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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

I need your LA tips!

57 replies

ChickensHaveNoEyebrows · 18/09/2011 17:01

We're heading to Los Angeles on holiday at half term. DH has been before with work, but I haven't. We'll be taking the DC (11 and 8). Can you give me any tips and/or recommendations for things to do/avoid? Also, any fantastic food finds?

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lotuseener · 19/09/2011 09:08

I just have to chime in and also say that getting around Los Angeles will be near impossible and more expensive than you can imagine without a car. Also there is no way that Disneyland is 45 minutes away from Universal. Not even at 3am when the freeways are empty.
One day is Universal Studios is plenty, but one day at Disneyland in not enough at all.
Don't forget if you you are going to LA you must now lose 75 pounds, get a major boob job, get your teeth done, get hair extentions and get a fake tan before you go. It is compulsory for LA women! Grin

(I am from about an hour north of LA)

Original poster
ChickensHaveNoEyebrows · 19/09/2011 11:27

I am expecting to feel like a heifer in LA, and am going to horrify the locals by wearing a swimsuit on the beach, cellulite and all. Hmmm. Am telling DH about this thread and will get him to read it.

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mumblechum1 · 19/09/2011 12:45

We went to California last month and made sure we had GPS in the car. It was fantastic, not a single wrong turn the whole 3 weeks, so no stress at all.

Bunbaker · 19/09/2011 13:19

When we went to California I was astounded at how many seriously obese people I saw, and how few "beautiful" people were there. So don't worry about how you look. You will appear positively svelte compared to quite a large proportion of the population.

I still recommend getting a coach tour to Hollywood and Universal Studios if you don't want to drive, it is bound to be cheaper than a cab.

laraeo · 19/09/2011 19:18

Can I ask what you really plan to do in LA? It sound as if you're going to spend a good deal of time at theme parks which is fine and if that's the case and your hotels are close to the parks and/or they have shuttles there then fine, don't get a car. If you plan on doing anything else, as has been mentioned by pretty much everyone on the thread, you need a car. There is so much to do other than theme parks though it would be a shame if all you did was spend time at Universal Studios and Disney. If it's the price of the car, get a cab or shuttle to your hotel and rent one from an off-airport site - the major rental agencies all have off site rentals and they're located in some hotels too. You'll save money on taxes and fees and can still return it to the airport. The hassles and cost of getting taxis everywhere will more than offset the cost of the car. Don't forget you will also need to contact the taxi companies so you'll need to make sure you've got a working mobile.

Again, I'm going to recommend taking a look at tripadvisor if you haven't already done so.

www.tripadvisor.com/AllReviews-g32655-Los_Angeles_California.html

And make sure you go to In-n-Out Grin!

ragged · 19/09/2011 19:26

You can take cabs everywhere, it's not the end of the world, just pricey and maybe a bit smelly/slow/inconvenient (the cabbies WILL NOT be able to provide car seats for your 8yo if needed). The cabbies will come from all parts of the world EXCEPT USA/California, so should be enlightening chats to be had about Armenia/Slovakia/DCR/Bali, etc.

I get why your husband is so adverse to driving; we have been to California maybe 6x together and only the last 2 trips was my English husband (all the men in his family fancy themselves as great drivers, too) willing to drive much. Last visit I had a broken arm, so he had no choice!

Agree that there are plenty of fat people in CA. Even on the beaches.

ragged · 19/09/2011 19:29

ps: if you do drive after all, get used to "undertaking" on the Freeways. There is no concept of undertaking in California driving, it's just called passing (overtaking) on the inside.

omnishambles · 19/09/2011 19:33

I really think you'll be ok - if you arrive on the sat then you will be settling in and going to city walk etc, the next day might be universal, the next day maybe a whole day coach tour that picks up from your hotel, then you've got your stay in anaheim then maybe back for another tour that takes in santa monica and malibu - they do those too and then a chill out day and home. Its not like you have 2 weeks and will be twiddling your thumbs.

stjo · 19/09/2011 19:37

Have been to LA and surrounding area several times with our four boys since the youngest was 2 (now 10). The Natural History museum is on a site called Exposition Park and includes the science museum and museum of African American History, all excellent. The Nat and Sci have good resturants and behind them is a fantastic rose garden where weddings often take place. Really recommend it. If you can get there, the Raging waters, water park just off highway 57 is totally brilliant but take a picnic (which you have to eat in a picnic area outside the park) as the food is awful. Hope this helps.

ragged · 19/09/2011 19:43

Huntingdon library, La Brea tarpits are great. Probably a trek, though.

