LAX to Downtown LA: FlyAway, Metro, Taxi and Uber Options

For one traveler with bags and no rush, the FlyAway bus is the least fuss. It goes straight to Union Station and costs $12.75 one way.

Metro is cheaper at $1.75, but it takes a shuttle, then a train, then often a transfer. A taxi is the most direct if you are not on a budget, with LAX listing Downtown LA at $64 and up.

All prices change, so check the official pages linked below before you travel.

FlyAway buses leave from the Lower/Arrivals Level, in front of each terminal, at the blue FlyAway columns. Downtown LA service ends at Union Station, at Bus Stop 1 in Patsaouras Transit Plaza (Union Station East).

• Fare: $12.75 one way. Tickets are valid 60 days from purchase and 3 hours after you activate them. No refunds.
• Schedule from LAX: every 30 minutes, first bus 5:40 AM, last bus 1:10 AM.
• Runs every day of the year, holidays included.
• No reservations. Seats go first come, first served.
• Pay with the FlyAway app, a web ticket, or a Visa or Mastercard contactless card, Apple Pay or Google Pay on the bus. Cash and non-contactless cards are not accepted on the bus.
• Two children under 5 ride free with each paying adult.

Open the FlyAway app for live bus times, since LAX does not publish a trip time. Going back, buses leave Union Station at 3:00, 4:00 and 5:00 AM, then every 30 minutes from 5:30 AM to 11:30 PM.

FlyAway customer service is open 24 hours at 1-866-435-9529.

There is no train inside the airport yet. Ride the free Metro Connector Shuttle to the LAX/Metro Transit Center, then take the C Line or K Line. Board the shuttle at the pink LAX Shuttle sign on the Lower/Arrivals Level, inner lane. It drops you at Bus Bays 1 and 2 at the station.

• Shuttle: free, about every 10 minutes. LAX lists hours as 4:00 AM to 1:00 AM, but its own rate chart says 4 AM to midnight, so plan to be done by midnight.
• Metro fare: $1.75, with free transfers within two hours when you tap. Pay with a TAP card, credit or debit card, or Apple Wallet.
• To Downtown LA: take the K Line to Expo/Crenshaw, then the E Line to 7th St/Metro Center. Metro says about 45 to 55 minutes to the station from 7th St/Metro Center. That does not include the shuttle.

The route and trip times come from a June 2025 Metro post, so check the current C Line and K Line timetables and the trip planner at metro.net before you go.

Only authorized taxis may pick up at LAX. You can catch one in three places:

• LAX-it, the lot next to Terminal 1.
• Parking Structure 3, first floor, between Tom Bradley International and Terminal 3. Best for arrivals at those two terminals.
• The east end of Terminal 7, outside baggage claim. Best for arrivals at T7 and T8.

LAX lists Downtown LA at $64 and up (estimate, chart updated March 3, 2026). It warns the rate can vary a lot with demand and traffic.

To be dropped off, use the Upper/Departures Level curb. For taxi dispatch or an accessible taxi, call 310-646-9177.

Lyft, Opoli and Uber are authorized at LAX. For pickup you go to LAX-it, the lot next to Terminal 1. Taxis load there too.

Terminal 1 is a 3 minute walk, and Terminals 2 and 7 are about 8 minutes. From other terminals, ride the free green LAX-it shuttle from the Lower/Arrivals Level inner curb. It runs 24 hours a day, every day, and LAX gives its frequency as every 3 to 7 minutes. The shuttles are wheelchair accessible. Email laxit@lawa.org in advance if you need help.

Premium rides still pick up at the terminal curb. That covers Uber Black, Uber Black SUV, Lyft Lux, Lyft Lux Black XL, limos and town cars.

Ride-app fares are set by the app. LAX publishes no figure, and an airport fee applies to both drop-offs and pickups. Check the app quote before you confirm.

By bus, ride the Metro Connector Shuttle to the LAX/Metro Transit Center and board Big Blue Bus Route 3 to downtown Santa Monica (Metro listed this route in June 2025, so confirm it at bigbluebus.com). LAX says city buses cost about $1 to $2 each way and run roughly 5 AM to midnight.

By train, take the shuttle, then the K Line to Expo/Crenshaw and the E Line toward Santa Monica. Metro says about 55 to 60 minutes between the station and Downtown Santa Monica. Add the shuttle to that.

For a taxi or ride app, LAX gives no Santa Monica price. Get a quote in your app and check traffic before you choose.

LAX does not list a FlyAway to Hollywood. Only Union Station and Van Nuys are listed as FlyAway destinations.

Your options are a taxi or ride app, or Metro by way of the free shuttle. LAX does not publish a taxi price or a drive time to Hollywood. Use the Metro trip planner for a rail route and a live-traffic map before you commit to driving.

• FlyAway to Van Nuys: $12.75 one way, about every 20 minutes, 24 hours a day.
• Scheduled shared-ride buses wait at the orange Shared Rides signs on the Lower/Arrivals Level. Companies include Antelope Valley Airport Express, Central Coast Shuttle, Santa Barbara Airbus, Shuttle One, reLAXsan to San Diego and Ventura County Airporter.
• A friend or family member in a private car can pick you up at the outer curb of the Lower/Arrivals Level, outside baggage claim.
• Metro park and ride: Aviation/LAX on the C Line and Crenshaw/Expo on the K Line each charge $3 a day, open 24 hours.

The free Terminal Connector shuttle runs every 10 minutes, 24 hours a day. Board under the pink LAX Shuttles sign on the Lower/Arrivals Level. LAX says to allow 10 to 15 minutes to walk between terminals.

Terminal 5 is shown as closed until 2028 on LAX's July 2026 airline map. Some airlines check in at one terminal but arrive at Terminal B (Tom Bradley), so confirm where your flight lands before picking a pickup spot.