A couple of questions: valet parking + toll roads in LA
 

Hi everyone,

I've read all recent and not so recent threads in this forum, did my research and still need some help with a couple of things.

I'll spend 4 weeks in SoCal later this month. I'll have a rental car and wanted to get my own transponder for the toll roads - we'll be driving from LA through Orange County to San Diego, then to Temecula, and back to LA. I assume I'll need the FasTrak transponder, but then I saw that I could sign up for Toll Roads (ExpressAccount) instead, which doesn't use a transponder.

My question is: what do you recommend - getting a transponder or signing up for the Express Account? I'll land in LA (LAX) on a Saturday evening, so by the time I'm done with customs and immigration, and get my rental car, everything will be closed - no time to go shopping for a transponder, then.

I'd rather not use the Avis transponder due to the associated fees but will do it if I have no other (better) option.

I tried getting a FasTrak account online but they need a US mailing address to mail the transponder to, so that won't work for me.

I am probably overthinking this, but what is the best option for me? Get the rental car, drive to my hotel (Anaheim), and go to the nearest retailer and buy a transponder the next day?

My second question is about valet parking. I realize that this is widespread in LA and I have done it before but always felt like I was fish out of water. What is the exact etiquette? Let's say a valet parking at a shopping center or a restaurant. I stop my car at the valet station, hand in the keys... and then? Do I give a tip now? Do I get a paper slip to keep? When I want to leave again, I tell the valet attendant to get my car? Do I tip him or the man who brings the car? How much? What am I forgetting?

I hope my questions aren't too silly but it would calm me down if I knew exactly what to do and when :)

Thank you in advance for any tips you might have!

Katie

For the tolls: very few roads in California assess tolls (bridge tolls are much more common). And it is very easy to go between LA and SD without using the toll roads.

For valet parking, you typically drive up, give the keys to the valet attendant, who gives you a claim check to be used when you are ready to leave.

If the valet service is chargable (more so at restaurants) you typically pay when retrieving the car, although this can vary. Tip is given to the attendant who hands you your keys and seats you in the car (the staff typically pools its tips).

I registered with thetollroads.com after Google Maps' suggested route from Orange County to Santa Monica took me onto a toll road in my rented car. It was easy to register, and the toll hit my credit card about two weeks later. The car didn't have a transponder, so evidently a camera read its license plate.

Even using something like google maps, the "avoid toll roads" option will let you easily avoid these tolls.

Yes, if you think of it in advance, which I didn't. Toll roads didn't exist when I was driving regularly in Southern California. I didn't mind paying a few dollars extra to get home sooner, but I was a little concerned about a possible hefty overcharge from the rental company. I need not have worried, as it turned out. :)

I don't think in your situation you'll need to take any roads that take tolls. I'd skip the hassle of signing up for one.

Unlike a lot of places, toll roads aren't widespread here, and very few roads are toll only (usually a combo of regular lanes + restricted toll lanes).

And if you do happen to find yourself on one, my experience is that it's OK to sign up after the fact. You just need to know the url: thetollroads.com.

If you are only going to be here for a couple of weeks, I wouldn't bother with the toll road transponder. It's useful for people commuting daily but I don't think you will be driving in rush hour in the same direction everyday.

Valet parking etiquette is simple... You hand over the key and get a claim ticket. Some place you have to pay first, then wait for your car. Some place you pay the guy that fetches your car. It depends. As for tip, generally, you tip just before you get in the car. I tip based on how far these guys have to go to fetch my car. If it is just 10 meters away in the same parking lot where I could have just drove off myself, they get nothing. If they have to cross a busy street, climb a hill, dodge a street fight, and get in some dark ally 3 blocks away behind a plus size women's gym, they get $5. If the effort is some where in between, $2 or $3.

You can use the toll roads in Orange County with a "The Toll Roads" account. Just log in and pay after using them. I think you've already found this in your research. Probably the most likely one for you to use will be CA-73 through Orange County when heading down to San Diego. However, it's only helpful if you're approaching from I-405 and not I-5.

Based on where you are traveling, the ones you cannot use without a transponder are:

CA-91 (CA-55 to CA-71)
I-110 (CA-91 to I-10)
I-10 (US-101 to I-605)
I-15 (CA-52 - CA-78)

Frankly, given the limited time, I wouldn't bother with a transponder. Sometimes the tolls can be quite pricey and don't really save all that much time. If you're on vacation, just ride with the traffic and mellow out. Or, time your trips to avoid the traffic as much as possible.

The roads where all lanes charge a toll are State Highways 73, 133, 241 and 261 in Orange county and State Highway 125 in San Diego county.

Other highways mentioned in the above post have "Metro Express Lanes", toll lanes that run parallel and adjacent to the regular free lanes. You avoid tolls by staying out of those lanes - simple as that.

For I-15 I believe you don't need one if there's two or more people in the car (they're also HOV lanes). Not 100% sure though.

I live here and don't have a transponder. Very easy to get around without using any toll lanes.

Same here. You don't need to drive on toll road. Just use WAZE app and select the option of Avoid Toll Road. It's actually quite hard to get on a Toll road here since there are so few freeway that is ONLY toll. Most of the toll roads are lanes that run on the the side of the "free"way. I swear 90% of the time if the free lanes are busy, so are the toll lanes.