Things to do / Travel Guide
Los Angeles International Airport - LAX
Los Angeles International Airport, affectionately referred to by the locals as LAX, is the primary gateway for most domestic and international travelers to the southern California region and the largest airport in Southern California. LAX has a total of nine air terminals, and the airport is busy and congested during peak rush hours. LAX is located about 17 miles west of downtown L.A.
Airports in Southern California
There are many commercial airports in the Southern California region and they are, from north to south: Santa Barbara, Burbank, Los Angeles International (LAX), Long Beach, John Wayne (Orange County), San Diego, San Bernardino, and Ontario. The main entry airports into the southern California region are briefly detailed below.
Burbank Airport (BUR) is small, but services a wide selection of domestic airlines that fly from Burbank to several major domestic cities.
Long Beach Airport (LGB) is a relatively small airport serving only domestic destinations. Long Beach is less busy and far easier to manage, as only a handful of airlines fly there. JetBlue, in particular, is known for its cheaper flights from New York into Long Beach, for those passengers interested in visiting L.A. Especially if your destination in southern California is located in Long Beach or Orange County, it might be worth it to fly through there.
Orange County has John Wayne Airport (SNA), which services virtually every major American air carrier. Flights to and from most major American cities are available here via either non-stop flight or a one-stop air routing connection. Avoiding much of the infamous Los Angeles traffic, SNA is the most convenient of the Southern California Airports for Anaheim-area attractions.
San Diego International airport (SAN) services both domestic and international flights and almost every major American air carrier. A few Canadian and Mexican air carriers are known to fly in and out of San Diego Airport. The San Diego Airport is located about three miles west of downtown San Diego.
Driving Distance to Los Angeles
Below you'll find the approximate distances and driving times to Los Angeles from other major cities.
- Distance from Las Vegas to Los Angeles: 270 miles, 5 hours
- Distance from Phoenix to Los Angeles: 375 miles, 6 hours
- Distance from San Diego to Los Angeles: 150 miles, 2 hours 20 minutes
- Distance from San Francisco to Los Angeles: 390 miles, 7 hours
Amtrak Train to Los Angeles
Amtrak trains arrive from Las Vegas, San Diego, and San Francisco at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. Los Angeles is a key destination on several of Amtrak's long distance trains. Make sure to spend a few minutes admiring the architecture and absorbing the history of this busy station. Passengers can continue to their Los Angeles destination from Union Station via Metrolink, the Red and Purple subway lines and the Gold Line light rail.
- The Coast Starlight train from Seattle to Los Angeles via Portland, Sacramento, Oakland and San Jose, as well as multiple stops in Southern California.
- The Southwest Chief train from Chicago to Los Angeles passes through the Midwest, Kansas City, New Mexico and Arizona. Resist the temptation to get off at Las Vegas. The Las Vegas on the route is in New Mexico, not in Nevada.
- The Sunset Limited originates in New Orleans, spends a good part of the day (22 hours) in Texas and passes through New Mexico and Arizona before entering California. The train from Palm Springs to Los Angeles is quite pleasant.
- The Texas Eagle originates in Chicago. The train from Dallas to Los Angeles stops off at Austin, San Antonio and El Paso, Texas.
Bear in mind that Amtrak's long distance trains to Southern California do not run very frequently, and are subject to delays. On the positive side, the views are great and you can get a bedroom on board.
Bus to Los Angeles
Bus service into Los Angeles, San Diego, and many other places around the region is available from any number of bus companies, such as Greyhound. Bus schedules are much more frequent than train schedules and fares are typically lower. The main bus station in Los Angeles is a bit out of the way, however, additional bus terminals are located in Pasadena, Hollywood and other Los Angeles areas.
LuxBus offers reasonably priced bus service from Anaheim and Los Angeles to Las Vegas. The trip takes about 5 hours and is timed so you can actually spend two hours at Harrah's and still make it back to LA for dinner. Looking for a bus to Los Angeles from the San Francisco Bay Area? Several private bus companies serve that route, often out of Chinatown.
Cruise Ship – Southern California Ports of Call
Cruise ships generally leave from and dock at the port of Los Angeles, as well as the ports of Long Beach and, on occasion, San Diego, while smaller vessels destined for Catalina Island leave from either Long Beach or Newport Beach.
Airports Serving San Diego, Laguna Beach, Los Angeles, Malibu, Santa Barbara, Southern California
Getting-There
Hollywood-Burbank Airport (BUR)
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Ontario International Airport (ONT)
Orange County Airport (SNA)
San Diego Intl-Lindbergh Airport (SAN)
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