Traveling to Los Angeles

Traveling to Los Angeles can be intimidating, especially if this is your first time visiting the city. Between the five airports, two train lines, and about a million freeways, it is easy to feel overwhelmed when planning your travel to L.A. Fortunately, we’ve put together this insider traveling chapter to help make your trip as smooth as possible. 

In this chapter, we cover which airport you should fly to, how to get around Los Angeles once you’ve arrived, getting to LA by train, and getting to LA by car.

Flying to Los Angeles

There are five main airports in the Los Angeles area:

1. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
2. Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR)
3. Long Beach Airport (LGB)
4. John Wayne Airport (SNA)
5. Ontario International Airport (ONT)

If you’re planning to fly to LA, the airport you want to select will depend on several factors.

1. Where you are coming from
2. Where you are planning to stay
3. How you are getting around while in LA

Let’s go through each airport and figure out which one is right for you.

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)

LAX is located right on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the Westchester neighborhood of Los Angeles, approximately 19 miles away from Dodger Stadium. It is the largest airport in the area and one of the busiest airports in the world.

Advantages of LAX:

• Flight Selection: The major convenience of LAX is that it offers the largest selection and variety of domestic and international flights. LAX will also have the greatest choice of direct flights available.
• Cost: Flying in and out of LAX is also usually less expensive than the other airports on this list, primarily due to the sheer supply of daily flights.
• Location: If you’re staying on the west side of Los Angeles (like Santa Monica, Venice, Malibu, or anywhere on the west side), or in the South Bay (like Redondo Beach or Manhattan Beach), LAX is a convenient option.

Disadvantages of LAX:

• Long wait times: LAX is notorious for being extremely crowded and busy, with long wait times for pretty much every aspect of travel, including security, baggage claim, and rideshare services.
• Traffic: You’re going to fight traffic in most parts of Los Angeles, but the areas immediately around LAX can be particularly hellish, especially during peak hours.
• Location: LAX is pretty far out of the way for most neighborhoods in Los Angeles, except those on the far west side. Transport to and from LAX easily takes at least an hour (sometimes much longer than that) if you are not staying in the immediate vicinity.

The biggest thing LAX has going for it is the convenience of flight options. No matter where you are in the country (or the world, for that matter) you should be able to find a wide range of flights to get you to and from LAX, and many of them direct.

You should fly into LAX if…

• A direct flight is a must, and you cannot find a direct flight option to any of the smaller airports.
• Cost is a top priority, and you cannot find cheaper flights to smaller airports.
• You are staying anywhere in the LA beach cities, on the west side of Los Angeles, or in the South Bay.
• You plan on braving the Los Angeles public transportation system and want to take advantage of cheaper transport options like buses, metros, and Flyaway shuttles (but we really don’t recommend this).

Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR)

Formerly known as Bob Hope Airport, Hollywood Burbank Airport (usually referred to simply as “Burbank Airport”) is a smaller regional airport that primarily serves domestic flights. BUR is located in Burbank, 12 miles north of Dodger Stadium, and is the closest airport to Dodger Stadium. Burbank Airport is much smaller and less crowded than LAX. With only two terminals covering the entire airport, getting in and out of Burbank is much smoother than LAX (although traffic management can be bad at Burbank Airport too, so if you hit the airport at the wrong time, you could be waiting 10-15 minutes for your rideshare to fight its way to the dropoff spot at the terminal).

Burbank is a great option for those who are staying close to Dodger Stadium. If you’re staying in Downtown Los Angeles, anywhere on the east side, or in the San Fernando Valley—such as Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Studio City, Sherman Oaks, etc.—Burbank is the preferred airport. Because it is so close to central Los Angeles and Dodger Stadium, you might not need to rent a car, especially if you plan on staying local during your stay.

Hollywood Burbank offers a much smaller selection of flights, and the majority of those flights are regional. Due to local noise restriction statutes, the airport can only operate flights between 7:00 am and 10:00 pm. Burbank offers fewer flight options and can be more expensive to certain destinations. 

