Getting around · Los Angeles · United States
Getting around Los Angeles
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: web4camguy, CC BY-SA 2.0
Quick answer
Los Angeles covers a huge area and most residents drive. Visitors can manage without a car by combining Metro rail (Hollywood, Downtown, Santa Monica, Pasadena, Long Beach) with rideshare, but grouping sights by neighbourhood is essential; crossing the city at rush hour can take more than an hour. Not essential if you stay near Metro rail and use rideshare, but a car makes LA much easier for Malibu, the Getty, Griffith Park and day trips.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Metro
- Airports
- LAX, BUR, LGB, SNA, ONT
- Need a car?
- Sometimes
- Travel pass
- TAP card and app
Ways to get around
Metro
Metro rail's B Line links Downtown with Hollywood and Universal City, the E Line runs from Downtown to Santa Monica via Exposition Park, the A Line reaches Pasadena and Long Beach, and the D Line serves Koreatown.
Pay with a TAP card or the TAP app; fares are capped after a few rides a day or week.
Car
A car gives the most freedom for Malibu, the Getty, Griffith Park and day trips. Expect heavy freeway traffic at rush hours and paid parking at most attractions and beaches.
Read street parking signs carefully; street-cleaning and permit restrictions are enforced with tickets and towing.
Ride-hailing
Rideshare apps are widely used and often work out cheaper than paying for parking on evenings out.
Bus
Metro buses run along the main boulevards, Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus serves the Westside, and DASH minibuses circulate around Downtown and Hollywood.
Walking
Santa Monica, Venice, West Hollywood, Downtown and Old Pasadena are pleasant to explore on foot once you are there.
Cycling
The beach path from Santa Monica through Venice is ideal for cycling, and bike-share docks cluster in Santa Monica and Downtown.
Tickets and passes
TAP card and app
LA Metro's fare card and app, also accepted on many other local bus systems; fares are capped daily and weekly, so heavy users stop paying after a set amount.
From the airport
LAX is about 25 km south-west of Downtown. Metro's LAX/Metro Transit Center connects the airport area with the K and C Lines (check the airport site for the current link to the terminals), and FlyAway buses run to Union Station. Taxis and rideshares take roughly 30–90 minutes to Hollywood or Downtown depending on traffic. Burbank, Long Beach, Orange County and Ontario airports can be closer for some areas.
Do you need a car?
Not essential if you stay near Metro rail and use rideshare, but a car makes LA much easier for Malibu, the Getty, Griffith Park and day trips. Avoid driving in rush hours and budget for parking.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Disneyland Resort | About 45–90 minutes by car | Car, rideshare or train to Anaheim |
| Santa Catalina Island | About 1 hour by ferry from Long Beach | Ferry from Long Beach, San Pedro or Dana Point |
| Santa Barbara | About 2 hours by car, 2.5 by train | Amtrak Pacific Surfliner or car |
| Laguna Beach | About 1–1.5 hours by car | Car |
| Joshua Tree National Park | About 2.5–3 hours by car | Car |
| San Diego | About 2.5–3 hours by train or car | Amtrak Pacific Surfliner or car |
| Malibu | About 1 hour by car | Car along the Pacific Coast Highway |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Los Angeles?
Not essential if you stay near Metro rail and use rideshare, but a car makes LA much easier for Malibu, the Getty, Griffith Park and day trips. Avoid driving in rush hours and budget for parking.
+How do you get from the airport to Los Angeles?
LAX is about 25 km south-west of Downtown. Metro's LAX/Metro Transit Center connects the airport area with the K and C Lines (check the airport site for the current link to the terminals), and FlyAway buses run to Union Station. Taxis and rideshares take roughly 30–90 minutes to Hollywood or Downtown depending on traffic. Burbank, Long Beach, Orange County and Ontario airports can be closer for some areas.
+What is the best way to get around Los Angeles?
Metro: Metro rail's B Line links Downtown with Hollywood and Universal City, the E Line runs from Downtown to Santa Monica via Exposition Park, the A Line reaches Pasadena and Long Beach, and the D Line serves Koreatown.