Car Hire
All the major car rental agencies have offices around LAX. Drivers must be 25 years old. Weekly hire rates start at approximately $180. To rent the more exotic vehicle, call Beverly Hills Rent A Car at 310-337-1400 or visit www.bhrentacar.com. Los Angeles Rent-A-Car rents to drivers under 25. Call 310-670-9945 or click on www.la-rentacar.com.
Limousines
Chauffeur-driven cars can be booked at Chauffeurs Unlimited 800-922-8583/310-645-8711 or at www.gtesupersite.com/gotolax. L.A.Limousine has been transporting its guests in style since 1967. Call 877-449-7777/323-876-3492 or go online to www.la-limousine.com. There are scores of limousine companies operating in L.A. They can be found in both the standard and Yahoo yellow pages. The average fare is $35 an hour plus tax and 15% tip.
Taxis
The city's size makes taking a cab across town very expensive. Taxis are best utilized when traveling short distances in one area, particularly at night, when other public transportation may be infrequent. There are ten franchise taxi operators in L.A. Look for the official Los Angeles Taxicab Seal before entering any cab. You can't hail a taxi from the street but you can call or check with your hotel. All cabs have the same rate: $2 initial charge and $2 a mile.
Buses
The Big Blue Bus is a great way to see the Westside. It can take you to Venice Beach, Santa Monica Pier, shopping at Third Street Promenade and Will Rogers State Beach just for starters. Feeling even more adventurous, then take the Big Blue to downtown for stops at the Music Center, Olvera Street, Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Geffen Contemporary at the MOCA and innumerable other destinations of interest. Big Blue also connects you to LAX, Santa Monica Airport, Greyhound, Union Station and all Metro Rail Lines.
Big Blue offers regular fares at $.75; students and senior fares for those 62or over are $.25. Pay only $1.75 for Line 10 and ride to downtown. Catch the bus in the Marina on Lincoln Boulevard at Fiji, Mindanao and Bali Way. Correct change is required. For more information, call 310-451-5444, Monday-Friday, 8 am till 5 pm or click on www.bigbluebus.com.
The Culver City Bus Line, the second oldest municipal line in California, began its service in 1928. It now transports 5.3 million riders on 44 buses across 25.5 square miles, encompassing the Westside communities of Marina del Rey, Venice, West Los Angeles, Westwood, Century City, Culver City, Palms, Westchester, Rancho Park and Mar Vista. You can connect to the MTA Green Line and Santa Monica Blue Bus. Fares run from $.75 for adults to $.50 for students and $.35 for the disabled and seniors. For more information, see www.culvercity.org.
Dash
The Dash service, operated by LADOT, consists of a fleet of shuttle buses providing inexpensive public transportation in downtown L.A., Hollywood, the Westside, Venice and the Valley. The fare is only $.25. Click www.ladottransit.com or call 213-808-2273.
The MTA
The MTA oversees 200 metro bus lines and three metro rail lines. The Metro Blue Line runs north and south between Long Beach and Los Angeles and will soon extend to Pasadena. It crosses the Green Line connecting Norwalk and LAX. The Red Line meets the Blue Line in Los Angeles and provides service through downtown, Union Station, Mid-Wilshire, Hollywood and San Fernando. The closest rail stations to Marina del Rey are the El Segundo/Nash, 2226 E. El Segundo Boulevard, El Segundo and Aviation, 11500 Aviation Boulevard, Los Angeles. MTA buses can get you almost anywhere. The standard fare for bus or train is $1.35 and transfers are $.25. Correct change is required. For more information, click on www.mta.net. |
