The Metro A Line runs north-south through the centre of Long Beach and provides a useful spine for getting around without a car. Downtown Long Beach station is the main hub, with connections to the rest of the system toward Los Angeles.
Long Beach has an unusually good cycling infrastructure for a Southern California city. The Shoreline Beach path runs along the waterfront for several kilometres and connects to the South Bay Bicycle Trail that eventually reaches Redondo Beach. Bike rentals are available near the aquarium and at several points along the waterfront.
The Passport shuttle buses serve the downtown and waterfront areas and are free. They connect the Queen Mary, the Aquarium, Rainbow Harbour, and the Pine Avenue restaurant district on a loop. For wider exploration, a car is useful — particularly for reaching El Dorado Park, Rancho Los Cerritos, and the eastern neighbourhoods.
Uber and Lyft are both well-serviced in Long Beach and are often faster than driving and parking yourself in the waterfront area.