Palm Springs

Palm Springs is a resort city in the California desert. It became a destination during the 1950s and 1960s when Hollywood movie stars flocked there in droves. Nowadays, the area offers entertainment for all ages, although the most common demographics consists of retirees. Palm Springs offers a wealth of indoor and outdoor activities. Known for its hiking, mid-century modern architecture, stunning natural beauty and sparkling pools, Palm Springs has the perfect blend of outdoor activities and casual relaxation.

Palm Springs is a favorite for gay travelers, naturist communities, and many other people.



By train
Amtrak has a station at 300 North Indian Canyon Drive (0.6 mi / 1 km south of Interstate 10),. Amtrak's Sunset Limited route connects Palm Springs with Los Angeles and with Arizona and points eastward with three westbound and three eastbound trains per week (arriving Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday). Amtrak also provides Palm Springs with connections to and from the San Joaquins trains, which run up California's Central Valley to the Bay Area and Sacramento, via multiple daily Amtrak Thruway motorcoach runs to and from Bakersfield. Rental car agencies do not provide shuttles to the Amtrak station in Palm Springs and there is no public transportation available there. The "station" is an open platform without any building. Taxis from the Palm Springs Amtrak to the Palm Springs airport (where the rental cars are available) is $40-50 (2019). The is at 200 E Taquitz Canyon Road, and is the preferred method to get to Palm Springs via Amtrak. The LA/Orange County line runs through Fullerton and has only one stop between there and Palm Springs, at downtown Riverside. Another option is to take the Surfliner train to Fullerton. Then, take an Amtrak motorcoach to Palm Springs Airport or downtown Palm Springs. The is at 190 North Indian Canyon Drive.



By car

 * From Los Angeles take Interstate 10 or CA 60 East towards Phoenix –, about 2 hours.
 * From San Diego take Interstate 15 north, Interstate 215 north to CA 60 East –, about 2 hours.
 * From Phoenix take Interstate 10 West –, about 4 hours.
 * From Las Vegas take Interstate 15 South to Interstate 10 East (via San Bernardino) –, about 4½ hours.

By bus
Additional bus stations and stops with Greyhound, El Paso-Los Angeles Limousine Express and Tufesa are only in Indio. Flixbus is the only intercity company that offers direct connections into downtown Palm Springs as well as Indio:

Get around
Palm Springs has a pedestrian-friendly downtown. Visitors can enjoy the palm tree-lined streets along Palm Canyon Drive and Indian Canyon Drive. Boutique shops, outdoor restaurant and art galleries line the streets.

By car
Rent a car at the airport, or if you want to splurge, numerous limousine services are available, including West Coast Transportation, Cardiff Limousine and A-1 Sahara Limo.

The main thoroughfares through downtown are one-way only between Alejo and Ramon. Palm Canyon Drive is the southern route, and the home to most restaurants, hotels, and entertainment venues. Indian Canyon Drive runs north, and also has many, though fewer, attractions. California State Route 111 runs south from I-10, then east-west along the hill side and connects all the cities in the Palm Springs area. This road has stop lights and lots of traffic, so if you are going far, you should drive out and hop onto I-10 S.

Palm Canyon Drive is usually busy and can be hard to find a parking place on the weekends and at night. There is ample free parking in the many city owned parking lots and garages, except for Thursday through Saturday nights.

Most of the major car rental companies are represented at the airport.

By bike
Palm Springs and the surrounding environs are mostly flat and dry and can make for good cycling during the cooler months. Numerous rental facilities can be found around town.

Do




Events
Year-round &mdash;

and a Saturday Flea Market in nearby Palm Desert
 * Thursdays – Thursday Street Fair, downtown with craft and food booths, and during the spring season live music
 * Saturdays - Farmers Market, 8AM–12:30PM adjacent to the Camelot Theatres at 2300 E. Baristo Road ( from downtown)

January–March &mdash;


 * Palm Springs International Film Festival
 * Modernism Week
 * Desert Concours d’Elegance
 * Festival of Native Film & Culture
 * Tour de Palm Springs

April–June &mdash;


 * Arthur Lyons’ Film Noir Festival
 * Restaurant Week
 * ANA Inspiration – One of the five major championships of women's golf, held at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage and ending on the first Sunday of April.
 * Girls Weekend (formerly Dinah Shore Weekend) – An annual gathering of lesbians (and those who sympathize with LGBT causes) that coincides with the ANA Inspiration. (The former name of "Dinah Shore Weekend" honors the late entertainer, who founded the golf tournament that once bore her name.)
 * White Party

July–September &mdash;


 * Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films
 * 4 July Celebration
 * Cinema Diverse Gay and Lesbian Films

October–December &mdash;


 * American Heat Bike Show
 * Exotic Car Show and Auction
 * Greater Palm Springs Pride
 * Festival of Lights Parade
 * Veterans Day Parade
 * Walk of the Inns
 * Tree Lighting Ceremony at Aerial Tramway

Eat
The annual Palm Springs Desert Resorts Restaurant Week offers an opportunity to try a number of restaurants at a discounted rate.



Go next

 * Joshua Tree National Park – This desert park is a great day trip to take while at Palm Springs. There are two routes to the park, both about an hour drive: north on CA 62 to the north entrance in Joshua Tree Village, or east on I-10 to the south entrance direct off I-10. To loop through the entire park from north to south (or vis-a-versa), plan on a minimum of 4 hours. Camping is allowed as well as rock climbing.
 * Idyllwild – A mountain resort approximately 45 minutes drive away on the beautiful Palms to Pines highway. It can also be reached by a scenic  hike from the top of the Palm Springs Tramway.
 * Salton Sea – Southeast of Palm Springs, California's largest lake formed when an irrigation canal burst in 1905 and flooded the Salton Basin for more than a year. This unusual area is home to geothermal features, a wildlife refuge, the partially built resort community of Salton City, and the "profoundly strange" artwork of Salvation Mountain in the squatter town of Slab City.

Other nearby desert resort cities include Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta and Indio.