Getting from ONT to LA using public transport
 

I am one of those strange people who doesn't like renting a car after a very long flight. What are the best ways to get from ONT to Los Angeles? I will need to go to Santa Monica during one visit and to Venice Beach during another.

I know there is a Metrolink stop near the airport, but I have no idea what the name of that stop is.

I live out near there, but I never use public transport so I really can't say. I do know that the Metrolink line that runs near Ontario is the Riverside Line and it only runs Monday-Friday.

Here are the web sites for the bus and Metrolink services:

http://www.mta.net

http://www.metrolinktrains.com

And also the Ontario Airport web site which might give you some transport info:

http://www.lawa.org/ont/ontframe.html

I will need it on Saturday morning, so I guess it won't help for the way there, but may help for the return. Do you know which station it is?

Looks like there is an East Ontario station on the Riverside Line that is on Haven - that would be the closest, I think.

Using Union Station as a transit hub to and from Metrolink is probably your best bet. From Union Station to West LA would be Metro Rail (Green Line) to the LAX area and public transit north (Santa Monica Bus or MTA).

I would imagine ONT - LA Westside via public transit taking close to four hours.

public transportation ONT to Santa Monica
 

Metrolink won't help you very much. It is the Ontario stop for the Riverside line but it is on the side of the airport away from the terminals and there is really no way to get from one to the other. And Metrolink runs from Union Station in downtown LA which is a long way from Santa Monica.

If you don't want to rent a car, then you might think about SuperShuttle -- you can actually book it online supershuttle.com. Probably cost you about $60 each way.

If you do find something that works, let me know.

tom

The OmniTrans 61 bus goes from the airport to the Pomona station on the Riverside Line and to the Fontana station on the San Bernardino Line.
http://www.omnitrans.org/routes/list/route61.shtml

Getting to and from ONT ain't pretty but it can be done:

Omnitrans bus 61 passes by it:

http://www.omnitrans.org/routes/list/route61.shtml

and 61 also serves the Fontana Metrolink Station (on the San Bernardino line).

The nearest Metrolink Station is East Ontario, but you'll have to take a cab there.

http://www.omnitrans.org/routes/metrolink.shtml

I always laugh when I hear LAWA promoting ONT on the radio; they have done nothing to create an easy link to the two passenger rail lines that pass right by the airport.
:td:

Ouch! Looks it's about a 50 minute ride on Saturday morning to the Fontana station, then wait for the train, then 1 hour 25 min on Metrolink and then however long it takes to go to Santa Monica frm there.

I also checked the SuperShuttle website, and apparently they don't even offer service from ONT to Santa Monica. On this route, they only have ExecuCar at $98 :confused: .

Are there any ONT - LAX express buses? I know LAX is relatively close to Santa Monica.

A suggestion only an FTer would love
 

UA often posts a weekend e-fare from ONT-LAX for $88 R/T. Leave on a Sat. and return the following Monday or Tuesday. 500 EQM each way...

Too bad you won't know if it's offered that particular week until just a few days before. :)

Great idea, though! I've done similar, tacking LAX-SAN-LAX onto a stopover in a longer trip.

Good idea :) . I will also need to go to SFO afterwards, so I will check if any of the UAs cheap fares to OAK or SJC allow a stopover in LAX . Probably not.

ONT-LAS is $29+tax one way on HP and WN, and LAS-LAX is $49+tax last time I checked.

Buy both of them, and that's about the same price as ****tyShuttle but a lot more fun. :)

How about this-take a cab from ONT to Fontana station. It is only 11 miles (15 Minutes) and only Fontana (on the San Bernardino Line) has Metrolink service on Weekends. Here are the directions from MapQuest:

http://www.mapquest.com/directions/m...00c3f-cdbcf368

Then take the train to L.A.-Union Station. Walk over to the "Patsaouras Transit Plaza" which is part of the Union Station complex; this referes to the area where City/County Transit Buses (as opposed to Amtrak Thruway Buses) leave from-see inset on this map:

http://www.bigbluebus.com/busroutes/...asp?routeid=10

(It is in the "back" of the station)

Then take the Santa Monica Big Blue Number 10 to Santa Monica. Service on Saturdays is approximately every half-hour, and travel time to the Third Street Promenade is about one hour:

http://www.bigbluebus.com/busroutes/...eek=saturday#b

Whoops!
 

Oy, change the first part of the above post.

Fontana station is the one that the Omnitrans 61 goes to, but it is not the nearest station to ONT on the San Bernardino Metrolink Line; Upland is!

(OK, maybe Rancho Cucamonga might be the same distance, but to go there involves heading east, plus one can travel quickly from ONT to Upland station on Interstate 10.)

So, follow these directions to get to the Metrolink train instead, then follow the above post from L.A. Union Station to Santa Monica.

4.5 miles, 7 minutes by taxi from ONT to Upland!

P.S. From S.M. to Venice, just take Big Blue Bus 1 or 2

Be sure to get your free Blue Bus transfer from the driver when you board route 10 in L.A.

HeHateY, thank you for a great and very detailed explanation! I will certainly take advantage of it!

A related question: After LA I will need to fly to SFO. I can presently find a much better fare from SNA then LAX . How hard/easy would be to get from Santa Monica area to SNA using public transit?