By plane

The Los Angeles metro area is served by five major commercial airports and more than a dozen private airports. Three of the major airports are in L.A. County proper while the other two are nearby.

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX IATA), 1 World Way, +1-310-646-5252. LAX is one of the major ports of entry for international flights to the United States as well as a major destination for domestic flights so it can be quite busy, especially around holidays. Nearly all major airlines as well as some smaller regional airlines fly into LAX. All of the major rental car agencies have a location near the airport with hundreds of cars available for rent. Many connecting bus routes have service to destinations all over Southern California.

Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR IATA), 2627 N Hollywood Way, Burbank, +1-818-840-8840. Has a range of flight options, mainly to Western U.S. destinations and some east coast cities. Located in the San Fernando Valley, northeast of Downtown L.A, it's closer to Hollywood and Downtown Los Angeles than LAX is. To reach Hollywood, take a free shuttle to the North Hollywood Red Line subway station and ride 2 stops south. To get to Downtown LA, take Metrolink/Amtrak train or the Red Line.

Long Beach Airport (LGB IATA), 4100 Donald Douglas Dr., Long Beach, +1 562 570-2600. Delta, Hawaiian, and Southwest fly into this airport located in southern Los Angeles County.

Ontario International Airport (ONT IATA), 1940 East Moore Way, Ontario in adjacent San Bernardino County, Inland Empire, +1 909 937-2700. Alaska, American, Avianca El Salvador, China Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, Hawaiian, Southwest, United and Volaris serve this airport located 37 mi (59 km) east of Downtown Los Angeles, about a 40-minute drive without traffic. Omnitrans #61 bus runs to the Pomona Transit Center, with a connection to the Silver Streak to Downtown LA or the ONTConnect bus (Omnitrans #380) to the Rancho Cucamonga Metrolink Station.

John Wayne Airport (SNA IATA), 18601 Airport Way, Santa Ana in adjacent Orange County, +1 949 252-5200. Alaska, Allegiant, American, Breeze Airways, Delta, Frontier, Southwest, Spirit, United, and WestJet serve this airport located 40 mi (64 km) southeast of Downtown Los Angeles, about a 45-minute drive without traffic. Closest airport for Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm.

LAX has historically been the main airport for the city, with frequent service and low fares, but the other regional airports are seeing increasing service. Check as one of them may be better, depending on your circumstance. These airports can save a lot of hassle because they are less busy than LAX. Also, the L.A. area is so wildly spread out and populated that going anywhere will generally require a lot of travel, as well as possibly enduring traffic jams. So using the nearest airport will only be of convenience to you.

All five airports lack direct train services; only the Bob Hope Airport is somewhat proximate to a Metrolink commuter rail station (not to be confused with the Metro Rail service). LAX has a comfortable, fast, and relatively frequent express bus service, the LAX FlyAway, to Union Station (in Downtown) and Van Nuys. LAX does not cater to small general aviation; Burbank (ICAO: KBUR) does, but is considered high-traffic for this type of flight; Long Beach (ICAO: KLGB) does, but has a very complicated runway system and, again, is considered high traffic. General aviation will fare much better at L.A. area airports that do not handle commercial flights at all. Much of Los Angeles is Class Bravo or other controlled airspace, but due to the number of airports and the generally good weather, Los Angeles makes a fantastic flying destination.

Private pilots will prefer smaller general aviation airports such as Van Nuys (ICAO: KVNY), one of the world's busiest private jet airports, as well as Hawthorne, or any of the other small airports in the area that do not handle commercial flights; Santa Monica (ICAO: KSMO) reduced their runway length to restrict aircraft size to smaller planes. Air taxi and air charter companies including Los Angeles Private Jets can access private aircraft at any of L.A.'s private aviation airports, as well as planes in your area for flights to Los Angeles.

By car

Several major freeways enter the Los Angeles region. Interstate 5 is the primary north/south freeway through Central L.A., heading south to the Mexican border through Orange County and San Diego, and heading north through the San Joaquin Valley to Sacramento, continuing on through the Pacific Northwest before eventually reaching Canada. From the south, Interstate 405 splits off from I-5 in Orange County and is a more direct route to Long Beach, the South Bay, and the Westside, so long as you don't travel during rush hour. From the north, I-5 is the most direct option from the San Francisco Bay Area (linked to I-5 by I-580), while U.S. Highway 101 is the most direct option from California's Central Coast.

From the east, Interstate 10 is the primary road into the region, heading east from L.A. through the Inland Empire and the California desert (via Palm Springs) before crossing through into Arizona and continuing across Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and the Florida panhandle to Jacksonville, FL.

