Driving time from DLR back to LAX airport ?

[CanadaJulie]

Hi all !

I just booked our airline tickets for our trip !

Now I need some advise from you people who know these things !

Considering the following:
-a 1030 outbound flight from LAX
-the fact that we need to be there at least 2 hours prior (return rental car, etc...)
- traffic on a Wednesday morning in January

what time do we need to leave the Holiday Inn on Walnut in Anaheim to be at LAX for 0830 am at the latest ?

I don't mind getting up early to beat traffic, it's a given that it'll be a long day with an 8hour+ flight back home to Montreal, Canada. I just don't want to stress about "are we gonna be there on time"

What would you recommend ?

Thanks
Julie

 

[Disney_Villain]

With LAX and non-domestic flights (like yours and mine, back to Canada) please allow 3 hours for arrival at LAX to cover car rental return, check-in & security.

Even though you aren't taking it, I will quote from Grayline's Disneyland Resort Express . . .

Please plan to arrive at the airport at least 2 hours prior to your departure for domestic flights and at least 3 hours prior to departure for international flights.

http://graylineanaheim.com/docs/GL%20Anaheim%20DRE%20Brochure%202008.pdf

They really mean it. LAX can be busy!

 

[Mugglemama]

i used to live 15 minutes from LAX, and if traffic wasn't bad, we could drive from our house to disneyland in about half an hour.

however, since you'll be fighting your way through L.A. traffic, i would definitely do as the other poster said and leave 3 hours prior. leaving by 5:30am you might get lucky and miss some of the morning commuter traffic. and although that would mean you might get to the airport pretty early, hanging out at the airport is better than sitting in traffic. LAX is big and there are shops to look around in and places to eat to kill the time.

 

[CalvaryMike]

I agree that you should arrive 3 hours before your flight. That would have you arriving at LAX at 7:30. With traffic at that time in the morning, I would put your drive at about an hour. I find the problem at LAX are the TSA lines. They can be looong!
I'm the kind of person that doesn't like to cut it too close when it comes to a flight. My DBIL, who travels all the time, always cuts it close, but he doesn't miss flights. He would probably tell you 2 hours are fine.

 

[Queenbillabong]

How are you getting from the hotel to LAX? With Super Shuttle, they seem to want at least two hours driving time (to p/u other passengers), so add that to arriving at least two hours before your flight (3 hours seems a bit much to me), that would mean leaving about 6:30 a.m.

That being said, it only took one hour to drive to LAX so we were still there three hours before our flight

 

[BraMax]

We just flew back on a saturday for a 11:00 am flight. We left our hotel at 8:00 am and had to return our car rental first. We were still at the airport by 9:00 am we did web check in the day before, so all we had to do was do the web baggage check which I would recommend (we flew air canada). We were through security before 9:30 so we had an hour or so to wait before boarding the plane. I would recommend leaving 3 hours before to make it there in time. We rented our car from Enterprise and all we have to do is get our bags out and then walk to the shuttle 5 minutes to LAX it's so nice no hassle way.

 

[Disney_Villain]

3 hrs advance arrival at LAX might seem like "too early" but the airlines recommend a minimum of 2 hours for International departures - and there's always the "what if" situation that delays could present a problem.

No one wants to be denied boarding due to not taking an extra hour of time - I've seen this happen to others who got through the long check-in lines with 30 minutes to spare before their flight. These people were turned away.

Yes, we hate getting up early and sitting at airports. The risk involved in cutting your time short for flights isn't really worth an extra hour of sleeping in.

 

[CanadaJulie]

Thanks for all your replies !

The part that worries me most is the actual driving. I've heard stories about LAX traffic. What *seems* close on a map is actually hours of driving in rush hour traffic...

So from Anaheim, in a rental car, to the airport - do you figure 1 hour is ample time in the worst conditions ?

I agree with aiming for 3 hours in advance. It's not like I can squeeze in anything that morning (except a little more sleep) so I won't be missing anything - and I can shop at the terminal ! It gives you some wiggle room if things don't go as planned.


???? - Leave hotel to drive to airport in Wednesday morning traffic
0730 - Arrive at airport, drop off rental car
0800 - stand in line at check in & security
0900 - have breakfast and shop while waiting for our 1030 flight

What time do I have to leave the hotel ?

Thanks for the tip on online check-in - I'll see if our hotel has internet access (I'm sure it does...)

 

[pindecisive]

So from Anaheim, in a rental car, to the airport - do you figure 1 hour is ample time in the worst conditions ?

I agree with aiming for 3 hours in advance. It's not like I can squeeze in anything that morning (except a little more sleep) so I won't be missing anything - and I can shop at the terminal ! It gives you some wiggle room if things don't go as planned.


???? - Leave hotel to drive to airport in Wednesday morning traffic
0730 - Arrive at airport, drop off rental car
0800 - stand in line at check in & security
0900 - have breakfast and shop while waiting for our 1030 flight

What time do I have to leave the hotel ?

I'd say 1 hour and 45 minutes with the WORST conditions. I know on my drive back to LAX on the DE took an hour and a half on a Friday.

I'd say 6:30 since your flight is at 10:30 and not 10:00.

Also I believe I found LAX to be awful for food. Anyone else find this to be true?

 

[CalvaryMike]

I've lived here in Orange County all my life and I've made that drive hundreds of times. An hour is fine, unless there's a MAJOR accident.

Check out http://map.commuteview.net/communityview/html/es_main.html?7 now and if possible the day you leave. It has live Caltrans streaming traffic cams and you can get an idea of the traffic at that time.