Metrolink: A 4-Step Guide

Metrolink is the commuter rail service you can ride from Los Angeles Union Station to the suburbs and the coast. Most visitors never need it, but a few trips are easier by train than by car. The guide below is for those trips.

First, a plain definition. A commuter train is a train built for people who live far from where they work. It runs on a set timetable, and trains are far less frequent than a subway. That is the main thing to know before you plan a day around it.

If you plan to see the whole city, the train will not be enough. Read the guide to car rental los angeles first and then come back to see where rail helps.

Key Takeaway The network has seven lines, and a SoCal Day Pass costs $12 on a weekend, so a train day out of Union Station has a clear price cap.

Step 1: Learn what Metrolink is and how it differs from LA Metro

Metrolink is a regional train, and LA Metro is the city's own transit system. Metrolink runs longer distances, while Metro runs the subway, light rail and buses inside Los Angeles County.

The seven Metrolink lines are Antelope Valley, Inland Empire-Orange County, Orange County, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura County and 91/Perris Valley. Together they reach Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. Union Station in Downtown Los Angeles is the hub for visitors.

The two systems work together. Each Metrolink ticket or pass includes free transfers to most local transit providers, such as LA Metro bus, subway and light rail. So you can ride in by train and take the Metro on.

You can reach many towns from Union Station, and the schedule page lists every station. Examples are Burbank, Glendale, Commerce, Anaheim, Fullerton, Irvine, San Juan Capistrano, Oceanside, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura and Lancaster. There are 67 stations in all, according to Metrolink.

How long a ride takes depends on the line, the train and the stations. Metrolink does not publish one ride time for the whole network. Pick your two stations on the schedule page to see the exact trip time.

Luggage is allowed if you can store it safely on your lap or under your seat. Large items can go on the lower level of the train. Beach wagons, oversized coolers and surfboards are not allowed, and aisles and doors must stay clear. Big suitcases are not named on the rules page, so the conductor decides what is safe.

Check the day's schedule before you go. Service changes happen on weekends, and the operator posted a notice that on Sunday, October 25 the Antelope Valley and Ventura County lines will not run because of track work.

The best train trip is the one where you know the return time before you leave.

Step 2: Pick the right train from Union Station

Which train you pick depends on where you want to go. Here is what the official pages confirm.

• Anaheim and Disneyland: The Orange County Line reaches the Anaheim station, ARTIC. The ART shuttle from ARTIC to the park ended on 31 March 2026. Check Disneyland's train page and OCTA's pages for the current link.
• Burbank and Universal Studios Hollywood: The operator says to ride to Burbank and connect to BurbankBus. The Metro B Line also stops at Universal City, which Universal's site says links to the park by a pedestrian bridge.
• Burbank Airport: The Antelope Valley Line stops at Burbank Airport - North, and the Ventura County Line stops at Burbank Airport - South. A free shuttle runs from each.
• LAX: Metrolink's airport page says Union Station links to LAX by the FlyAway bus. The LAX operator lists a one-way fare of $12.75.
• Coast to San Diego or Santa Barbara: This is the job of the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner, not Metrolink. Its corridor runs from San Diego to San Luis Obispo through Los Angeles, Anaheim and Santa Barbara.

The lines do not serve the Hollywood Sign, Santa Monica or Griffith Observatory directly, as far as its pages show. To get to those, use the Metro or another way of getting around Los Angeles.

Pro Tip Pick the Orange County Line for Anaheim, and check Disneyland's and OCTA's pages for the link from ARTIC before you leave, since the ART shuttle has ended.

Step 3: Buy your ticket

Buy your ticket before you board. You have three ways to do it.

1. Use the Metrolink app for iPhone or Android.
2. Use a ticket machine at the station.
3. Go to the ticket windows at Union Station.

A one-way ticket price depends on the two stations you pick, and Metrolink publishes no single fixed price. The app or the ticket machine shows the exact fare when you enter both stations. A one-way ticket is valid in one direction and expires five hours after you buy it. To return the same day, buy a second one-way ticket. One-way fares depend on your two stations, so check the price for your trip in the app.

The SoCal Day Pass is often the better deal for a day out. It costs $19 on weekdays and $12 on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. It gives unlimited same-day travel on its trains and on codeshare Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains, and it expires at 3 a.m. the next day. There is also an L.A. Zone Day Pass for $5, but it covers only stations around Downtown, such as Union Station, Glendale and Commerce.

Children ride cheaper. On weekends, up to three children 17 and under ride free with a paying adult. On weekdays and holidays, up to three children 5 and under ride free per adult. These rules do not cover codeshare or Rail 2 Rail Amtrak trains. Seniors, students and some other riders save up to 50% on most fares.

To ride the Pacific Surfliner, buy on Amtrak's site, because the Surfliner sets its own prices. Its site shows unreserved coach and business class. It did not list sample fares when I checked on 22 October 2026, and it was warning that no Surfliner trains run anywhere on the corridor on November 7 and 8, 2026.

Step 4: Plan the last stretch and decide if a day trip fits

The train gets you to the station, and the last stretch is up to you. Plan it before you leave.

Many coastal stops are still a bus ride away from the station. Count on extra time, and check the return train before you spend the afternoon.

Here is one way to do it with a day out. The Metro A Line runs between Downtown Los Angeles and Long Beach, and a ride from Downtown takes about an hour. At Long Beach, a boat is an easy way to spend the afternoon. For a short trip, a Long Beach whale and dolphin cruise runs about 2.5 hours, from €42.73 per person, and the listing shows free cancellation. A Newport Beach 2-hour whale watching tour is from €32.63. On a longer day, the Newport Beach ferry to Catalina Island is from €41.84. I could not confirm a train link to Newport Beach, so plan that trip by car or bus.

Tour or on your own? Do the train part on your own. A day pass costs $12 to $19, and no guide adds much to a train ride. For the boat, you pay for a ticket on a boat that you could not run yourself, so the listing is the trip. A cruise with a crew is worth it for whale watching, since the Long Beach listing says Aquarium of the Pacific educators explain what you see. Do it all on your own if you only want the beach. Add a tour if you want a boat and a guide, and you do not want to plan the boat part.

What to know before you book. Each boat trip lists no group size, and none lists who it is not suitable for. All three show free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start.

• Long Beach cruise: run by Harbor Breeze, 4.5 from 1,049 reviews on GetYourGuide. The trip is 2.5 hours. The meeting point depends on the option you pick. Food, drinks, tips and parking are not included.
• Newport Beach whale watching: run by Davey's Locker, 4.26 from 1,520 reviews. The trip is 2 hours and it meets at 400 Main St, Newport Beach. Binocular rental, drinks, snacks and tips are not included.
• Catalina ferry: run by Catalina Flyer, 4.56 from 205 reviews. The ferry ride is 1.5 hours. The meeting point depends on the option you pick. Pick-up and drop-off, food and drinks are not included, and the ticket covers a single trip to Avalon or to Newport, or both ways if you pick both.

Tours help most when the day has many parts. If you still want a trip outside the city, fun los angeles day trips lists options with and without a train. For readers who want the shortest route, the Santa Monica and Venice Beach guide covers the coast by Metro.

GetYourGuide listed 251 Los Angeles tours on 22 October 2026. Twelve of them start in Newport Beach or on Catalina Island, outside the city itself. That makes boats the most common way to leave the city on a tour.

The honest limit: The service is for commuters, with a set timetable, and some lines do not run on some weekends. If your day has many stops, a car or a guided tour will fit better than a train timetable.

Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 22 October 2026.