Getting to Los Angeles: Options for Traveling to Los Angeles California

Spotlight

Los Angeles

Getting There

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is one of the busiest hubs in the world. All major U.S. carriers – United; Continental; American Airlines; Delta; and US Airways – as well as a wide range of international airlines, offer direct flights multiple times a day. More recently, discount carrier Jet Blue began offering service between New York and Burbank's Bob Hope Airport (BHA), a smaller, and in some cases more convenient, alternative to LAX. Other airlines serving BHA include Alaska; Aloha; America West; and Southwest. Flights from the East Coast make the non-stop flight in about six hours; flights from the Midwest take about four hours.

Great vacation packages to Los Angeles are a plenty, and you can usually save some serious cash by booking air and hotel together. Our preferred providers are Expedia.com; Orbitz; Travelocity; and eLeisureLink.com. For current specials, see our Los Angeles deal page.

If you're traveling within the continental United States, driving a car is definitely an alternative, and having your own car makes getting around the city that much easier once you're here. Los Angeles is connected to several major highways, including Interstate 5 running north and south and Interstate 10 running east and west. You can also get to the city from Interstate 15, which runs through Las Vegas and the desert before hooking up with I-10. Most of the 30-plus car-rental companies serving LAX have free shuttles running from the airport terminals to their nearby branches.

GETTING INTO AND AROUND L.A.
Without traffic, LAX is just over 30 minutes from Downtown, Hollywood, and the Westside. If you don't plan on renting a car, the easiest way to get into the city is by shuttle or taxi. The standard range for taxi fares from LAX to Hollywood is $35-40. There's a $38 flat rate to and from downtown L.A. to LAX, plus a $2.50 surcharge. Rates on Super Shuttle run anywhere from $15 to $30 depending on your final destination, so if you have more than three people in your party a cab is definitely the better way to go.

We do highly recommend renting a car so you can have the freedom to explore the far reaches of the city at your own pace. Do take the time to study a map of the region's vast freeway system before you start driving, although it's really not as complicated as it may seem. Most of the attractions mentioned in this article are clustered near I-5, I-10, I-405 and U.S. 101. Word of warning: The 405 freeway is almost always jammed. Try to avoid it if you can, especially during peak traffic hours (7-11 am, 3-8 pm).