Getting Around Long Beach

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They have many types of services:

Regular Service:
Long Beach Transit takes you just about anywhere you want to go in Long Beach, Lakewood and Signal Hill. We have 38 bus routes to provide you with fast, reliable service in air-conditioned comfort.

Passport:
On The Passport A & D, you'll enjoy many of the best sites Long Beach has to offer. Rides west of Alamitos Avenue in downtown Long Beach are free, and trips east of Alamitos Avenue require standard fare. Travel along our sun-dappled coast to the Long Beach Museum of Art, Belmont Shore, Alamitos Bay Landing, the college campus at CSULB and on to the Traffic Circle's shopping and restaurants.

The AquaLink:
What is that red, yellow and purple boat? It's The AquaLink water taxi from Long Beach Transit. The 68-foot catamaran comfortably ferries up to 75 passengers to the most popular attractions in Long Beach Harbor and on down to Alamitos Bay Landing. Fare is just $5 and wheelchair boarding is available at Doc 4 near the Aquarium of the Pacific and at the Queen Mary.

The AquaBus:
What is that bright red boat? It's The AquaBus water taxi. The forty-foot boat comfortably ferries up to 49 passengers to the most popular attractions on the Long Beach Harbor waterfront. It’s also wheelchair accessible at most docking locations

Dial-A-Lift:
Long Beach Dial-A-Lift is a curb-to-curb, shared ride transit service exclusively for the mobility impaired residing in and travelling throughout the cities of Long Beach, Lakewood and Signal Hill.http://www.lbtransit.org/Default.aspx

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The Metro Blue Line rail is a great way to reach Long beach via Los Angeles. The line starts at 7th St and Metro in downtown Los Angeles and ends at the Transit Mall stop in downtown LB (pictured). Experience two of the most entertaining places in southern California. There are plenty of good restaurants, entertaining venues and nice hotels in both areas.

As far as occupancy, it can get crowded during the day and night. The peak hours are about 8 am - 12 noon and 4-6 PM. The ride itself is fairly smooth.

Note pay attention to the train (destination) sign for short stop Blue Rail trips. (Short Stop train signs may say "To Wardlow" or "To Willow"; Full trip signs will say "Transit Mall". The short trop final destinations are not as touristic as the Transit Mall stop)

Blue Line Rail stop highlights in L.B. -

Transit Mall- steps away from Pine Ave entertainment and shopping. This is a main checkpoint for ticket checking (when the Metro police are there, which is not all the time. Still make sure to purchase a ticket here at the machines).

1st and 4th St stops- in vicinity of downtown hotspots and the water.

Anaheim stop- depart here for Anaheim St, heart of Cambodian culture in Long Beach

"The Metro Blue Line" -- Only $1.50 each way!! A very cheap, safe and convenient way to travel between the 2 cities. The train runs from 7th St Metro station all the way down to Downtown Long Beach (via Vernon and Compton).

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There is a catamaran boat transit service which plies the coastline of Long Beach, mostly between dock #4 near the Aquarium and the Alamitos Yacht Harbor. Visiting with my cousins, my cousin parked the car at the Yacht Harbor parking lot, and then we waited a few minutes for the Passport Bus to arrive. The bus took us close to the Aquarium, and after visiting in that area, we returned by way of the AquaLink. The ride is not a long one, and summer time off-shore is generally very calm. The AquaLink provides a good view of Long Beach. The sequence of images here follow the trip from dock #4 to Alamitos pier.

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The Passport Bus is a Long Beach transit system that services the tourist area well. It runs between the two main ports of the Aqua Link system, which is good because it's easy to miss the boat. While the boats depart about every hour, the bus comes by every 30 minutes or so. The buses are clean, mostly empty, and cost just 90 cents. A good way to start the adventure would be to park at the Las Alamitos Bay Yacht Harbor, which is free, and if the boat is available take it to the Long Beach Aquarium. If the boat just left or waiting around bores you, catch the Passport Bus to the Long Beach Aquarium, and then take the Aqua Link back. This system is small and the rides short. The bus is good for children, senior citizens, and the disabled.

Make sure to read carefully the headsigns of Metro rail lines and buses. In the special case of the Blue Line, be alert about the headsign when heading south (away from downtown L.A.)

If you would like to go to the very last stop, Transit Mall, make sure that the southbound train you get on to ride says "Long Beach", instead of "Willow" or "Artesia". The latter ones denote short trips. Go the long way with "Long Beach" trains, and this way you will be able to be right in the charming tourist part of Long Beach with Pine Avenue food and entertainment, The Pike, Shoreline Village, the beach and the aquarium nearby.

A free and convenient bus downtown is the purple Pine Ave bus which departs from Shoreline Village (pictured), passing The Pike and makes its way down Pine Ave, known for its fabulous restaurants and nightclubs. The ride is total is less than 10 min but it is helpful to take this bus if you like to save some steps. Long beach downtown is very walkable however.

Well, you should already have the passport from your native country ready on hand- but you should also have a opportunity to ride the Passport bus! Look for the bright red bus to discover downtown Long Beach and Belmont Shore with all its restaurants, shopping and entertainment venues Shuttle service is free in downtown limitations only, but outside, the price is still only $1 one-way!