Taking a Train to the Angels Game

This month I joined the order of rail commuters that begin their trip at the Mission Viejo/Laguna Niguel Metrolink Station. Every Monday and Thursday about 7:45 a.m. I’m hooking a left onto Forbes Road from Crown Valley to catch the 7:55 a.m. train. With a new job that requires me to be in downtown L.A. twice a week,  I find myself going Metro. And I'm loving it.

Once I got the hang of leaving ample time to punch my 10-trip ticket prior to boarding, I found myself with enough time to explore the Station. That’s when I noticed the colorful banners advertising the Angels Express, a special Metrolink train that runs from Mission Viejo to Angel Stadium for all weekday games that begin at 7:05 p.m. My husband and I had tickets to last night’s game.

We went Metro. And we loved it.

The Angels Express leaves Mission Viejo/Laguna Niguel at 5:50 p.m. We grabbed dinner to-go on our short drive to the park-and-ride (parking is free) and headed over to the ticket kiosk. From the kiosk, we simply chose Special Ticket options and bought two adults tickets at $7 apiece.

We had enough time to find a bench and enjoy dinner. As we ate, we wondered aloud how many other riders would be aboard. Just a handful of families had beat us to the station, but as train departure time drew near, so did the crowds. Dozens at a time, men, women, teens and children--all decked out in their Angel’s gear--hit the kiosk.

And why not? Adults ride for $7 round-trip, kids 6 through 18 ride for $4 round-trip and children under 5 ride free. I calculated how much it costs us to drive the 23 miles to the stadium and back – $25 in gas – and added another $8 for parking. That means we’ll save about $20 for each ($14 instead of the normal $33) game we make it to by train. Not only that, we avoid traffic on the 5 and 57 freeways, don’t have to deal with navigating the parking lot at the end of the game and we get to meet other Angels fans all while kicking back on a train!

By now, I’m sure you’re interested in taking your own ride on the Angels Express. You can find the schedule here. The ride is smooth and fast, taking only 32 minutes to get from Mission Viejo to the stadium. It’s pretty cool to see the Big A from the train window. And to watch the other fans that we’re picked up along the way in Irvine, Tustin, Santa Ana and Orange deboard. We were a big crew on Tuesday night!

Once you arrive, the Station is about a five-minute walk from the stadium. If your seats are on the third base side, you’re especially close. Us? We made our way over to the first-base side to get close to my favorite player, Torii “Big Game” Hunter.

And how do you get home? The Angels Express leaves exactly 30 minutes after the game ends. This is more than enough time to make your way back to the station. Simply show your ticket to the conductor prior to boarding and you’re on your way home. (Just be sure you hop on the Oceanside bound train and not the one to Los Angeles!)

The Halos lost to Oakland on Tuesday night, but the mood on the train was far from somber – you’re on a train! Our next game isn’t for a few weeks, but you can bet my husband and I are making our way to the Big A on the Angel’s Express. Hope to see you on it!