How far is it from San Diego to Universal Studios, public...

Hi, folks -

We are flying into San Diego for USMC graduation ceremony on a Saturday in March-- we%26#39;re ';doing'; Southern California via the CityPass. So, Sunday is Universal Studios, Monday - Wednesday is Disney, and Thursday - Saturday will be San Diego (Zoo/Sea World).

How hard is it to drive from San Diego to Universal City on Saturday? (Plane arrives at 4pm)

Also, suggestions on where to stay at Universal? Is the driving/traffic as bad as I%26#39;ve heard?

How far is it from San Diego to Universal Studios, public...

The drive on a Saturday is easy and is about 2 1/2 hours or so, you%26#39;ll be in LA for dinner. You just take the 405 freeway north to Los Angeles.

Where to stay when visiting Universal is a much debated topic around here. I, and the other Local Expert, often recommend Hollywood hotels such as Renaissance and Orchid Suites (range of price), because of its proximity to other sights and ease of public transportation that takes you RIGHT to the Studio Tour. Others like hotels based at Universal. Do a search in the search field above your post titled Universal hotels or Universal Studios and you%26#39;ll see all the recent threads. If you don%26#39;t want to try to see any of Hollywood when here, then perhaps you%26#39;re better off with something like Sheraton Universal.

How far is it from San Diego to Universal Studios, public...

You could definitely get to Universal quite easily from San Diego via Amtrak and the Red Line. There are many trains running from San Diego to Union Station in downtown L.A. From there you can get on the Red Line and take the train to Universal Studios. Amtrak will take a couple of hours. The Red Line about 25 minutes. When catching the train in San Diego, definitely depart from downtown. There are a lot more trains departing than from Old Town.

You might find this option a little more relaxing than jumping in the car. I%26#39;ve taken Amtrak many times to and from L.A. and it is great.

HTH. Enjoy your trip.

Some other nice things about the train:

1. The train station in San Diego is just minutes from the airport. You can be there in the same amount of time as it takes to get to the rental car office.

2. You%26#39;ll save on parking in Los Angeles. Universal charges for parking ($10 or $17 depending on the lot) as do most hotels ($8-$20). But, many of the hotels close to Universal provide a free shuttle to Universal which takes you right to the entrance gates (as compared to parking in one of their lots which can be 10 minutes or more from the gates). Some hotels will even pick you up at the metrorail station (where you would be arriving from San Diego).

Enjoy!