$80 is a good quote to the port, ita. It's something like 35 miles away. A cab runs about $3 a mile but way up if you hit traffic.

Yes, nextrip service is great for live tracking transit. They use it all over the country, parts of Canada too I think. You can use it on a regular cellphone with an SMS text or on a GPS enabled device.

http://www.metro.net/riding/nextrip/

If you are using a regular cellphone it's handy to record of your stop #s (note the different #s northbound or southbound)

EG Lindbrook/Westwood is stop #8266 (northbound to Getty)
Getty Center northbound to Skirball #6144,
Southbound to Westwood #14526

Skirball (Southbound)#2007

For the LA area, text "metro 15530" to 41411.

The Skirball, btw has both an excellent gift shop and a cafe with great food (I like it better than the Getty's food). It's two stops beyond the Getty. Check their website for information on arriving by transit, they describe the bus stop locations.

http://www.skirball.org/general-info...ns-and-parking

And to travelgourmet, if it says 20 minutes I would spend another 10 minutes in the gift shop.

Correction re the texting instructions

Text "metro (stop number)" That was just an example!

Primetime does not charge extra for the port pickups, ita. Also the shared shuttle might be okay from the port.

But would you go back to the Palomar? I am assuming you are going on a cruise and then leaving? I might pick a different location to explore for the return.

<I>And to travelgourmet, if it says 20 minutes I would spend another 10 minutes in the gift shop.</I>

Presumably you left the gift shop because you were done in there. How would spending another 10 minutes there not still be a waste of time?

BTW, you never responded to my queries. Care to offer personal experiences getting to the Getty via public transit?

If I lived in Westwood Village, I would. But I don't any more. You seem incapable of understanding that a tourist can select a hotel near the sites of interest to them.

I do take public transit, I take it from Long Beach to the airport, from Long Beach to Hollywood, Long Beach to downtown, between downtown LA and Hollywood, around downtown, around Long Beach, between Anaheim and San Clemente, around San Diego, etc. I worked downtown for 15 years, about half of my coworkers commute by public transit.

I've been to the Getty several times on the 761 line, what did you want to know? The bus leaves westwood, or Sherman oaks, every 20 minutes or so and drops you at the Getty entrance.

You can catch this bus a couple of blocks from the Palomar Hotel and it takes about 12 minutes to get to the Getty, also 12 minutes on the blue bus to Santa Monica.

clarkgriswold, travelgourmet doesn't really care about anything other than being argumentative.

If I was as impatient as he was, I would use a taxi,maybe $15 one way to the hotel. Considering I didn't pay $15 for parking at the Getty, or $35 (plus tax) for overnight parking at the hotel, it wouldn't be a big deal.

Stop fighting about car versus not. It is not an option for us. We would spend our 3 days figuring out where to go and where to park. I would be a nervous wreck.

The cruise is Panama Canal, so we embark in Florida and end up in Los Angeles.

We will certainly use cabs for short distances. It is $110 from the port to the hotel and $80 from the hotel to the airport. Of course we will pay what we have to, but if there is a less expensive (but convenient)option we will take it.

ita, I wouldn't take the bus from the Palomar to the Getty Center for several reasons:

It takes 2 buses (and as much as 40 minutes) to go about 4.5 miles.

You have to walk 1/3-1/2 mile from the Palomar to the first bus (location varies depending on bus combo you choose).

At the Getty Center end, you have to walk a short distance from the bus stop to the Getty Center tram. Normally not a big deal, but the major construction project will still be on-going nearby and the walking path could be a mess. Or not, who knows. (The project won't be completed until May 2014 at the earliest.)

I would just take a cab. I'm sure the Palomar can tell you the approximate fare.

Were you also wanting to go to the Skirball Cultural Center? It would be the same combo of buses, starting with the same walk to Wilshire and Veteran, but at the Skirball end I think the stop is right at the center. Slightly more convenient but the ride takes another 5-10 minutes.

You can search the bus trips here:

http://www.metro.net/

It should not be $80 between LAX and the hotel. I think Zippy is overcharging for that. Maybe extra for a meet and greet?

In a taxi it should range from about $45 to $55.

Try Primetime shuttle for getting to the port instead.
Go to this site and select the port that you are using. They have different options for private or shared services.

http://www.primetimeshuttle.com/locations/airports.html

It would make sense to see both the Getty and the Skirball on the same day. They are both in the Sepulveda pass, about 3-4 miles apart.

PS when you tag onto someone else post, it gets confusing. OP indicated that they enjoyed walking. I gather ita does not.

PS If you aren't able to manage the Primetime Shuttle website, ask the hotel to call for you a day or two ahead.

I agree, mlgb. I've been confusing the two posters almost from the start. It doesn't help that their screen names are similar: Italophile and ita

we also like walking and am glad to see that there are place to walk to near our hotel. But we are not about to walk 15 miles to the museums.

I don't think anyone has suggested that!

I do have trouble with the Prim website

ita, Prime Shuttle has an online live chat service. Or a toll-free 800 number. See both at the top of the web page.

thank you. I talked to them-a shuttle from Port to hotel is $119. From hotel to airport-shared shuttle $23. We will just have to pay the money that they ask for .Italophile you seem to have vanished.I hope I haven't scared you off. I will be watching to hear what you decide upon.

At this time I am thinking that on our arrival day we should explore our area and take the trolley tour of Beverley Hills. Day 2-do the Getty (I would take a tour if available) and Skirball. What seems to be the highlight there is the Noah's Ark. Day 3 we can sightsee by hop off, hop on. I can already see that I will have to make a return trip to really see everything.

Whoa! The Noah's Ark exhibit at the Skirball is a large indoor playground for kids. They must be accompanied by an adult. It occurs to me that it's possible that adults may have to have a kid in tow, as a reverse requirement. Better check it out. Our grandchildren loved it and didn't want to leave. We, their grandparents, were totally bedraggled.