LAS & LAX Spotting

[ketko]

Hi all!

In June of this year, I am most probably goin for a week to Toronto with friend, and I would like to fly from there (Buffalo) to LAS or LAX, as the fares aren't as high as I thought.

Anyways, I don't have a car, so I wanna ask you, if it's possible to spot at either of the airports only with public transport. avialable.

If not, than I don't want to spend money on it, just to fly down there.

Thank you very much.

Regards, Keishi

[tipek]

If you don't have a car then you can forget Vegas.
LAX is doable without a car, but you have to stay in of the hotels on Imperial Hill Blvd. You can take shuttle bus to your hotel and then walk for 5 minutes to the location. I forgot the name of the hotel which is right next to spotting area at LAX.

Rafal

[ketko]

Hi.
Thanks for reply Rafal. Isnt there any public bus runnin to the Imp. Bvd.?
Also, is the IN N OUT good for photography?
Thanks.
Regards, Keishi

[AndrewM]

Keishi -

In n Out is good for photography and a pretty easy walk as well if you're staying at one of the hotels on Century or if you get a shuttle to the airport itself from a hotel. From there you can also walk to the Lincoln Blvd. overpass which can be good for touchdown shots although the cops will most likely stop and question you there.

The hotel near Imperial Hill is the Embassy Suites LAX International Airport South.

-Andrew

[LGA777]

Actually you can stay on Century Blvd (there are many hotels) and still get to Imperial Hill. There is good size LA Public bus station on the north side of Century not to far east of Terminal 1. Numerous city bus lines stop their including one which goes right by the Imperial Hill viewing area. I don't remember the bus route number but I am sure a little online research could answer that. The stop is about 2 blocks west of the viewing area but the bus drives right by it. I was fortuanate the one time I used it back in 2004 when I told the driver where I was trying to go and she nicely stopped right there so I could hop off. I think the bus ran every half hour and was very reasonable, about a 30-45 min ride from the LAX Bus Station, officially known as the LAX City Bus Center.

Have Fun

LGA777

[coloneltigh]

Some great info in the replies. I wish I was into spotting when I lived in LA.

A couple of tips:
If you plan on being in LA for stuff besides spotting, you may want to buy Metro Day Passes. It lets you ride Metro buses and rail for $5 all day. Some fees apply if you switch to the municipal bus lines but it's a great deal if you are planning to take transit a lot.

The other thing to keep in mind is that transit is nowhere near as efficient or extensive as it is in NYC. If you can afford it, I'd definitely recommend renting a car. It'll make getting around town a lot easier - though maybe not much faster.

[ketko]

Hi!
Thanks for tips everyone.
Obviously, if i could, I would book a car, but unfortunately, here we get licence at the age of 18, not 16.
What lens do I need at Imp. Hill?

Thx for replies, KEishi