Cheap flights to Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles Travel Guide

California’s largest city is a sun-soaked metropolis leading the way in culture, media and business. Tourists book flights to Los Angeles with one goal: to see and be seen. The very thought of Los Angeles conjures thoughts of expensive cars, bikini-clad beaches, the best in fashion and the iconic Hollywood sign. Hopeful artists grab cheap plane tickets to Los Angeles or hitch a ride to the coast in hopes of making it big. It’s no wonder star-searching is the top tourist attraction in the City of Angels. Los Angeles trips give way to everything from top universities to top models and every person, place and thing in between. Whether your flight to Los Angeles is for an audition or an education, there’s many things to do in Los Angeles, California.

Los Angeles’s landmarks are instantly recognizable – the giant Hollywood sign in the hills, Disneyland, Mann’s Chinese Theater and the brass stars in the pavement along Hollywood Boulevard. LA might have a reputation for being superficial, but visitors will discover that it has a cultural heart. It boasts the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Getty Centre, which has one of the greatest art collections in the world, and the Museum of Latin American Art, which shows contemporary Latino material. You can also visit the famous La Brea Tar Pits if fossils happen to be your thing.

The beaches are where the West-Coast vibe can be experienced and where the honed and toned work out. “South Bay” beach towns are beautiful and include Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach. Santa Monica Beach is also a popular place to catch some rays and people watch.

There are many more things to do in Los Angeles, too. Sports fans book Los Angeles flights to see the Los Angeles Lakers shoot hoops and cheer on MLB’s Los Angeles Dodgers. Of course, Los Angeles is the world leader in producing major motion pictures, beloved television shows and hit music. While you’re here, dine on unique cuisine created by world-renowned chefs or spend like a celebrity in the many high end shops on Rodeo Drive. But don’t forget that the City of Angels is also dubbed “the city of dreams” — make a wish on your trip to Los Angeles and it just might come true. Every year, millions of tourists’ flock to LA to experience the diversity, beach life, museums and galleries, cutting-edge architecture, fantastic cuisine and sheer star power of this city. If you are planning on being one of them, read on for more tips for your trip to Los Angeles.

Getting to and around the city of Los Angeles

Downtown LA is located a little less than 20 miles from LAX airport. The easiest and cheapest option is to get a free shuttle bus from the airport. Outside of arrivals you should take either shuttle G or C. C takes you to the Metro bus center and from there you can either continue on your way to downtown LA or if you’re staying in Hollywood or Santa Monica, you can find means of transport from here. Staying in downtown LA isn’t highly recommended as most of the nightlife and activities take place in other areas of the city. You can also jump in a taxi if you want convenient and fast travel from the airport, however the price won’t be cheap.

Los Angeles is so large and spread out that driving is the only way to get anywhere efficiently. Renting a car is your best option, and it’s one of the cheapest places in the country to do so. Don’t let the network of freeways scare you; you’ll be fine as long as you have a map or good directions. The city is very driver-friendly with wide streets and lots of parking. Rush hour is very crowded, and its best to avoid the freeways from 7 AM to 10 AM and 3 PM to 7 PM. If you’re not a driver, you can take the bus, but you’ll need to transfer several times and travel long distances, making bus travel extremely time-consuming. Avoid taking a bus late at night. The Metrorail consists of five subway lines that run frequently and quickly but only cover a small area of the city. Taxis are not advised, since the long distances rack up costs quickly.

Tips for your stay in Los Angeles

• Hang out in style on the uber chic beaches of Malibu and Santa Monica – and keep your eyes peeled for stars.
• Get a glimpse of how the A-listers live on a guided tour of their mansions in Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Bel-Air.
• Go on a sightseeing tour of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and follow the bronze stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• For an archetypal LA. beach experience, you’ve got to visit Manhattan Beach at the south end of Santa Monica Bay. The beach has a 928-foot pier from which to fish, an aquarium, nine-hole golf course, surfing, volleyball and Sunday afternoon concerts. But, most importantly, it’s the place to swim, bronze, in-line skate, see and be seen.
• The biggest and best museum in LA is the Getty, which houses an impressive collection of Western art from the middle Ages to the present day.
• If you’re in Los Angeles at Christmas, take the kids to Disneyland for its magical winter wonderland lights display.
• For something a little more unusual, take your pet along to Olvera Street in downtown LA in the springtime for the blessing of the animals. The event is held every Easter Saturday and has been running for hundreds of years. All kinds of animals are blessed, from dogs and cats to horses and snakes.
• Need more inspiration? Check out our list of 52 super cool things to do in Los Angeles that also won’t break the bank.

Finding Flights from Los Angeles

Los Angeles is great, but what about those times when you want to explore beyond the City of Angels? With so many airlines flying in and out of LAX, you have your choice of destinations, from tropical locales to historical treasures of Europe.

Check out the flight deals on these popular routes from Los Angeles:

Cheap flights from Los Angeles to New York City

Cheap flights from Los Angeles to Cancun

Cheap flights from Los Angeles to Paris

Cheap flights from Los Angeles to Orlando

Head to the airport early when you fly out of LAX. Getting to the airport from downtown LA can take an hour or more depending on the current traffic situation. If you’re heading to the airport from Irvine, Union Station, Van Nuys or Westwood, try the Flyaway shuttle service. The Metro Green Line is another easily accessible option with a free shuttle from LAX terminals.

For more detailed airport information, our Los Angeles airport guides include all the information you need to know before you go.

Los Angeles, CA airport overview

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is located 16 miles (26km) southwest of downtown Los Angeles. As the sixth-busiest airport in the world, it’s hardly surprising that LAX serves as a primary gateway to this region of the United States. Flights to Los Angeles International Airport arrive daily from major international hubs across Europe, Asia, Africa and South America.

Los Angeles International has nine terminal buildings and on average it serves approximately 60 million passengers per year, and handles more than 600,000 aircraft take-offs and landings. Currently there is a project underway to build an additional terminal building west from the Tom Bradley International Terminal. The terminal will have ten gates, and is expected to be completed in 2012.

As this is a busy mega-airport, queues can be long and chaotic. The best thing to do would be to give yourself plenty of time to get all of the hassles of checking in and clearing customs over with, and then relax at one of the restaurants or pubs and get a nice big meal and a refreshing drink. Then, if you still have some time to spare, you could do a little gift shopping for that special someone.