Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
298
Fun Facts
C art Culture
One of the first things you'll notice when you arrive in Avalon, the only city on
the island, is the abundance of golf carts in a comical array of styles and colors.
Since Avalon is the only city in California authorized by the state legislature to
regulate the number of vehicles allowed to drive on city streets, there are no
rental cars and only a handful of privat ely owned vehicles. For information on
renting a golf cart, see “Getting Around” below.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE
The most common way to get to and fr om the island is on the
Catalina Express
ferryboat (
&
800/481-3470;
www.catalinaexpress.com), which oper-
ates up to 30 daily departures year-round from Long Beach, San Pedro, and Dana Point.
High-speed catamarans make the trip in about an hour . Captain's and Commodor e
Lounge upgrades ar e available. Round-trip fares are $67 for adults, $60 for seniors 55
and over, $51 for children ages 2 to 11, and $4 for infants. F ares for Dana Point are $2
more, except for infants. I n San Pedro, the Catalina E xpress departs from the
Sea/Air
Terminal,
Berth 95; take the H arbor Freeway (I-110) south to the H arbor Boulevard
exit, and then follow signs to the terminal. In Long Beach, boats leave from the
Catalina
Landing;
take the 710 F reeway south into Long B each. Stay to the left, follo w signs to
downtown, and exit Golden Shore. Turn right at the stop sign and follo w around to the
terminal on the right. Parking is in the parking structure on the left. In Dana Point, boats
depart from Dana Wharf Sportfishing. From San Diego, take I-5 North and exit at Beach
Cities Hwy. 1, left at Dana Point Harbor Drive, then left at Golden Lantern. Call ahead
for reservations.
Note:
Check-in at the ticket window is required and begins 1 hour prior
to each departure. Passengers must be checked in, holding tickets, and ready to board 15
minutes prior to departure, or the reservation will be canceled and the credit card will be
charged for the full amount of the r ound-trip fare. Luggage is limited to 70 pounds per
person; reservations are necessary for bicycles, surfboards, and dive tanks; and ther e are
restrictions on transporting pets. You can leave your car at designated lots at each depar-
ture terminal; the parking fee is around $10 per 24-hour period.
The
Catalina Flyer,
400 Main St., Balboa (
&
949/673-5245;
www.catalinainfo.com),
the largest passenger-carr ying catamaran on the West Coast, depar ts daily fr om Newport
Beach's historic Balboa Pavilion. The boat leaves once a day at 9am and returns to Newport
at 4:30pm daily. Travel time is about 75 minutes each way . Round-trip fares are $68 for
adults, $63 for seniors, $51 for childr en 3 to 12, and $4 for infants. P ets are not allowed.
Island Express Helicopter Service,
1175 Queens Way Dr., Long Beach (
&
800/2-
AVALON
[800/228-2566] or 310/510-2525; www .islandexpress.com), flies fr om Long
Beach or San Pedro to Avalon in about 15 minutes. The expense is definitely wor th the
thrill and conv enience, par ticularly if y ou're pr one to seasickness. I t flies on demand
between 8am and sunset year-round, charging $86 plus tax each wa , or $164 round-trip.
The weight limit for luggage, however, is a mere 25 pounds. It also offers brief air tours
over the island; prices v ary. In Long Beach, the helipor t is located a fe w hundred yards
southwest of the
Queen Mary.
The 149-passenger catamaran
Catalina Marina del Rey Flyer,
13737 Fiji Way, C#2,
Marina del Rey, CA 90292 (
&
310/305-7250;
www.catalinaferries.com), departs from
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