Getting Around, Long Beach Travel and Transport
(Long Beach, California - CA, USA)
The city of Long Beach is intersected by Interstate I-710 (Seaside Freeway), which travels northwards, all the way to
Los Angeles, as well as westwards to the Vincent Thomas Bridge, where it joins with the I-110 (Harbor Freeway).
If you are in possession of a hire car and using it as your primary mode of transport, to travel along the coast, then you can simply drive in an easterly direction, along the East Ocean Boulevard, which terminates at the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club. Those wishing to travel further along the coastline can join the East Pacific Coast Highway (US-1) and drive to either Seal Beach, Sunset Beach, the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve, the Harriett M. Wieder Regional Park, Huntington Beach or Newport Beach, next to Costa Mesa.
Within the metropolitan area of Los Angeles are no less than five sizeable airports, three of which are within comfortable reach of downtown Long Beach. By far the closest and smallest is the Long Beach Airport, which sits on the northeastern side of the city and is approximately 6 miles / 10 km from the downtown core.
The downtown district is serviced by the 'Passport Shuttle' bus, which is completely free of charge and travels to top attractions, such as the Aquarium of the Pacific, Catalina Landing, the Convention Center, the Queen Mary, Shoreline Village and various hotels.
During the busy summer season, Long Beach Transit also lays on a sizeable catamaran boat. This 'Aquabus' sails to six waterfront locations and is available for just a nominal charge, being able to transport around 50 passengers and being a popular travel option for tourists. Sightseers also enjoy the boat trips offered by the Carnival Cruise Line, sailing from the Long Beach Cruise Terminal and situated alongside the Queen Mary.
Long Beach Airport (LGB) / Arriving by Air
Address: 4100 Donald Douglas Drive, Long Beach, California (CA), 90808, USA
Tel: +1 562 570 2600
Long Beach Airport is a public air facility that transports in the region of 1.5 million passengers each year. This airport is used by airlines such as Delta Connection, JetBlue and US Airways.
Considerably larger is the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), some 20 miles / 32 km to the northwest, and
Santa Ana's John Wayne Airport (SNA), situated roughly 23 miles / 37 km to the east. Regular buses travel between Long Beach and all of these airports. Rental cars, shared-vans and taxis are further ground transportation options available onsite.
Car Rental
If you are flying into California, whatever airport you choose to make use of will be sure to come with a comprehensive selection of car rental companies. At the Long Beach Airport, the car rental counters await travelers within the official Airport Ground Transportation Center, next to the terminal. These include Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz and National.
Buses
Public transport in Orange County is the perfect budget travel option if you are not able to afford a rental car. There are several transit companies operating around Long Beach, with plenty of different routes to consider. The Orange County Transit Authority offers regular buses to
Anaheim and its hugely popular Disneyland attraction, while the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority services the region.
Tourists wishing to travel around the city proper will find that the Long Beach Transit buses travel to many of the principal destinations, such as the Transit Mall metro station on West First Street and the Catalina Landing, as well as nearby Signal Hill and Lakewood. In fact, there are almost 2,000 bus stops to choose between.
Trains
Long Beach is connected to Los Angeles city center via the busy Metro Blue Line, which also travels to stations located at Hollywood, Pasadena and Universal Studios. Amtrak trains also stop close to the city, at Glendale, Los Angeles, Fullerton and Anaheim, with connecting transportation linking Long Beach as part of the Amtrak Thruway Connection service (Pacific Surfliner route - San Luis to
San Diego).
Taxis
Taxi transport in Long Beach is ideal if you are needing to travel late at night, or quickly hop between attractions. Longer journeys will be more expensive than the local transit service, although for many, the sheer convenience of a taxi is the determining factor.
At Long Beach Airport, a taxi stand is situated next to the terminal, where the local Yellow Cab company operates (tel: +1 562 435 6111). Yellow Cabs offer fixed fares to the harbor at San Pedro, LAX Airport, downtown Los Angeles, Disneyland, the Anaheim Convention Center, the Knotts Berry Farm attraction, the John Wayne Airport and further airports, such as those at Burbank and Ontario.
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