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LAX to Los Angeles: every way, timed and priced

From LAX the city opens up in every direction: the beach hotels are a short hop north, Beverly Hills and Downtown about 26 minutes away, Malibu and Palos Verdes further along the coast. Below is every realistic way out of LAX, where each one leaves from at the airport, and the way we would get to each of the ten hotels in our Los Angeles edit.

The short answer

For most of our hotels, take a taxi or a pre-booked driver: typically 19–38 minutes from LAX, with taxis collected from the LAX-it lot east of Terminal 1 and a flat $51.15 plus the $4 surcharge to Downtown. Light travellers can take the FlyAway bus to Union Station for $12.75 or the Metro for $1.75. For Malibu Beach Inn and Terranea, book a driver.

  • LAXLos Angeles LAX. The main airport, by the beach in the south-west of the city: every international flight, and the nearer airport for Santa Monica, Malibu, Beverly Hills and Palos Verdes.

Book a private transfer

Booked with

A driver meets you in arrivals with your name on a sign, at a fixed price agreed when you book. Booked and paid with Welcome Pickups through our partner Travelpayouts; we may earn a commission.

The Theme Building, the space-age landmark at the centre of LAX, under a blue sky
The Theme Building, the space-age landmark at the centre of LAX, under a blue sky

Every way in, timed and priced

Taxi from LAX-it

LAX
Time
Typically 19–38 minutes to our hotels; 26 minutes to Hotel Figueroa in Downtown
Price
Downtown flat fare $51.15 per cab plus the $4 LAX surcharge; elsewhere metered at $3.10 to start and $2.97 a mile, minimum $16.50 plus $4

Leaves from the taxi rank inside the LAX-it lot east of Terminal 1, reached on foot or by the free green LAX-it shuttle from the inner kerb of the Lower/Arrivals Level. The straightforward way to every hotel, and the flat fare makes Downtown easy to budget.

Uber or Lyft from LAX-it

LAX
Time
As the taxi, once the car reaches you in the lot
Price
Quoted in the app before you confirm

Collects from the same LAX-it lot as the taxis, never at the terminals. Compare the app price with the meter, or with the Downtown flat fare.

Pre-booked private transfer

LAX
Time
The same drive as the taxi, with the driver waiting for you
Price
Fixed when you book; the widget on this page shows the live price

The only way out of LAX that skips the LAX-it lot: the driver tracks your flight and meets you. Our choice for Malibu Beach Inn and Terranea, for families with car seats and for any late landing.

FlyAway bus to Union Station

LAX
Time
Nonstop from each terminal to Union Station on a published timetable, seven days a week; the freeway sets the journey time
Price
$12.75 one way, by contactless Visa or Mastercard or the FlyAway app; no cash

Leaves from the blue FlyAway stops on the Lower/Arrivals Level. Good value for one or two light travellers going Downtown; for three or more, the taxi's flat fare costs little more and goes to the door.

Metro K and E Lines

LAX
Time
Free shuttle to the LAX/Metro Transit Center, then the K Line to Expo/Crenshaw in 21 minutes and the E Line to Downtown Santa Monica in 26 or to Pico, Downtown, in 16
Price
$1.75, with free transfers for two hours; contactless bank cards accepted

The free shuttle leaves from the pink LAX Shuttles posts on the Lower/Arrivals Level. The cheapest way in, and fine for the Santa Monica hotels with a small bag; a shuttle and two changes make it a poor choice with suitcases.

From the airport to our ten hotels

LAX-it, step by step

Taxis and ride apps do not pick up at the terminals. Follow the green LAX-it signs out of baggage claim to the inner kerb of the Lower/Arrivals Level and take the free shuttle, which runs around the clock, or walk to the lot if you landed at Terminal 1. Taxis wait at the rank inside the lot; order an Uber or Lyft from there.

In October 2026 some stops are closed for kerb works: Terminal 1's green stop (use the one between Terminals 1 and 2), Terminal 2's until 30 October (use the stops between Terminals 1 and 2 or at Terminal 3) and Terminal 6's until about 25 October (use Terminal 7).

Taxi and ride-app pick-up
LAX-it lot, east of Terminal 1
LAX-it shuttle
Free, 24 hours, green signs on the inner kerb
Landing to kerb
About 15 minutes, 30 with checked bags, 45 international

Taxi fares from LAX

The City of Los Angeles sets the fares. To Downtown, the area between Alameda Street, the 10 and 110 freeways and Cesar Chavez Avenue, plus Union Station and Chinatown, it is a flat $51.15 per cab plus the $4 surcharge on every trip from LAX. All passengers ride for the price of one, and drivers take cards at no extra cost. Everywhere else the meter runs at $3.10 to start and $2.97 a mile, with a minimum of $16.50 plus the surcharge, so to Santa Monica, Beverly Hills or Hollywood the traffic sets the fare.

Is the FlyAway or the Metro worth it?

FlyAway is the better of the two for Downtown: one nonstop bus from the blue stop outside your terminal to Union Station for $12.75, then two Metro stops to 7th Street/Metro Center for Hotel Figueroa. Bring a contactless card, since there is no cash.

The Metro is the cheapest way to the beach. From the pink LAX Shuttles posts the free shuttle runs to the LAX/Metro Transit Center; the K Line reaches Expo/Crenshaw in 21 minutes, and the E Line runs on to Downtown Santa Monica in 26. It is $1.75 all the way with two hours of free transfers, and it suits one person with one bag.

LAX at night or after a long-haul flight

After an international arrival, LAX puts the time from landing to kerb at about 45 minutes, with the LAX-it shuttle and queue still to come. LAX-it and its taxis run all night, but a pre-booked driver who tracks the flight and meets you is the gentler end to a long day, at a price fixed whatever the traffic.

Going back to LAX

LAX recommends arriving two hours before a domestic flight and three before an international one, and warns of construction detours and longer shuttle times through the autumn. Our drive times are typical ones, not rush-hour ones, so leave the hotel with the road in mind. Taxis and ride apps drop off at the terminals on the Upper/Departures Level.

Questions people ask

Good questions about LA

How much is a taxi from LAX to Downtown Los Angeles?

A flat $51.15 per cab plus the $4 LAX surcharge, set by the City of Los Angeles. Hotel Figueroa is inside the flat-fare zone, about 26 minutes away.

How much is a taxi from LAX to Santa Monica?

It is metered: $3.10 to start and $2.97 a mile, plus the $4 LAX surcharge. Shutters on the Beach and Santa Monica Proper are both about 19 minutes from LAX.

Is the FlyAway worth it from LAX?

For one or two light travellers going Downtown, yes: $12.75 one way, nonstop to Union Station from the blue stop at your terminal. For three or more, the $51.15 taxi flat fare plus $4 is close and goes to the door.

Can you take the Metro from LAX to Santa Monica?

Yes: the free shuttle from the pink posts to the LAX/Metro Transit Center, the K Line to Expo/Crenshaw (21 minutes) and the E Line to Downtown Santa Monica (26 minutes), all for $1.75.

How long is the drive from LAX to Beverly Hills?

About 26 minutes to The Beverly Hills Hotel by road, typically. The taxi is metered.

How do I get from LAX to Malibu?

By car: Malibu Beach Inn is about 38 minutes away, with no useful public transport. Take a taxi from LAX-it or a pre-booked driver.

Image credits: Benoît Prieur (CC0)