And while they don't directly connect to Los Angeles proper, Interstates 15 and 40 are important links from the north and east. I-15 runs north/south through the Inland Empire (where you can connect to several freeways to L.A. proper), continuing north through Nevada and Utah (via Las Vegas and Salt Lake City) and heading on through the Rocky Mountains (Idaho and Montana) to the Canadian border. I-40 is one of the nation's primary east-west road links, cutting a long route across the middle of the country. In California, I-40 terminates at I-15 in the town of Barstow; from there, follow I-15 south into the Inland Empire and connect from there to Los Angeles.

If driving into or through the L.A. area, be sure to make note of when you'll be arriving so as to try to avoid one of the area's notorious traffic jams. See the Get around section below for more detailed info on getting around L.A. by car.

By train

1 Union Station, 800 N. Alameda St (next to the Hollywood Freeway (US-101) in downtown Los Angeles). (updated Oct 2023) The station is a spectacular example of Mission Revival architecture, with a spacious waiting room and courtyards with outdoor seating, as well as some eating and shopping establishments on-site. It's also well connected to L.A.'s public transit system, with a Metro Red/Purple Line subway station (in the basement), a Metro Gold Line light rail station (on platforms 1 and 2, parallel to the Amtrak and Metrolink trains), and the adjacent Patsaouras Bus Plaza (at the east portal of the station) which serves many local buses and LAX Flyaway shuttles to Los Angeles International Airport. A Budget and Hertz rental car desk is also located in the station; more rental car options are available at LAX.

Union Station is patrolled by private security staff and people lingering too long in the seats may be asked to show a ticket. Taxis are available at the main entrance off Alameda Street and the station is within short walking distance to the Civic Center and Olvera Street. Chinatown and Little Tokyo are also nearby. Be warned that it can get uncomfortable in the station especially when it is hot and/or there are a lot of people. Free guided tours of Union Station are available on the 2nd Sunday of each month. No reservations are required; tours begin at 10:30AM at the information booth inside the Alameda Street entrance.

Union Station is the region's primary train station and has the best public transit connections, but there are several other Amtrak stops within the region that may be better located to your destination, namely in the Inland Empire, Orange County, and the San Fernando Valley. L.A. is massive, so make sure you get the right stop.

Amtrak, ☏ +1 215-856-7924, toll-free: +1-800-872-7245. Operates train service around the United States of America. (updated Mar 2022) Routes stopping at Union station:

Coast Starlight operates daily between Seattle and Los Angeles. Stops include Tacoma, Lacey, Centralia, Kelso, Vancouver, WA, Portland, Salem, Albany, Eugene, Klamath Falls, Dunsmuir, Redding, Chico, Sacramento, Davis, Martinez, San Francisco (Emeryville), Oakland, San Jose, Salinas, Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Oxnard, Simi Valley, Van Nuys, and Burbank. It shares the same route as the Pacific Surfliner (see below) between Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo, but with fewer stops.

The Pacific Surfliner runs many trains daily between San Diego and Los Angeles, with some trains traveling north to Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. There are several stops in the San Fernando Valley (it shares a route with the Coast Starlight but stops at more stations) and in Orange County.

The Southwest Chief runs daily to Chicago via Fullerton, Riverside, San Bernardino, Victorville, Barstow, Needles, Grand Canyon (at Williams/Williams Jct and Flagstaff); Albuquerque and Kansas City.

The Sunset Limited runs three times a week out to New Orleans via Pomona, Ontario, Palm Springs, Yuma, Tucson, El Paso and San Antonio. Additionally, Amtrak's Texas Eagle service between San Antonio and Chicago incorporates the Sunset Limited to provide a direct connection to Los Angeles.

The Gold Runner from Fresno and Sacramento goes no further than Bakersfield (about 115 mi (185 km) to the north). However, coordinated bus travel to Union Station on a single ticket is available from Amtrak. From the San Joaquin Valley (also known as the Central Valley), this is the only option available that involves any train service. Since the track is generally west of the State Route 99 freeway, it serves different cities than the Greyhound bus line.

Amtrak California Thruway Buses operate buses between the Gold Runner train in Bakersfield (see above) and multiple locations (including Union Station) in the Los Angeles and Long Beach areas on multiple routes. Tickets for the Amtrak Thruway buses are included as part of the train tickets and cannot be sold as "bus only" tickets.

Route 1 has 11 daily trips between Bakersfield and LA Union Station, seven of which also stop in Glendale

Route 1c has two daily trips between Bakersfield, Burbank, Van Nuys, Westwood/UCLA, and Santa Monica

Route 19 has two daily trips between Bakersfield, La Crescenta, Pasadena, Claremont and San Bernardino

Metrolink is an extensive regional train network with rail lines radiating out from Union Station to surrounding suburbs and counties, stretching as far as Perris, Lancaster, Oceanside, San Bernardino, and Oxnard.

Several Metrolink lines overlap Amtrak's routes or serve the same cities via a slightly different routing, and Metrolink tickets tend to cost significantly less than Amtrak tickets. Metrolink frequency varies between lines, with service dropping considerably during the weekend; Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner runs far more frequently on the weekends and always runs later in the day than overlapping Metrolink trains.

