Basics
LAX is your typical overwhelming, oversized big city airport. The only way to access it is through the legendary traffic-laden streets of Los Angeles. Flying in and out of this airport requires, patience, planning and budgeting for time.
Despite its downfalls, LAX is a great option to have access to when flying in and out of southern California. With over 1,500 flights coming in and out a day LAX is king for flight availability and affordability.
Parking
Terminal Parking- Each terminal at LAX has its own parking structure. Many people chose not to park here because it is very expensive. $40 per day as of October 2022. Also note, these lots often fill up. Even if you are willing to pay the premium you may drive through the often slow-moving LAX traffic circle just to get to your terminals lot, and possibly all of the lots and find out that the parking is full. You can save yourself the stress and book in advanced here. Subscribe to their emails if you frequently travel out of LAX. Sometimes they send discounts. If you do not book in advanced you should always have a backup plan in place.
Remote Lots- Parking Lot C is the official airport remote parking spot. It is much cheaper than parking at the terminal and shuttles run 24/7. Sometimes they run quite a bit behind schedule and there is limited security and no bathroom access at this lot so it is not my favorite, but it is an easy, affordable option near the airport.
Hotels- My top recommendation for parking is to park at a hotel and take that hotel’s shuttle to LAX. This is better than the remote lots, in my opinion because you are waiting in a safer area that has accommodations- snacks, toilets, security etc. I like to park at the Hilton. It can be booked advanced online. You follow the parking signs at the front of the hotel to the garage around the side. Scan your prepaid QR code in the garage and then take the parking elevators up to the lobby. There you have access to the bathroom and a cafe near the hotel entrance. The airport shuttle picks you up at the valet area in front of the hotel and it is an easy 5 minute ride from there to LAX. You can book the Hilton and other parking options here.
Getting There Without a Car
Santa Barbara Airbus- This option is my personal favorite. It is a spacious, comfy chartered bus that has a bathroom and snacks. There are 3 locations that the shuttle picks up and drops off- Goleta, Santa Barbara and Carpinteria. The Carpinteria spot is about 10 miles north of Ventura. The bus pickups and drops off at the shared shuttle bus stop at each LAX terminal. I have personally had great experiences with the customer service line for the Santa Barbara Airbus. If you call them a live person will actually answer the phone and help you work out what you need- an important quality when lost looking for the shuttle at LAX! See their website here.
Ventura County Airport Shuttler- The Ventura county airport shuttler is a large van that picks up at the small Oxnard airport as well as at the Sheraton in the Ventura Harbor. The shuttles run daily and transport to and from LAX. They pick up in Ventura first then go to Oxnard then to LAX. See their website here.
Car Rentals and Ubers/ Ride Shares- Both of these options are available at LAX, but be warned that they are straight up not a good time to deal with. If you are a savvy traveler you can manage. Other large airports often have car rentals onsite that are easily accessible. At LAX, however, they are all offsite and scattered around. You will need to know the name of your rental car company and watch for a shuttle to come with its specific company name to shuttle you to the offsite rental location. Similarly, the ubers will not pick you up directly at the terminal. You have to find the signs to catch the ride share shuttles which will take you to the rideshare lot where you will be able to get an uber. An exception to this is if you spring for the pricier UberBlack or UberLux options. Those will still pick you up curbside.
LA Metro- I absolutely DO NOT recommend taking the metro to and from LAX. I tried this once when I was living in Pasadena. I had regularly taken the metro from Pasadena in and out of downtown LA so I thought this would be fine. It was genuinely terrifying. The section of the metro you have to take to get out of LAX into the city goes straight through the gang territories. Do not try it.