Original poster
ChickensHaveNoEyebrows · 19/09/2011 19:43

We're only doing one day at Disney, and one full day at Universal (the week long pass was as cheap as the day pass). Definitely want to do Santa Monica and the Getty centre, plus the science museum. DH is keen on the Griffith Observatory, too. I'm expecting to spend the majority of the time on the go in an effort to fit in as much as possible. There will be....an intinerary

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Original poster
ChickensHaveNoEyebrows · 19/09/2011 19:43

Ooh, I fancy the tar pits. Mainly because I have no farking clue what a tar pit is.

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Hullygully · 19/09/2011 19:48

California Pizza Kitchen (or similar) nom nom. There's a few of em.

Stuff kids like and great stuff for adults too.

All the other bits I thought of have been covered!

We did go to one delish posh restaurant with our friends (after their couples counselling session - LA for you), but I have forgot the name. So that's helpful.

Hullygully · 19/09/2011 19:49

Oh, and Hollywood.

Hullygully · 19/09/2011 19:50

One day is plenty for Disney.

Universal's much better.

mrsshears · 19/09/2011 19:55

Dont want to be an old misery but i found santa monica really overated.
I'm sure others will disagree with me but i found it a bit meh.

Original poster
ChickensHaveNoEyebrows · 19/09/2011 19:55

Is it? Or will I want to kill myself as my natural British cynicism rises up to choke me at all the super happiness?

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Original poster
ChickensHaveNoEyebrows · 19/09/2011 19:56

Where would you recommend for beachy loveliness, mrsshears?

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Hullygully · 19/09/2011 19:57

Ooo I know beach loveliness. Will rack brains to remember.

Earlybird · 19/09/2011 21:52

Check to see if you need to arrange tickets in advance for the Getty. That was the case when it first opened, but may be different now.

PenguinArmy · 19/09/2011 22:04

Driving in the US is quite simple, very plain and descriptive road signs (just watch for the right hand lanes becoming another road. Sat-nav if you pre-order from walmart and get delivered to hotel or even UK is probably cheaper (although you probably need a US card).

Honestly it's like going to different towns and taxis are very expensive. Also each place is smaller than you expect. Hollywood is only nice for about two blocks. Universal was good but smaller than Disney so you might want to do Universal first. (although we did Disney on xmas day so was very different to Universal when we went as it was really quiet in comparison)

I found the about.com very useful for travelling about the US. We lived about 90 mins away from LA for the past year.

mumblechum1 · 19/09/2011 23:50

You can just hire the satnav with the hire car. Cost us £22 per week and if we hadn't had it we would have killed each other (I just can't navigate).

ragged · 20/09/2011 07:55

I'm a bit anxious about the Jet Lag. Are you going to CA straight from the UK? And only staying for a week? It always takes me a week to get over the jet lag, I think you'll find you're running on strange hours the whole time, which is going to make things er.... interesting. Then you'll have to repeat the whole experience in reverse.

ragged · 20/09/2011 07:58

ps, the best thing I find for the jet lag is to drink some alcohol on the plane so that I can actually get some sleep, even half an hour helps. I don't sleep without the booze.Then get on local time as fast as possible upon arrival.

But admittedly DH had no Jet lat at all last time he came back... by himself. And napped easily the swine.

mumblechum1 · 20/09/2011 08:09

Going West isn't too bad, going East is the killer. The other week I was awake till 4am, sleeping till 1pm for the first 4 days or so.

DH is going to Japan on Sat, and is going to bed and getting up an hour earlier each morning. He just wandered into the kitchen as I was getting breakfast at 7.30 and announced it was his lunchtime Hmm

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