San Diego Logistics

[jasonriv]

Sailing on the Wonder 10/26. First time on the Wonder in over a decade and first time from San Diego! We (just 2 adults) are flying into LAX and spending 2 days at Disneyland before the cruise. Then going to visit some family after debarking the ship and again flying back home from LAX the next day.

We are renting a car. Do you recommend that we just drop off the rental car at the airport in San Diego, take Disney’s transfer to/from the port and then rent another car? Or would it be easier to just keep the car and park near the port? I think I saw someone post about a train from Anaheim which sounds intriguing too.

Jason

 

[KVH]

If you rent from Avis, they have an office ~3 blocks from the pier. And technically, the airport is close enough to walk to the pier. I wouldn't but I've read at least two trip reports where that was done. So paying for a Xfer seems waste of $$. I would rent, drop-off, then rent another.

 

[Sykes]

The Pacific Surfliner train runs several times a day between Anaheim and San Diego and the San Diego station is about a 5 minute walk from the cruise terminal. It honestly seems pretty ideal for your situation.

If you don't want to do the train then answer to your question probably depends on the car rental rate and what kind of one-way surcharges they want you to pay. It's likely that keeping a car 5 extra days and paring will cost you more than two one-way rentals, but rental rates don't always make a ton of sense. There are several rental agency offices near the cruise terminal that you can consider in lieu of the airport locations, although usually the airport locations have a lot more options. Either way, I wouldn't bother with the Disney shuttle for two adults--just grab an Uber or Taxi from the airport if you do end up dropping off there.

 

[tvguy]

If you rent from Avis, they have an office ~3 blocks from the pier. And technically, the airport is close enough to walk to the pier. I wouldn't but I've read at least two trip reports where that was done. So paying for a Xfer seems waste of $$. I would rent, drop-off, then rent another.

The airport is 3 miles from the pier. I walk that distance regularly, but not with luggage.

 

[Intr3pid]

The convenience of having your own car parked at the terminal where you can leave non-essential stuff behind and then be on the road when ready is worth a premium. How much? Only you can decide.

Airport is pretty close by and an UberX from the port to the SAN rental car center cost us $20 back in March. Probably a bit more the other way around. It does get busy upon arrivals, so without Uber, you will have to wait a bit to find a taxi.

 

[abdgeek]

As OP have said, you will need to cost out whether renting the car is cheaper than catching the train and using Uber. When I needed to get from DL to San Diego a few years ago, I took an Uber from the hotel to the train station and took the train to San Diego. I then got an Uber to my hotel. On my return, I took the train to LA Union Station and the connector bus to LAX. The bus wasn’t that much and you bought your ticket from a kiosk at the train station. I opted for the bus instead of an Uber to LAX after reading reviews online about how challenging it could be to get one. Good luck.

 

[jasonriv]

Thanks everyone for your tips and advice!

Jason