Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Tel: (310) 646 5252.
Website: www.lawa.org

Located on Santa Monica Bay, 24km (15 miles) from the city centre, LAX is the world’s fifth-busiest airport, handling almost 58 million passengers in 2005. It is particularly important as the US gateway to the Pacific.

Airport facilities: Facilities include foreign exchange and banking services, ATMs, baggage storage, medical and first aid, language assistance and a variety of shops and restaurants. Visitor information booths are located outside the main arrivals building, where staff can advise visitors of the best route to their destination within the city. Car hire is available from all the major operators, including Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, National and Thrifty, as well as many local operators. Business services are available at the ICE Currency Exchange Booth. Travel Right Cafe in Terminal 4 Departure Level and Neptune Networks kiosks provide Internet access, and public telephones throughout the airport offer Internet data port access. Centres are located in Terminals 3, 7, 8 and the Tom Bradley International Terminal.

Transport to the city: Taxis can be found at the lower level. Passengers are presented with a ticket stating typical fares to major destinations. There is a flat fee of US$35 from Downtown to the airport, but the taxi fare from the airport to Downtown Los Angeles is at a metered rate. Several private shuttle services will drop airport passengers at the door of their hotel or other destinations. These include Super Shuttle (tel: (310) 782 6600 or 1 800 258 3826; website: www.supershuttle.com), Xpress Shuttle (tel: (310) 323 7222 or 1 800 427 7483; website: www.xpressshuttle.com) and Prime Time Shuttle (tel: (310) 536 7922 or 1 800 733 8267; website: www.primetimeshuttle.com). Charges are reasonable and vary depending on the destination.

A free shuttle bus runs between terminals and from the airport to Parking Lot C, where passengers can connect with MTA (tel: 1 800 266 6883/COMMUTE; website: www.mta.net) buses, which run to most places in the city. There is also a free shuttle to Aviation Station on the MTA Metro Green Line. Pick-up is on the lower arrival level under the LAX Shuttle sign.

Ontario International Airport (ONT)
Tel: (909) 937 2700.
Website: www.lawa.org

Located 56km (35 miles) east of Downtown Los Angeles, Ontario International is the city’s newest airport (opened 1998) and served over 7 million passengers in 2005. It handles international and domestic flights and is the closest airport for the heavily settled Orange County.

Airport facilities: Facilities include information kiosks, ATMs, foreign exchange, and a variety of shops and restaurants. Car hire is available from Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Hertz and National. There is no business centre at the airport.
Transport to the city: Taxis and several shuttle bus services (see above under LAX) provide transportation throughout the region.

Bob Hope Airport (Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport) (BUR)
Tel: (818) 840 8840.
Website: www.burbankairport.com

Bob Hope Airport is served by six domestic airlines only, serving some 5.5 million passengers in 2005. It is the closest airport to Downtown LA (20km, or 13 miles, away), Hollywood and the Valley.

Airport facilities: Facilities include shops and restaurants, ATMs and tourist information. Car hire is provided by Alamo, Avis, Budget, Hertz and National. There are no business facilities at the airport.

Transport to the city: Metrolink (Monday to Friday only), MTA Bus lines and Amtrak (see Rail) have nearby stations at Burbank and there are free connecting shuttles to/from the airport. The airport is also connected by many MTA bus lines. Taxis are readily available.

John Wayne Airport (Santa Ana, Orange County)
Tel: (949) 252 5200.
Website: www.ocair.com

Located about 67km (42 miles) south of downtown Los Angeles, John Wayne Airport served more than 9 million travellers in 2005. No fewer than 11 domestic airlines use this passenger-friendly airport.

Airport facilities: Facilities include shops and restaurants, ATMs and tourist information. On-site car hire is provided by Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, National and Thrifty. There are no business facilities at the airport.

Transport to the city: Taxis, limousines and shuttles (see above under LAX) provide service to the city.

Approximate flight times to Los Angeles: From London is 10 hours 15 minutes; from New York is 5 hours 20 minutes; from Chicago is 4 hours; from Toronto is 5 hours 30 minutes and from Sydney is 14 hours on non-stop flights.

