<p>Never been to LA before. I will be traveling in mid-December and will be staying for 4 days. I will arrive and depart at LAX and will staying within 2 miles of the Staples Center. Just seeing if anybody has any tips on the transit system or anything else that could be useful. I looked at the metro system website and it showed there is a shuttle from the airport that takes you to the bus terminals. </p>
<p>Are the buses reliable? Easy to use?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance for all of your help.</p>
<p>Transit system? Depending on where you are staying (east/west/north/south) of the Staples Center you have the bus. I think that there is some sort of transit in the Pasadena area…but we are infamous for using our private cars. Some airport hotels pick you up free. First, please tell us where you are staying and what your requirements are for travelling.</p>
<p>West of the Staples Center (about 2 miles away). Bus and Metro Rail would work for me.</p>
<p>I am a true Angeleno I’m afraid. There is a bus that runs along Wilshire, Santa Monica, Pico, Olympic Blvds. (and other east/west streets). Frankly, while there are some exceptions, (people going green, or rush hour commuters that happen to live near a main street and it is a straight shot to their offices) most riders tend to be the elderly or the poor. Don’t flame me people…this is Los Angeles. There IS a subway (no above ground transportation that is in place in other areas), but I do not know how far west it is going currently. (We are having BIG problems with lines, and natural gas, and us NIMBYers.) Late night bus service is very sporatic. </p>
<p>You might want to go to TripAdvisor.com and ask there. My kids have been on a public bus, perhaps 5 (?) times in their lives. Once, this was a nursery school field trip…from the nursery school to a public park and back again.</p>
<p>I live in Los Feliz and take the subway all the time. It’s great for getting in and out of Hollywood and Pasadena. However, if you want to go west you will be at the mercy of the bus, which can take a very long time and on weekends doesn’t run as much. </p>
<p>If you want to travel outside of the downtown/Hollywood area, I’d recommend renting a car.</p>
<p>There are a few different lines, the Red Line is an actual subway and goes from Union Station through Downtown to Hollywood. The others are mostly above ground, light rail. The Gold Line goes from Pasadena to East LA through Union Station. The Blue Line goes from Long Beach to Downtown. And the Green line runs along the 105 freeway from South LA to LAX.</p>
<p>Work out your trip in advance. Improvising a route using the transit “system” is very difficult. I would say the buses are reliable though.</p>
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<p>Teens and young adults too, though I suppose they could count as poor. I also once met someone on the Gold Line who had won a multi-billion dollar divorce settlement and had certificates from the Kenyan High Court.</p>
<p>I know that area, and like ellebud said, it depends on what you need.</p>
<p>Will there be food within safe walking distance from your hotel? Do you want a chance to see any sites? Go to the beach? </p>
<p>I would rent a car, knowing what I do about Los Angeles. Relying on public transportation isn’t always the easiest for natives, and LA is SO spread out.</p>
<p>I was hesitant to state the obvious: renting a car (if you are a driver since, New Yorkers for example, may not drive period) is the way to go on the westside. And since we don’t know where your hotel is located buses can be more problematic if you need to go north and then east, for example. Taxis are different here as well. You don’t hail a cab. (I have seen more than one New Yorker try to hail a cab here.) You must call a company who will dispatch a cab to you.</p>
<p>Don’t be discouraged if renting a car is not an option.
If you are staying near Wilshire and Vermont, I’m pretty sure you can do it all by train-- (shuttle from LAX to green line/transfer to blue line/transfer to red line.)</p>
<p>My husband takes most of that route whenever he goes to downtown LA.
Experiment with the Metro trip planner to see what works for you.</p>
<p>They recently changed the rules so you can hail a cab. (But first you’d have to find one…)</p>
<p>What are you planning on seeing when you’re in Los Angeles? </p>
<p>The tripadvisor Los Angeles forum has some posters who are extremely knowledgeable about public transit, along with some haters 
Ignore them and take the good info.</p>