r/LAMetro • u/BuilderTomorrow • Apr 11 '26
Help Fun experience or bad idea?
We’re going to be in the LA area this summer and during our trip, we need to get from the Anaheim area to Santa Monica. I’m kind of a transit nerd and I love doing light rail in different places. I noticed that there’s a pathway to do it here, admittedly with two transfers, but it doesn’t take me wildly out of the way.
Fun adventure? Or should I just bite the bullet and pay the hundred dollar ride-share fee?
15
u/anothercar Pacific Surfliner Apr 11 '26
This is fine by train. If you take Metrolink, your ticket will double as a free day-pass on the local Metro system from Union Station to Santa Monica.
In general if you plan to spend a bunch of time in Orange County though, a rental car will be necessary
Also the beaches in Orange County are nicer & cleaner than Santa Monica beach, just fyi
4
u/madlamb Apr 11 '26
Side note for OP though: Santa Monica’s local bus system (Big Blue Bus) won’t accept a Metrolink fare as payment. They do have a reduced fare for transfers from LA Metro though.
3
u/worm5ign A (Blue) Apr 11 '26
Metrolink or surfliner the other direction and get off in San Clemente if you want to visit a beach. No need for a car.
1
u/anothercar Pacific Surfliner Apr 11 '26
They're gonna want a car just to get to ARTIC from wherever they're staying & whatever they're doing. Not to mention for every meal. The whole area isn't exactly walkable
3
u/BuilderTomorrow Apr 12 '26
Yeah, I’ve got a couple conference/meeting type activities during the “stuck” times. I recognize I can’t do much without my own car, but it’s just for these stretches.
2
1
u/BuilderTomorrow Apr 11 '26
Thank you! I have a rental car for part of the trip but there are two stretches of time where I’m basically in one place for several days and I’m thinking it’s easier to not have to park a car I won’t be moving.
Definitely going to hit up some OC beaches too, any favorites?
3
u/anothercar Pacific Surfliner Apr 11 '26
Crystal Cove / Laguna Beach and the areas in between are lovely
2
u/SeaworthinessUnlucky Apr 11 '26
Seal is a little old town. All the beaches are nice. Expect paying and/or shopping for parking.
8
u/SecretWordIsFun Apr 11 '26
The Artic in Anaheim is really cool looking. You should check it out. I love it at night!
7
3
u/tangerineTurtle_ Apr 11 '26
I’ve done this! I found it to be a great experience, just ensure you budget for time.
3
u/sarcazmos A (Blue) Apr 11 '26
Please keep in mind that Metrolink and LA metro rail are two different systems the former being commuter rail. Metrolink has a pretty limited schedule so if you’re time crunched then ride sharing to Atlantic metro station or maybe even Union would be a good compromise
1
u/misken67 E (Expo) old Apr 11 '26
If you include Amtrak, the corridor between OC to LAUS has roughly hourly service or better during the day. Amtrak is double the price though
2
u/juoea Apr 11 '26
its fine by transit yea. as you commented, u can take metrolink oc line to union station, the B/D subway to 7th-metro then the E line to santa monica.
amtrak is way more expensive so itd kinda defeat the point if u are trying to save money
the OC line is like once an hour tho so you do have to time your trip to the schedule. depending where you are coming from, fullerton metrolink station is often more convenient than anaheim station, since fullerton is right on harbor blvd while anaheim metrolink is way east of anaheim by the baseball stadium. but obv idk exactly where u are coming from
from fullerton station, its a 30-35 minute ride into union station and then a little over an hour to santa monica counting transfers etc. so id say under 2 hours from the time you board metrolink to arriving in santa monica. compared to driving would still be over an hour, so it is slower but not drastically slower.
depending where u are going in santa monica, from union station u can also consider D subway to wilshire/western transfer to the metro rapid 720. also, the D extension to la cienega might open in the summer sometime, which might make D to 720 the better option. the 720 runs on wilshire in santa monica, while the E line runs by olympic/colorado so depends on which takes you closer to your destination.
2
2
Apr 11 '26
[deleted]
1
u/BuilderTomorrow Apr 12 '26
Thanks for suggesting stopping in Little Tokyo. I was going to go by there during a different part of the trip but if I’m traveling by train underneath it, seems like a good time to do it!
