Transportation
Hello!
My boyfriend and I have a concert coming up in Escondido, we're currently having issues with him getting his license actually sent to him and I can't drive for medical reasons. We were originally thinking about taking an Uber back and forth but it's such a long drive that I feel it'd be really expensive.
I was looking into alternatives and the trains came to mind. I've never actually used the trains or metro's here in LA, what are they like? How safe are the trains? We're thinking about going mid afternoon; the tickets that I had been eyeing left LA at around 3pm and arrived in Escondido around 5PM. We'll probably have a travel bag or backpack with us since we'll be staying the night then coming back to LA the next morning.
My biggest concern is safety and if it's a little sketchy, I have a lot of trauma surrounding public transport so I wanna know how on guard we should be just to give me some peace of mind. Thanks!
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The DMV hands out a temporary license paper while waiting for the license.
Yes. Arrive say say 15 min before their listed closing hour and you will zoom through.
The issue there is trying to rent a car or using the temp license and he's already been issued two temp ones since they're taking so long to actually send his actual license. We've tried once before and it was a massive mess. The car/license situation is a whole bucket of worms we're slowly fixing one by one and his license taking so long was a huge wrench in the plan
That's weird. Never heard of challenges with renting on a temp license. Hope it gets resolved soon.
Yeah we ran into this issues back in December for a family trip. It was absolutely wild. Thank you though :D
Train is very safe and fun. You end up in Oceanside at 5pm, but you have to get to Escondido. You can take the Sprinter from Oceanside to Escondido which takes an hour and leaves every 1/2 hour. You'll probably be able to catch the 5:30 putting you in Escondido at 6:30.
Oh awesome! This sounds like a great plan :D I'll look into the sprinter as well, I was thinking we could also Uber to the hotel in Escondido but that also sounds like a good option. Thank you
There is nothing sketchy about Amtrak.
I actually love taking the amtrak down towards San Diego. It’s totally safe and less stressful than traffic. Not sure if the Pacific Surfliner train is the best way to get to Escondido, but if it is, try to sit on the side facing the ocean for a nice view.
I'll try to keep this in mind! :D
LA subways can be sketchy, but the Metrolink or Amtrak to Oceanside then sprinter from Oceanside to Escondido is more than safe. It’s long af, but I’ve done it a few times myself
The metrolink is really nice and safe. Ditto for amtrak. They don't come often enough so you have to schedule it out pretty strictly. The metro can be perfectly safe if you travel together, maybe a little sketchy if you're a woman and alone. Kinda like walking around DTLA. Can be fine. Can be sketchy, depending on the time of day and who you're with. There's a lot of new metro employees at the platforms so it feels a lot safer than it used to.
Yeah I've heard at night it can be sketchy and I have taken the bus at night with friends in college and it was an awful experience. It's nice to hear they're trying to make the public transport a bit safer all around though!
I find the hollywood buses to be quite safe all times of day, it's the red line train that can be sketchy at night. i still take it but im like a tall guy so i dont feel so vulnerable. if you guys are together i think it wont be a problem
I've taken that train ride on several occasions. It's a fantastic way to see that part of the coast. Just make sure it's actually in service during the dated you need to travel: it's had to close a few times recently.
Thank you for letting me know, I'll double check everything before we go. This is honestly making me want to consider more train rides for short trips to cities we haven't seen yet
Highly recommend taking the train for short trips when you can! It can be more expensive than driving, but it's also less stressful and gives you more of a chance to enjoy the landscape.
Come on up to Santa Barbara on Amtrak! You can take it to SLO, which goes around Vandenberg AFB and gives you a vista unavailable to cars. You can see all the rocket launch pads. It's nearly pristine coastline and also goes through Hollister Ranch, where all the rich surfers live on 100 acre plots.
I've taken it all the way to Seattle and it's particularly spectacular going through Oregon, where you can't see any man made objects because it's National Forest and it doesn't parallel the highway there.
Taking it to San Francisco is slow as fuck though, but you should do it once. I usually take it to San Jose and then take CalTrain to the city or anywhere on the peninsula. You can also continue on to Emeryville, but you can transfer to BART in Oakland and then go anywhere on BART.
Easy. Like people said, take the train from LA Union Station to Oceanside. You can take Amtrak.
From Oceanside, take the NCTD Sprinter to Escondido.
From the Sprinter station, take an Uber.
Just reverse it for the ride home.
There are some track problems in San Clemente. And Amtrak is putting passengers on a bus to get around it. So you might have to give yourself some extra time. Check their website for status information.
Where in Escondido is the venue?
Thank you so much for the info! This'll be super helpful honestly. It looks like the venue is at the Theater for the Arts so near to downtown from what I can tell?
I'm honestly considering taking the train more for daytrips with how helpful everyone's been and the glowing reviews Amtrak is getting lol
Well... Amtrak is not on time very often. So give yourself lots of leeway.
Metro trains in LA can be sketchy. The Amtrak to San Diego is safe. You might have to take an Uber from Oceanside/Carlsbad to Escondido area.
Safe and Fun and less stressful. I was pissed I couldn't take the train this morning, had to drive and I even like driving.
Trains are dope and always late. He can get a printed temporary license online for like 10$ and you can drive no problem. I used it for a road trip after I lost my wallet.
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I'm looking at the times and yes, it's a two hour trip from LA to San Diego or Oceanside with another ride via uber to Escondido. The time isn't the issue, it's the fact that a two hour plus ride will be cheaper over an uber or taxi.
Also there's no reason to be rude about my trauma? Being on the transport isn't the issue. It's the people. I shouldn't have to explain that, been in therapy for years but I'm still on high alert to keep myself safe and wanted to know if it's a similar vibe to the metro or buses or if it's a bit safer.
Love taking the train to SD. I reg take it instead of driving. perfectly safe and good way to pre-party and not worry