Need help organizing my trip!

Seiyatheleaper

Project QL Intern
Feb 1, 2008
14
0
0
Hello everyone!

Here's the deal: I'm coming from Italy to go to the QL con, and then I'm going to a convention in Vancouver that's from the 2nd to the 6th of April. And then I'm flying back to Italy.

Anyone know of the cheapest way for me to do this? Should I fly into Vancouver and then go down to LA or the other way around (keeping in mind that return flights are cheaper than one ways). And between Vancouver and LA, is it better to go by plain, train, coach or what?

Anyone know the website/name of some train-line between the 2 cities? I've never taken a train on that continent and have no idea how it works/where to find one!

Any help/suggestion/idea is welcome!!
Francy
 
I don't know any details about it, but Los Angeles is a major international airport, and Vancouver is probably quite a bit smaller. So it may be easier to get a flight to LA from Italy.

The passenger rail service in the US is called Amtrak, and they have a site

http://www.amtrak.com

It will be a pretty long ride down from Vancouver to LA though. You might be better off flying.
 
Thanks for the info, I'm going to check Amtrak out... I don't mind the train taking longer, but I've heard it might actually be more expensive... :-(
 
Talk about a small world. I guess you're going to the Stargate con straight after Leap Back? ;)

Don't think I'd have the strength to do two conventions within a few days. Though I suppose it would be fun.

Have you thought about driving? Hiring a car?
 
Why LAX?

I don't get why people are taking flights into LAX when Burbank is closer to the convention hotel?

I know that most online booking will have you fly into LAX and that it's apparently cheaper to do so, but why not just fly into Burbank.
 
It's a matter of getting a non-stop flight. I don't think international travelers have a choice - unless they change planes elsewhere in the US. A lot of US airports have non-stop flights to LAX, but fewer have them to BUR. It's just a matter of what you can get.

I can get a non-stop flight into BUR from where I live, so I'm doing that. LAX was cheaper, but by the time I figured in the cost of a shuttle, LAX came out to about ten bucks less. I'm frugal, but ten bucks was more than worth the cost of my time to sit on a shuttle from LAX.
 
A one-stop flight from BHM to BUR cost me about the same as a one-stop flight from BHM to LAX would have cost me. The shuttle from BUR to the hotel and back is a bit cheaper, which sold me. Also, the plane change is in DFW, so the flight time is evenly broken up. The two-hour layover is annoying, but it beats a one-hour flight to MEM, followed by a one-hour layover, followed by a stinking five-hour flight to LAX.

I had no option for a non-stop flight from BHM.
 
Two hours isn't as bad as it could be. If you're flying American, be aware that you may have to swap terminals. They have a fast train that will get you from one American terminal to another, though. And I *think* that's within the secure area, so you won't have to stand in line again. If it isn't, you may be glad for that two hours.