LAX area to Getty Center

[FlyGirl22]

My husband and I are arriving at LAX on a Friday morning, and then leaving from San Pedro on Saturday. We are thinking of staying at the Four Points hotel near the airport, which has a free shuttle.

 

We would like to visit the Getty Center on Friday afternoon. How easy is it to use public transportation to get there? (I realize that "easy" does not generally apply to LA public transit.)

 

I see that there is a bus (#761) that drops off right at the front door, but I'm not sure about how to find the correct bus, whether we would have to transfer along the way, etc. We are relatively well-traveled and have used transit systems all over the globe. But for some reason LA makes me nervous. :confused:

 

Are we crazy to want to try this? We really don't want the expense and hassle of renting a car, and are trying to stay as low budget as possible.

 

Anyone that can offer suggestions or advice is welcome! Thanks in advance!

[Cruisin' Chick]

You're right about the so-called rapid transist here in Los Angeles. It's not really great for tourists getting around. The main users are locals without cars and a few brave souls (my MIL used to used the system all the time before she became ill...but then she has lived here for over 50 years).

 

You may get a few suggestions here that would involve changing your plans:

1) switch to a different hotel (as in "don't stay by the airport" as there's not much around there and most likely that free shuttle won't take you over to San Pedro the next day). You may want to consider staying closer to the Getty and then take a taxi to the museum.

2) rent a car (and maybe switch to a different area for your hotel)

 

A major reason I don't recommend using our bus system if you are unfamiliar with LA is that there are some very dicey areas (and many aren't too far from decent ones). You wouldn't want to accidentally get off at the wrong stop, a few miles into gang territory. Plus, you may find yourself spending a lot of time waiting for a bus here and there, eating into the little time you have for sightseeing.

[AnotherJenny]

The 761 bus stops in Westwood. You can take the Flyaway bus from LAX to Westwood, walk from the drop-off to a stop where the 761 will take you to the Getty.

 

The Flyaway is more money, but it is a charter bus and doesn't make stops. They do not check to see if you've taken a flight or anything like that. You can probably even use your hotel's shuttle to get to and from LAX.

 

You might want to call the hotel and check ahead of time and see how the recommend you get to the Getty.

[Bruin Steve]

I guess the first question is which Four Points you are staying at...There are two in the LAX area...one right near LAX--not a great area to stay in, the other is in Culver City (we stayed there our Wedding night when it was a Howard Johnson's before switching to Four Points--and they had a free LAX shuttle--one of the reasons we stayed there)...

 

If it's the Culver City one, here is what the Metro system's "Trip Planner" suggests:

 

Starting at 5990 GREEN VALLEY CIR

 

Ride Culver City 6 (UCLA/WESTWOOD) heading north

From: SEPULVEDA BLVD/CENTINELA AV(NE corner) Lv: 10:05AM

To: WESTWOOD BLVD/LINDBROOK DR(SE corner) Ar: 10:34AM

Pay $0.75 + $0.25 for Transfer., (EZ Pass accepted)

Ride Metro Rapid 761( PACOIMA) heading north

From: WESTWOOD BLVD/LINDBROOK DR(SE corner) Lv: 10:42AM

To: SEPULVEDA BLVD/GETTY CENTER DR(SE corner) Ar: 11:00AM

 

Ending at GETTY CENTER

Total cash fare = $1.00

Trip time is about 55 minutes.

Trip distance is about 12.14 miles

 

From the LAX Four Points, it gives these options:

 

Starting at SHERATON - LAX

 

Ride Flyaway Westwood (FLYAWAY WESTWOOD) heading east

From: WORLD WY S/TERMINAL 8 Lv: 10:03AM

To: KINROSS AV/WEYBURN PL(NW corner) Ar: 10:45AM

Pay $5.00, (EZ Pass accepted)

Ride Metro Rapid 761 ( PACOIMA) heading north

From: WESTWOOD BLVD/LINDBROOK DR(SE corner) Lv: 11:02AM

To: SEPULVEDA BLVD/GETTY CENTER DR(SE corner) Ar: 11:20AM

Pay $1.25

 

Ending at GETTY CENTER

Total cash fare = $6.25

Trip time is about 1 hour and 17 minutes.

 

or

 

Starting at SHERATON - LAX

 

Ride Culver City 6 (UCLA/WESTWOOD) heading west

From: 96TH ST/SEPULVEDA BLVD(NE corner) Lv: 10:12AM

To: WESTWOOD BLVD/LINDBROOK DR(SE corner) Ar: 10:58AM

Pay $0.75 + $0.25 for Transfer., (EZ Pass accepted)

Ride Metro Rapid 761 ( PACOIMA) heading north

From: WESTWOOD BLVD/LINDBROOK DR(SE corner) Lv: 11:02AM

To: SEPULVEDA BLVD/GETTY CENTER DR(SE corner) Ar: 11:20AM

 

Ending at GETTY CENTER

Total cash fare = $1.00

Trip time is about 1 hour and 8 minutes.

Trip distance is about 14.62 miles.

 

Okay...All of these options are actually fairly simple...and none go through any really dicey areas of Los Angeles...

 

You are basically just following Sepulveda (the street that runs alongside the 405 Freeway) up to Westwood Village--a very nice office/retail district next to the UCLA campus, then switching buses for the short ride from there to the museum (You'll have to walk under the 405 freeway and grab the rail/shuttle from the Getty parking structure up to the museum...

 

The Flyaway bus requires you to start back inside the airport and to make a walk through Westwood Village...The other is more direct...

 

The transfer in Westwood, BTW, is not necessarily a negative...it may give you the opportunity, in one direction or the other, to have a meal in Westwood Village (lots of restaurant choices) and maybe do a walk around the BEAUTIFUL UCLA campus...

 

As a local, I will tell you that it is far preferable to rent a car and avoid using the local buses...BUT, if you are really adverse to the car rental thing, this is NOT a difficult or particularly brutal bus route...

 

That first bus, BTW, gets a lot of UCLA riders--UCLA's Graduate student and married student housing, or a lot of it, is down along the 405 Freeway in the Culver City (actually Palms/West LA, just north of Culver City) area...

 

Good luck...

[mjesf]

I'm going to amplify Bruin Steve's comments.

 

As a veteran of riding the Culver City 6 bus from LAX, this may be one of the easier public transit trips in LA. Also given my druthers I would rather take public transit to the Getty Center and not deal with their parking garage (I've done the Getty Center both ways)

 

Both transit systems are well marked especially the Metro Rapid lines. The only real point of confusion is that it will be cheaper going to the Getty Center than coming back because the base fares of Culver City Transit and Metro are different.

 

The only part of this that would be crazy is if you did not use the money you saved on a splurge lunch at the Getty Center :rolleyes:.

[jasmith52]

I guess the first question is which Four Points you are staying at...There are two in the LAX area...one right near LAX--not a great area to stay in

 

Just a little comment here...

 

The reason that you may not want to stay at one of the LAX hotels is that there is little to do nearby. The area is not unsafe.