Is there ANY WAY to get close to Venice Beach via public transportation? (say the red line train?) My mom and I will be in LA in August staying at the Sheraton Universal. We'd like to get to Venice Beach for a few hours WITHOUT having to rent a car.

When I was in LA a few years ago I went down there with a friend that had a car, but then went back on my own on the last day by hopping on a bus that ran on Santa Monica Blvd. Think I was on that bus for over a half an hour! And than had to walk about a 1/2 mile after that. I'm looking for something simpler this time! Maybe combination train/cab? Any thoughts?

Thanks! Lisa

As a former resident of Venice and a user of public transit in LA County -believe it or not! your best bet would be to rent a vehicle and drive to Venice Beach. Public transit would take a long time, trust me.
Visit the website www.mta.com and look up the trip planner.

I think you would take the red line then transfer to a bus (maybe 2).

Here is your itinerary from Sheraton Universal (Universal Studios) to Venice Beach:
Starting at UNIVERSAL STUDIO
TOTAL COST: $1.85
Estimated Travel Time: 1 Hour 7 Minutes

Go to Universal City Sta

Take Metro Rail Red Line East (UNION STA RED LINE) at 9:28 a.m.
Pay $1.35 plus .25 transfer
Get off at HOLLYWOOD HIGHLAND STA at 9:33 a.m.
Go to NW corner of Hollywood Bl & Highland Av
Take Metro Bus 212 West (HAWTHORNE) at 9:40 a.m.
Use transfer plus .25 transfer
Get off at LA BREA AV and VENICE BL at 10:02 a.m.
Go to NW corner of Venice Bl & La Brea Av
Take Metro Bus 33 West (SANTA MONICA) at 10:05 a.m.
Use transfer
Get off at MAIN ST and GRAND BL at 10:35 a.m.

So you'd need to take the rail plus 2 buses to get to Venice Beach.

I think the MTA has to be one of the worst transit systems in the country.

So, my advice: rent a car!

Quick note: It's actually www.mta.net-- and its travel planner works for all LA area public transportation companies.

You could get to Venice Beach on buses-- there MIGHT be a portion of the trip on trains. But you're looking at a trip of well over an hour each way. I would recommend just biting the bullet and renting the car.

Thanks for the correction (mta.net) and you're right about their trip planner covering all LA area transportation.
In my second response, I actually used the trip planner to calculate how long it would take from Universal Studio area to Venice Beach.about an hour involving rail (Red Line) and 2 buses...there may be a quicker way on public transporation but I doubt it.

JavaJunkieDC: best thing to do-rent a car not unless you want to take a taxi and that may be expensive.

Thanks for the detailed responses! You've definitely given me something to think about! My driving experience is minimal and the thought of driving in LA scares the crap out of me. My mom is a nondriver too (I at least HAVE a license) she doesn't. We'll be doing one of those cheesy LA bus tours that includes VB as a stop, I'm hoping it's the LAST stop so we can just stay there a few hours and get back to the hotel on our own. Thanks again for the tips.
Lisa

mt_xx: No problemo. I think the issue here is that of the sheer size of the LA metro area. In fact, simply driving from Universal City to Venice Beach will take anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the route and traffic. It might take as little as 20 minutes... at 3 AM... with all the lights green on Santa Monica Blvd... and police cars otherwise occupied.

Oh, and JavaJunkieDC: It's really not that bad to drive in LA. It's a simple grid in most parts, reasonably well-marked, with the only hassle being the lack of left-turn lights.

You want driving horrors? Try driving in Boston. Or Pittsburgh. Or anywhere in Florida.