Driving from San Diego to Anaheim

[DLgal]

Is the drive up I-5 scenic in any way? Can you see the ocean?

Yes, in several places you can see the ocean right out your window between San Diego and San Clemente Once you pass San Clemente, you won't see it again on the way up to Anaheim.

 

[DLgal]

Just so I'm clear, is the traffic people are talking about IN San Diego and IN Anaheim/Orange County, or traveling between the two? If the latter, why are there so many people commuting between San Diego and LA on a Monday evening?

Lots of people who work in SD live further north. Lots of people who work in Southern Orange County live further north as well. Many people commute into Irvine from the LA area. They have to get back home in the evenings which takes them up towards Anaheim. There are several large regions where people commute to in both Orange and San Diego counties.

 

[stickeymouse]

I appreciate all the advice. I now know to choose our departure time wisely.

 

[adelaster]

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[ktlm]

We have made that drive several times. Typically, on the weekday we are going the opposite direction from Anaheim to San Diego (well technically we stop at Carlsbad). We usually leave Anaheim at around 3:00 or 3:30 and on our way we ALWAYS say how glad we are to be going south instead of north when we see the traffic going towards Anaheim. I would definitely leave San Diego around 1:00 p.m, and absolutely no later than 2:00. If not then, I wouldn't leave until at least 7:00 p.m. . There are a lot of people that work in San Diego or La Jolla that live north of there.

We typically go the direction that you are going on a Sunday. On the weekend the traffic is not bad except around San Juan Capistrano. Every time we go, no matter what time of day we drive through, the traffic is always bad in that area.

 

[ktlm]

This is good to know as we're doing the opposite! driving from anaheim to san diego and trying to figure out by when we should be on the road.

Are you going all the way to San Diego, or are you stopping at one of the towns before you are actually in the City. You are definitely going the better direction on a weekday. As I said above, we leave Disneyland at 3:00 or 3:30 and head for Carlsbad and we have never hit bad traffic. Now, I don't know if you are going the rest of the way into San Diego if you would hit bad traffic just outside the city, or if you would be going the opposite way of traffic the rest of the trip as well.

 

[DLgal]

We typically go the direction that you are going on a Sunday. On the weekend the traffic is not bad except around San Juan Capistrano. Every time we go, no matter what time of day we drive through, the traffic is always bad in that area.

This was the case for YEARS, but they finally finished the freeway widening project in that area so the traffic flows much better now.

 

[cmwade77]

Take the 5 up, if traffic is bad after San Onofre, get off and take Pacific Coast Highway (the 1) up for a while. It will take about the same amount of time as sitting in traffic, but much more relaxing.

 

[Pamela M]

Jumping in here. I'm planning the commute from Anaheim to San Diego. Can I leave at 4pm and be ok or do I need to wait until 6:30? Want to do a 1/2 day Disneyland but don't want to get to my hotel too late.

 

[stickeymouse]

Take the 5 up, if traffic is bad after San Onofre, get off and take Pacific Coast Highway (the 1) up for a while. It will take about the same amount of time as sitting in traffic, but much more relaxing.

Does the PCH offer any better scenery? I'm familiar with how breathtaking it is in northern CA but haven't been on it in SoCal.

 

[DLgal]

Take the 5 up, if traffic is bad after San Onofre, get off and take Pacific Coast Highway (the 1) up for a while. It will take about the same amount of time as sitting in traffic, but much more relaxing.

The problem with this is that there is no quick way to get back inland to Anaheim.

While the PCH is quite scenic, it's a MAJOR detour and will add time to the trip, even if there is traffic. Plus, there is often quite a lot of traffic on PCH as well. Staying in the carpool lanes of I-5 will be the most direct and fastest route, regardless of traffic.

 

[DLgal]

Does the PCH offer any better scenery? I'm familiar with how breathtaking it is in northern CA but haven't been on it in SoCal.

It depends on the weather. If the afternoon fog has started to roll in, you won't see anything. If it's a clear sunny day, the scenery is breathtaking.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

Does the PCH offer any better scenery? I'm familiar with how breathtaking it is in northern CA but haven't been on it in SoCal.

This would take you way out of the way and there is a lot of traffic on PCH.

 

[stickeymouse]

What about, from a scenery standpoint, hopping over to the 1/PCH at Capistrano/Dana Point, taking it to Laguna Beach, and then taking 133/Laguna Canyon Road back up to the 5? I understand it will add some length to the drive, but if the scenery is breathtaking, it might be worth it. What portion of the PCH is the most picturesque?

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

What about, from a scenery standpoint, hopping over to the 1/PCH at Capistrano/Dana Point, taking it to Laguna Beach, and then taking 133/Laguna Canyon Road back up to the 5? I understand it will add some length to the drive, but if the scenery is breathtaking, it might be worth it. What portion of the PCH is the most picturesque?

