6 Hours at LAX on December 20th...go to Manhattan Beach?

Question

Is there time to leave LAX and take a taxi to Manhattan or Hermosa beach? Or will LAX be too busy in December to risk leaving?

Sorry, I should have said, we land at 2:30pm and depart at 8.45pm

Answer 1

One big question I have is... day or night?

There's not much to see at the beach at night in December. It's cold and windy. Even in the day, it's not going to be like summer, where you see scantily-clad people everywhere.

If you have 6 hours during the day, you can grab a cab to Venice Beach or Santa Monica Pier, where there's a lot more to see and do. However, don't go there at night, when the vibe moves from "fun and interesting" into "creepy and dangerous".

As already mentioned, allow lots of time to get back.

Answer 2

Sadly, around that time of year you're really asking for trouble leaving the airport and then coming back. With all the holiday travel that will be going on, security and check-in lines will be LONG.

On the other hand, you can probably do it. It's not very far, even taking streets in the heavy traffic in that area. Just make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to come back - if it were me, I'd make sure I was calling a taxi two hours before my flight was due to leave, just to make sure I'd have time to get through security and all of that. I know, it sucks. But what can you do these days?

Another idea for how to amuse yourself, however, is to check out the very recently re-opened restaurant and bar ("Encounter") in the theme building at LAX. You know, the big spider-looking thing in the middle of the airport. You've probably seen it in a middle of a million and one movies. It's pretty space-agey. It's also a bit pricy, but then again you'll pay a fair amount for a taxi ride to Manhattan Beach and back too. Even though it's a short distance, there will be a fair amount of street traffic, so I'd be surprised if it was less than 10-15 bucks each way. Caveat about that - I could be wrong, I've never paid for a taxi around there, just driven around.

Answer 3

I would minimize the amount of time you need in airport--check in for the next flight before you leave the airport & try & minimize the amount you will be carrying back on through security.
Now, you have plenty of time to get to Manhattan Beach (I live there). A taxi will run about $15.00- $20.00. Have them go on Imperial Highway to Vista Del Mar instead of Sepulveda--the beach route is prettier & quicker. You are only literally about 4 miles from the airport to Manhattan. The main part of town is the corner of Manhattan Beach and Manhattan Blvd. There is a brand new outdoor mall at the new El Segundo plaza (sepulveda & rosecrans) as well.

Answer 4

I work at LAX. You have about 6 hrs between flights, so that is about 4-5 hrs to kill. Yes, it would be easy to go to Mahattan Beach and Hermosa Beach. We have buses. Since cabs are so expensive I ususally recommend folks take a bus there and a cab back to the airport. When you arrive go to a Travelers Aid Booth. They are located in every terminal close to baggage claim. They can help you with exact information on getting there and back. If one booth is empty, you can go to the next terminal. We have a free shuttle that will take you to the Bus depot that is located right outside the airport. Stand under the Blue sign and get on shuttle bus "C". The bus will down south on Sepulveda Bl to Manhattan Beach. You can also check mta.net and the Torrance Bus system.