Transportation

The first step towards booking a trip is deciding how you want to get there. Roadtrip or by air? Should you enjoy the journey to your destination, or skip the long drive for more beach time? Both options have their pros and cons.

Roadtrippers.com Photo Credit: roadtrippers.com

Roadtrips are fun, but also exhausting. Depending on how far away you live, this may not even be an option for you. Log onto Google Maps and plot your route. If it would take you more than 12 hours to get there, I recommend flying! Roadtrips can be really fun if you have the right attitude. They're also a lot cheaper than flying. If you pack 2 or 3 friends into your car, gas will be much cheaper split between all of you. Plus, those hours of driving can make for fun conversation. Keep in mind, however, that the more time you're traveling, the less time you'll have at your actual destination. If you only have a few days to soak up the SoCal sun, flying may your best option.

If you do decide to take the scenic route, check out Roadtrippers (link under photo). Just type in your starting point and ending destination, and the website will give you a list of cool things to stop and do along the way. It is very customizable. You can choose to only view offbeat attractions, must-see shopping, national parks, etc. If you're going to take the time to drive, you might as well make it more fun! And if you get lost, hey, you'll have lots of funny stories to tell. As Erol Ozan once said, “Some beautiful paths can't be discovered without getting lost.”

While flying is more expensive, it is much faster and easier than driving. Think of the extra cost as bonus vacation time. The sooner you get to your destination, the sooner you'll be sunbathing on the beach.

While most people think of LAX when they think Southern California (thank you, Miley Cyrus!), you should be thinking LGB. The Long Beach Airport is closer to Orange County and further away from the congestion clogged highways around Los Angeles. Plus, flights are almost always cheaper to Long Beach than Los Angeles. If you're planning your trip far in advance, check out Airfare Watch Dog. Type in your home airport and destination airport and it will create an email alert for drops in pricing. Basically, it does all the hard work of finding a great deal for you. I always plan my trips around when flight pricing drops. If you're planning a last-minute trip, try travel sites like Orbitz or Priceline so you can see every flight that's available. That way you won't have to go to every individual airline's website.

Long Beach Airport Plaza Photo Credit: Long Beach Airport

The Long Beach Airport is a charmingly small airport. A recent renovation in 2012 gave the space a clean and modern update. Being a small airport means you'll be out quickly. It can take hours to get out of LAX. I once waited 3 hours for the rental car shuttle, it was misery. The rental car station at LGB is literally 50 feet away from the exit. Just take the crosswalk through the drop-off and loading zones and you'll be cruising in your new ride in no time at all.

Speaking of rental cars, you'll need one if you fly. A rental car is essential in Southern California! My recommendation? Priceline's Name Your Own Price. On a recent trip I took to California, rental cars out of Long Beach were $400 a week. Don't ever pay that much for a rental car! I made a couple of bids on Priceline and ended up getting a car for $120 a week. That's a 70% discount! The trick is to start small with your bids. There is a link that shows you recent winning bids to give you a good idea of what price to try first. When I won my 70% discount, I saw that the last winning bid was $20 dollars a day. I started at $15 dollars and went up a dollar every time it declined my bid. Luckily I only had to bid twice before it accepted my $17 dollar a day bid!