Sure if you are not in a hurry, Dana Point through Laguna Beach is a gorgeous drive. I would just make sure you are on the road early enough so when you cut over on the 133 you are not hitting terrible traffic on the 5. It once took my friend two hours to go from Mission Viejo to Disneyland (a drive that should take about 20 minutes). We were going to DL for fireworks only. I left at 4pm and hit pretty decent traffic (the same 20-minute drive took me an hour). She left at 5 and it took her 2 hours. The traffic can get really bad. Even if you’re not in a hurry, it’s just not fun to be crawling on the freeway.

 

[cruisehopeful]

Is the drive up I-5 scenic in any way? Can you see the ocean?

There are some scenic parts where you can see the ocean from Oceanside to San Clemente. If it is sunny, it will be beautiful.

Jumping in here. I'm planning the commute from Anaheim to San Diego. Can I leave at 4pm and be ok or do I need to wait until 6:30? Want to do a 1/2 day Disneyland but don't want to get to my hotel too late.

Wait until 6:30. I have found that if I leave Disneyland at 6:30, I usually get to my car at 7:00pm. Then, I have an easy time driving home to San Diego. Anything earlier is a crap shoot.

Does the PCH offer any better scenery? I'm familiar with how breathtaking it is in northern CA but haven't been on it in SoCal.

It really doesn't offer better scenery. The main problem is that you'll be dealing with a lot of traffic there, too, and you won't be able to pay attention to anything else. If you aren't used to driving around here, it is very cutthroat.

If you don't mind taking a long time, I recommend just driving up the I-5 and stopping in San Juan Capistrano. There's a historic district there that is gorgeous and has lots of places to eat. You can walk a block to Mission San Juan Capistrano from there.

I still recommend leaving by 1:00pm or waiting until 6:30pm for a straight drive, but if you want to leave in between there are many places to stop and take a break if you do get stuck in really long traffic and just can't take it anymore.

 

[DLgal]

What about, from a scenery standpoint, hopping over to the 1/PCH at Capistrano/Dana Point, taking it to Laguna Beach, and then taking 133/Laguna Canyon Road back up to the 5? I understand it will add some length to the drive, but if the scenery is breathtaking, it might be worth it. What portion of the PCH is the most picturesque?

The only time I would recommend doing this is between about 10am and 1pm. If you want to do this drive, leave San Diego no later than 10am. This will allow you to enjoy this scenic route with minimal traffic. I would not recommend exiting at 133/Laguna Beach, though.

Instead, keep going north on PCH until 55N, then take that to 5N. It's a much more direct route and will drop you onto 5 very close to Disneyland. Plus, the part of the drive between Laguna and Newport is the prettiest.

 

[jbh275]

great post, we are going next spring break and hitting SD for a couple of days then driving up. Good to know traffic plans.

 

[IvyWinter]

Are you going all the way to San Diego, or are you stopping at one of the towns before you are actually in the City. You are definitely going the better direction on a weekday. As I said above, we leave Disneyland at 3:00 or 3:30 and head for Carlsbad and we have never hit bad traffic. Now, I don't know if you are going the rest of the way into San Diego if you would hit bad traffic just outside the city, or if you would be going the opposite way of traffic the rest of the trip as well.

We are not stopping anywhere prior. we'll be on the road on Tuesday morning after Columbus day, driving straight to the Catamaran Resort in the Pacific beach area.

 

[tarheelalum]

What about, from a scenery standpoint, hopping over to the 1/PCH at Capistrano/Dana Point, taking it to Laguna Beach, and then taking 133/Laguna Canyon Road back up to the 5? I understand it will add some length to the drive, but if the scenery is breathtaking, it might be worth it. What portion of the PCH is the most picturesque?

Around Laguna is pretty nice. North of Laguna going into Newport on the PCH is spectacular. Million dollar views. It would probably add an hour to your trip to take the 1 up to the 55 freeway to the 5. To me the view is worth the extra time. But I like that kind of thing. Some people rather take the freeway and get there quicker. But life is short. I think sometimes you should slow down and enjoy the view instead.

If you have never done it before and you want to see some phenomenal views, I highly recommend it. Everybody should drive it at least once. Also if you do it, take your time and stop at Crystal Cove shake shack on the PCH a couple of miles north of Laguna. Its a burger and fries stand with seating that sits on a cliff over looking the Pacific. Good food, good prices and amazing view of the ocean. Also the shakes there are fantastic. I recommend the pina colada. My wife loves the neapolitan.

If do stop at the shake shack, you may have to wait 5 minutes to park. When coming from the south, you will need to drive past the shake shack and do and turn around. There is a spot a little ways up the road where you can do it. Its worth the hassle !!