Travel
Getting to Los Angeles
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
18 miles from the Westin Bonaventure
Driving Directions to hotel
Los Angeles International Airport (IATA: LAX, ICAO: KLAX, FAA LID: LAX), commonly referred to as LAX (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles and its surrounding metropolitan area. LAX is located in the Westchester neighborhood of Los Angeles, 18 miles (30 km) southwest of Downtown Los Angeles, with the commercial and residential areas of Westchester to the north, the city of El Segundo to the south and the city of Inglewood to the east. LAX is the closest airport to the Westside and the South Bay. (Wikipedia)
LAX Travel Safely Guide (Including latest COVID protocols)
Estimated taxi fare: 46.50 USD (one way)
Bus service, fee: 1.25 USD (one way)
Subway service, fee: 1.75 USD (one way)
Ground transportation Information
Long Beach Airport
25 miles from the Westin Bonaventure Airport
Driving Directions to hotel
Long Beach Airport (IATA: LGB, ICAO: KLGB, FAA LID: LGB) is a public airport three miles northeast of downtown Long Beach, in Los Angeles County, California, United States.[1] It is also called Daugherty Field, named after local aviator Earl Daugherty. Long Beach Airport's largest airline is now Southwest Airlines as JetBlue has ended all services at Long Beach. (Wikipedia)
ADA Information for Long Beach Airport
Estimated taxi fare: 72 USD (one way)
Bus service, fee: 1.25 USD (one way)
Subway service, fee: 1.75 USD (one way)
Ground Transportation Information
Getting Around
The closest stop to the hotel is 7th Street/Metro Center Station and is served by the light rail, heavy rail and by the bus rapid transit.
The Los Angeles Metro is affordable, relatively easy to use, and services most of Los Angeles County and its top attractions. The public transit system consists of Metro Buses, DASH Buses, and Metro Rail Trains.
To ride these buses, trains, and subways, we recommend purchasing a reusable TAP Card. These are easily available at TAP machines located within the bus or subway stations. You can load a preset cash value onto the card and travel across all three systems as needed. It's also super easy to add extra cash to your TAP Card.
Tickets
Tickets are available as:
- One-way trips for $1.75 (Add 75¢ if riding the J Line (Silver) or Express Bus Lines 460, 487, 489, 501, 550, and 577)
- 1-Day Pass: $3.50
- 7-Day Pass: $12.50
Busses
The bus system offers 200 different lines that cross the entire city and beyond. There are three types of bus services to be aware of while navigating on the Metro Buses.
- Metro Local Buses are painted orange and make frequent stops along major districts and tourist attractions around the city.
- Metro Rapid Buses are painted red stop less frequently but allow for an express ride. These buses have special sensors that keep the lights green in order to avoid traffic. Check schedules and routes ahead of time and see if the Rapid Bus is right for you - it'll definitely save you time!
- Metro Express Buses are painted blue and are typically utilized by LA commuters. This route connects Downtown Los Angeles with other business districts and travels on a few of the city's freeways.
Metro Rail
The railway system consists of two subway lines, four light-rail lines, and two express bus lines that connect to Downtown Los Angeles.
- Red Line is the most useful for tourists and visitors. This line links Downtown Union Station to North Hollywood via Hollywood and Universal City. It also connects with the Blue, Expo and Orange lines.
- Purple Line connects Downtown Los Angeles to Westlake and Koreatown.
- Expo Line is a light-rail that links USC and Exposition Park with Culver City, Santa Monica, and Downtown LA.
- Blue Line is a light-rail line that runs from Downtown LA to Long Beach, connecting with the Green, Red, and Expo lines along the way.
- Gold Line is a light-rail line that connects East LA to Little Tokyo, China Town and Pasadena via Union Station, where it connects with the Red Line.
- Green Line is a light-rail line that services Norwalk and Redondo Beach.
- Orange Line express buses connect the San Fernando Valley to North Hollywood.
