Since many questions are being asked over and over I thought those that have some good input could post here for visitors to LA.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Yes, many in LA will say it is not possible but it is. It is not as reliable as most cities and some places it is really difficult to get from point A to point B.
Flyaway www.lawa.org/flyaway is a bus service to and from
LAX . If you take the LAX to
Union Station (Downtown) it takes about 30-45 minutes. Flyaway also goes to
Van Nuys and
UCLA.
This is the fastest way Downtown but you can take the
Green Line to the
Blue Line but it takes a lot more time and with luggage not fun....you have to take Green Line Shuttle from LAX to the Green Line too.
www.mta.net
Once at Union Station I would take a look around if you have time
www.yelp.com/biz/union-station-los-angeles and head over the
Olvera Street which is less than a block away.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/olvera-stree...w/query:olvera
Olvera Street is like being in Mexico. Check out the restaurants and the carts with authentic products from Mexico.
Back to Union Station you can pick up the
Metrolink www.metrolinktrains.com if you are headed out of LA to places like
Orange County, Riverside or San Bernardino or take
Amtrak Surfliner to
San Diego or other
Amtrak trains www.amtrak.com
Or you can pick up one of the other rails
www.mta.net to
Long Beach, Pasadena, Universal City and Hollywood
If you want to go to the beach the rails do not go there but the Santa Monica 10 Bus picks you up near Union Station and takes you to Santa Monica in about 20 minutes. Check schedule
www.mta.net
If you want to go directly from
LAX to the beach cities a cab ride will cost about $20 to R
edondo Beach, Hermosa Beach or Manhattan Beach or you can take the MTA
www.mta.net or the
Beach Cities Transit http://www.redondo.org/depts/hbt/tra...it/default.asp The Green Line does end in Redondo Beach but no where near the beach but it will take you to Northrup Gruuman.
To Venice Beach or Santa Monica it will cost you quite a bit more by cab but you can use the MTA
www.mta.net or the Big Blue Bus
www.bigbluebus.com
LAX to Disneyland Resort area try The Disneyland Express
http://www.coachamerica.com/citypage...cation/anaheim
Shopping Near LAX
Try the Ocean Express www.gatewaytola.org/oceanexpress.html and go to Manhattan Beach which is just 3 miles away from LAX www.ci.manhattan-beach.ca.us .
There you can go to Manhattan Village (a mall) www.shopmanhattanvillage.com
Then you can take the Ocean Express down Manhattan Beach Blvd near the pier where there are a lot of high end stores including many boutiques www.downtownmanhattanbeach.com/shopping.cfm and the Metlox Plaza www.metloxmb.com
Is It Safe Taking Public Transportation?
On the Blue Line parts of it goes through South Central but I have taken it many times during the day and night. Yeah...sometimes some odd characters but I have never had a problem but I wouldn't do any sight seeing in the area. Just be smart like you would anywhere else. There is no other reason to be in the "questionable areas."
WARNING The only thing you have to really worry about when taking Public Transportation is the stigma about riding buses. My bf and I occasionally opt for taking a bus/rail to Staples Center and Home Depot Center...get over it.
Bike Riding
A fun way to get around parts of LA is by riding a bike. In most, if not all, of the beach cities you can rent a bike and take a nice ride on
The Strand http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:L...ybiketrail.jpg which is a 22 mile side walk that runs from just North of
Santa Monica to
Palos Verdes. There are also many bike paths and bike lanes through out LA.
www.metro.net/riding_metro/maps/la_bike_map.pdf We do have a lot of traffic so you should wear a helmet on the streets and children are required by law to wear a helmet.
Walking In Downtown LA
I found this great website that gives you maps and podcast to see Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Disney Concert Hall and more
www.downtownlawalks.com