V-Flyer

Flying to LAX on Friday on VS007 as part of a VH. We have the rental car booked with Dollar as part of the VH and I was just wondering how you get to the rental depot.

I notice it on Arbour Vitae Drive so I assume from there is a shuttle bus from the airport which takes you there.

Anyone does this before and can help me with some pointers.

Brickin it now Not the worlds best flyer [xx(]

Hi AndyR,

All the major car rental companys including Dollar have shuttle buses patroling the terminal areas, follow the signs or ask an official for the nearest pick up point.

Yes just walk out of the terminal to the pick-up and taxi areas and you'll see the signs for rental car pick-ups.

The Dollar bus is quite regular (like every 5-7 mins) and takes about 10 mins to the car site if no hideous traffic.

Enjoy - hope you get out of LA reasonably and if there's two of you don't forget to use the car sharing lanes. Like a complete dork the first time I drove through LA I wasn't sure of the rules so stayed in the heavier trafficked lanes!

Originally posted by slinky09
Yes just walk out of the terminal to the pick-up and taxi areas and you'll see the signs for rental car pick-ups.

The Dollar bus is quite regular (like every 5-7 mins) and takes about 10 mins to the car site if no hideous traffic.

Enjoy - hope you get out of LA reasonably and if there's two of you don't forget to use the car sharing lanes. Like a complete dork the first time I drove through LA I wasn't sure of the rules so stayed in the heavier trafficked lanes!

Cool. Sounds OK then. Thanks for the tip of on the car sharing lanes. Are they obvious which ones they are.

We are probably going to come out of Dollar and take the 405 South until just below Anaheim and then turn up to the Shreaton Anaheim as it looks the most straight forward.

...Cool. Sounds OK then. Thanks for the tip of on the car sharing lanes. Are they obvious which ones they are.

They are clearly marked "CAR POOL" "Two or more Persons"

There are plenty of them and they do help, be careful to watch for the small signs advising of upcoming exits as there are specific places for joining and exiting the "Car Pool" lanes.

Make sure you wave when you see a Dollar shuttle and don't be concerned if they drive past, there will be plently to choose from, sometimes there is no room for them to stop.

When you exit the airport you will see signs that point you in the right direction for hotel shuttles/car shuttles/taxis/airport bus etc. Each of these have their own waiting area.

Make sure you pick up a map from the rental place, just to get you out of the area and towards the freeway. Also be aware that the signs are not huge for the freeway and you have to keep your eye out. If you haven't driven there before, the signs are green with white writing.

Have a great trip, we are on that flight on 10th Sept.

Cheers

Shaz

Thanks for your help with this all. Appriciated.

Now just gotta hope for VPort

Err; ....don't think Dollar do that...

Originally posted by Bazz
Err; ....don't think Dollar do that...

Easy....

Echo what the others have said. We picked up from there a few weeks ago. The Dollar depot is just behind the Renaissance, so we walked to the depot, but the shuttles are plentiful.

A very quick heads up, you will no doubt be offered the "Manager's Special" upgrade to a better class of car. Listen carefully to the offer. They have the ability, by quoting a daily rate for a weekly or fortnightly rental, to make it seem a lot cheaper than it actually is.

I am not saying that it isn't worth considering, but don't forget to multiply the daily upgrade fee by the number of days you will have the car. In these days of $3 per gallon for petrol - the gas guzzling monster may not be the attractive proposition it used to be. [8D]


Nick

listen to the directions they give to the 405 very carefuly,if your not used to driving in the states getting out of LAX can be a nightmare,just a little idea,ask for directions to the buggy whip,it's a resturant a mile or so away from LAX,after passing the resturant the entrance to the 405 is just on your right hand side,should give you a little time to get used to the car and LA traffic...good luck

Andy R

Much has been said about the shuttle buses this link shows you the signs to look for when you come out of the airport terminal.

I stayed in the Sheraton at Anahiem back in July. It is right alongside Interstate 5 - just look for the turrets;)

A good plus point is the excellent hotel shuttle to disney - this really works well and runs every half hour[y].

buns

If you are on a Virgin Holiday, you should be met by a rep at the arrivals point. She will get you on the shuttle bus and as we found out, was able to secure a very keen upgrade price on the car (Dollar started at $280 for two weeks upgrade to a Grand Cherokee, with a little help from the Virgin Rep we got this down to $170 = $12 dollars a day, I'd set aside $200 max so was quite happy!).

Also DON'T FORGET to give the car a thorough once over and detail any marks or scratches on the form before you exit the gate.

Have fun, enjoy LA and if staying in Anaheim, try Joe's Crab Shack which is down by the Hilton Garden Inn, corner of harbour blvd and chapman ave. A truly great, fun place to eat!

Originally posted by jj62

Also DON'T FORGET to give the car a thorough once over and detail any marks or scratches on the form before you exit the gate.

Sorry, I missed that out [:I] That is excellent, and very important advice.


Nick

Thanks guys. You've all been a great help. Fingers crossed it will all go OK and not like my first trip in the USA back in 2002 (drove the wrong way out of Downtown Disney Florida) [:0] Been back a few times an no problem since.