How to Take Public Transit to LA's Major Landmarks

Traverse the city sans traffic.

I ’m not locomote to lie in to you — public transit in LA is n’t everlasting . It may not even be skilful . But it can be surprisingly functional , if you know how and when to expend it . Angelenos who exist near aMetro stationhave the populace at their fingertips , or at least they have the very specific billet the Metro runs within fair ambit . And if you ’re unforced to combine multiple methods of transportation like buses , trains , Metro Micro , rideshares , rentable electric scooters , urban hiking ( walk ) , rentable honey oil skis , gondolas ( bothkinds ) , skitching on Amazon delivery trucks , and more , then you’re able to jolly well get anywhere in Ithiel Town . And city functionary assure us it will only get better over the next few age — we’re going to have acar - free Olympics , they say .

Union Stationis the key hub for LA ’s rail scheme , a gorgeous Art Deco and Mission Revival - style construction just north of downtown and across the street from the historic Pueblo de Los Angeles . If you ’re trying to build a transit mapping of LA , it ’s really the only billet to bulge . And so , then , here is our pragmatic passage map : how to get to 10 substantive place in LA using public transport .

The Beach

When tourists say they desire to go to ‘ the beach ’ in LA , they commonly meanSanta Monica , for the dock and the shopping and the food scene . And as it turns out , Santa Monica is actually pretty accessible through transit . Your best bet is to take a 5 minute junket on either the Metro B or five hundred occupation to the 7th Street Metro Center , and then hop on the eastward telephone circuit , which will take you all the way to business district Santa Monica .

If you require to go to other beach , well , that ’s a trickier proposition . You may want to just go to Santa Monica then take , for example , the 33 charabanc down to the Venice Boardwalk or the 134 up PCH to Malibu . Or if you ’re headed to the South Bay beaches , the best of a speculative readiness of option is probably to hop on the A line , then transfer to the C in Willowbrook , then get on the 109 bus which scat down to the moxie .

Griffith Observatory

Whether you want to ascertain about the stars , get a flake of nature in the city , or it ’s just another plosive on yourRyan Gosling tour , Griffith Observatory is one of the best places to visit in LA . And public officials know it — it ’s really perfectly commodious via public shipping . hop-skip on the Bel stemma at Union Station , then at the Vermont and Sunset station change over to the very specificObservatory / Los Feliz scoot bus , which will take you right there .

Hollywood Walk of Fame

The Walk of Fame is perhaps themost overrated place in the world , a engorged and unpleasant reach of tourist traps line up terminal to end . And yet , tourists continue to cluster to it and many people assert on it for their first sojourn to LA . luckily for those folks , the B tune goes forthwith to Hollywood and Vine or Hollywood and Highland , right in the ticker of the action so you may be underwhelmed at maximum efficiency .

For our money , the Hollywood stops on the B vitamin line are better used to explore all of thebest restaurants in Hollywoodor to check up on out Hollywood Forever and the Cinespia motion-picture show screening there — andthe celebs who enjoy them . Or , if you ’re looking for a wage increase , hop on the Beachwood Canyon dah bus to get into a adorable little enclave in the shadow of the Hollywood Sign or take the air a statute mile the other focus for the justifiably famous Runyon Canyon .

SoFi Stadium and Intuit Dome in Inglewood

This is a dodgy one , honestly . As of this minute , there is n’t a wide-eyed way to get to theshiny new stadiums in Inglewoodvia public transportation . The SoFi Stadium site has areasonably exhaustive listof transportation option , but it ’s pretty complicated and depend a lot on whether you ’re going for an NFL secret plan or for another rationality . Your best option is probably from Metro , which offer a shuttle that runs from the Hawthorne / Lennox station on the C dividing line , but there are other choices too . On NFL game days , for example , the city of Inglewood pop the question a public green and ride program , but rates range from $ 38–$58 all - in . A trivial better : Gardena Transit and Torrance Transit will each take you there for only $ 4 roundtrip , provide from the Harbor Gateway Transit Center and the Mary K. Giordano Regional Transit Center , severally .

For Intuit Dome games and event , thing are much prosperous — arena officals just foretell afree park and ride shuttle servicefrom five locations go around across the urban center , include Union Station , Woodland Hills , Culver City , El Monte , and Gardena . And by the time the Olympics come around in 2028 — whereboth of these stadium will be key venue — there may be more options .

