How good is the LA subway? Can i count on it for vacation?

If you want to enjoy your vacation, just rent a car and skip the whole idea of the metro. Public transportation can get you places, especially from a central place like downtown, but downtown buses can get really busy and crowded and you'll probably spend a lot of time trying to figure out which lines (and how many transfers) to take to get you where you want to go. It's not worth the hassle.

Places in LA that you might want to visit for sightseeing are not really situated close together. It can literally take you hours by public transportation to get from one place to another. I STRONGLY advise that you rent a car; you will save time and enjoy your vacation so much more. BTW, there may be shuttles you can take from LAX to downtown that may cost you less than a taxi.

If you're going to LA for a week to work near one of the metro lines, the subway/lightrail is very convenient and reliable. If you're doing lots of touristy stuff, you'd likely be better off driving. For touristy destinations, the subway/light rail (Red, Purple, and Gold Lines) basically go to Universal Studios area, Hollywood, downtown LA (Olvera St, Chinatown, Little Tokyo, etc), Koreatown, and Pasadena. If you want to go other places, like west of Hollywood, the beaches, Beverly Hills, etc, or to places like Disneyland and Magic Mountain, you'd want to rent a car. Also, you don't want to take public transportation late at night. The metro would probably be cheaper than car rental, but it's more time consuming.

Metro Trip Planner http://www.metro.net/

Metro Line Maps http://www.metro.net/around/maps

Google Map location directions, then click on the little train icon for public transportation routes.

Have fun!

Well, it all depends on where you are going. If you're going to Disneyland or the beaches, then definitely rent a car. The subway is really just for commuters, and is VERY limited in terms of locations. It only runs from North Hollywood, past Universal City, to downtown. Or from downtown to Wilshire/Western. Other than that, I'd drive.

Definitely skip the idea of a subway. No one uses it because it's no good. If you want to go anywhere, you'll have to drive.