How do you get to the airport with a lot of luggages for a long trip by air

PandaBear

PandaBear

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Let's say, you are going to another country and driving is not an option (ocean in between), with a family of 4 for a month so parking at the airport with a big van is not an option, you can either take airport shuttle, train, multiple uber / taxi ride, or drive multiple people back and forth to the airport to watch what you drop off, then you finally take uber / taxi / train / shuttle to the airport to meet them up, and on the other end do the same thing again.

You have 4 plane tickets so you will have 4 carry on and 4 checked in. You live 30 miles from the airport.

What would you do?
 
In 2019 us 4 rode the Amtrak to Chicago. We took the train to the airport from the park area. In Bangkok we took a taxi from the airport. Same thing in Laos. In Chicago we took a taxi back to the same area from the airport but I was dang expensive and the cab driver had a attitude problem, should of took the train again. Luggage amount was never a issue just look for taxi vans. I think we took a tuk tuk once.. if you ever want to live and die at the same time that's a ride for you!
 
Airport Shuttle. Depending on your destination and airline, patience. Getting in line with hundreds and everyone has carts with boxes and luggage. Check in is extremely slow.
 
Park a car in long term parking for a month? Probably still cheaper than 2 Ubers both ways.
 
My wife does business travel. She has used Uber because of parking cost made it equal out, but she mostly uses the cheapest option which is $6 a day, but you gotta take a shuttle. We both have TSA precheck.
 
For extended overseas trips, I have a single, large wheeled cargo-hauler of a suitcase. I shove everything I can in it and carry on very little.
 
I book a driver. We have done it with kids, strollers, car seats, etc. in their vehicles. Just be upfront with what you’re bringing and they’ll get the right vehicle to do it.

Also learn to pack lighter.
 
Maybe not 4, but I've gone on long trips. Several times we took BART to SFO, but I had this brilliant idea to leave the rest of my family and I'd drive home and then walk to the station to meet them. The plan was also to take a taxi on the way home. But my wife is a procrastinator and we were running really late. It was strange how I managed to get a ride there from a neighbor who saw me. And yet we were still looking to be too late and we got off and caught a taxi in San Francisco to go to the airport, where we made it with maybe 10 minutes before the counter would have closed and where we needed a toddler at the security line to bypass the line.

But we've taken BART to SFO several times. The entire family. I wouldn't really make sense to drop them off, take the car home, and then find some way to get back there by public transportation. It would be a long time waiting and my family isn't the most patient.

I've never done airport parking more than maybe 3 days, and that was at a smaller airport where it was less than $10 a day for long-term parking. I mentioned BART, where we paid for their long-term parking, which was something like $5 a day.

There are some things I might do if I'm by myself or maybe with the kid in tow. I've rented a car at the airport for a trip since they had the best prices. I'd take BART to Oakland Airport, but then the bus to the airport because it was cheaper than the airport connector ($6 more to the fare). So my transportation (pickup and return) was:

A) Walk to BART station. Might had asked for a ride from my wife.
B) Ride BART to Oakland Coliseum/Airport station.
C) Ride AC Transit line 73 to Oakland Airport.
D) Ride rental car shuttle to rental car center.
E) Pick up car and drive home. Go on trip. Return home.
F) Drive rental to rental car center to return.
G) Ride rental car shuttle to Oakland Airport.
H) Take AC Transit line 73 to Oakland Coliseum/Airport station.
I) Take BART to closest station to home.
J) Call home and ask my wife to pick us up in our own car.

We might have done once where we drove to the rental car center and then drove home together. But I do remember doing it once with public transportation because my wife didn't feel like driving.

But mostly I would see if I could find someone who could give us a ride to the airport. I will then return the favor sometime. Most cars can handle that amount of luggage.
 
About the luggage, it would be 4 large checks and 4 carry on, and we just got back from a domestic trip; our 4 carry-on would have almost filled up the trunk of a Sonata rental. I think if we have 8 suitcases it wouldn't fit at all (we also need 4 passengers and 1 driver).

We live near a CalTrain (walking about 10 mins), and Google Maps said if we take Caltrain to Milbrae then BART to SFO would be about 1 hr 10 mins. So it seems like it is the best option so far. Maybe I can drive to drop off the family, then another trip or two for luggage for them to watch, then walk to Caltrain after parking the car at home, which would be about 1.5 hr each way. It would be easiest not to ask a friend to drop us off in 2 trips.

The idea about renting a car from the airport, no, it is more hazzle and it would be even more expensive. This actually inspire me about using the airport luggage storage, maybe one of us can be there to either watch the luggage or store it at the airport storage ahead of time. It's $6/24hr so if we drive there ahead of time to store 4 suitcases it would only be $24+gas for a trip to airport.

Come to think of it, if we have 3 check bags and 4 carry on, life would be easier as I can drive the family, drop off 3 members to check bags, wait in line, then drive home and take the train with 1 carry on bag, and by the time they are done checking bags I can use my own boarding pass printed from home to walk through security, without wasting too much time.
 
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