By plane
The closest and most convenient airport is the Burbank/Bop Hope Airport in [[Burbank], which is just 16 miles from Pasadena. Other nearby airports are in Los Angeles, Ontario, and Orange County.
The best way to get to Pasadena from Burbank/Bob Hope Airport is via SuperShuttle, Prime Time Shuttle or Xpress Shuttle. There are a couple of ways to get to Pasadena from Los Angeles International Airport LAX, which is 27 miles from Pasadena. A taxi from LAX will cost approximately $80. SuperShuttle and Prime Time are shared-ride vans which serve the Pasadena area from LAX. Stand under the orange "shared ride vans" sign in the center concrete island outside the airport. Tell a customer service representative that you need a ride to Pasadena. They are easy to identify by their blue jackets SuperShuttle or red jackets Prime Time. If no representative is available, then flag down a blue van SuperShuttle or red van Prime Time with a "Pasadena" placard in the windshield. Approximate cost is $25 per person. Approximate time to Pasadena is 1 hour.
The cheapest method to get to Pasadena from LAX is to use the Union Station FlyAway bus and the Metro Gold Line light rail, which is available from 3:40 a.m. to 11:56 p.m. daily. Do not use this method if you have many bags to carry or you do not like to walk long distances. At LAX,stand under the green "FlyAway, Buses and Long-Distance Vans" sign in the center concrete island outside the terminal. Board a blue FlyAway bus heading to Union Station; $7 one way a 45-minute trip. It is a large charter-style bus and is occasionally not labeled. FlyAway buses operate every half hour, 24 hours a day.
Once you arrive at Union Station, walk behind the ticket counter and proceed down the stairs. Follow the path and enter Union Station on the left. Walk to the Metro Gold Line yellow signs, which is located at track 1 in Union Station. Inside the track 1 terminal is an automated kiosk for purchasing tickets. Buy a one-way ticket and insert $1.50. Consider a day pass if you will be traveling by Metro again in the same day note that a day pass is economical only if you will be boarding any Metro service at least four times in one day. Proceed up the stairs to the trains. Be sure to board the northbound Sierra Madre Villa trains. The Gold Line stops in Pasadena at Filmore, Del Mar, Memorial Park, Lake, Allen, and Sierra Madre Villa stations. The travel time varies from 30-90 min, depending on rush-hour conditions.
By car
From Downtown L.A. or other southern cities take the 110 freeway north until it ends. The 110 freeway ends at the south end of Pasadena. From the east and west Pasadena can be reached via Interstate 210. California Highway 134 East is the most direct way from Glendale and Burbank.