Santa Monica subway stop photo by Tracy Nicole
I am late writing this post.
I was in Los Angelas in October.
I took public transportation everywhere.
Los Angelas is not known for it’s public transportation.
It is a very car centric city.
I see a lot of people have questions about taking public transportation in L.A.
I know this post is after the wildfires.
Los Angelas will need visitors to recover like other places did.
If you are thinking of taking public transportation, I hope this will answer your questions.
The Public Transportation I Took In L.A.
I took various forms of public transportation in Los Angelas. including:
- the subway
- public bus
- FlyAway Bus
I will explain all three.
I even have a separate post about the FlyAway Bus.
My Experience Taking The Subway In LA
Hollywood Highland subway stop by Tracy Nicole
Honestly, I had read enough bad reviews before I took the subway in LA.
These reviews were from locals who had nothing good to say.
The subway in Los Angelas is questioned for safety, cleanliness, and it seems like everything else.
I took the B line to Hollywood and the E line to Santa Monica.
So, I can’t speak for other Iines.
Both of those lines were an ok experience for me.
I did not take the subway at night though.
It looks like the locals use the subway more than visitors.
The B line goes directly to Hollywood.
The E line goes to Santa Monica from Downtown via Exposition Boulevard where there are colleges and museums.
I really liked getting off at the Santa Monica stop as it was nice.
I think maybe that is the Santa Monica area in general though.
It was only $5 to ride the subway.
You get a day pass for all subways and buses for that price.
So, overall my experience was positive on both lines.
Honestly, they were like subways in every other city.
I would caution you to do your own research though.
This again was my experience.
Others could have had a different experience.
So, make sure this is something that is comfortable to you.
My Experience Taking Public Buses In L.A.
I have had a lot of fun taking city buses in several cities.
The subway does not go to West Hollywood or Beverly Hills.
So, I took the bus to both of those places.
As I find in every city, buses in the tourist areas are always nice and easy for me.
They also stop me from walking too much.
In the past, I have been known to walk three hours without resting.
I don’t do that in the present.
So, as in every other city, the bus was a very positive experience.
It got crowded during rush hour, but this did not bother me.
I even got to interact with locals.
As West Hollywood and Beverly Hills are very nice sections of Los Angelas, riding the bus in both those areas was a pleasant experience.
Again, I find this true in affluent areas in other cities.
The West Hollywood bus got crowded during rush hour, but that did not bother me.
If you are aware of rush hour times, you can avoid crowds though.
Again, you get free unlimited rides on the bus with your $5 subway day pass.
Would I Take Public Transportation In L.A. Again?
My experience was positive,.
Again, public transportation in Los Angelas gets such a bad rap.
I definitely would take public transportation in LA again.
Just keep in mind that these two lines might not represent other lines in L.A.
I also only took the Hollywood line twice and the Santa Monica line once.
So, I could be generalizing from one or two experiences.
I hope everyone reads reddit and other sites, and uses their own judgement.
Though my experience was positive, I still think a rental car is the best way to get around car centric L.A.
I will probably be back to a renting cars in L.A. later like I did on my first trip there.
The only negative about renting cars is the parking.
It is not cheap.
Again, when needed, I would take public transportation in Los Angelas.
As usual, do your own research, and make sure you are comfortable.
Taking The FlyAway Bus To And From LA
Union Station bus stop by Tracy Nicole
I also took the FlyAway Bus to and from LAX.
I took it to Union Station in Downtown L.A.
This was a lot of fun.
It is more like a charter bus as everyone is going to and from LAX.
There is a way you can get from LAX without the FlyAway Bus using public transportation.
This seemed more trouble than necessary, so I opted for the FlyAway Bus.
The FlyAway bus is only $9.75.
It goes direct to Union Station and Van Nuys.
I wish the FlyAway Bus would go to Hollywood or West Hollywood.
That would solve all problems
I would probably never rent a car if that were true.
They discontinued the Hollywood route during the pandemic.
They said it is unlikely to be brought back.
I can highly recommend this bus.
You can read my FlyAway Bus review here.
Summary
I had a positive experience taking the subway and other forms of public transportation in Los Angelas.
Despite all the negative reviews, the subway was like the subway in every city.
It got me all over L,A., from Hollywood to Santa Monica.
Again, a rental car is probably best in car centric LA.,.
I hear Uber is like $100 each way.
If you have any better ways to get around Los Angelas, let me know in the comments.
I would be open to learning something new.
This was only my second visit to the city.
As usual, if this post was useful, share it below on social media.
