Can I tap with a foreign bank card?

Most systems now support open-loop contactless. Keep a backup paper ticket when traveling with a group to avoid tapping each person manually.

Buses rarely charge extra, but airport expresses may require storing big bags in designated racks.

LAXUnited StatesTPL: fare-hacker-playbook

Los Angeles International Airport

Los Angeles, United States

Drop-off

Downtown Los Angeles (Union Station)

Pin before customs

Fastest

LAX FlyAway – Union Station

coach · 30m

Data

Nov 28

Audit

Quick verdict

Fastest into town

Service: LAX FlyAway – Union Station
Headway: 30
Backup: Metro Rail E Line + K Line via LAX/Metro Transit Center Station · 5-12m

Note

Nonstop bus between all LAX terminals (Lower/Arrivals Level FlyAway columns) and Union Station’s Patsaouras Transit Plaza in downtown Los Angeles, operating from around 03:00 to after midnight most of the day at roughly every 30 minutes. Union Station provides onward connections to Metro Rail, Metrolink, and Amtrak for the wider downtown area.

Budget focus

Los Angeles: Fare Hacker Playbook

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Cheapest viable route

Brief

Usually slower but dramatically cheaper than the flagship airport express.

Service: Free LAX Shuttle – LAX/Metro Transit Center Station
Mode: bus
Freq: 10m
Note: Zero-fare shuttle bus linking LAX/Metro Transit Center Station with each LAX terminal on the Lower/Arrivals Level, running roughly every 10 minutes in a continuous loop. Allow extra time at busy periods, especially for later-stop terminals where the full loop can approach 45 minutes in heavier traffic.

Passes and bundles

Brief

Look for day passes that include the airport zone plus metro, tram, or ferry transfers. Load value online to avoid kiosk surcharges.

When to splurge

Brief

Worth the premium when you have back-to-back meetings or tight onward connections downtown.

Service: Metro Rail E Line + K Line via LAX/Metro Transit Center Station
Mode: metro
Freq: 5-12m
Note: From downtown’s 7th Street/Metro Center, take Metro Rail E Line toward Santa Monica and transfer to the K Line for LAX/Metro Transit Center Station, then use the dedicated free LAX shuttle to all airport terminals. Trains on these lines generally run every 5–12 minutes in the daytime and connect multiple downtown stops before reaching LAX.

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FAQs

01Can I tap with a foreign bank card?: Most systems now support open-loop contactless. Keep a backup paper ticket when traveling with a group to avoid tapping each person manually.
02Any luggage fees?: Buses rarely charge extra, but airport expresses may require storing big bags in designated racks.