Most likely you'll be driving into LA from some of the other major cities during your tour around California or you'll fly directly into LAX (Los Angeles International Airport). If airplanes aren't your thing, travelers can also get to LA by bus or train. Check out Amtrack and Greyhound schedules and fares here. The train ride through the Rockys or along the beautiful California coast is surely a very nice experience, but takes a substantial amount of time.

Arriving at LAX, the third busiest airport in the world, you'll want to have your rental car already reserved. To avoid the crowds and high costs, you can fly into less busy, regional airports. Burbank Airport (BUR) is about 25 K or 15 miles Northwest of Downtown LA, while Long Beach Airport (LGB) is 40 km or 25 miles South. John Wayne Airport (SNA) is also close, about 65 km or 40 miles Southeast of Santa Ana and Orange Country. Lastly, travelers can fly unto Ontario International Airport (ONT), which is only 65 km or 40 miles East.

Yet again, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) would be your best bet, considering most international (and domestic) airlines arrive and depart here. Getting out of LAX could take some time when you arrive on an international flight so reserve an extra two hours to get through immigration and customs. Also Checkout La2Day's section for information regarding US Visa Requirements.

From LAX you can get taxis, shuttle buses, regular public transportation (however limited) into the city. Getting a rental car would be our best advice. It gives you flexibility, comfort, convenience, speed, and is a fairly affordable option. Los Angeles is full or busy freeways and rush hour traffic, so having your own vehicle would make exploring easy. Click here for car rental options, prices, and locations.

A distinctive feature of the Los Angeles region is its organization around the principal freeway corridors. The central East-West corridor is the Santa Monica Freeway (I-10), which carries hundreds of thousands of vehicles every day through a string of urban commercial centers from Santa Monica on the Pacific Ocean to Palm Springs in the Mohave Desert. Three freeways link the region's central districts in the Northwest-Southeast direction, paralleling the Pacific Ocean: the San Diego Freeway (I-405), the Harbor-Pasadena Freeway (I-110), and the Golden State Freeway (I-5). The major freeway interchanges each handle hundreds of thousands of vehicles every day, and the entire regional system carries millions of vehicles each day.

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) runs the region's mass transit system, consisting of buses, light rail, heavy rail, and commuter rail lines. The Metro Rail system is a mostly aboveground light rail network serving the core areas with trains and subways. However, the majority of the mass transit riders use the MTA's vast bus network.

Rental Car: We would strongly advise you to get a rental car. It's affordable, safe, and very convenient. From Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) or some city locations it's very easy to get some affordable rental car deals. Make sure you get the whole package including full insurance and make note that most rates on the internet do not show insurance rates included in the price. Insurance would range between $10 and $20 a day extra. California Law allows you to add an extra driver to your rental agreement for no additional charge. However when the additional driver is younger than 25, most rental car companies charge extra. 

Taxi Service: Another option would of course be the use of cabs or taxis. However we would then suggest you get a hotel in or close to Santa Monica as this would be your best starting point to explore more of LA. And staying here, would allow you to take Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus, the only truly reliable and safe bus system in the city. For more information about the City of Los Angeles authorized taxi companies, their telephone numbers, and service areas click here.

Public Transportation: You can choose between the Los Angeles Metro or Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus. As said, we prefer the Big Blue, with lines that run to and from Santa Monica. Check out the Big Blue Bus Online or Metro Online.

At the turn of the last century, the Pacific Electric Railroad ran trolley lines between Downtown Los Angeles and neighboring cities. During a recession in 1914, a group of unemployed automobile owners began using their cars to compete with the railway in Santa Monica. These drivers charged riders five cents and were called jitneys, a common name at the time for a nickel.

In 1921, as the population of Santa Monica doubled, business boomed and the jitney drivers incorporated as Bay Cities Transit Company, and they were soon operating buses throughout the city. In 1928, the City of Santa Monica launched its own bus line and over 16,000 passengers rode the new buses the first week. They chose a blue color scheme for their buses and called their service Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines.

By 1947, the regular bus rate was 10 cents, but costs kept rising and both the City of Santa Monica and the Bay Cities Transit lines were losing money. In 1950, Bay Cities Transit sold out to Santa Monica Municipal Bus Lines, by now more commonly known as the Blue Bus. Today, the transportation agency has a fleet of approximately 183 buses and carries 22 million passengers a year with a 97% on time performance record. The name was officially changed to "Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus" in 1999 at which time the agency also changed the graphic design to the eye-catching "ice blue" currently on each bus.

The Big Blue Bus has won the American Transportation Association's Outstanding Achievement Award for the 4th time since 1983, and continues to be one of the most efficient, customer-friendly transportation systems in the world.