Ride Metrolink to SoCal beaches; 25% off on weekends

Are you looking for something to do this weekend but have zero intention of going far or making a big deal of a family road trip? Don’t forget about Southern California’s Metrolink trains. The Metrolink offers 25% off fares on weekends and has easy tips for first-time riders.

The best part about using the Metrolink on the weekends is that you can make a beach trip out of it. The Orange County and Inland Empire lines can take you to San Clemente Pier, San Clemente North Beach, Oceanside, San Juan Capistrano and Laguna Niguel.

Sample round-trip adult fares (weekend/weekday)
Note: There are cheaper rates for seniors and youths.
Burbank to Oceanside:  $19.25/$25.75
L.A.’s Union Station to San Clemente: $16.75/$22.25
East Ontario to San Juan Capistrano: $16.25/$21.50
Van Nuys to Oceanside: $19.25/ $25.75

Not interested in the beach? Download the 2008 summer events calendars. Here are just a few remaining gems:

OCEANSIDE: Sept. 14
Antiques on Mission Street Fair
(Oceanside Station), 8 a.m.–4 p.m.

SAN CLEMENTE : Oct. 5
San Clemente Seafest
(San Clemente Pier Station), 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

SANTA CLARITA: Sept. 27–28
Santa Clarita Art Festival
(Sat) 10 a.m.–9 p.m. (Sun) 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

Schedules: Note that Metrolink doesn’t run that late on weekends. The last train out of Oceanside (the southernmost stop) leaves at 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Check the schedules and plan your route carefully. Don’t forget about Amtrak for backup transportation.

– Jen Leo, Los Angeles Times Travel & Deal blogger

[Photo: San Clemente Pier; by Woody, Your Scene, Los Angeles Times]

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This entry was posted on Thursday, August 28, 2008 at 4:00 pm by Jen Leo and is filed under California. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.