Los Angeles Travel Answers

I've not taken it and based on my daughter's 12 years in LA I'd not actually recommend it but then she either drove or rode her bike to school and work. Bus transport in LA is not exactly considered the best way to get around. That said, check bigbluebus.com/home/index.as... for what might be good for you. Upon arriving my first priority would be to get directly to my hotel/residence to stow luggage and not touring the city. LA is a VERY large area and the term "LA" covers many cities in actuality (IE Santa Monica is quite some distance from "LA" and depending on traffic conditions can take an hour. Distance in the LA area is not necessarily judged by miles, but rather time. From my daughter's house in Hollywood to another location in Hollywood just a few miles away is 30-50 minutes depending on the time of day. So look at a map, and judge accordingly. But enjoy the area.

Thanks for that advise Al. Of course we will drop our bags at the hotel but are planning to stay near the airport as we have a morning flight out again the next day. We are arriving on a Saturday morning in Winter so I thought that the traffic might not be too bad but will be interested to hear more advise on this.

Not a terrible idea. The bus from the airport to Santa Monica runs down Lincoln, which is one of the ugliest strips in West LA. Don't expect a lot from that. If you go from Santa Monica to UCLA, it looks like you have a few options. I would choose the Montana Avenue one (looks like #3) or, if it doesn't work, the Wilshire one. The strip of Santa Monica Boulevard between Santa Monica and where the bus turns off for UCLA is also not terribly attractive. I think your best option is to take the bus to Santa Monica and walk around there for a while. There's the 3rd Street Promenade, the pier, the beach, a number of great restaurants, and it's a very pretty area. The UCLA campus is nice and Westwood Village is nice, but I don't know that you'll find it worth all the time you spend on the bus, particularly considering the transfer time. If you were planning on not walking around UCLA, then I don't think this is worth it at all. In response to your question though: you can ride a bus round-trip, but you have to pay the fare twice. The driver may make you get off while they go on break, but I don't think they would.

I think this is a good idea, not silly at all! I have not used the services of the Big Blue Bus but would make a few comments for you to consider. First, LAX is about ten miles from Santa Monica. So, you'd have to use the LA city bus to get to Santa Monica from your hotel. This shouldn't be a problem. Just check on their website for a bus that has a stop near your hotel. go511.com/plan_your_trip/tri... The schedule of the BBB, which is Santa Monica City transit, seems to cater more to students/senior's needs so make sure of the route/timing for Saturdays. Usually, everyone must get off the bus when it reaches it's end point. This is normally the time the bus driver gets a "break." You will have to pay the fare again on the return trip. Keep in mind that this is a Santa Monica bus, it doesn't go too much further east than Interstate 405 which is far west of downtown LA. So, you will not see much of the city of Los Angeles. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, in fact much of the area the BBB covers is a nicer part of the County of Los Angeles. I just wouldn't want you to think that you have actually gotten a look at the City of "LA." Rather it will be a look at Santa Monica. You might also consider taking LA City transit if you wanted to go as far as downtown LA. Check the timing and exact route on the Trip Planner to see if it would work for you. Have fun in Los Angeles!!

Oops! Sorry for the repeat info. I guess I was writing while Colin was posting. :-)