Beautiful mountain scenery, gorgeous weather, and an endless surplus of the best golf courses around encompass the greatness that is Palm Springs. Just imagine waking up every morning with the sun peeking over the mountains just outside your window and starting your day in a sunny paradise. With its high end hotels, modern architecture, and an accepting atmosphere, it’s no wonder so many people choose to live there.
If you live and work here, you’ll probably never want to leave. However, no matter how much you may not want to leave, sometimes travel is unavoidable. If you know anything about Southern California, you know that the traffic can get a little much to say the least. Luckily, there are a handful of tips and tricks to getting around the city, or mastering a commute in general. So if you’re thinking of moving there or just taking a trip to visit this great city, here are some tips to getting around in Palm Springs, California.
Commuting by a Personal Vehicle
If your work location will be a few cities away from Palm Springs, chances are that you will be using a car. To make sure that your gas stops aren’t as frequent, try asking your coworkers who live in your area how they get to the workplace. Finding out what highways and roads are better to use can save you both time and money. You can also use Waze to find the shortest commute possible each morning. If you don’t own a car, public transportation is always an option. The city’s government has developed a great bus transportation system called the SunLine Transit Agency. The SunLine has over 15 different bus routes with buses coming and going every 15 minutes – so getting around is not a difficulty. Stretching from North Shore all the way to Riverside, the SunLine has you covered. You can even go to their website and take a look at their bus routes in real time.
Using a Ride Sharing Platform
Need a ride to work? There’s an app for that. If you don’t own a vehicle but are not a fan of buses or shuttles, try out some of the popular ride sharing apps for your day to day commute. Especially if your commute isn’t too far away, sharing rides through trendy apps like Lyft, Uber, or CarpoolWorld may even be a better option than a car. All you have to do is pull out your phone, request a ride, and within minutes someone will pick you up and take you wherever you need to go. Of course, ride sharing means you must share a ride with another person – even more than one person at times. If you want to ride alone, it’ll cost you more each trip. So be aware of that and calculate your time to get to work accordingly. The driver might drop you off first, or they might drop you off last. A good tip to know which one of those will happen is - if you book a ride first, you’ll most likely get dropped off first.
Environmentally Friendly Options
When you really want to minimize your carbon footprint, there is always the option of utilizing a good ol’ bicycle – or a unicycle if you want to be fancy. Get your exercise on when you travel to work or school all while saving money and making an effort in your environmentally friendly choices. Look at you! The best part is, besides all of the things that were just mentioned above, is that you get to enjoy the gorgeous mountain views of Palm Springs along the way. Just remember to always stay hydrated since temperatures can reach up to the hundreds quickly, especially in the summer months.
Extra Tips to Make Your Commute Easier
Besides the ride sharing apps, there are a few other ways to use your smartphone to help you with your commute – which mainly applies to automobile transportation. First, if you own a vehicle, the Gas Buddy app will be your new best friend. This app helps you find the cheapest gas prices in your area. If you’re currently driving a gas-guzzler, it may be worth reconsidering a fuel-efficient SUV instead in preparation of California’s higher than average gas prices. Also, if you’re planning on hitting the town with your friends and family and know that you will need to find parking, I highly suggest finding a good parking app such as SpotHero. Apps like SpotHero let you book and reserve a parking spot before you even leave your home, and often give you great discounts that you won’t find elsewhere.
Well, there you have it. These are just a few tips to help you get around in Palm Springs. Whether you’re driving a car, taking a bus, riding a bike or sharing rides on Lyft, hopefully these few tips and tricks will help make your commute a quick and easy going one. Be safe and happy commuting!
Posted by Geoffrey Moore on
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