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I am flying to LAX and need to get to the Anaheim Hilton (essentially the convention centre). Although it's only 29 miles, I am told it will take 90 minutes and cost $100 by cab. That's quite a cab fare, so I am thinking of the Super Shuttle. Problem is, every time I try the shuttle, it seems we spend 30-45 minutes driving around the airport, and then go to everyone else's hotels (and homes!) first, adding what feels like another hour to the trip.

Since I'll be landing at 10pm California time, which will feel like 1am, I'm really not up for that. But perhaps the freeway part of the journey is the bigger part, and it won't be that bad? Does anyone have experience with cabs, shuttles etc specifically from LAX to Anaheim, and suggestions for which I should choose?

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  • Great question!
    – Michael Pryor
    Jun 25, 2011 at 17:30
  • Are you going to the BlizzCon?
    – RoflcoptrException
    Sep 17, 2011 at 8:22
  • Orbiting LAX in a SuperShuttle until we'd gained enough passengers to escape is one of the most frustrating starts to a trip I have yet encountered. I guess the reverse trip isn't as bad, but I got a cab (not as far as Anaheim, though)
    – e100
    Jan 11, 2013 at 13:58

4 Answers 4

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Some thoughts:

  • That 29 miles sounds like it came from someone in PR—Google maps puts it at over 35 miles and 60-80 minutes with traffic. Back when I lived there, I'd have estimated that drive at about 90 minutes without traffic.
  • Do you know what your schedule will be like during the trip? Unless you know you're going no further than a few blocks away from the hotel/convention center during the whole trip, you'll almost always want to rent a car in Southern California. Keep in mind that you can't catch taxis on the street, and public transportation is very limited.
  • Are you traveling by yourself, or with others? If it's just you, it's hard to justify paying $120 for a cab (each way) versus $16 for a shuttle (each way). However, the cab fare is the same no matter how many people they let you cram in.

  • I agree with Joel that John Wayne (SNA) and Long Beach (LGB) are better bets, but it's worth keeping in mind that the shuttle fare is:

    • $16 to/from LAX
    • $10 to/from SNA
    • $35 to/from LGB

    Which makes SNA look like the best bet. I have no idea why LGB is that much more when the cab fare would be under $70.

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    +1. This left me wondering: why can't you catch taxis on the street in Southern California? Are they not allowed to stop, or are there so few of them or what?
    – Jonik
    Sep 17, 2011 at 7:31
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    @Jonik - I think it's a chicken & egg issue: taxi riders don't expect to see taxis on the street, so taxi drivers don't expect to pick up fares on the street. Also, So Cal is very spread out; it would take a massive number of taxis to cover the area, and the taxi-taking population isn't there to support them.
    – Dori
    Sep 17, 2011 at 7:42
  • It's funny to re-read this 10 years later now that we have Uber and Lyft. Things have certainly improved!
    – JonathanReez ♦
    Nov 18, 2022 at 18:08
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Yep, that's the nature of SuperShuttle... it takes twice as long and drives you batty, but it does save some money.

Do you really have to fly to LAX? There are two commercial airports closer than LAX to Anaheim -- John Wayne and Long Beach -- both of which are pleasant, quieter airports.

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  • I'm flying from YYZ - there are no direct flights to SNA etc. I figured the cost and time of changing flights would outweigh the cost and time of the cab.
    – Kate Gregory
    Jun 26, 2011 at 1:23
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    @Kate Split flights are occasionally cheaper from YYZ, it depends on the date and a number of other factors. I would check, just in case.
    – Matthew Read
    Jun 27, 2011 at 3:45
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As it happened I did not go to Anaheim from LAX but to Carlsbad. However I have just taken the reverse trip. I booked a 5:05 shuttle from the Anaheim Hilton. We pulled out about 5:15 but proceeded to go back and forth from hotel to hotel and in fact drove past the Hilton for the last time about 6pm. We pulled onto airport property at 6:40, much to the consternation of the fellow with the 7:30 flight who'd been told it was a 45 minute trip, and since we went to his terminal first, I ended up walking into my terminal about 7:00 for let's call it a two hour trip.

So yeah, my history of the shuttle - that it adds a minimum of an hour to the trip - holds true even here in California where the intercity trip might be thought to outweigh the fiddling around time. I knew what I was up for which is why I booked a 5pm shuttle.

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Just did it last night. Depends how many people are travelling for us it was 4 so we decided on a taxi. Bad idea it cost $110 from LAX to Anaheim, I should've taken the $18 pp in a shuttle. Hope that helps!

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