Manhattan Beach chauffeur and car service

The city calls itself the Pearl of the South Bay, and its 928-foot pier at the end of Manhattan Beach Boulevard anchors downtown, with the Roundhouse Aquarium at the far end and the Volleyball Walk of Fame along the way. Downtown's shops, restaurants and Metlox Plaza sit in the blocks just inland, so most evening trips start or end within a few streets of the pier. The city notes that fishing is permitted from the pier all year.

The Strand, the beachfront path in front of the oceanfront homes, is for walking, running, biking and skating, not for cars. If your home or rental faces the Strand, give the nearest street with vehicle access as the pickup point and plan on carrying bags a short distance. The same goes for the narrow walk streets that lead down to the sand.

The city runs 12 public parking lots with more than 1,400 spaces, and its parking meters are always in effect unless otherwise posted. The upper and lower pier lots are owned by the State of California and operated by the city, and the El Porto lot adds 238 spaces at the north end of the beach.

A chauffeured drop-off skips the meters altogether. The simplest points are a hotel entrance, the top of the pier at Manhattan Beach Boulevard or a named restaurant, and the chauffeur can collect you from the same spot later. If you want the car nearby for an afternoon of stops, an hourly booking with a 3-hour minimum online is easier than moving a parked car.

Manhattan Village is an open-air shopping, dining and entertainment center that the city describes as about 3 miles from LAX. That makes it an easy stop on the way to or from the airport: name the entrance in your booking, and on an hourly booking the chauffeur waits there while you shop.

Neighboring El Segundo sits just north, between Manhattan Beach and the airport. For offices there, see El Segundo corporate car service. For a day of meetings across the South Bay and the Westside, hourly service keeps one car and one chauffeur with you, and waiting is covered by the hours you booked.

LAX is about 6 miles north of downtown Manhattan Beach, usually 15 to 30 minutes depending on traffic, mostly on Sepulveda Boulevard. The short distance means a later departure than from most of Los Angeles, but weekday afternoons and holiday weekends still push toward the long end of the range. See LAX to Manhattan Beach for the arrival leg.

At LAX, ride apps and taxis load at the LAX-it lot next to Terminal 1, while a pre-booked chauffeur coordinates the terminal pickup and confirms the meeting point by text or phone after landing. Long Beach Airport is about 17 miles away, usually 25 to 50 minutes, and is worth comparing for some domestic flights. Torrance Airport, used for private and charter flights, is about 8 miles southeast.

Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach are next door to the south, and Torrance is about 7 miles southeast, so dinners and evenings often move along the coast. See Torrance for that city, and LAX to Hermosa Beach for the neighboring beach town.

SoFi Stadium is about 9 miles inland via I-405. For games and stadium concerts, hourly service, typically 5 to 8 hours, is strongly recommended over a one-way pickup, because the car waits nearby while the lots clear. Santa Monica is about 12 miles north along the coast, usually 25 to 55 minutes, and Beverly Hills about 18 miles via I-405.

Beach weeks mean strollers, beach bags and extra suitcases, so size the vehicle to the luggage as well as the people. A Comfort Sedan or Executive Sedan carries up to 3 passengers and 3 bags, the Escalade Elite up to 6 passengers and 5 bags and the Luxury SUV up to 7 passengers and 6 bags. A Mercedes Sprinter Van carries up to 16 passengers and 18 bags for a group or a wedding party.

Rear-facing child safety seats and booster seats are add-ons, up to three of each type. On arrivals, the chauffeur monitors the flight and arrives based on the actual landing time, and international arrivals include 45 to 60 minutes of complimentary waiting after landing.