Many travelers to Southern California often ask us the best ways to travel between the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Universal Studios Hollywood. LAX is approximately 30 miles from Universal Studios, but travel time can take up to an hour or more based on heavy traffic around the airport and throughout Southern California.
Although navigating the airport can be stressful, LAX is a great airport to fly into because it is located fairly close to Universal Studios and offers many flights from nearly every airline and city within the US and internationally. In fact, we recommend LAX for trips to all theme parks in Southern California, including Disneyland. Check out the best ways to travel between LAX and Disneyland here. There is one other airport located closer to Universal Studios, Hollywood Burbank (BUR), which is only about 4 miles away from Universal, but may not offer the same flight options as LAX.
Although Uber and Lyft tend to be the most convenient and cheapest options to get to Universal Studios Hollywood from LAX, there are other options to consider as well. In this article we will cover the different ways to get from LAX to Universal Studios Hollywood including rideshare, taxi, shuttles, and public transportation. We frequently fly into LAX for theme park trips to Southern California, and therefore we will share our tested ways of transportation and let you know which ways are the cheapest and best options for your family.
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Rideshare Options Between LAX and Universal Studios Hollywood
Our favorite way to travel between LAX and Universal Studios Hollywood is via rideshare apps. These tend to be the cheapest options, especially when sharing a ride with several people. We use Uber and Lyft the most often when traveling between LAX and Universal Studios Hollywood with no issues. Uber and Lyft always have multiple cars nearby for quick and easy pickup when traveling between LAX and Universal Studios Hollywood.
The rideshare pickup area is located in the LAX-it pickup area near Terminal 1. For most guests, it should be fairly easy to walk to the pickup area. However, for guests flying into Terminal 2, 4, 5, or the Bradley International Terminal, there are free LAX-it shuttles available to be dropped off in the rideshare zone.
Lyft
Lyft offers convenient rides from LAX to Universal Studios Hollywood. There are always cars available to pick up guests within minutes. When opening the Lyft app, guests will see various car options to choose from including:
- Green: The most cost effective car option for up to four guests, totaling approximately $55 before tip
- XL: For up to six guests, XL offers car options totaling approximately $60 before tip
- Extra Comfort: For a roomier and quieter ride, Lyft offers extra comfort rides for up to four guests totaling approximately $60 before tip
- Black SUV: Lyft offers more luxury rides for up to six guests totaling approximately $120 before tip
Uber
Another favorite rideshare app, Uber, offers several options when booking a ride between LAX and Universal Studios Hollywood. When guests open the mobile app, they will see several different options such as:
- UberX: The cheapest option for up to four guests, totaling approximately $67 before tip
- Uber XL: The cheapest option for larger groups up to six, totaling approximately $95 before tip
- Comfort: Offering newer cars with extra legroom for up four guests, totaling approximately $95 before tip
- Black SUV: A more expensive option offering a luxury ride for up to six with professional drivers, totaling approximately $200 before tip
- Lux: The most expensive option for a premium ride in a luxury car for up to four guests, totaling approximately $240 before tip
Taxis Between LAX and Universal Studios Hollywood
Guests also have the option of taking a taxi from LAX to Universal Studios Hollywood. Taxis are located at various areas throughout LAX including Terminal 1, Parking Structure 3, and outside baggage claim in Terminal 7. There are many taxi services at LAX including Bell Cab Company, Beverly Hills Cab Company, City Cab, Yellow Cab, and Independent Taxi.
Despite the seemingly convenient option of taking a taxi, we highly recommend Uber or Lyft over a taxi. Taxis tend to cost more (ranging from $80-$100) and are not much different than using the rideshare app.
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Shuttle Services Between LAX and Universal Studios Hollywood
Another option to travel between LAX and Universal Studios Hollywood is through a reserved shuttle service. Shuttles are our next preferred option to travel between LAX and Universal Studios Hollywood due to the convenience of booking ahead and reasonably flat rates. The only potential downside of shuttles is that you may be sharing the van with other guests traveling to different locations. However, shuttles are still a great option for traveling from LAX to Universal Studios Hollywood.
Universal Studios' transportation website indicates guests staying at Universal partner hotels can book personalized shuttle transportation services from LAX to their hotel using Karmel. These services can also be added to any Universal Studios Hollywood vacation package.
There are also several other shuttle services to choose from with varying prices, including:
- Lansky offers shuttle services in a Toyota Sienna (1-5 passengers) or SUV (1-6 passengers). A one way trip from LAX to Universal Studios costs $155 for the Sienna and $175 for the SUV. A round trip costs $305 for the Sienna and $345 for the SUV. For trips between 4:45 AM and 5:45 AM, there is a $40 surcharge fee, and gratuity is not included in the fare price. Due to LAX's construction, Lansky requires curbside pickup at LAX.
- LAX Airport Shuttles offers shuttles between LAX and Universal Studios, Disneyland, or surrounding hotels. The cost per ride starts at $85 for the first passenger and an additional $10 per person, for up to nine passengers.
Overall, shuttles are great options to get from LAX to Universal Studios Hollywood. Although we prefer ride share apps, especially for smaller groups, shuttles are our next recommended option.