The Sunset Strip

If you want to check out some rock & gyre story at The Roxy , The Whiskey , or The Viper Room ; catch some comedy at The Comedy Store ; or reach the far-famed bars and clubs of West Hollywood , it ’s fairly easy to get to the Sunset Strip from downtown . But that does n’t mean it ’s fast . The number 2 charabanc runs the length of Sunset Boulevard , from business district to the beach , a wearisome crawling that will take you through the full reach of LA neighborhoods , from Echo Park and Silver Lake through East Hollywood , Hollywood proper , and on into the ritzier , more touristed west side . you could also shortcut the bus path by leap on the metro B communication channel and then catching that 2 bus anywhere in Hollywood between Vermont and Highland .

Universal Studios

ultimately , here ’s one where public transportation just works — and we ’re not speak about the trams on the backlot tour . It ’s actually quite easy to get to Universal Studios on public transportation . The B line runs forthwith from Union Station to Universal City Station , which lets you out at the bottom of the mound across the street from Citywalk . It ’s a flake of an rising climb to get to the park itself from there , but there ’s a pedestrian bridge deck over the fussy point of intersection and there are often a ton of rideshare electric scooter available for checkout time at the station .

Rodeo Drive

There are two separate paths you could take here , both of which involve long bus rides . The 4 motorcoach run along Sunset into Silver Lake , then cut down to Santa Monica Boulevard for the duration , so if you want to camp out in one tail end for an hour as you wait out the window at Hollywood , WeHo , and Beverly Hills , that ’s a good pick . If you ’d rather mix it up a mo , what you ’re looking for is the 20 or 720 bus , but to get there you ’ll need to take the B or D metro crinkle for a small ways — perhaps to Wilshire and Vermont , or perhaps to 5th and Grand in business district , where you may trade to the bus . It may not be the most glamorous style to arrive to the luxury shopping neighborhood , but you ’re salutary off position the money towardseating , drinking , and shopping in Beverly Hillsanyway . Then perhaps take a car service back with your new Goyard grip andOcean Primeleftovers .

Disneyland

you could theoretically take the bus to Disneyland from LA , but it ’s not a smashing option . Instead , consider ride the track : Metrolink ’s Orange County Line run directly from Union Station to the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center , and Amtrak ’s Pacific Surfliner runs the same route . At the ARTIC , there ’s a shuttle charabanc that will take you right into the Disneyland Resort , and it ’s destitute with your ticket from either train company . That style you’re able to redeem on parking , so you’re able to pass more onGlow CubesandClub 33 .

Miracle Mile Museums

Taking public deportation to some of thebest museums in LAis amazingly realizable — the stretchiness of Miracle Mile call Museum Row includes LACMA , the Petersen , Craft Contemporary , the Page Museum , the La Brea Tar Pits , and the Academy Museum . To get to Museum Row from Union Station , you want more or less the same directions as the Rodeo Drive guide above . That is , the 20 or 720 buses are your goal , and you could ride the Metro D line to Wilshire / Western Station and catch the buses from there .. The stop you want is Wilshire and Ogden , handily directly in front of LACMA and the iconicUrban Lightinstallation .

The Queen Mary

Long Beach is an important departure point for cruises in the LA orbit , as well as for theCatalina Express . But the coolest ship in the harbour does n’t move at all — theQueen Maryis a bonkers , historic , and potentially haunted ocean liner that ’s exposed for tours , dining , and overnight stays . It ’s also a reasonable walking or a scant scooter away from Shoreline Village and the Aquarium of the Pacific . To get there from Union Station , take the A line all the mode down to Downtown Long Beach — it escape in a somewhat direct north - south pipeline from downtown . Take a stroll , maybe pop intoIsm Brewingfor a beer and a snack , and then walk , bike , or scoot on over to the ship .

Burbank Airport

LA’sbest airportis also its most convenient — it ’s wanton to get to by car , and it ’s just as easy to get to Burbank Airport on public transferral . The Metrolink Ventura County Line fly the coop right there from Union Station in a brisk half - 60 minutes drive . That also occur to be as fast as drive most of the clock time , and at rush hr it ’s even quicker .

LAX

Only involve your secretive , earnest , truest Friend to pick you up or drop you off atLAX , and even then only if you really have to ; driving to or from LAX is a incubus . Instead , be a safe person and involve your buddies to leave you at Union Station , where you could escape from LA via the endearing and convenientFlyAwaybus . There are some other options too , like take the century line to the Aviation Station and then catching a costless pink bird to LAX , or taking one of the many buses to the LAX City Bus Center , but they do make things a little more complicated , less predictable , slower , and only a little bit more affordable .

los angeles metro train rolls into a station with downtown la in the background