TSI WARNING: unlike LAX, the food options at Burbank are very limited, and very expensive. We recently flew out of the airport and couldn’t find anything to eat for lunch that was less than $20. A very average sandwich and a bottle of water came to $33. LAX will have far better food options, and at much better prices. If you have a family of four, be sure to eat before you get to the airport.

You should fly into Hollywood Burbank Airport if…

• You are staying close to Dodger Stadium, or want to fly in as close to the stadium as possible.
• You are staying in the San Fernando Valley or the east side of Los Angeles.
• You can find a non-stop flight from your origin airport.
• Flying non-stop to any of the LA airports is not an option for you. If you must connect anyway, consider flying into BUR.
• You want the option of not renting a car.
• Ease is a top priority, and you’d rather spend a few extra bucks to avoid the headaches of LAX.

If you are staying in Los Angeles, we recommend flying into Hollywood Burbank if you can. It’s the closest and most convenient airport in the greater LA area. Flights are limited and can be a tad pricier, but it’s worth it to avoid the LAX drama, especially if you are staying in one of the surrounding areas. Plus, it’s possible to catch a 1pm Sunday game and make a 6:30pm return flight. At LAX… not so much.

Long Beach Airport (LGB)

Long Beach Airport is basically a carbon copy of Hollywood Burbank Airport (it even looks the same!), but located in Long Beach, approximately 25 miles south of Dodger Stadium. LGB only has one terminal and primarily serves domestic, regional flights.

Long Beach is a fantastic option for those staying in the South Bay Beach cities (Long Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, etc.) or in North Orange County during their stay, or if you are staying in Los Angeles and don’t mind the commute into the city.

Due to its size, LGB only services Southwest Airlines, Delta, and Hawaiian Airlines, but Delta and Hawaiian only fly there from a total of three destinations (Salt Lake City, Honolulu and Maui). So really, it’s all about Southwest, so if that’s your airline of choice, check out Long Beach Airport.

You should fly into Long Beach Airport if…

• You are flying Southwest Airlines.
• You are staying in North Orange County or the South Bay.
• You are staying in Los Angeles and don’t mind the 45-minute drive into the city.
• You plan on renting a car.

John Wayne Airport (SNA)

John Wayne Airport is another smaller airport option, this one located in Orange County (i.e. Anaheim), 40 miles south of Dodger Stadium. John Wayne Airport is larger than Burbank and Long Beach airports, but still far from LAX in terms of size.

Although John Wayne primarily serves domestic, regional flights, you should have better luck finding flight options into John Wayne, even from the east coast, Midwest, and the South. Although the majority of flights are domestic, John Wayne is an international airport that flies to Canada and Mexico.

John Wayne Airport is located in the heart of Orange County. Although it is the furthest airport from Dodger Stadium on this list, if you are staying in or plan to visit Orange County during your trip, consider John Wayne as an option. The airport is just five miles away from Orange County beaches, and 14 miles away from Disneyland.

If you are flying into John Wayne, plan on renting a car. Public Transportation is even more sparse in Orange County than in Los Angeles.

You should fly into John Wayne Airport if…

• You are staying in Orange County (yay Disneyland!)
• You plan on taking the Amtrak into Los Angeles to visit Dodger Stadium (more on this in Transportation)
• You plan on renting a car and want to see more of what Southern California has to offer than just Los Angeles.

Ontario International Airport (ONT)

Ontario International Airport is located in the city of Ontario, California, approximately 41 miles east of Dodger Stadium, in the Inland Empire (which includes Riverside, Temecula, Rancho Cucamonga, Palm Springs, and other towns around them). Like the other smaller airports on this list, Ontario Airport primarily runs domestic, regional flights, although it offers more domestic options than Burbank and Long Beach airports.

Ontario Airport typically offers the cheapest flights of non-LAX options, while still retaining the hassle-free experience of a smaller airport. If you’re looking for a combination of value and convenience, Ontario Airport is a great option.

You should fly into Ontario Airport if…

• You are staying in the Inland Empire.
• You want a combination of value and convenience.
• You plan to visit the desert cities during your stay.
• You plan on renting a car.

