Actually you CAN get to PS by bus and Metrolink Train. Only problem is that it takes about 6 hours. http://tinyurl.com/ceo3yym

Here is a link to a company that runs schedule shuttles from the airports and also door to door service to Palm Springs. http://www.palmspringsshuttle.com/

I have no experience with them and have seen no reviews so I provide the link for information only and not as an endorsement or advertisement.

If you can get to Fullerton, you can take Amtrak to LA, then from LA take the train east. It drops you off at about 12:30 AM. The PS depot is pretty desolate and remote. I would not want to be dropped off there unless a taxi was waiting.

>>>reasonable options<<<

From Huntington Beach to the Fullerton train station on OC Metro buses is close to 2 hours, Fullerton Metrolink to Union Station is about an hour, Union Station to Palm Spring North on Amtrack is 2 1/2 hours and this doesn't include wait time at the stations or the transportation from the Palm Springs North Amtrak station to your final destination.

So.

Reasonable options are a shuttle service or a private executive car service.

Note, the train(Sunset Limited) from Union Station to Palm Springs only runs three days a week, Wednesdays, Friday and Sunday at 10 PM and arrives at Palm Springs at 12:36 AM.

There is another Amtrak option though, that runs seven days a week, and would be cheaper, get to a station other than Fullerton, such as San Juan Capristrano (mainly on the OCTA Route 1 bus, with a transer, or to the Santa Ana Station, and then book a ticket to Palm Springs. It will take you to Fullerton, where you transfer to an Amtrak Thruway Bus, which runs twice a day. Amtrak requires part of the trip on the train, but then basically the bus is no extra charge.

Here is a post I wrote earlier this year that has all the details...

tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g32847-i179-k55935…

>>Was doing some research, and never seen anyone mention this new service yet. As part of the Amtrak California program, there is now a "ThruwayBus" from the Fullerton Train Station to the Palm Desert area.

The Bus does requires reservations, which can be made at Amtrak.com.

Let's start with the East Bound Buses (twice a day). The morning bus (4968) leaves the Fullerton Station at 11:50 AM, then stops at the Riverside Metrolink Station at 12:40 PM. Next is Cabazon at the Morongo Casino at 1:20 PM, followed by Palm Springs and the Downtown SunLine Transit center at 1:45 PM, and then ends at Palm Springs Airport at 1:55 PM.

The evening bus (4984) goes farther... Leaves Fullerton at 6:20 PM, Riverside at 7:05 PM, Morongo at 7:45 PM, then Palm Springs, SunLine at 8:15 PM, the Airport at 8:20, then continues to Palm Desert (SunLine Transit) at 8:50 PM, La Quinta (SunLine) at 9 PM and ends in Indio at 9:20 PM (Hwy. 111 at Monroe) .

As for the westbound buses, the first bus (4969) starts at Indio at 8:05 AM, La Quinta at 8:15 AM. Palm Desert at 8:30 AM, Palm Springs Airport at 9:00 AM, Downtown PS at 9:05 AM, Cabazon at 9:40 AM, Riverside at 10:25 AM and ends in Fullerton at 11:21 AM.

The second bus (4985) starts at the Palm Springs Airport at 3:05 PM, Downtown PS at 3:10 PM, Cabazon at 3:40 PM, Riverside at 4:25 PM, and Fullerton at 5:25 PM.

Amtrak Coaches are late Model Tour Buses, so something like a "Greyhound" like coach.

Here is a link to the Pacific Surfliner page, just click on the screen on the right side of the page, and it will discuss the new service...

http://www.amtrak.com/pacific-surfliner-train

Hope the info helps someone looking for options to get to and from the Southern California coastal area.<<