How to get around Los Angeles without a car

Metro rail lines connect major parts of Los Angeles, and Metro bus service connects with every rail station. Use the rail network for trips between its stations, then check bus connections for the parts of your journey rail does not cover.

The network includes six named lines: the A Line runs between Pomona and Long Beach; the B Line between Union Station and North Hollywood; the C Line between Norwalk and LAX/Metro Transit Center; the D Line between Union Station and Wilshire/La Cienega; the E Line between East Los Angeles and Santa Monica; and the K Line between Expo/Crenshaw and Redondo Beach.

Metro’s official app provides real-time arrivals, step-by-step directions and service alerts. You can also use Metro’s online line schedules and maps to plan a route.

Metro buses extend the rail network, with routes linking places that are not on the same rail line. Check a bus route alongside the rail map when your destination is away from a station.

For trips between Santa Monica and Downtown LA, Metro Bus Line 4 travels via Santa Monica Boulevard, while Line 20 uses Wilshire Boulevard. Line 2 runs between Westwood and Exposition Park via Sunset Boulevard.

Metro Bus Line 10 connects West Hollywood and Downtown LA via Temple Street and Melrose Avenue. Line 16 also runs between West Hollywood and Downtown LA, via West 3rd Street.

If you’re planning to reach Santa Monica from the LAX area, a Santa Monica day trip from the LAX area can help you shape that outing.

Metro’s regular one-way fare is $1.75, and tap-to-ride fare capping can limit what you pay across multiple rides. With fare capping, you pay no more than $5 per day or $18 in a 7-day period; after you pay for 3 rides in one day, additional rides are free.

When you tap to pay, Metro provides free transfers within 2 hours. Round trips are not included. You can pay with a physical or digital Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB or UnionPay card, or with Apple Pay or Google Pay at bus validators and rail stations.

A physical TAP card costs $2 at TAP vendor locations and at TAP vending machines at Metro Rail, J and G Line stations. You can also use the TAP app.

Metro buses accept cash, but exact change is required on buses without all-door boarding; cash transfers are not included, and Metro Rail requires a credit, debit or TAP card. Children under age 6 may ride free with a fare-paying adult.

For more about the station serving the airport area, the LAX/Metro Transit Center guide covers how to use it. Fares and payment rules can change, so check Metro’s official site before you go.

The LAX/Metro Transit Center and Aviation/Century are useful points to factor into a car-free plan from the airport area. Los Angeles International Airport is about a 34-minute walk or a 4-minute drive from Skyways Hotel. A guide to getting from the airport to the hotel focuses on that trip.

Metro says all its buses and rail lines are wheelchair accessible. Every rail station has a ramp, walkway or elevator to the platform. If an elevator is out of service, Metro says riders may take a bus to the next station at no cost; its accessibility guide directs riders to service alerts for elevator outages.

Buses and trains provide automated stop announcements. Stations also have Braille and tactile signage, while platforms have textured edges and yellow warning poles. Metro recommends arriving 10 minutes early for a train and tapping a TAP, credit or debit card at a validator or turnstile to enter the platform or waiting area.

Walking or a taxi may suit a trip better when the journey is local or you want to avoid combining transit connections. The LAX/Metro Transit Center is about an 11-minute walk from Skyways Hotel.

For hotel details, you can view rooms at this two-star hotel. Compare the walk to a station with the route you need to take, and use Metro’s app for arrivals and directions when you plan to travel by transit.

How much does a Metro ride cost?

Metro’s regular one-way fare is $1.75. Tap-to-ride fare capping limits fares to $5 per day or $18 in a 7-day period.

Can you transfer between Metro buses and rail?

Metro offers free transfers within 2 hours when you tap to pay. Round trips are not included.

Can you pay cash on Metro?

Metro buses accept cash, with exact change required on buses without all-door boarding. Metro Rail requires a credit, debit or TAP card, and cash transfers are not included.

Is Los Angeles Metro wheelchair accessible?

Metro says all its buses and rail lines are wheelchair accessible. Every rail station has a ramp, walkway or elevator to the platform.