Downtown Los Angeles – Photo by Thomas Pintaric
You’ve got cheap or you’ve got easy. Unfortunately, you don’t get both options when it comes to getting from Los Angeles International airport to downtown Los Angeles.
Driving. The easiest is driving. Get your friend to pick you up. Otherwise you are going to pay for it:
- Taxi Cab: There is flat-fare $46.50 to Downtown Los Angeles. [Set by LA Taxicab Commission]
- Uber/Lyft (which pickup on upstairs level, Departure Deck, not downstairs with shuttles/cabs)
- Your rates may vary. Does not include tip. Rates as of May 2017. These estimates used Tom Bradley International Terminal, LAX to Pershing Square DTLA (Downtown Los Angeles).
- Uber Pool: $19.67
- Lyft Line: $18.30
- Uber: $30.67
- Lyft: $28.07
- UberXL: $48.27
- Lyft Plus: $46.82
- SuperShuttle: $17
- Booked in advance; There are other shuttle options but this one is well known
- Your Friend’s Gas: ~$5
- (DTLA to the Airport and back, on average it takes 19mi and they get 20 MPG — but this doesn’t include sitting in traffic or waiting for your arrival or their time — minimum wage would put it at about $21 of their time)
Public Transit. This is a little more complicated but can be pretty painless if you follow directions.
- Easiest:
- FlyAway Shuttle ($9.75) — it goes to Downtown Union Station but it’s curb-to-curb, comfortable and easy. You end up at a transportation hub (DTLA’s Union Station) where you can depart to many locations. *Must Book in Advance.
- Cheapest:
- Los Angeles Metro ($1.75 + $1 TAP Card) — Yup, for $2.75, you can get to DTLA. It will take you longer, you will have to transfer 3 or more times and maybe walk some but you can do it! If you’re not in a rush, this is a nice way to travel.
Instructions on how to escape LAX are going to be put up elsewhere on this site. Hopefully this page just gives you an idea of the options and the cost associated with them to get downtown. Am I missing something? Let me know in the comments!