Getting in
- Long Beach Airport: The least-fussy flight-to-island route: take a rideshare to Catalina Express at either Downtown Long Beach (Catalina Landing) or the Queen Mary terminal, roughly 20–30 minutes and about $30–50 before traffic, then the high-speed ferry to Avalon (about 1 hour; budget roughly $80–100 each way for the boat). Book the ferry before you commit to the flight.
- Los Angeles International Airport: For most LAX arrivals, rideshare directly to Catalina Express in San Pedro is the practical move: roughly 45–90 minutes depending on Los Angeles traffic, often about $70–120, then about 1 hour by ferry to Avalon. Public-transit combinations are possible but are a poor bet with luggage and a nonrefundable sailing time.
- John Wayne Airport, Orange County: Use a rideshare to Dana Point Harbor for Catalina Express—about 30–45 minutes, roughly $45–70—then allow about 1 hour on the water. Newport Beach’s Catalina Flyer is another option, but choose it only if its sailing schedule fits; it is not an interchangeable, all-day shuttle.
- Long Beach, San Pedro, Dana Point or Newport Beach ferry terminals: These are Avalon’s real gateways. Catalina Express serves Avalon from Long Beach, San Pedro and Dana Point; Catalina Flyer runs from Newport Beach. The crossing is about an hour. Do not treat the boat as something to buy at the dock on a summer weekend: reserve a specific outbound and return sailing, and arrive early enough to board without drama.
- Catalina Airport in the Sky: This is a private-aviation airport, not a commercial alternative to LAX. It is useful only if you are flying privately or have arranged an air transfer; do not book a mainland flight expecting a normal onward airline connection to Avalon.