SD airport info: how far car rental, etc?

[jenjersnap]

We aren't getting into San Diego until 10:30 p.m. so we'll have 3 tired kids ... and big load of luggage. I wondered if it was feasible for DH to sprint ahead, take the car rental shuttle and return with the car to pick the rest of us up while I gather the luggage from baggage claim.

Is it a long distance to the car rental offices or a quick trip (we're prob renting Alamo, if it makes a difference)? If it is too far, it'll probably just be easier for all of us to get on the shuttle.

Is the airport set up in a way that is conducive for him to return to pick us up? (Not sure if I am making sense ... but some airports are easier to negotiate than others, if you know what I mean).

Thanks, as always, for the great advice.

 

[ScooterL]

Alamo is several miles from the airport - there are no on-airport car agencies at SAN. There are a few that are about a mile away, but Alamo isn't one of them.

He could come back and pick you up - it'll probably take him 5-10 minutes to drive back (not much traffic at that time of night). I think the San Diego airport is pretty easy to get to, and around from the rental car company - once you get headed in the right direction, since there's some one-way streets in the rental car area. If you both have cell phones, then you might want to send him to get the car, and then call him and see how far he is with the rental car process by the time you get the luggage, in case it'll be better at that point for you to take the Alamo shuttle to meet him, instead of him bringing the car to pick you up. Depending on what airline you're on, baggage claim can take a long time (20-30 minutes!)

Hope that helps.

 

[jenjersnap]

Are the car rentals on Harbor or PCH the closer ones? I have a reservation with Dollar also but it was a tad pricier and, well, I don't like Dollar much but if it would save significant time I could be persuaded. Thanks!

 

[ScooterL]

The car rental places on Harbor are the closest ones - I think that's Avis, Hertz, and National. You could *almost* walk there from the airport - it would be about a mile depending on which terminal you come in from (I measured from the farthest one). But it's not really set up for walking.

 

[jenjersnap]

Thanks, ScooterL! I changed the reservation to National. We have the additional complication that all the car rental places close at midnight so it's imperative that DH somehow get there quickly! If we all waited for luggage, I think we'd be pushing it and that makes me uncomfortable. We'd be stranded if we couldn't get the car.