There are two good ways from LAX to Downtown LA. The FlyAway bus goes from your terminal to Union Station for $12.75, with no change. Metro rail costs $1.75 but needs a free shuttle and one change of train. Take the FlyAway with big bags, and take Metro if you pack light and your hotel is near the E Line. We read the LAX and Metro pages on 27 and 28 October 2026.
LAX to Downtown LA at a glance
| Option | Price | Time | Where it ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| FlyAway bus | $12.75 | Not confirmed, depends on traffic | Union Station |
| Metro K Line + E Line | $1.75 | About 39 minutes on the trains, plus the shuttle and waits | 7th St/Metro Center and other Downtown stations |
| Rideshare or taxi | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Your door |
FlyAway bus: the easy way with bags
The FlyAway is a bus run by the airport. It stops at every terminal and then goes to Union Station.
Getting there: Board on the lower arrivals level at the blue FlyAway signs. The FlyAway runs only to Union Station and Van Nuys. LAX said the Hollywood and Long Beach routes were suspended (LAX, Getting To, From and Around LAX page, read 27 Oct 2026)
Price: $12.75 one way (same page)
Note: Not confirmed: how you pay on board, the luggage limits, the child fare and the ride time. The flylax.com FlyAway pages did not open for our reader this week. Have a contactless bank card or phone wallet ready, and check flylax.com before you fly
Hours: Not confirmed. We could not read a 2026 FlyAway timetable this week. Check the schedule on flylax.com before you fly
Look at the sign on the front of the bus before you get on. The Van Nuys bus uses the same stops.
Getting off at Union Station
The FlyAway stops at the Patsaouras Transit Plaza, the bus plaza on the east side of Union Station. Walk west through the station to the A, B and D Line platforms, or out the front door to Olvera Street.
Note: Not confirmed: the bus stop number in the plaza. We could not open LAX's Union Station FlyAway page this week, so follow the FlyAway signs in the plaza
Metro rail: the cheap way
Rail costs $1.75 for the whole trip if you finish within two hours, because Metro transfers are free for two hours. Use it if you have a carry-on and your hotel is near an E Line station.
Getting there: Step 1, the free shuttle. At your terminal, go to the lower arrivals level and wait at a pink LAX Shuttle sign for the Metro Connector shuttle. It runs every day from 4 a.m. to 1 a.m., on average every 10 minutes, to the LAX/Metro Transit Center (LAX, Getting To, From and Around LAX page, read 27 Oct 2026)
Subway: Step 2, the K Line. At the LAX/Metro Transit Center, take the K Line north toward Expo/Crenshaw. The ride takes about 21 minutes. On weekdays a train comes about every 13 minutes. The first weekday train leaves at 4:01 a.m. and the last at 12:17 a.m. (K Line timetable effective 7 June 2026, read 28 Oct 2026)
Subway: Step 3, the E Line. At Expo/Crenshaw, change to the E Line east toward Downtown and East LA. On weekdays it takes about 18 minutes to 7th St/Metro Center, 22 minutes to Historic Broadway and 23 minutes to Little Tokyo/Arts District. Daytime trains come about every 8 to 10 minutes (E Line timetable effective 14 December 2025, read 28 Oct 2026)
Price: $1.75 with a contactless bank card, a phone wallet or a TAP card. Tap the same card each time. Metro never charges more than $5 a day (Metro fares page, read 28 Oct 2026)
The two train rides add up to about 39 minutes to 7th St/Metro Center. That number is ours, from the two timetables. It does not include the shuttle ride or the waits. On a weekday, plan on about an hour from the curb to Downtown.
Metro's E Line timetable says all rail lines may have delays after 8 p.m. for maintenance. If you land late, check the next train in the Transit app before you leave the terminal. After the last K Line train, take a rideshare.
Metro to Union Station
The E Line does not stop at Union Station. From Little Tokyo/Arts District, take the A Line one stop north. From 7th St/Metro Center, take the B or D Line three stops. Both changes are free within two hours.
Rideshare or taxi: the LAX-it lot
Getting there: Uber, Lyft and taxis pick up at the LAX-it lot next to Terminal 1. Walk there, or take the free LAX-it shuttle from the green signs on the lower arrivals level. LAX says the shuttle comes every 3 to 5 minutes (LAX, Taxis section, read 27 Oct 2026)
Price: Not confirmed. We found no official taxi fare to Downtown, and rideshare prices change with demand. Check the price in your app
A rideshare makes sense late at night, for a group of three or four, or if your hotel is far from Union Station and the E Line. We did not take a rideshare or taxi for this page.
Union Station to LAX
Getting there: Take the FlyAway from the Patsaouras Transit Plaza, the bus plaza on the east side of Union Station. It goes to the LAX terminals (LAX, Getting To, From and Around LAX page, read 27 Oct 2026)
Price: $12.75 (same page). Not confirmed: how you pay, and where to buy a ticket at Union Station. Check flylax.com
By rail, go the other way: the E Line west to Expo/Crenshaw (about 21 minutes from 7th St/Metro Center on a weekday), then the K Line south to the LAX/Metro Transit Center, then the shuttle to your terminal. This is our own advice: leave Downtown at least 2 hours 30 minutes before a domestic flight, and 3 hours 30 minutes before an international one.
Which one should you take?
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FlyAway if you have a big suitcase, if it is your first time in LA, or if you are staying near Union Station, Olvera Street or Chinatown.
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Metro rail if you have a carry-on, want to save money, and your hotel is near 7th St/Metro Center, Bunker Hill, Historic Broadway or Little Tokyo.
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Rideshare late at night, with a group, or if your hotel is far from a station.
What to see once you arrive is in our Downtown LA guide. How to pay and the late-night trains are in our LA Metro guide. Where to stay is in our car-free LA guide.
What we checked and what can change
Read on 27 October 2026: LAX's Getting To, From and Around LAX page (FlyAway routes, shuttles and taxis sections). Read on 28 October 2026: Metro's K Line timetable effective 7 June 2026, the E Line timetable effective 14 December 2025, and Metro's fares page. The FlyAway fares page, FAQ and Union Station page did not open for our reader on 28 October 2026.
Not confirmed: the FlyAway timetable, how often it runs and how long it takes, how you pay on board, its luggage limits and child fare, the Union Station bus stop number, any rideshare or taxi fare, and drive times. Our own advice, not an official source: which option to pick and when to leave for a flight. LAX moves pickup spots during construction. Check flylax.com and metro.net for your date. We did not take this trip for this page.
