Vegas to LA?

[PunkPrincess]

How bad is the drive? Keep in mind deserts are my favorite biome. Is it peaceful or trafficky across the mojave? Just wondering If I ever get enough money for that kind of thing

 

[Disney Dad ADL]

How bad is the drive? Keep in mind deserts are my favorite biome. Is it peaceful or trafficky across the mojave? Just wondering If I ever get enough money for that kind of thing

Generally pretty easy, except Friday evening from LA to Vegas and Sunday evening from Vegas back to LA.

However, everyday there is the usual Southern California traffic though along the 210 until you get out to the 15.

 

[China Expat]

Depends on traffic

 

[bcla]

I've done it a few times. Driving to Vegas I remember getting stuck in bad traffic before getting to Riverside. Otherwise, most of it is a pretty straight high speed freeway.

 

[wilkeliza]

It depends. When we were in Vegas for Valentines day we met several annual passholders. One of our Uber drivers told us he tries to pick up an early morning fares towards La/Disneyland then hangs out for the day and then tries to get fares back to Vegas.

 

[BadPinkTink]

like PP have said it depends on traffic. We did the round trip, LA to Vegas, stayed in Mandalay Bay for 2 nights, then Vegas back to LA in 2013. The road itself is a standard 3 lane freeway for the most part. Technically the drive is about 4 hours but we took our time and did a stop in Baristow for gas and food so it took almost 6 hours. We left around 10 am for both journeys, so we mostly avoided the main traffic rush each way. The route between Vegas and LA is a major commuter route so gets busy Fridays to Vegas and Sundays to LA.

 

[joand452]

We did it in 2009, LA to Vegas on a Saturday or Sunday (can't quite remember), then back to LA on Tuesday (that I remember!). Lots of traffic in LA, but once we got into the desert it was fine. Doing it again this spring -- driving Anaheim to Vegas on a Monday morning, then flying out of Vegas to DC on Friday or Saturday (DH has a conference, and I get DL first!).

 

[PunkPrincess]

Generally pretty easy, except Friday evening from LA to Vegas and Sunday evening from Vegas back to LA.

However, everyday there is the usual Southern California traffic though along the 210 until you get out to the 15.

That's kinda what I assumed, The whole "long 15" As some video games call it would be a nice drive for me. In 2009 I drove from Maryland to New Mexico and back and the deserts were breathtaking! So different from what I'm used to. Everything here is the same there is no different in the scenery in NJ NY MD PA DE CT or DC except the occasional open farm field or mountain, nice to be sure but there is so much more to this country than that!
So I'm glad I'd be able to do it without mounds of traffic induced stress like NJ Turpike when that truck exploded

 

[PunkPrincess]

It depends. When we were in Vegas for Valentines day we met several annual passholders. One of our Uber drivers told us he tries to pick up an early morning fares towards La/Disneyland then hangs out for the day and then tries to get fares back to Vegas.

Nice! Not a bad idea too.

Are you from the LA area? jw. As a New Yorker the west is a bit of a puzzle to me sometimes. A loveable puzzle but still very very different. I mean Anaheim has stoplights on freeway entrances! I've never seen that until then!

 

[wilkeliza]

Nice! Not a bad idea too.

Are you from the LA area? jw. As a New Yorker the west is a bit of a puzzle to me sometimes. A loveable puzzle but still very very different. I mean Anaheim has stoplights on freeway entrances! I've never seen that until then!

Nope, I'm in NY too actually. We just do trips out East at least once every other year if not yearly.

 

[usnuzuloose]

Traffic can be heavy at times, they do have a lot of speed chases. There was one recently that shut down the freeways for hours. It backed up for many miles and no one could get off. So you learn to be prepared for anything on the freeways there. Not trying to scare you, just being real with what goes on. I watch many chases on the freeways there and the people who drive do really stupid things. They even hit cars to get out of the way of police.

 

[tinkerszs]

8 hours last Sunday. I was so frustrated. We didn't see any accidents.

 

[knkmom]

Traffic going to Vegas and coming back from Vegas lately has been awful! What would normally take us 3 1/2 hours has typically become 6 hours or more and for some reason it doesn't matter what time of the day or day of the week you are going! You may have an easy drive, no traffic (just be very very mindful, that area is monitored heavily for speeding) or you might be stuck in a mess!

 

[Disney Dad ADL]

8 hours last Sunday. I was so frustrated. We didn't see any accidents.

Were you going from Vegas to LA? It can be pretty bad in that direction on Sunday because Vegas is a popular weekend destination for people living in SoCal, so they're all heading back home.

Traffic going to Vegas and coming back from Vegas lately has been awful! What would normally take us 3 1/2 hours has typically become 6 hours or more and for some reason it doesn't matter what time of the day or day of the week you are going! You may have an easy drive, no traffic (just be very very mindful, that area is monitored heavily for speeding) or you might be stuck in a mess!

It's been several years since I lived in SoCal, so maybe it's changed over the years. You're right about the speeding thing, cops everywhere on the 15 coming out of Vegas.

 

[longboard55]

You do not want to leave after noon on Friday. Saturday's are fine. On a Sunday coming back I would leave by 9am. Any other day is fine coming back as long as you do not leave super early and hit Victorville before 9am.

 

[xlxo]

I took the Bolt bus last December.... very affordable and comfortable trip.

 

[PunkPrincess]

Traffic can be heavy at times, they do have a lot of speed chases. There was one recently that shut down the freeways for hours. It backed up for many miles and no one could get off. So you learn to be prepared for anything on the freeways there. Not trying to scare you, just being real with what goes on. I watch many chases on the freeways there and the people who drive do really stupid things. They even hit cars to get out of the way of police.

Its funny because I found CA Drivers were so nice compared to NJ drivers. They actually let me in their lane! I've never seen that before! Here we get the wannabe gangsta speed racers with their "ghetto" 5,000 dollar stereos, waiting until the Parkway is the thinnest (no shoulder) and most packed then zapping around like frogger.

Car chases are I guess more exciting than slow old man Willers driving up county route 537 but more troublesome. But then there was that time an entire truck blew up on the turnpike and i sat in traffic for an hour! I mean there was like NOTHING left of that truck just a skeletal structure!