-hour-long train from Los Angeles – to San Diego. The train line is named Amtrak and the cheapest economy ticket is 35$. The other way would be to take a bus (Flixbus or Greyhound). The journey lasts around 3 hours and ticket prices vary from $15 to $50. With this option, you could come out with the cheapest way to get from LAX to San Diego. Unfortunately, it will be a long and dreadful journey with long transfers and not convenient trip times.
- A free airport shuttle to the metro station and then a metro ride ($3.25: TAP card $2 and $1.25 the ticket).
BRAND NEW OPTION 3, LAX LINQ SHUTTLE BUS
This whole situation made us think, that there is a big need for an easier, faster, and cheaper connection between Los Angeles Airport and San Diego. This research is one of the origins of our company. LAX LINQ is a family-owned passenger transportation company that offers direct rides from LAX Airport to San Diego and back.
Every person has a different story and a different reason to use LAX. However, everyone has the same perspective, experience, and expectations when it comes to commuting between San Diego and LAX.
Our team members found this problem and we decided to move forward with the solution. What we offer is a direct and hassle-free airport shuttle bus connecting LAX Airport and San Diego. No stops, no transfers, and no stress. No more hours of research, comparisons, or waiting in traffic.
After a long flight and the airport rush, we offer two uninterrupted hours of sleep in our comfortable air-conditioned vans. The one-way fare is $59. Not even mentioning our screaming $110 deal for using the LAX LINQ for the round trip. We wanted to offer The cheapest way to get from LAX International Airport to San Diego and hopefully, we can succeed.
The biggest reason for creating this company is to solve the problems that all San Diegans are dealing with. I believe in this idea because of my own experiences and all the problems that I encountered when traveling internationally. I hope you will enjoy our company and find the value in the services we offer. LAX LINQ bus tickets are available on our website.