- Silver Line express buses connect the El Monte regional bus station to Harbor Gateway Transit Center in Gardena.
Payment of fare requires a TAP card. Regular fare is $1.75 and is good for 2 hrs of unlimited transfers in one direction.
Other Options
These small shuttle buses are run by the LA Department of Transportation and operate along 33 different routes around the city. Many of the Metro Rail and Bus lines connect with the DASH buses. Upon boarding, pay the exact fee (typically 25-50 cents USD).
- Beachwood Canyon Route: this route runs Monday - Saturday and takes you right to the Hollywood Sign. It runs from Hollywood Blvd and Vine Street up to Beachwood Drive.
- Downtown Routes: these five routes run daily and service all the hot spots in Los Angeles. Get to Little Tokyo, Chinatown, the Financial District, Union Station and more.
- Fairfax Route: this route runs Monday - Saturday and makes a loop around Beverly Hills Central Mall, the Pacific Design Center, Melrose Avenue, the Grove, and Museum Row.
- Hollywood Route: this route runs daily and services the east side of Highland Ave and Hollywood.
Taxis
Outside of major attractions, hailing a cab in Los Angeles can be difficult. Call a taxi company or download the app called “curb”, formerly “Taxi Magic”, to schedule a pick up in advance. Taxis in Los Angeles are typically metered and charge by the mile. You can also use popular ride-sharing services, like Uber or Lyft, to get around.
They are easily available and relatively cheap (depending on the time you are traveling and where), so make sure to download your preferred service to your phone before your trip. Please remember, Los Angeles traffic can get pretty jammed during rush hour so give yourself some extra travel time when getting to and from attractions at peak hours.
Rail
Amtrak services Los Angeles from roughly 500 U.S. cities. The L.A. train terminal is called Union Station and is located on the northern edge of Downtown. From the station, you can either take one of the many taxis that line up outside, board the Metro Red Line to Hollywood or Universal City, or hop on a Metrolink commuter train to San Fernando Valley.
For cross country travel, you’ll likely have to switch trains in Chicago or New Orleans. For Pacific coast travel, the Amtrak Coast Starlight runs from Seattle to Los Angeles. Additionally, Amtrak runs a train only along the California coast, connecting to San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
Union Station to The Westin Bonaventure via Metro
Amtrak Tickets: Visit amtrak.com or call (800) USA-RAIL.
Parking
DTLA provides an interactive map that allows you to plan your parking ahead of time. There are several parking lots in the Flower St and 7th St area.
Childcare Resource
Attendees who require childcare needs during the meeting are advised to make arrangements prior to conference, as formal childcare services are not provided at the meeting. The OAH assumes no responsibility with respect to the services and accepts no liabilities related to the services provided by the option below. The service provider below came at the recommendation of Los Angeles CVB.
TBD
Best Practices for International Travelers to the Conference
Overall, international travelers need to be well prepared before traveling to the U.S. Specifically:
- Be prepared to explain where you are from, why you are coming to the U.S., where you will be staying, and your plans for departing the U.S.
- Be able to explain who you are, what you do, and the purpose of your conference in one or two sentences. (It is okay to rehearse!).
- It is a good idea to have a paper copy of your itinerary and paper evidence of your conference or activities.
- Have your papers organized and accessible—not in your checked bag. It is best to have hard copies—don't assume you can access information on your phone (and it may not be wise to do so).
- Be polite, well-mannered, and professionally dressed.
- Follow western cultural customs of eye contact.
- If you are receiving an honorarium or reimbursement of expenses, you may need to be able to explain how that is within the scope of your visa type, and be clear that you are not coming in to the U.S. "to work." If receiving an honorarium, a pocket letter explaining this may also be wise.
- If you have any criminal history, you probably want to consult with an attorney.
- If you have traveled to one of the 6 countries listed in the travel ban or have ties to those countries, you probably should consult with an attorney.
- Be prepared for delays.