Should I use public transportation in LA?

As we’ve already mentioned, Los Angeles public transportation is, for the most part, useless. The few options that are available are frankly dirty and dangerous. So while there are a handful of exceptions that we will go into in Chapter 3 on Local Transit, The Stadium Insiders do not recommend most types of public transportation as an option. The only exceptions are the LAX FlyAway Bus and the Dodger Express bus.

The FlyAway bus runs from LAX to Union Station (downtown) and Van Nuys (which is west of Burbank Airport and likely irrelevant for you). The FlyAway is a nice coach bus that runs directly from the airport to Union Station for $10/person. If you’re traveling alone it can be a great money-saver, but if you’re even a two-person group, the cost of two bus tickets plus a rideshare from Union Station to your downtown hotel will be similar to the price of a direct rideshare. But in case you find yourself in need of a public transit option, the FlyAway is absolutely an acceptable option: clean, safe, nice, and very efficient.

The Dodger Stadium Express is a special event bus that runs from Union Station to Dodger stadium and back, and is FREE to all ticket holders (they don’t actually check your tickets — they just assume that if you get on a bus for Dodger Stadium that you’re going to the game, because there would be absolutely no other reason to be on that bus). More on this in our Local Transit chapter, but unlike the FlyAway bus, this is a legit hack for saving money on parking.

Anyway, we could go into a long history of the politics and bureaucracy that have led to the city’s mass transit being so inept, but we’ll save that for another time. Suffice it to say, except for very specific circumstances, you will want to use either rideshare or a car rental during your trip to Los Angeles.

Should I use rideshare in LA?

If you’re planning to stay in Los Angeles, you can absolutely get around using just Uber or Lyft, especially if you’re staying close to Dodger Stadium and/or in a pedestrian-friendly part of town. We recommend this if you’re staying in some of the more walkable neighborhoods, like Downtown LA, Santa Monica, or West Hollywood. You can do some urban hiking or rent an electric scooter around the neighborhood during the day, and then order a car to get to Dodger Stadium. This is doubly true if you are planning on enjoying your fair share of adult beverages at the ballpark and would rather not drive.

Should I rent a car in LA?

Most likely, yes. If you want to have the freedom to travel around or outside town, renting a car is the way to go. LA was basically built under the assumption that everyone has a car. The city is such a sprawling landscape, and to see everything it has to offer during a short trip requires a car. And if you’re staying outside the city (like in Orange County or in the Valley) renting a car is a must; the greater Los Angeles area is just too big to keep ordering Ubers to get around.

Yes, if your movements are going to be more confined, then you can certainly get away with using rideshares everywhere. But there’s no doubt that renting a car is the most convenient way to deal with transit in LA.

Getting to LA by train

The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner is a viable option for those traveling from other parts of Southern California. The Surfliner runs from San Diego to San Luis Obispo, with stops in several Southern California cities. Union Station in Downtown LA is the main hub for all Surfliner lines and is less than two miles from Dodger Stadium. If you were to take Amtrak to Union Station, you could connect from there to Dodger Stadium either by taxi/rideshare, or by the aforementioned free Dodger Stadium Express bus that runs right from the station.

The Surfliner offers stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and convenient access to many of the region’s top attractions, including Disneyland, Santa Barbara, and downtown San Diego. Amtrak offers several fare options including economy and business class, as well as discounts for seniors, students, and military personnel.

Getting to LA by car

Of course, you always have the option to drive into Los Angeles if you are coming from within the region. Just a heads up, everything they say about LA traffic is true: it’s hellish. If you’re bringing your own car, just keep this in mind. That said, as we’ve mentioned, getting around by car is usually your best option in LA. No matter whose car you’re in, this will be part of your journey. We recommend downloading podcasts or playlists and just enjoying the ride (“Siri, play ‘It Was a Good Day’ by Ice Cube).

Bottom Line

Yeah, figuring out how to travel to LA can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. If the focus of your trip is Dodger Stadium, fly into LAX or Burbank, rent a car, fasten your seatbelt, and just deal with it. We love LA!