The greater Los Angeles area is thick with airports. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX, www.lawa.org) serves the greater Los Angeles area, and is located about 10 miles south of the city of Santa Monica. If you’re coming in from another country or from across the continent, you’re likely to find your flight coming into this endlessly crowded hub. If you’re flying home from LAX, plan plenty of time to get through security and the check-in lines—up to three hours for a domestic flight on a holiday weekend.

To miss the major crowds, consider flying into one of the many suburban airports. John Wayne International (www.ocair.com) services Disneyland perfectly, and the Long Beach airport (www.longbeach.gov/airport) is convenient to the beaches. Ontario Airport is farther out but a good option for travelers planning to divide their time between Los Angeles, Palm Springs, and the deserts.

In Los Angeles, free shuttle buses provide service to the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Metro Rail (800/266-6883), accessible at the Green Line Aviation Station. Metro Rail trains connect into Long Beach, Hollywood, North Hollywood, downtown Los Angeles, and Pasadena. Passengers should wait under the “LAX Shuttle Airline Connection” signs outside the lower-level terminals and board the “G” shuttle. Passengers may also take the “C” shuttle to the Metro Bus Center (800/266-6883), which connects to buses that serve the entire L.A. area. Information about bus service is provided via telephones on the Information Display Board inside each terminal.

Shuttle services are also available if you wish to share a ride. Prime Time Shuttle (800/733-8267, www.primetimeshuttle.com) and SuperShuttle (800/258-3826, www.supershuttle.com) are authorized to serve the entire Los Angeles area out of LAX. These vans can be found on the lower/arrivals deck in front of each terminal, under the orange “Shared Ride Vans” signs. Average fares for two people are about $32 into downtown Los Angeles, $34 into West Hollywood, and $30 into Santa Monica.

Taxis can be found on the lower/arrivals level islands in front of each terminal, below the yellow “Taxi” signs. Only licensed taxis are allowed into the airport; they have standard rates of about $40 to downtown and $30 to West Los Angeles.