LAX to Union station ...

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Montanan

OBS Chief
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Apologies if this question has been answered here before ... I thought I'd seen the info somewhere, but now my addled brain can't find it.

Anyhow, I'm flying into LAX the morning of January 18th, and then catching the Sunset Limited out of town that afternoon. Can anyone give me directions on how to make the airport-train station transfer via public transport, and tell me whether that's a recommended plan? (Time shouldn't be a significant issue for me.) Alternatively, if there's a specific van service anyone can recommend, that info would be helpful, too.

(The Sunset trip, by the way, is simply for the ride -- I'm trying to travel all of Amtrak's long-distance routes, and since the fate of this one seems a little more precarious than most, I thought it would be a good destination for this winter's trip.)

Many thanks!
 
Apologies if this question has been answered here before ... I thought I'd seen the info somewhere, but now my addled brain can't find it.
Anyhow, I'm flying into LAX the morning of January 18th, and then catching the Sunset Limited out of town that afternoon. Can anyone give me directions on how to make the airport-train station transfer via public transport, and tell me whether that's a recommended plan? (Time shouldn't be a significant issue for me.) Alternatively, if there's a specific van service anyone can recommend, that info would be helpful, too.

(The Sunset trip, by the way, is simply for the ride -- I'm trying to travel all of Amtrak's long-distance routes, and since the fate of this one seems a little more precarious than most, I thought it would be a good destination for this winter's trip.)

Many thanks!
See this LINK for details on the Fly Away Service non-stop from LAX to LAUS. $4.00 one way!
 
Can anyone give me directions on how to make the airport-train station transfer via public transport, and tell me whether that's a recommended plan? (Time shouldn't be a significant issue for me.) Alternatively, if there's a specific van service anyone can recommend, that info would be helpful, too.
Many thanks!
I'd recommend the FlyAway bus service. I used it in July to go from LAX to Union Station, and it worked very well. I walked out the LAX arrival terminal and within 5 minutes I got on the bus right outside the door. Nice big comfortable bus, the driver helped with luggage, and the day I went only about 10 people on the bus. The bus ends right at Union Station. You purchase your ticket at Union Station, after you arrive, it was only $4.00. About half the distance to Union Station there is a carpool lane the bus used to breeze by most of the traffic.

Flyaway Bus

Give it a try.
 
That seems a great option Mr FSS. I took a hotel van shuttle from LAX which hung around untill it was full, and went to lots of hotels before dropping me last at union station. It was a lot more expensive too!

Ed B)
 
Yea do use the Flyaway bus service. They will be operating every 30 minutes during your travel time and when you arrive at the station, they will direct you to a kiosk where you will pay your fare, which is $4.00 as someone already mentioned. The bus does get to use the express lanes on the 10 and the 110 which substantially speeds up the trip. Make sure when you board the bus outside of the baggage claim terminal however that you get the bus to LAUPT, instead of Burbank or Van Nuys. The buses often look the same, but the bus you want will say its destination in the window.
 
That seems a great option MrFSS. I took a hotel van shuttle from LAX which hung around until it was full, and went to lots of hotels before dropping me last at union station. It was a lot more expensive too!Ed B)
And I'll bet, Ed, that your shuttle driver would have never thought to tell you there was a direct bus to LAUS!
 
Before the FlyAway bus was started, I rode on light rails which are red, blue and then green and then transfer to bus that took me to the airport. Too much hassle, esp. with rush hour.

When I heard about FlyAway, so I decided to try this time and I'm very happy with it. It's a breeze, esp. riding on a ramp, a very high one, over the interstate highway intersection!
 
This is good information for me too. I will b e going to LA in August with my girlfriend. We can ride this to LAUPT, and then take a cab over to the Marriott. Thanks for asking
 
Many thanks, guys ... I guess the FlyAway bus it is!

I'd kind of thought it would be interesting to try the light rail to LAUPT, but after thinking about it more the idea has less appeal ... especially carrying luggage. I don't want to start my Amtrak trip all stressed out -- especially since there's a possibility that the Sunset could give me a little stress of its own. :)
 
On a side note, when one arrives at LAUS and has a number of hours to wait, is there any type of luggage check available other than checking it for the train baggage car? That is, if you have a small carry on you'll need in the sleeper, is there place to stow it until train time?
 
On a side note, when one arrives at LAUS and has a number of hours to wait, is there any type of luggage check available other than checking it for the train baggage car? That is, if you have a small carry on you'll need in the sleeper, is there place to stow it until train time?
I'm not sure, but there are red caps out there.

I'll be riding San Joaquin and Southwest Chief in a week and a half. Starting point will be from nearby Bay area.
 
On a side note, when one arrives at LAUS and has a number of hours to wait, is there any type of luggage check available other than checking it for the train baggage car? That is, if you have a small carry on you'll need in the sleeper, is there place to stow it until train time?
I would use the spot next to my stool in the Trax bar, but that's just me.
 
On a side note, when one arrives at LAUS and has a number of hours to wait, is there any type of luggage check available other than checking it for the train baggage car? That is, if you have a small carry on you'll need in the sleeper, is there place to stow it until train time?
Don't think so Tom, but I've never had any reason to find out. Still, it couldn't hurt to ask, and the best places to do that would be at the Amtrak desk at the trackward end of of the main waiting hall (on the right as you face the tunnel to the boarding platforms), or the baggage claim area, which is off to the side (opposite side from the Amtrak ticketing area) past the Metro Red Line (subway) entrance and bus departure doors.

EDIT: If no storage for the carry-on available, and with time to kill, I recommend a jaunt out to Pasadena on the Gold Line light rail. The terminus is at LAUS, the fairly scenic ride is about 30 minutes each way mostly over old Santa Fe right of way (with some street running even), and Pasadena is a pretty town. The ride itself would get the weight of the carry-on off your back for at least a while. The light rail cars have "railfan seats" -- you can sit up front and look out forward. Fun for scenery, seeing trains going the other way, and photography (albeit through some kinda weird screen thing). One caveat: Don't use the Gold Line Chinatown station to get to Chinatown; cab it a few blocks from LAUS if you wanna go there. It's a serious uphill schlep from the Gold Line Chinatown station to the Chinatown main drag (Broadway).

EDIT 2: As a historical note, LAUS is built on land that was L.A.'s original Chinatown. The inhabitants were kicked out, their land pretty much stolen, and the area razed to make way for LAUS. If memory serves, the current Chinatown is a third location. California history is filled with episodes of Chinese immigrants getting screwed. Built the Central Pacific, and much of the state's water infrastructure after that, but always easy targets for successive waves of xenophobia and greed.
 
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I stored my baggage in a room that is to the left when you leave the main waiting area. I don't think it cost anything but I was traveling first class on the SWC at the time.
 
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