Arriving at LAX at 1:05 PM: Is staying in Barstow doable or not?

Hello, I’ve already gone through some threads dating back to 2010, but opinions are pretty mixed... What’s the verdict in 2025? - We’re arriving for a 15-day trip on Friday, June 13, theoretically at 1:05 PM (AF22). - Rental car (Toyota RAV4) booked with Alamo ("requested" starting at 2:30 PM). - Room reserved at the Best Western Desert Villa Inn in Barstow (check-in "6/7 PM" listed...) that same evening. Does this seem reasonably doable to those familiar with the area, for a couple in their seventies, or would it be better to stop sooner (but where?)—even if it means extending the drive to Williams the next day? 😕... Thanks for your advice!

Hi there,

In terms of distance and time, it’s doable. But personally, I’d never do it because of the fatigue. Actually, it’ll be 5:30 AM for you when you get behind the wheel...

I usually stop within 1 hour of driving, as close to a highway as possible.

Are you heading straight to Williams the next day?...

From a distance and time perspective, it's doable.

I made the LA to Barstow trip a few years ago. It was seriously jammed, traffic wasn’t moving, so I had the bright idea to take the carpool lane. Big mistake: LAPD (or equivalent) pulled me over and forced me back onto the highway in the opposite direction—lost over an hour...

From a fatigue standpoint, I’d never do it personally. Actually, it’ll be 5:30 AM for you when you get behind the wheel...

More like 11:30 PM, right?

Oh right, sorry—I got the calculation backwards 😏 11:30 PM, indeed. The jet lag from Los Angeles will probably hit hard 😄

Yeah, I can confirm that traffic jams are pretty much constant now... Personally, I wouldn’t do that kind of drive after a flight. It wrecks me every time, and all I want to do is crash 😄

But hey, if he slept well on the plane, leaving around 3 PM from the rental agency still gives him plenty of time to get there, with a break if he gets tired... Up to him, I guess.

I’m correcting the time... 2:30 PM for you is like 11:30 PM at the rental agency 😉 Let’s say midnight when you leave the agency.

So it’s like driving late in the evening with a few hours of flying under your belt. That means you’d be driving between midnight and 3 AM if we factor in the constant traffic jams in LA in the afternoon.

After that, it’s up to you. 😉

Thanks to all of you for these first reactions,

It’s true that our last road experience in Los Angeles was back in 2009, and traffic conditions may have gotten worse since then—especially on a Friday evening ... My worst memory of traffic jams was actually in San Francisco trying to reach our hotel area near Lombard Street, but compared to that, L.A. didn’t traumatize me back then. The time difference is definitely going to hit hard when we arrive, even with a slightly upgraded seat in Premium. And since it’s a daytime flight, getting a few hours of sleep seems pretty unlikely... The info about "traffic jams being constant in L.A. in the afternoon" makes me lean toward considering a first motel before even leaving the city. Hoping for smoother traffic conditions Saturday morning, 6/14. 😉 Any suggestions for the best route to take to get to the 10 and then the 15 from LAX? Have a good evening

Hi there! So, I always say it's better to be safe than sorry—flights can be delayed, there might be an issue with your luggage (happened to me once; my bags arrived on the next flight). For all these reasons, I now spend the first night close by to minimize any potential major hassles.

I’d lean toward spending your first night in Santa Monica—take a relaxed stroll on the beach. It’s also nice to unwind a bit after a long flight.

Hello,

I don’t quite agree with most of the previous opinions—under certain conditions:

- This AF flight often arrives more or less early (but not always). Around 12:30–1:00 PM, immigration is usually not too crowded (but an hour later, it gets really busy). If you have a seat toward the front of the plane, it helps save time at immigration, even if you have to run a bit through the corridors. - The shuttle transfer to Alamo is quick, with no wasted time (Alamo shuttles run frequently, unlike Hertz, for example). - At Alamo, there’s usually no line or paperwork to fill out. There’s a board as you enter with your name on it. They’ll direct you to the row where the cars in your category are parked. You go straight there, pick one that suits you, take it, and show your credit card at the exit. It’s very fast. - Traffic is still pretty reasonable at that time. But after 3:30–4:00 PM, it gets much worse, at least until the Ontario area. Except on Saturdays or Sundays, when it stays manageable even in that direction. And if there are two of you, there are quite a few carpool options for this route—it helps!

As for driving after arrival, it’s a personal thing. Given the excitement of being back in America, for me (despite my 80 years 😕), driving for a few hours isn’t an issue. Under these conditions, I’ve sometimes gone straight to Las Vegas or Needles on the day of the flight (I was younger then—I wouldn’t do it now). But for Barstow, it’s really not a problem (plus, rooms there aren’t expensive)! Of course, if the flight is significantly delayed, it’s much more tiring, and having someone else in the car is a big help.

So in my opinion, yes, it’s not unreasonable to plan your first night in Barstow, especially if you’re not alone in the car. You’ll probably even have time to do some shopping at the outlet factories to relax before heading to your hotel.

But it’s also really nice, if your schedule allows, to take a walk on the beach when you arrive—either toward Venice or Manhattan Beach—then head to a hotel east of LA later in the day. Traffic starts to ease up again around 6:00 PM.

