Welcome to Los Angeles:
This is not really a story about what to see and do in Los Angeles or Southern California. It is an attempt to get you around this sprawling metropolis without destroying your budget. As with most major cities, Los Angeles offers plenty of easy ways to pay top dollar for things that won't really enhance your experience. Get a
National Geographic Destination Map of Los Angeles.
When to Visit:
Crowds are huge for the annual Rose Parade and bowl game on New Year's Day, but the spectacle and the warm weather are worth the hassle for many visitors. Mild weather in the spring and autumn make those seasons good choices. Extreme cold is rare. Extreme heat is another matter.
Where to Eat:
Los Angeles Magazine offers an Internet guide to restaurants arranged by price, cuisine and other choices. Another good source is the
Essential Guide to Los Angeles restaurants. The name is somewhat deceiving, because 16 cities in the region are included. Rich ethnic diversity results in some of the best restaurant choices anywhere. Be open to these opportunities, especially if they aren't available in your hometown. They're worth a budget splurge.
Where to Stay:
It really pays to
shop prior to your trip. In addition to the chains, some of America's most popular
hostels are here, too:
Orbit Hotel (formerly Banana Bungalow) is on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Another is
Venice Beach Cotel. On weekends, El Segundo hotels (south of LAX) catering to business travelers during the week frequently make deals to fill rooms. Important: Weigh price and location carefully in Los Angeles. Travel times are lengthy here, and a remote bargain is no bargain at all.
Getting Around:
If your itinerary is complicated or shaped by business needs,
shop for car rentals carefully. The freeways are famous, but Southern California has built a very good mass transit system, too.
MTA offers buses and trains that cut your dependence on those clogged highways. It's important to check your intended locations for access to MTA service. The base fare is $1.25 USD, but an all-day pass is $3. Even with the pass, you might be required to pay more if you travel between zones.
Los Angeles and the Coast:
Here you'll find the attractions you've seen on the screen your entire life: Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Venice Beach, to name a few. The
Getty Museum is an amazing place where you could spend an entire day, and admission is free! If you have a few days, plan to spend at least one of them pursuing
outdoor activities, which are abundant and fascinating. Airports include heavily used Los Angeles International (LAX) and lesser-known Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, which offers a number of major airlines. Southward along the coast, San Diego International might be a good choice.
Orange County:
If you're bound for Knott's Berry Farm, Disneyland or other Orange County attractions, understand that they are some distance in time and mileage from Los Angeles and the coast. With that in mind, plan to either stay here or shape your itinerary so that you only make one trip to the area. John Wayne Airport is here, and Ontario International (serving eastern sections of Los Angeles and San Bernardino) is also an option.
More Los Angeles Tips:
Get a GO Los Angeles Card. This is a card you buy prior to your trip and then activate on first use. You can buy from one- to seven-day cards (cost: $55-$220) good for free admission at dozens of local attractions. Design your itinerary before you consider a Go Los Angeles purchase, to determine if the investment will save you money on admissions. There is also a GO San Diego Card for $60-$190.
Shopping for airports is important here.
You have a choice of up to six airports. Some will be more convenient than others, but all will get you into the region. This provides an opportunity to really shop for the best airfare.
Go Cards could save you money.
You can buy a Hollywood CityPass or a Go San Diego Card and get free admisssion to scores of attractions. The Hollywood pass is $49.95 USD and provides free admission to a number of attractions associated with the motion picture industry. The San Diego Go Card is sold in time increments of one, two, three, five and seven days. Free admission is offered for dozens of parks, tours, museums and historic sites. But the pass isn't necessarily a good buy for everyone. Ask yourself how important these attractions are in your itinerary. If many of them wouldn't be included without the pass, don't buy it.
Some of the greatest L.A. experiences are free.
The Getty Museum falls into this category. So does a stroll down Venice Beach or the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Don't feel pressured into booking expensive tours. After your return home, I'd be very surprised if you don't list at least one free attraction among your most memorable moments. Check out these discounts from About Los Angeles for Visitors.
Avoid the 405.
This is L.A. lingo for Interstate 405, the freeway you've seen in scores of movies and photographs when a writer needs to illustrate gridlock. Save time and frustration. Map out another route if possible.
Consider leaving the city behind.
This is good advice in any major city. It rings true in Los Angeles when you consider what's nearby: a drive up the California coast, Catalina Island or the Mohave Desert all make great escapes from city life.
Discounts for Magic Mountain Print tickets or passes for the Six Flags park before you leave home and save money.
