To be dreading driving in Los Angeles?

[UnnecessaryFennel]

We are off to the US this summer and I'm very excited...except for one thing. We're picking up a car at LAX when we land and have to get ourselves across the city to our hotel...I'm very, very nervous about driving in the US, for some reason. We'll then be driving from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and Las Vegas to Phoenix.

I know everyone says that if you can drive a manual car in London then driving somewhere like LA in an automatic with working satnav will be a breeze, but I'm still not convinced . I've driven on the 'wrong' side of the road before quite happily (all the way from London to southern Spain in fact) but this is making me feel really wobbly.

Any tips, reassurance or kicks up the arse would be welcome!

I was nervous about driving a car from Orlando airport, but with a sat nav it is really easy. They are all automatics so all you have to do is shift to drive and put your foot down. The only issue is to try and avoid the rush hour as the roads are like car parks.

Have a great holiday.

at 'put your foot down'!

Unfortunately I think we are going to hit rush hour but hey ho, didn't think about that when we booked the flights.

I'd get taxis and the bus

download the WAYZ app on your phone and use it to navigate - it is way better than any sat nav ime.

Driving an automatic is easy.

In some ways driving at rush hour is better because the traffic won't be moving fast so you will have time to get in lane/anticipate exits and turns.

I’m going there too and dreading it despite having driven in US loads and finding it really easy! I’ll be on my own with the kids this time which is the difference.

Must remember to order a suction thing to hold my phone so I can see it when driving.

If you managed to get out of London driving on the wrong side you'll be fine in LA

But really, I did it at the start of a road trip. It's fine. Worst case you take a wrong turn and see more of the city. I got a bit panicked seeing signs on Sunset Blvd warning against crusing cause I was lost and kept turning round hahaha. You'll be fine!

"download the WAYZ app on your phone and use it to navigate"

Doesn't using data in the US costs £££££?
The sat nav that came with the car in Orlando was excellent. It even gives the junction numbers on the freeway.

Hi
Just got back from a road trip in California.
I am not what you would call a really confident driver and I was fine
Some tips that helped me
You can usually turn right on a red light, if you are not able there will be a sign telling you
They don’t seem to have the same motorway rules as us so be prepared for people passing you on both sides
There were loads of drivers on mobile phones

The drive from LA to Vegas is easy, but places appear a lot closer on the map. I underestimated all trip times

After the first day I started to really enjoy it

I am really jealous you will have a fabulous time!

I haven't driven in LA but have picked up cars at Orlando and Las Vegas airports. My biggest problems were having to start in the dark when I was tired after a long flight. We didn't have sat nav in Orlando but did in Las Vegas. I don't generally like sat navs and rarely use ours here, but having one definitely made the first drive much easier, especially as my husband is a hopeless navigator.

I have never driven an automatic in this country, but - after the first night- found it very easy. And both Orlando and Las Vegas were fine to drive in. I first drove in the US in my 50s and I was a bit nervous of it too, but if you are generally a confident driver, I'd say you would be absolutely fine.

The one thing I would probably do next time, depending on time of flights, and how far away the airport is from where you are spending the first night, and might be worth your considering, if not too late to change, is to get a cab from airport to the hotel on the first night, and then collect the car in the morning when you won't be so tired and it will be daylight.

The road signs etc are pretty standard, and the only thing I ever worried about was when it was ok to turn right at a red light (usually it's ok but sometimes there were signs saying not to).

Also, it is also much easier to drive on the right when you're sitting on the left (unlike driving in Europe in your own car).

Good luck!

Reading this thread with interest. We shall be there in two weeks and time hiring a car.

We are also heading over to Vegas.

Have a nice time!

We had the car delivered to our hotel in L.A.. I was v grateful as we we were all fresh when it arrived in the morning. Driving in L.A. isn't difficult but the traffic is awful. Don't underestimate how long it takes to get anywhere. The observatory is great.

Driving in the US is much easier than here, and LA is one of the easier big cities. Miami is worse, imo.

So easy, no roundabouts and signs are in English.

Re: using your data, get Three Feel at Home

I found driving in the USA easy. Very few roundabouts, everything on a grid system. Signs weren't brilliant but used a satnav.

Make sure you get your head round driving an automatic, just use your right foot and park, drive etc on the gear stick.

No where near as scary as driving in Italy!

The 405 in traffic - that's trial by fire for sure! 😂 Stay in lanes 3/4-5/6 and be aware of where you need to turn off in advance (avoid the exit lanes until you need them - the lanes will shift a bit in LA). Don't be surprised if it takes 45 minutes to an hour to go ten miles (or fewer!)

But if you are confident driving in London traffic you'll be fine.

nquartz there are some roundabouts in California - and in a lot of ways they are worse because no one knows how to navigate them!

Be prepared for huge traffic jams on some of the freeways, especially around the Santa Monica area.

If you miss your turn off, it usually takes ages to get back to where you want to be as there are no roundabouts.

Some of the cars have red indicator lights, which I found a bit confusing.

There seems to be no rule about only passing on one side. On the 8 lane freeways, this can be a bit disconcerting. I thought it was absolute madness!

They don't seem to have a problem with using their mobiles whilst driving.

If you can make use of the freeway car pool lanes (must be 2+ people in the car), do so. Remember that you can only enter and exit the car pool lane at certain designated areas, but they're easy to recognise.

The roads from LAX are pretty straightforward although I didn't like LA very much. Watch your speed its all radar controlled around there.

The general standard of driving in the US is a lot lower than the U.K., so if you make a mistake no one really bothers. Most US cities are on a grid layout so wrong turnings are not an issue downtown, you just take the next one instead. The LA freeways can be daunting with 8 lanes of traffic, but speed is lower than U.K. motorways - especially at rush hour - so you should be able to adjust.

However, if you are getting off a long flight I would recommend taking a taxi to your hotel and then picking up your car the next day from the hotel. Many car hire places will deliver and hotel concierges will liaise with car hire places for you. You can then practice in the parking lot before heading out downtown.

Get a free Sat Nav app with maps stored on phone so no data required.
It used to be illegal to have Sat Nav attached to windscreen in California, it sure if that still applies. I usually drive and my DH holds sat Nav

Easier to use UBER to get around. They know the roads and won't take a wrong turn into the 'bad areas'.
Works out cheaper as well.

I lived in LA for many years and my advice is to give yourself extra time and stay chilled out. People will be happy to help you if need it so don’t be afraid to ask!