Rental Cars at LAX
For guests planning on visiting different destinations during their Southern California vacation, a rental car may be the best option. However, if you are only planning on visiting one or two theme parks, such as Universal Studios Hollywood and Disneyland, rental cars may not be necessary. Check out the best ways to travel between Universal Studios Hollywood and Disneyland here.
There are two areas at LAX with various rental car companies. The first group of rental car companies offer shuttles that pick up guests from baggage claim and drive them to their designated rental car pickup area. These shuttles can be found on the Lower/Arrivals Level islands outside Baggage Claim. There is a purple sign which will indicate where the rental car shuttles will transport guests to their rental car. These rental car companies include:
- Alamo
- Avis
- Budget
- Dollar
- Enterprise
- Fox
- Hertz
- National
- Sixt
- Thrifty
- Zipcar
The other group of rental car companies are located in the Remote Rental Car Depot. Guests will take a shuttle located on the Lower/Arrivals Level under the pink LAX shuttle sign. The shuttle, called the Metro Connector, will transport guests to the Remote Rental Car Depot. Rental car companies located in this area include:
- Able Car Rental/Allied Rent A Car
- Ace Rent A Car
- Airport Van Rental
- Green Motion Car Rental
- Midway
- Next Car of Los Angeles
- Priceless of Los Angeles
- State Van Rental
- U-Save Car & Truck Rental
There are many great rental car options for guests to travel between LAX and Universal Studios Hollywood. Although it may be more expensive considering the rental car rate and the need to pay to park at the hotel and theme parks, it is another good option especially when visiting multiple destinations in Southern California.
Los Angeles Metro System from LAX to Universal Studios Hollywood
The last option for getting from LAX to Universal Studios Hollywood is through the public transportation system. Honestly, we almost never recommend this mode of transportation because it can take several hours to travel to Universal Studios despite it only being 30 miles away. The only positive to taking this mode of transportation is that the public transportation system costs under $15 to get to Universal Studios from LAX.
There are several routes guests can take on LA's public transportation system, but we think your best bet would be take the FlyAway bus from the lower level of Terminal B. The FlyAway shuttle runs between 5:40 AM and 1:10 AM seven days a week. Take the LAX to US FlyAway bus towards LAX-TB-II to Union Station/Patsaouras Bus Plaza. Then, walk to Union Station and take the Metro B Line towards North Hollywood and exit at Universal City/Studio City. The Metro B Line runs between 4:10 AM and 9 PM. This trip in total should take about an hour and a half between the bus (1 hour) and train (30 minutes). Once guests arrive at University City/Studio City station, it is about a 15 minute walk to Universal Studios, or there are several free shuttles that run every 10 or 15 minutes that take guests to the front gates. These shuttles run seven days a week between 7 AM and about two hours after park closing.
As you can see, getting from LAX to Universal Studios Hollywood can be frustrating and long, however it will cost under $15 total per person. This option is great for those looking to save money on transportation between LAX and Universal Studios Hollywood.
Plan Your Next Universal Studios Hollywood Trip
To start planning your next Universal Studios or Disney trip, be sure to sign up for our FREE Deals Newsletter. We provide daily tips and tricks to help plan your next theme park vacation including exclusive deals and ways to save money. You'll also have access to the best deals on Universal, Disney, and other theme park tickets anywhere. Make sure to check out our other guides:
- Universal Studios Hollywood Guide: Rides, Entertainment, Discounts
- Universal Studios Hollywood Discount Tickets
- Best Times to Visit Universal Studios Hollywood
- Best Universal Studios Hollywood Rides Ranked
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, there is a shuttle from LAX to Universal Studios Hollywood. In fact, there are several shuttle options with varying price ranges. Universal Studios has two partner shuttle services, Karmel Shuttle and B&W Limo. Karmel takes guests from LAX to their Universal hotel, and B&W Limo takes guests from BUR to their Universal hotel. Guests can purchase customized shuttle services through their Universal Studios Hollywood vacation package. For those not staying at a Universal hotel, there are many other shuttle services to choose from including LAX Airport Shuttle, Lansky, and Xpress Shuttles.
The best airport to fly into go to to Universal Studios Hollywood is Hollywood Burbank (BUR), as it is only 4 miles away from Universal. However, BUR is a very small airport with limited flight options. Therefore, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) may be the best option as it has flights on nearly every airline from almost every city in the US. LAX is approximately 30 miles away from Universal Studios, and guests have various options such as rideshare, taxis, shuttles, and public transportation to travel between LAX and Universal Studios Hollywood.
Depending on the day, an Uber from LAX to Universal Studios Hollywood costs around $65 before tip. The price can be more or less depending on the time of day, surge pricing for popular events or high crowds, or the type of car that is reserved. Uber offers UberX, UberXL, Comfort, and other types of cars which have different price ranges.
LAX is about 10 miles closer to Universal Studios Hollywood compared to Disneyland. LAX is about 30 miles from Universal Studios and 40 miles away from Disneyland. Therefore, if you want to go to both parks and arrive early enough, it might be worth going to Universal Studios first since it is closer to LAX.
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