L.A. union station to LAX airport?

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caravanman

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Hi Folks,

I am on holiday in America with my son, having a great time. Is there any easy reliable way to get from LA Union Station Amtrak to LAX airport?

Cheers,

Eddie :cool:
 
Hi Folks,I am on holiday in America with my son, having a great time. Is there any easy reliable way to get from LA Union Station Amtrak to LAX airport?

Cheers,

Eddie :cool:
There is the fly-a-way bus that goes directly between the two.
I just found this link to the service. You can also call 1-866-435-9529. Looks like it runs every half hour and takes 30 - 50 minutes to get from LAX to LAUS.
 
I used the FlyAway Bus to get from Los Angeles International Airport to Union Station earlier this year. It's convenient, fairly quick, and only cost $7. You don't even need exact change, since you pay at a booth at the station complex. The bus route takes you along a typical L.A. freeway -- which, if you've never experienced one, can be fun.

4407433345_9c768446af.jpg
 
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The FlyAway bus arrives and departments more or less in this area. The ticket booth is behind the position from which I shot this photo. If you keep walking forward along this below-grade path, you'll reach the station complex itself. First you encounter some shops, then another long hallway with ramps that lead up to the tracks. If you continue walking you'll end up in the main LAUS waiting area.

4407434625_b8ba89b2a0.jpg
 
My grand daughter and I used this service not long ago. We were the only pax and the driver kept us laughing all the way. He thought we were crazy with our Southern accents and we thought he was crazy for weaving in and out of traffic at a high rate of speed ! We do recommend it on price and dependability; you'll find few door to door services between airports and Amtrak stations; this is a very good one.
 
You can take the shuttle, but if you are a real rail buff you cant take the subway to downtown, then transfer to the light rail and ride that to the avation station, then take a shuttle to the airport. Of course, that might take longer, but it'll certainly be more fun. Use google maps to get the schedule.
 
You can take the shuttle, but if you are a real rail buff you cant take the subway to downtown, then transfer to the light rail and ride that to the avation station, then take a shuttle to the airport. Of course, that might take longer, but it'll certainly be more fun. Use google maps to get the schedule.

Red Line (subway) from Union Station to 7th St/Metro Center; Blue Line (light rail) from 7th St/Metro Center to Imperial/Wilmington; Green Line (light rail) from Imperial/Wilmington to Aviation/LAX; shuttle bus from Aviation/LAX to Los Angeles International Airport.

Or just take FlyAway bus directly from Union Station to Los Angeles International Airport.
 
As a lifetime SoCal guy, I'd be a bit hesitant to use the rail option between LAUS and LAX. The Blue Line runs thru some rough and ready sections of LA.
 
As a lifetime SoCal guy, I'd be a bit hesitant to use the rail option between LAUS and LAX. The Blue Line runs thru some rough and ready sections of LA.
I was born here ---- a long time ago ---- I don't think there has been much in the way of problems on the Blue Line. They are patrolled by Sheriff's Deputies and they have been very visible most of the time.
 
Although I wasn't headed for the actual airport, but instead a Hilton Garden Inn not far from the airport, I rode those lines several times back and forth between the hotel and LAUS. On some occasions I was with other AU members, on other occasions I was alone. At no time did I ever feel threatened. Now granted I wasn't traveling at 3:00 AM and I do live in NY City.

Several OTOL members also stayed at that HGI during the OTOL fest last summer and again experienced no problems.
 
Thanks for the info, I would not feel worried about riding the blue line, I like a bit of gritty reality in the mix..

As it happens, we have now booked on Amtrak, and decided to travel back from LA union station to New York by train,

rather than flying. Coach all the way, due to excessive sleeper prices.

Cheers,

Eddie :cool:
 
Thanks for the info, I would not feel worried about riding the blue line, I like a bit of gritty reality in the mix..
As it happens, we have now booked on Amtrak, and decided to travel back from LA union station to New York by train,

rather than flying. Coach all the way, due to excessive sleeper prices.

Cheers,

Eddie :cool:
Don't forget to ask onboard about an upgrade from a conductor! They can sell them to you at the lowest available fare; the LA based conductors (LA to Kingman, AZ) tend to be the most amenable...some others don't want to be bothered with the paperwork.
 
Red Line (subway) from Union Station to 7th St/Metro Center; Blue Line (light rail) from 7th St/Metro Center to Imperial/Wilmington; Green Line (light rail) from Imperial/Wilmington to Aviation/LAX; shuttle bus from Aviation/LAX to Los Angeles International Airport.
Or just take FlyAway bus directly from Union Station to Los Angeles International Airport.
LOL that's why I said "if you're a real train buff."