JP 3.14

Hi there, We’re still trying to figure out the best option for us. Out of our 15-day trip, we didn’t want to spend more than 2 nights—3 max—in L.A. We’d already visited the Getty Center in 2009, as well as the Norton Simon Museum and Huntington Library in Pasadena. We also did the coastal route from Santa Monica to Malibu toward Oxnard before the active wildfires in the Pacific Palisades area these past few weeks... 😕

Last September, I slept near West Covina.

I deviated from my usual habit of sleeping near Pasadena, and I didn’t regret it because to get to Pasadena, you pass through Downtown, and it’s always a real mess starting around 3:30/4 PM.

To get as close as possible to I-15, you can stay between West Covina and San Bernardino.

The route from the airport is the 105, 605, and I-10... Then you’re directly on I-15.

That said, honestly, I don’t want to discourage you from going straight to Barstow. It’s doable. It’s just that I no longer make that kind of trip after a flight. I prefer to set off after a good night’s sleep—or even very early the next morning since jet lag often wakes us up super early.

Hello! I’d tend to agree with my friend @usafan.

One option: why not take your time arriving without pressure—go through immigration, pick up the car, then drop your bags at a hotel very close to the airport and head out to stretch your legs for 2 hours in Santa Monica or Manhattan Beach? After that, grab an early dinner and go to bed.

Because on the day of arrival, after about fifteen hours of travel (when you’re not starting from Paris), fatigue catches up fast. And with a 9-hour time difference, it’s easy to fall asleep by 8:30 PM on the first day. On the other hand, the next day at 4 AM, you’ll likely already be ready to hit the road… alone!! Since there’s no traffic in LA that early. You leave at 4 AM, then treat yourself to a great American breakfast in Barstow before continuing on to Williams.

And don’t worry at all about hotels near the airport—the neighborhood has shed its old reputation. Since the construction of SoFi Stadium, it’s become a completely normal area.

Just be aware it’ll be a long day full of must-see stops—have you noted them all?

Hello, Our departure is from Nancy, but we’ll arrive the day before at a hotel in Roissy, where we’ll spend the night before our flight and leave our car for about two weeks. We’re still weighing our options based on all your suggestions. Thanks! 😉 Otherwise, our passports expire (validity limit, and the date of our ESTA issued in 2024 for an Alaska cruise in 06/24) on 06/29/2025. And our return flight leaves L.A. on 06/28 and arrives at CDG on 06/29... Tight but should be okay in theory. 😎

Hey girlfriend! 😉 So glad you agree with me! ... Hahaha

Hi there, I think I’ll scale back my plans for Barstow a bit and stop for a first night in eastern Los Angeles, where I spotted a motel for 100 € in the Ontario area, just before the junction for the 15 N toward Barstow. The next day, we could reach Williams in about 6 hours... 🤪

If the goal is to prioritize your arrival in Williams the next day, you should indeed get as close as possible to the I-15. I always take this approach when arriving because my objective is always to leave Los Angeles quickly (I know my friend StatesetMoi won’t agree with me on this point 😄).

Just be careful on the drive to Williams—it’s long and tiring, so take breaks along the way, even if you arrive late in Williams. It’s not a big deal since this little town is even prettier at night. Anyway, it’s a day where you won’t see much besides Route 66 given the route. So take the opportunity to stop and explore.

There are plenty of nice little stops along Route 66. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate. You can also ask StatesetMoi, who knows the area really well.

Hi! On the way back from Las Vegas, we actually stayed in Ontario at the local Best Western, which was honestly decent and not too expensive. It’s also the only motel I found where you could do laundry by paying with a credit card instead of coins. The little pool was nice too.

Hi there,

Maybe a little extra info to help me understand why Booking, through whom I booked my flight, rental car (Alamo), and first hotel, is suggesting an "early check-in" upon our arrival on 06/13/2025. Why, and what would that entail? "Based on the estimated travel time, your arrival time might be outside the hotel’s check-in hours" regarding Alamo and the hotel. - The AF flight is scheduled to arrive at LAX at 1:05 PM, and our Premium seats are toward the front of the plane. - For picking up the vehicle at the Alamo counter, I indicated starting at 2:30 PM. - For the hotel in Ontario (Sure Stay Hotel by Best Western Ontario Airport), I indicated arrival between 5:00 and 6:00 PM (about 1 hour 15 minutes by car with no traffic, but... 🤪) * But if it starts at 3:00 PM, I assume the hotel check-in still operates late into the evening without needing to call if we’re delayed...

Thanks to experienced "Californians" for shedding some light on this 😉

PS: Following up on their message about a potential "early check-in," BOOKING added: "To ensure your arrival goes smoothly, request a late arrival." ...

Honestly, I’ll admit I don’t get it. I’ve always stayed in hotels at any time of day or night without any issues. Last September, my flight was three hours late. I arrived at the hotel around 9 PM. Best Western is a chain, and they usually have 24-hour reception. You can send a quick message to the hotel to ask if arriving late is a problem. You can even contact the hotel normally through Booking. There should be a messaging system like on Expedia. Otherwise, you can contact the hotel directly by looking up their address online.

But for me, there’s no problem arriving at any time of day as long as your room is booked. It’ll be assigned to you no matter what time you get there.