Fares are based on how far you travel, falling in the range of $5-$15 for one-way fares. Tickets must be bought from vending machines on the platform, and are checked by fare inspectors on board. Metrolink tickets also cover free travel on many connecting local transit systems, including L.A. Metro, where a Metrolink ticket effectively works as a day pass for the date stamped on your ticket. If you're thinking of using Metrolink to day trip on the weekend, you'll want to get the $10 weekend day pass, which is good for unlimited travel on Metrolink (and connecting transit) on either Saturday or Sunday.

By bus

Most of the buses are routed to Los Angeles from San Francisco Bay Area (via Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and/or Oxnard); Sacramento (via Modesto, Stockton, Merced and/or Bakersfield); Las Vegas (via Barstow, San Bernardino); Phoenix; and Tijuana (via San Ysidro, San Diego, and/or Santa Ana) with multiple companies.

The majority of the intercity bus stations and stops for the greater Los Angeles area are located in "Skid Row" east of downtown Los Angeles, Union Station, El Monte, Huntington Beach, east L.A. (along Olympic Blvd) and/or Hollywood. Some of the same companies also have additional stops or depots in other areas throughout Greater Los Angeles, so check the company's website to see if there is a stop closer to your destination. When traveling to/from the bus station in the infamous "skid-row" it's recommended to use taxi or rideshare (Uber, Lyft, etc) as the surrounding area has become even less safe:

"Cabin" (formerly Sleep Bus), (Bus stop) Ocean & Arizona Ave in Palisades Park, Santa Monica. Overnight service to the Los Angeles area (Ocean & Arizona Ave in Palisades Park in Santa Monica) from San Francisco (Bayside Lot @ 1 Bryant St). This is an actual sleeper bus featuring twin size bunk beds with privacy curtains, power outlets, and free wifi. (updated Apr 2016)

El Paso Los Angeles Limousine Express, depot at 260 E 6th St (SW corner of E 6th St & Wall St, east of Downtown in Skid Row), ☏ +1-213-623-2323, +1-323-265-3232, toll-free: +1-866 691-9732. Travels along I-10 between Los Angeles, Indio, Phoenix, Las Cruces and El Paso on one route and on I-15 to Las Vegas and North Las Vegas on another route. They have additional depots at 11825 Valley Blvd in El Monte; and 620 W Mill St in San Bernardino. They also go down towards the Tijuana Airport (CBX) in Otay Mesa from downtown Los Angeles, Huntington Beach, and El Monte. (updated Apr 2016)

Flixbus, (depot) Vignes Lot 501-503 E Cesar Ave (parking lot at E Cesar E Chavez & Vignes north of downtown), ☏ +1 855 626-8585. Connects Los Angeles to Las Vegas (via Ontario, Victorville, Barstow); to Tucson (via Ontario, Palm Springs, Blythe, Phoenix, Mesa), to Sacramento (via Modesto, Fresno and Bakersfield), to San Francisco (via Oakland, San Jose, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara) and to San Diego (via Anaheim). They also have additional stops at USC (W Jefferson & Flower St); West L.A./Santa Monica at 10021 National Blvd; and UCLA at 592 Gayley Ave (at Gayley & Strathmore). (updated Aug 2001)

Fronteras del Norte, 2521 E Florence Ave Suite K9, ☏ +1 323 587-5233. Connects Pasco, Sunnyside & Yakima WA in eastern Washington (state) to Los Angeles and the Mexican border in San Ysidro in Southern California via Portland, OR. They also have another bus station in 15105 S Atlantic Ave, Compton Ca which may closer to where you are staying at. Limited/no stops between Los Angeles and Portland. (updated May 2020)

Greyhound & Curceros-USA, (bus station) Union Station @ 801 N Vignes St (departures leave from the Patsaouras Transit Plaza off of N. Vignes St. and Ramirez St.), ☏ +1-213-629-8401, toll-free: +1-800-231-2222. Connects Los Angeles to Long Beach, Las Vegas (via San Bernardino, Barstow); San Diego/San Ysidro (via Santa Ana, Oceanside or direct); Sacramento (Bakersfield, Fresno, Modesto, Stockton, Lodi); San Jose (Oxnard, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Sta Maria, etc); San Francisco (via Caolinga Jct, San Jose, Hayward, Oakland); El Paso (San Bernardino, Blythe, Phoenix, Mesa, Tucson, Lordsburg NM); Vancouver BC (Sacramento, Portland, Seattle, etc); etc. Passengers transfer in Sacramento, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver, Tijuana, El Paso or in an intermediary stop on the longer routes to reach additional cities. They have additional local stops and depots at the nearby Flixbus lot (501-503 E Cesar Ave); North Hollywood (11239 Magnolia Blvd); El Monte (3501 Santa Anita), Long Beach (1498 Long Beach Blvd), Sylmar/San Fernando, Claremont, UCLA, and Glendale. The bus station on E 7th St is closed. (updated Aug 2021)

