Driving from San Diego Airport to Disneyland?

[kahluacream]

My family is visiting CA for the first time. We're flying into San Diego, then renting a car & driving to Anaheim for a few days. Google Maps shows a couple different routes-- Is I-5 North the best? I really don't have a clue, and was hoping someone from CA might be able to describe the best drive.

We're arriving on a Sunday around noon (hopefully with no delays!!). Should I allow about 2 hours for the drive?

Thanks so much!

 

[kim3339]

5 is definitely the best. I used to live in SD, and would drive up all the time. The airport and car rental places are right off the 5 so getting on the freeway won't be a problem at all.The speed limit is 65, but most of the time people are driving about 75. There is a border station near Camp Pendelton, about 45 minutes outside of SD, but I don't think it is operating on the weekends. If it is, on a Sunday, it shouldn't slow down the trip by more than 5 or 10 minutes. So depending on traffic, which should be light, by the time you get on the freeway, it shouldn't take more than 1 1/2 - 2 hours to get there. They have tons of street signs for exits as well.

 

[corgi_monster]

Yup, the easiest way to get to Disneyland is take the I-5 north all the way. The last several times I made the drive, it took us more like 2.5 - 3 hours. There's sometimes a bit of congestion as you leave San Diego, but nothing to worry about it.

 

[skiingfast]

As said I-5, it is the clostst freeway to the SD airport and DL I wouldn't go any other way. It should be realy easy going. SD airport is fairly small and laid out simple. The rental cars are close. And being a Sunday it will be quick drive without the worry of traffic.

 

[ScooterL]

Actually, traffic going north on I5 on a Sunday CAN be pretty bad - there seems to be a lot of people who spend the weekends in San Diego (or Mexico) and travel back to L.A. on Sunday afternoon/evening. You should be ahead of most of it leaving at noon, though, so yes, it should take about two hours from the rental car place - maybe 15-20 minutes less if the traffic is light.

 

[Peanut Giggleface]

We did this on our last trip to DLR. We rented from enterprise which is located off airport premises, but it was easy peasy to get onto I-5. From there it was a straight shot all the way up to the parks. For our family of four (children ages 7 and 9) it took 1.5 hours. We ate before we hit the road, so that is straight drive time and it was a Sunday afternoon. We arrived, checked into our hotel and were having dinner at DTD by 5:30-6:00. Have a great time!

 

[kahluacream]

Thanks so much for these replies! We have a 5:30 dinner reservation in DTD, so it sounds like we should be good to go.

 

[Rowlf]

I can typically make it from about the SAN airport to DL in an hour and 15 minutes to an hour and a half. But I travel at typical California freeway speeds.

The Border Patrol station hasn't stopped traffic more than once out of ten times or so that I've gone through it.

 

[PirateFish989]

I currently go to school in San Diego and make the drive up the 5 quite often (going home for the weekend or to Disneyland). I-5 is a straight shot to Disneyland - very simple. I've made it before in about an hour and 15 minutes but it all depends on traffic!!! If you're going with a bunch of people, you can go in the carpool lane, which can be faster than the regular freeway, but be careful because there are no carpool lane exits for Disneyland on I-5 north.

And I have only been stopped (more of a slow down really) once by the border patrol (actually it is for agriculture...) since I've been in San Diego for the last 3.5 years.

Have a wonderful trip!