I've heard SNA (John Wayne/ Orange County) is a nice airport.
I need to rent a car to go to the Thousand Oaks area for a couple of days and I'm weighing the ease of SNA being a smaller airport than LAX and dealing with a rental car out of there.

Does anyone have experience out of both airports?
I've not been to either.

The difference is 36 miles, but is LAX so big that it's better to deal with less airport BS if I go out of John Wayne?

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85' 300D No inspection, No registration fees, Cheap insurance
"If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you're going to see some serious %$&^."

Why not use Burbank (BUR)? Hella lot closer to Thousand Oaks than either LAX or SNA, tiny little older airport but perfectly serviceable. Security lines typically just a few minutes long, easy access to rental cars, ~ 30ish miles to Thousand Oaks vs. 40ish miles from LAX (plus LAX to T. Oaks is through more 7/24 traffic jam prone sections of freeway) or 80ish ugly freeway miles from SNA.

Excellent! Thank you!!!!!

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85' 300D No inspection, No registration fees, Cheap insurance
"If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you're going to see some serious %$&^."

Definitely go to Burbank. John Wayne is way too far to drive to get to Thousand Oaks. Just take the 101 from BUR. The rental for Hertz is on site at the end of the terminal. Budget is off site (about 2 blocks from the airport). Enterprise is across the street.

If you run mapquest directions anywhere, double the time to be safe if you have appointments. Unless you're driving after 8PM.

Sometimes you run into Jay Leno putting about in one of his cars around the airport.

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1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k

This only seems to get better, this BUR

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85' 300D No inspection, No registration fees, Cheap insurance
"If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you're going to see some serious %$&^."

BUR also known as the "Bob Hope Glendale Pasadena Burbank Airport"

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1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k

You are getting great advice.

LAX is a nightmare and should be avoided at all costs.

SNA (John Wayne International Airport is new and has the car rental parking lot right across from the terminals, but is inconvenient when driving to Thousand Oaks.

I say Burbank is the way to go. Very close to Thousand Oaks.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

The only problem with Burbank from the east coast is the price and the connections. Usually, you'll pay more to get there and the connections are not all that terrific.

Although I much prefer Orange County to LAX, I'm usually stuck with it due to the pricing on the nonstops from JFK. Factor in the connection time and the trip time is a wash.

LAX is really not that much of a big deal. I fly in and out of there all the time. If the ticket price is a lot cheaper, I'd go there. Coming up from Orange County to Thousand Oaks can be a major pain.

You can always get on I10 off the 405 North when you come from LAX and drive out on Pacific Coast Highway, then you take Malibu Canyon Road or Kanan Road to come over to the 101, which leaves you with just a handful of exits running North to Thousand Oaks.

If you get a reasonable good connection to Burbank and price, it maybe worth taking it, but not really that much ...

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I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest BUR. Anybody come up with that one yet?

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

They did. Matter is the connection and/or price.

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I can deal with a connection. Price isn't that much different with the connection.
I'm thinking it'll be BUR, but the customer keeps changing their mind when they want to see us. Now, it's a week later.

Thanks for the help!

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85' 300D No inspection, No registration fees, Cheap insurance
"If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you're going to see some serious %$&^."