Hoang Express, bus stop at Metro Gold Line Chinatown Station, 1231 N Spring St (NW corner of Spring and College), ☏ +1-714-839-3500, toll-free: +1-888-834-9336. Travels between SoCal (San Diego, El Monte, Los Angeles, Westminster); northern California (San Francisco, San Jose, Oakland and Sacramento) and Arizona (Phoenix, Chandler and Tempe). They also have additional stops at the ABC Supermarket at 8970 Bolsa Ave in Westminster and at Thuan Phat Supermarket at 2650 N Rosemead Blvd in El Monte. $60-65 to Bay Area; $80 to Sacramento.

International Bus Lines (formerly Intercalifornias), (bus station) 816 S Main St, ☏ +1 213 629-4885, toll-free: +1-888-834-9336. Buses connect Los Angeles to Tijuana (via San Ysidro); San Jose, Stockton, and Mexicali on multiple routes. They also have an East LA station at 1325 S Atlantic Blvd, Tel (323) 629-4960.

LAX Flyaway, (Union Station bus stop) Patsaouras Transit Plaza (the Patsaouras Transit Plaza can be accessed by a pedestrian tunnel, under the tracks, from Union Station; stop/ticket desk is in the south end of the Patsaouras Transit Plaza station between bus bays 1 & 9). Direct bus to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) from Union Station and Van Nuys on separate routes. (updated Aug 2021)

Las Vegas Shuttle, (L.A. office) 115 E 7th St, ☏ +1 213 623-9800. Connects Las Vegas to Los Angeles on one route and to San Ysidro & Tijuana on another. Nearest stop for their shuttles running between Las Vegas and San Diego/Tijuana are in Hesperia and San Bernardino. They also have another stop/station in Huntington Beach at 2484 E Florence Ave (updated Aug 2020)

National Charter Bus Los Angeles, (office) 926 S San Pedro St, Unit 2634, ☏ +1 323-201-2618, info@nationalbuscharter.com. 24/7. Los Angeles charter bus provider facilitating travel to Los Angeles from San Francisco, San Diego, Denver, and Phoenix. (updated Feb 2019)

LuxBus, on request for hotel pick up/drop off, toll-free: +1-877-610-7870. Operates to/from Las Vegas, Anaheim, and San Diego.

Los Paisanos, depot at 612 Wall St (E 6th St & Wall St, east of Downtown in Skid Row), ☏ +1-213-228-9988, +1 626 444-5300, toll-free: +1-866-771-7575. Travels along I-10 between Los Angeles and El Paso via El Monte. (updated Apr 2016)

Omnibus Express, (Bus depot) 2474 E Florence Ave, Huntington Park, ☏ +1-213-533-8700. They offer bus service between Los Angeles, Phoenix, Tucson and Nogales in U.S. and from Nogales to Guadalajara, along Fed Hwy 15 through multiple cities in Sonora, Sinaloa, Nayarit and Jalisco in Mexico. (updated Oct 2017)

Santa Barbara Airbus, ☏ +1 805 964-7759, toll-free: +1-800-423-1618. Eight trips a day from LAX to Carpinteria, Santa Barbara and Goleta. (updated Aug 2021)

Tres Estrellas de Oro (TEO), depot at 2414 E Florence Ave, Huntington (SE corner of Florence & Santa Fe Ave), ☏ +1-323-588-9188. Connects Los Angeles to Sacramento, El Paso and Tijuana (via San Ysidro) on multiple routes. (updated Nov 2022)

Tufesa, 611 Maple Ave (along Maple Ave between 6th & 7th St), ☏ +1 213 489-8079. Connects Los Angeles to Sacramento (via multiple cities in San Joaquin Valley), Oakland, Salt Lake City (via Ontario, Fontana, Las Vegas, St George); Hermosillo (via Phoenix, Tucson, Nogales) and Tijuana (via Anaheim, San Ysidro) on multiple routes. They also have an additional station at 5201 E Olympic Blvd in E L.A. and a stop in a parking lot at E 3rd St & E Ford Blvd. (updated Jan 2019)

By boat

Long Beach has a Carnival Cruise Lines terminal. 231 Windsor Way, Long Beach, +1 562 901-3232. Long Beach also has party boats for large groups such as the Majorca and Ibizza by OnBoat, https://onboat.co/product/long-beach-yacht-charter-115-feet-party-yacht-majorca/

San Pedro has a cruise ship terminal that all of the major cruise ship lines (except Carnival) sail from. Berth 90-93, San Pedro, +1-310-514-4049. Fax: +1-310-514-4057.