Getting There By Water

Located in San Pedro Bay, some 20 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, the Port of Los Angeles, 425 South Palos Verdes Street, San Pedro (tel: (310) 732 7678/SEA PORT; website: www.portoflosangeles.org) is one of the world’s biggest and busiest seaports. As well as commercial shipping, the port’s World Cruise Center handled over 1 million cruise passengers in 2005 and is a popular stop-over for visiting cruise ships. The area includes recreational facilities such as a Maritime Museum, marina, aquarium and the newly opened Wilmington Information Center.

Ferry services: The majority of cruise ships head south towards Mexico, although Los Angeles is a stop on sailings to Alaska and other international destinations. There is also the Catalina Express (tel: 1 800 481 3470; website: www.catalinaexpress.com), which operates a service to Santa Catalina Island (see Excursions).

Transport to the city: The shuttle bus Community Connection 142 operates from Ports O’ Call to Long Beach, where various MTA buses are available. Also at Long Beach, the Metro Rail station Transit Mall is on the Blue Line, which goes to Downtown. Taxis are also readily available.

Getting There By Rail

National and regional rail services are provided by Amtrak (tel: 1 800 872 7245; website: www.amtrak.com). METROLINK (tel: 1 800 371 5465; website: www.metrolinktrains.com) is the regional rail system for southern California and connects with most cities in the region. The Los Angeles terminal for both is Union Station, located at 800 North Alameda Street on the edge of the Downtown business district. This vast, art deco, Spanish-style building, built in 1939, is an attraction itself. Although it still serves over a million passengers a year, rail travel figures have shrunk and many of its huge, arched rooms are fairly empty. The staff is very helpful, often offering advice on saving money with special tickets, for example. Facilities include checked baggage, passenger information, waiting rooms and snack bar. The trains may not be the swiftest but they are commodious, clean and comfortable.

Rail services: The Los Angeles terminal is situated at the western end of major routes across the southern Rockies and is also the southern terminus of the West Coast line to Seattle (Washington). Frequent services go to stations as far south as San Diego. Five main Amtrak trains serve Los Angeles: the Coast Starlight which begins in Seattle; the Pacific Surfliner - San Luis Obispo - Los Angeles - San Diego; Southwest Chief from Chicago; Sunset Limited from Orlando via New Orleans to Los Angeles and the Texas Eagle from Chicago via San Antonio.

Getting There By Road

Road travel in California is excellent, with good roads connecting Los Angeles to San Diego, Santa Barbara, Monterey and San Francisco.

Driving in the United States is on the right. For UK nationals, a full UK driving licence is sufficient. Other nationalities are required to have an International Driving Permit but it must be accompanied by a full driving licence from their home country. The minimum driving age in the USA is 16 years.

Speed limits are 40-56kph (25-35mph) in towns, 88kph (55mph) on highways and 105kph (65mph) on freeways, unless otherwise posted. Drivers may turn right at a red light, after stopping, unless there is a sign that prohibits it. A left turn is permitted on red if turning from a one-way street onto another one-way street. Pedestrians have right of way. The wearing of seatbelts in a private vehicle is mandatory. Children under four years must be protected in car seats. California has strict laws against drink-driving and driving while intoxicated is cause for arrest and a criminal charge. Drink-driving laws are strictly enforced. The maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio is 0.08%. Open containers of alcoholic beverages are not permitted in vehicles.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) (tel: 1 800 222 1333; website: www.aaa-calif.com) can provide information, and may offer reciprocal benefits to members of automobile clubs in other countries.

Emergency breakdown service:
Between 0630 and 1900, Caltrans (California Emergency Patrol) will assist freeway drivers with minor problems. For emergencies dial 911. Automobile Club members may call AAA 1 800 222 4357/AAA HELP.

Routes to the city: Interstate 5 (I-5) connects Los Angeles with Seattle in the north and San Diego in the south. The Pacific Coast Highway (State Highway 1) is a scenic route north along the California coast to Santa Barbara and San Francisco. Los Angeles is linked to Phoenix by I-10, to Las Vegas and Salt Lake City by I-15, and to Oklahoma City and Memphis by I-40.

Driving times to Los Angeles: From San Diego is 2 hours 45 minutes; Las Vegas is 5 hours 30 minutes; San Francisco is 8 hours.

Coach services: The main Greyhound (tel: (213) 629 8400 or 1 800 229 9424; website: www.greyhound.com) coach station is at 1716 East Seventh Street. Greyhound provides coach services to cities nationwide. Facilities include baggage assistance, public toilets and snack bar.

© 2006 Columbus Travel Publishing Ltd. Disclaimer

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