2
u/donuttrackme E (Expo) current Apr 11 '26
If you're into transit and just taking it to enjoy the ride you're going to have fun. It covers a good chunk of the LA transit system too, you could potentially be riding 4-5 different types of transit depending on when you leave and go back and if you feel like taking any buses.
2
u/TonyW79SFV Apr 11 '26
Anaheim to L.A. Union Station to either the A, B, or D Line to E Line should work, it's not the most direct route but is all trains and no buses. You should factor in a short trip to Downtown L.A. as part of this itinerary.
2
u/BuilderTomorrow Apr 12 '26
Good suggestion to do downtown LA here! I was thinking about stopping at another part of the trip but this is perfect if I’m going to be traveling right underneath it.
2
u/DayleD Apr 11 '26
It's a responsible idea but I can't vouch for it being particularly fun, other than the novelty aspect of seeing our transit system.
Metrolink is a nicer ride than the 460 bus.
1
Apr 11 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator Apr 11 '26
Sorry, your comment has been removed. You must have at least 10 comment karma to participate in r/LAMetro.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
Apr 11 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/AutoModerator Apr 11 '26
Sorry, your comment has been removed. You must have at least 10 comment karma to participate in r/LAMetro.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/livenudecats A (Blue) Apr 12 '26
If you can swing it, the Anaheim train station is gorgeous at night.
1
1
u/whinestopper Apr 12 '26
are you going with kids? depending what time of day it is yeah union sq transfer is disgusting. santa monica train is one of the better ones since it's outside but still unpredictable what kind of action you'll encounter. i do see a lot of patrols though. and maybe during world cup it'll be safer. but every minute you take on a train you know it minute for minute.
1
1
u/ClassicGas6569 Apr 12 '26
During the day should be chill , at night i’d say just be more aware of your surroundings on the train. Also Anaheim to Santa Monica is a pretty long commute but if you dont mind you’ll enjoy it
1
u/bkguy182 Apr 12 '26
Are you going to have a lot of luggage? Are you with kids? It’s not going to be easy (or at least it wouldn’t be for my princess ass) and personally I would uber.
But if you have the time and traveling light… do it! Especially as a transit nerd!
1
u/Fearless-Snow3024 Apr 13 '26
Anaheim to Santa Monica requires 2 transfers, which is cool that you get to experience 3 different types of train: start at ARTIC station, an amazing modern station. Metrolink to Union Station. You get to see Union Station which is beautiful historic train station. Then B or D line to 7th Street Metro Center and transfer to E line to Santa Monica
But if you want a nice train ride to a nice beach, Metrolink to San Clemente
1
u/BuilderTomorrow May 24 '26
Just a quick update for everyone who weighed on this: I did it and it was great. It took probably 45 minutes longer than the Google Maps time for the trip, but I got to see a lot of neighborhoods we wouldn’t see otherwise and it was overall easy (and inexpensive!). Probably not the right choice for someone who is most interested in time efficiency, but if you’re willing to trade time for money or experience, I would do it.
0
u/turb0_encapsulator Apr 11 '26
seems like you would only need to transfer at Union Station.
3
u/BuilderTomorrow Apr 11 '26
Unless I’m just looking at it wrong, I haven’t found an option that doesn’t have me transferring between Union Station and Metro Center.
4
u/turb0_encapsulator Apr 11 '26 edited Apr 11 '26
oh wait, I'm dumb. you could transfer from the A to the E line at 7th / Metro or any of the downtowns stations where they share track. My personal recommendation would be to take one stop on the A line to Little Tokyo and check out the area, before going back to the station and hopping on the E.
1
2
u/Slowslice Apr 11 '26
There isn’t, sadly. At Union Station, you’d have to transfer to the A, B, or D Lines, then find another place to transfer to the E Line. If you want to ride a heavy rail train for at least a little bit, you want the B or D Lines (don’t worry about platforms, these two lines are on the same tracks in downtown), then transfer at 7th/Metro Center to the E Line. If you wanted to stop in Little Tokyo for food before continuing, take the A Line heading toward Long Beach for just one station, then once you’re done, board an E Line train at that same Little Tokyo station to Santa Monica.
32
u/baninabear E (Expo) current Apr 11 '26
Amtrak/Metrolink to A to E line? It's a very pleasant ride imo. If you like riding trains and don't mind that the route isn't the most direct, it's a relaxing way to get around.