vicki

Need to fly into LA area to attend weekend wedding at Catalina; is LAX closest, or Orange County perhaps? Thanks.

Diana

Long Beach airport or Orange County are probably the closest. Also depending on how you are getting over to the island. I think the ferry's go out from Long Beach and Newport Beach. LAX is not that much further than Long Beach airport and you might get better airfares there.

I think I have seen a website for Catalina, you might want to check there for which ferrys run and the times. I think there is also helicopter service to the island. Not sure what time of year you are going, but you may need reservations for the ferry.

Hope this helps you. Have fun.

Diana

Here's a couple websites that have the info I was talking about.

www.catalina.com
www.visitcatalina.org

Tricia

I have flown to Catalina many times, although not lately- always was from the Long Beach Airport- since it is such a small airport on the island I don't even know if LAX would fly there? Perhaps? I think John Wayne Airport in Orange County may not sure but there are not actually ferries that go over- there are two ports- Long Beach by the Queen Mary and Newport Beach. Boats leave every few hours. We took the fast boat last year- you can get an all in one ticket that takes you over and lets you tour the Queen Mary.

Tricia

I was in the above referenced websites and looked under transportation; there is a shuttle the islanders use from LAX to the fastboat at the Queen Mary and its $12.00

John

If you are arriving in LA on Friday afternoon, I would recommend avoiding LAX. The airport is fine, but if you are taking a boat to Catalina from Long Beach you may be in freeway traffic a long time trying to get to the port.

Jim

Vicki,

If you plan to goto to Catalina via ferry, your best bet would be Orange County airport. From there, it's about a 10 minute drive to the harbor where the boats leave. Long Beach can take much longer, especially with traffic. I believe you can also take a helicopter from O.C. if you wish. It also depends if you're spending time on the mainland or just transporting to Catalina immediately. LAX might be more convenient for the latter just on the sheer volume of flights. Hope the helps, you will have a fun time on the island.