LAX to Santa Monica: Uber vs Metro vs Bus

I remember our first landing at LAX. Getting to our Uber was a little stressful! We had to get out of the terminal and figure out the shuttle, and then find the right spot in a lot we'd never seen.

Heads up: some links in this guide are affiliate links. If you book or buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

In this guide 11 sections

By the second time we knew what to expect. It wasn't so bad!

LAX to Santa Monica is only about 11 miles. It's the first part that surprises people. At LAX your Uber doesn't pick you up outside the terminal. You walk or ride a shuttle to a separate pickup lot called LAX-it, and then you find your zone and wait for your car before you sit in LA traffic.

Cream and I took an Uber from LAX when we lived in Santa Monica for a month, and with all our bags I'd still pick it over the train. All airports are so different. But the Metro now reaches the airport, and it costs less than two dollars.

LAX to Santa Monica: My Quick Answer

• Easiest: Uber or Lyft from the LAX-it lot next to Terminal 1. About $40, and 30 minutes to an hour or more, depending on traffic.
• Cheapest by train: the free shuttle to the LAX/Metro Transit Center, then the K Line and the E Line to Downtown Santa Monica. $1.75 and about an hour and a half.
• Cheapest by bus: Big Blue Bus Route 3 from the same Transit Center. $1.25 with a contactless card and about an hour and a half from the terminal.
• Taxis also leave from LAX-it, on the meter. A pre-booked driver can meet you inside the terminal instead.
• Don't wait at the curb for an Uber or taxi. Standard Uber, Lyft, and taxi pickups at LAX only happen at LAX-it, as of October 2026.

If you still need somewhere to stay when you get there, I'd start with these three.

If you're taking the train, the Hampton Inn is right beside the Downtown Santa Monica Metro station and you can roll your bag straight off the platform. Right at the pier entrance is The Pierside. Shutters is on the sand a few minutes south. Other areas are in where to stay in Santa Monica.

How to Get an Uber at LAX: LAX-it, Step by Step

When we landed around rush hour we waited a while for our Uber at LAX-it and the ride itself took about an hour, so I want you to know about it before you come.

LAX moved all rideshare and taxi pickups to LAX-it, a lot just east of Terminal 1, and it keeps cars out of the traffic loop in front of the terminals.³ This is how it works when you land:

1. Get your data working before you fly. You need the Uber or Lyft app the moment you reach the lot, so get an Airalo eSIM before you land and switch it on when the plane touches down.
2. Collect your bags and go to the Lower/Arrivals level. Look for the green LAX-it signs outside baggage claim.
3. Walk or take the shuttle. From Terminals 1 and 7, LAX-it is a few minutes' walk. From every other terminal, wait at the green LAX-it bus stop for the free shuttle. It runs in its own lane and makes no more than two stops before the lot, and at busy times one comes every few minutes.
4. Request your ride at LAX-it. The app gives you a numbered zone in the lot. Walk to that number and wait there. The waiting areas are covered.
5. Find your driver by the license plate in the app, load your bags, and you're on your way.

You'll have to leave the terminal and get on a shuttle. That's normal at LAX.

If your car is a few minutes away, LAX-it has restrooms and benches, plus phone charging and food trucks.

How Much Is an Uber From LAX to Santa Monica?

I honestly can't remember what we paid either time.

Uber's own route page says an Uber from LAX to Santa Monica costs about $40 on average.¹ Its average ride to the pier is about 28 minutes. That's an average, though. Surge pricing can push it well above that. Rush hour can double the time, too. I'd check Lyft too while you ride the shuttle.

Your price in the app already includes LAX's $4 fee for pickups at LAX-it² and in the US you tip your driver in the app after the ride.

Having so much stuff and being tired, sometimes I just want an Uber to drop us off at the door.

LAX to Santa Monica by Metro

If you're okay with the Metro, it will save you money! You can get from LAX to Santa Monica by Metro train for $1.75 and transfers are free when you tap to ride, as long as you change within two hours.⁴

There's no direct train, but the route is simple since the LAX/Metro Transit Center opened in June 2025.⁵

1. On the Lower/Arrivals level, wait at the pink "LAX Shuttles" sign for the free shuttle to the LAX/Metro Transit Center. It runs to the Transit Center from every terminal.
2. At the Transit Center, tap in and take the K Line north to Expo/Crenshaw.
3. Change to the E Line heading west toward Santa Monica.
4. Ride the E Line to the last stop, Downtown Santa Monica, at 4th Street and Colorado Avenue. From there you can walk to the pier and the Promenade and most of the hotels.

At the gate you can tap a contactless card or your phone or buy a TAP card at the station. I'd plan on about an hour and a half from the terminal, counting the shuttle and the change at Expo/Crenshaw.

