I dared to go as few have gone before on a trip to Los Angeles last week – I made the visit without a car. It was, in fact, my third car-free trip to LA in as many years. Despite what you may have heard, you can get by and have a fun car-free trip to LA with a little advance planning. You will save yourself stress and money.
I took the MegaBus from the San Francisco Caltrain station at 10:30 a.m. Monday and, after a stop at the West Oakland BART station and a quick rest stop in Kettleman City, I arrived at LA’s Union Station a little before 6 p.m. The seven and a half hour trip was a lot less stressful than driving and easier and cheaper than flying. My roundtrip fare was only $43, including the $18 extra I paid to reserve the coveted upper deck front row seat. Expect to pay more or less than that depending on demand or how early in advance you book the ticket.