;)
 
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If I can help it, I'm thinking about only flying to LAX now and taking one of the 785/4785/720 options for my Sac trip. I blame this thread :p

My planned flight is through Southwest, and is due in at 5:30 pm on August 7th. My main question is, how bad is traffic between LAX and LAUS on a typical Saturday going north? Assuming I can get the 6pm Flyaway shuttle, should I be able to catch the first train of this planned set ok? I see that station-wise, LAUS seems to be unlike STL and CHI on the ten and five minute rules. Am I reading that correctly?

Yes, this is how bad I hate the thought of flying, that I'd rather spend the 8 hours on an Am-Cali bus and the other time on the two trains. The 300 AGR points are just kind of a bonus to the picture, as is the fact that it'd be about half the price of getting a hotel in Sac by that airport.
 
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Red Line (subway) from Union Station to 7th St/Metro Center; Blue Line (light rail) from 7th St/Metro Center to Imperial/Wilmington; Green Line (light rail) from Imperial/Wilmington to Aviation/LAX; shuttle bus from Aviation/LAX to Los Angeles International Airport.
Or just take FlyAway bus directly from Union Station to Los Angeles International Airport.

what's the estimated travel time for these two options? (light rail and FlyAway bus)

if we have luggage, I assume the bus option is best?

Thanks! :)
 
I have used the Flyaway B us twice recently and the service was v ery good. Most of us on this board recommend this over using the three trains plus a bus. Yes, the trains are a bit more interesting and probably several dollars cheaper, but it is slow and cumbersome. The trains are more suitable for the locals, although I have written them previkously and did not feel unsafe.
 
If I can help it, I'm thinking about only flying to LAX now and taking one of the 785/4785/720 options for my Sac trip. I blame this thread :p
My planned flight is through Southwest, and is due in at 5:30 pm on August 7th. My main question is, how bad is traffic between LAX and LAUS on a typical Saturday going north? Assuming I can get the 6pm Flyaway shuttle, should I be able to catch the first train of this planned set ok? I see that station-wise, LAUS seems to be unlike STL and CHI on the ten and five minute rules. Am I reading that correctly?

Yes, this is how bad I hate the thought of flying, that I'd rather spend the 8 hours on an Am-Cali bus and the other time on the two trains. The 300 AGR points are just kind of a bonus to the picture, as is the fact that it'd be about half the price of getting a hotel in Sac by that airport.
By all means take the FlyWay bus. It uses the carpool lanes on the 105 and 110 freeways for all but a couple of miles, so the trip is only delayed, if at all, by traffic on the portion of the 110 freeway near downtown. The MetroRail alternative is crazy, EVEN for rail buffs. You have to wait for a shuttle outside the Southwest terminal, which takes between 10-15 minutes to unload you at the Green Line rail station near Hawthorne. You then climb steps to the elevated platform and wait for a Green Line train, which runs about every 15-20 minutes on a Saturday evening. Then you ride to the Blue Line transfer station at Imperial/Wilmington, go down steps to the Blue Line station and wait again. Once on the Blue Line, you pokey your way along city streets until you get to the underground transfer station at 7th/Metro, where you transfer again, going up to the Red Line, which finally deposits you at Union Station. That's THREE transfers and AT LEAST 90 minutes, while hauling around your bags. And you will only save about 3 bucks per person! It is NOT worth it, when the FlyWay bus often takes 30 minutes flat; I left the International Terminal on a Saturday at 2:30 and was at LAUS at 3 p.m.! Don't worry about having the correct money at LAX; you pay when you arrive at LAUS. If you get the 6 p.m. bus out of LAX, you should make the 785 to Santa Barbara with about 15 minutes to spare. Get your ticket in advance. In that way, you can go down into the station tunnel from the bus dropoff area--on the east side of the station--and your Surfliner north will be up the first ramp after you get into the tunnel, on either track 11 or 12. That will save you 5-10 minutes from having to walk all the way to the ticket counters on the west side of the tracks, and back again to the track.
 
After reading this article in our home paper today, it made me think of this post. Though I'm partial to the very convenient Flyaway service, riding the rails of the Blue Line sounds like an interesting alternative. :rolleyes:
 
I've actually done this a couple of times; it works fine and is cheaper but it is time consuming. Both times I had stops midway between LAUS and LAX, so the light rail was a better choice than the bus. Yes, there are "characters" but no more so than any other major city's public transit.
 
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