Would we take it next time? Probably not, because of our bags. It makes the most sense if you're traveling light or your hotel is near the Downtown Santa Monica station.

LAX to Santa Monica by Bus: Big Blue Bus Route 3

I'd look at the bus if your hotel is near Lincoln Boulevard. Santa Monica's own Big Blue Bus runs Route 3 from the same LAX/Metro Transit Center to Downtown Santa Monica. It heads up Lincoln Boulevard through Venice and into downtown, so it can drop you closer to some hotels than the train does.

• Fare: $1.25 with a contactless card, phone, or TAP card, or $1.50 in cash.⁶

Take the same free shuttle from the pink "LAX Shuttles" sign to the Transit Center, then find the Big Blue Bus stop, and the ride takes about as long as the train.

Lincoln Boulevard crawls at rush hour.

Taxi or a Pre-Booked Driver From LAX

I'd skip the taxi. It usually costs more than an Uber. Taxis pick up at LAX-it too. They have their own area of the lot, and a trip to Santa Monica runs on the meter.

• Taxi fare: $2.97 a mile plus waiting time in traffic, and every taxi trip from LAX adds a $4 airport surcharge.⁷

A pre-booked private driver is the way to skip the shuttle and the lot completely, and I'd book one after a long-haul flight or if you have a lot of luggage. Your driver meets you inside the terminal and walks you to the car, and you know the price before you fly. You can book a private LAX airport transfer ahead of time.

I wouldn't bother with the FlyAway airport bus for Santa Monica. It only runs to Union Station in Downtown LA and to Van Nuys.⁴

Renting a Car at LAX

I'd rent a car here if you're planning day trips around LA. All of LAX's rental car companies now operate from one LAX Rental Car Center that opened in March 2026, and a free shuttle runs there from the Arrivals level.⁸ From there, Santa Monica is about a 30-minute drive outside rush hour.

If that's you, see rental car prices at LAX for your dates. Ask your hotel what it charges for parking, though, because free parking is rare this close to the beach.

In Santa Monica you won't need one. Cream and I have been car-free for years and we walked everywhere in Santa Monica, and how we did it, from the groceries to the Ubers, is all in Santa Monica without a car. The beach was right there to walk on!

LAX to Santa Monica Pier

For the pier I'd ask your Uber or taxi for Ocean Avenue and Colorado Avenue at the pier entrance. On the Metro get off at Downtown Santa Monica and walk down Colorado Avenue toward the ocean.

Don't look for the famous neon "Santa Monica Yacht Harbor" sign as your landmark right now. It's away for restoration from October 20, 2026, until late 2027. Until then, you walk onto the pier over a temporary bridge just south of the old entrance, and the rides and restaurants are open as usual.⁹ The pier is just the start. Our other picks are in the best things to do in Santa Monica.

Santa Monica to LAX: Getting Back

Going back is easier! I'd still leave plenty of time. Ubers and taxis can drop you right at your terminal on the Upper/Departures level, so you skip the shuttle and the LAX-it lot completely.

LAX-it is only for pickups. Traffic is the catch. Without it the drive is about half an hour. On a weekday afternoon I'd give yourself at least an hour for the ride on top of the usual time you'd want at the airport before an international flight.

Metro and Big Blue Bus routes work the same in reverse, and at the end the free shuttle runs from the Transit Center right to your terminal.

What's Changing at LAX: The People Mover

I'd keep an eye on this one. It matters if you fly in early 2027! LAX is building a free airport train called the Automated People Mover or SkyLink, and it will link the terminals with the Metro and the rental car center and the new pickup areas.

When it opens, LAX-it closes. Rideshare pickups move to a new ground transportation center about a four-minute train ride from the terminals.²

• New fees: $6 at the ground transportation center, and LAX has approved a $12 fee for rideshare pickups at the terminal curb.²

Its opening date keeps slipping. In September 2026 the target moved to January 6, 2027,¹⁰ and then damage to the power rail during testing pushed the contractor's forecast to February 5, 2027.¹¹ LAX hasn't announced an official date. If you're flying in early 2027, I'd check LAX's website the week before your trip. It'll tell you if you're heading for LAX-it or the train.

Which Way Would We Go?

We'd take an Uber every time. We always have so much stuff! Our first trip through LAX-it was the stressful one, and only because we didn't know it was coming. LA had more surprises. They're in visiting Los Angeles for the first time.

If you're traveling light and want to save, the Metro is a really good deal for $1.75. Either way, now you know. It's one shuttle ride and a short wait, and then you're on your way to the beach!

Next Steps for Your Santa Monica Trip

• Where to stay in Santa Monica, the five areas compared
• Getting around Santa Monica without a car, once you've landed
• Things to do in Santa Monica, for your first day by the beach
• Visiting Los Angeles for the first time, if it's your first LA trip