Information for flyers

If you will be flying into the area there are several ways to get to Pasadena. Depending on where you will be staying may determine which mode of transportation is best for you. Several options include:

• Fly-Away Bus with Metro Rail
• Shuttle Services
• Rental Car
• Taxi or Limousine

We highly recommend you read more information about getting to the Pasadena area and moving around Los Angeles in the Caltech Transit Guide.

Fly-Away Bus with MetroRail: Go to Ground Transportation Level and look for the “Fly-Away Bus” sign along the curb. Take the bus that goes to Union Station. Once at Union Station you can buy your bus ticket for USD 9 (debit and credit cards only, no cash unless booked online in advance) and present it to the driver to retrieve you luggage. Then, enter Union Station and take the Metro Gold Line north to Pasadena. You will need to buy a TAP card at any of the kiosks there and add USD 1.75 value to cover your metro fare to Pasadena. If staying at the Vagabond Inn you will want to exit at the Lake Station. If staying at the Saga Motor Hotel you will want to exit at the Allen Station. Please see the Caltech Transit Guide for more information and for Metro Rail hours of operation.

Shuttle Services: If you decide to use a shuttle service then there are two commonly used ones: Super Shuttle and Prime Time Shuttle. Please note that if you are being dropped off at or leaving from the Caltech campus (which is a 20 minute walk or so from the Vagabond Inn and Saga Motor Hotel) then clicking the following links will automatically add a Caltech discount:

• Caltech discount code #1
• Caltech discount code #2

Rental Car: You can rent a car from most of the airports in the area. We encourage you to look for rates through the company and/or travel websites.

The Caltech campus hosts a few Zipcar vehicles on S. Holliston Ave. and San Pasqual St. (on the east side of campus) that you can rent for the times that you actually need the vehicle. It is sometimes more cost-effective to use the usual rental car venues when needing a car for more than half of a day.

Taxi or Limousine: Hiring a taxi or limousine to go to/from Los Angeles International airport (LAX) is not recommended because of the long distance and often bad traffic conditions. Prices are much more reasonable if going to/from the smaller Burbank airport (BUR) by taxi.

Information for drivers

If you are driving to Pasadena you can find driving directions and maps here.